Ice-T is a legend in hip hop and is widely considered as the ‘Godfather of Gangster Rap’. Inspired by Schoolly D’s ‘PSK’, Ice-T’s ‘6 In The Mornin’ set a precedent for the likes of N.W.A, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. Furthermore, it put the city of Los Angeles on the map with regard to hip hop.
Recently, Ice-T has been speaking out in frustration as rappers from outside L.A. continue to disregard and underestimate the ferocity of L.A. gangs, with more rappers continuing to die, getting fatally injured at the hands of gang members in the California city.
Following the murder of Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock in South Central LA, Ice-T took to Twitter, tweeting, “I’m done explaining LA Gang culture… MFs will not listen. It’s not a game.. At all.” PnB Rock, who was murdered on September 12th, 2022, was reportedly targeted for his jewellery while eating at the restaurant Roscoe’s with his girlfriend. The rapper, flaunting extravagant, got shot multiple times during the robbery attempt.
Ice-T knows the tough streets of L.A. all too well. Growing up in the poorer Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, the rapper (real name Tracy Marrow) experienced the worst of the worst and observed the struggles of those caught up in gangs as all his friends either died or went to prison. In an interview with Metal Hammer, the rapper opened up about his musical tastes growing up and what music he still listens to.
The rapper was asked if there was an album out that he wishes he had made, to which he responded, Paid In Full by Eric B. & Rakim. Describing the album, Marrow detailed, “Every last one of those songs, I can sing with. When I heard rap for the first time, I was like, ‘Woah! This is me, this is something I can take to the next level.’”
When asked about education and school, he noted that the album that reminds him of school is Black Sabbath’s 1970 self-titled album Black Sabbath, stating, “Now here’s your rock record. I used to live with my cousin, and he would always listen to rock radio – that’s what we had on all the time. There was one album that I used to play over and over again that I heard from that station, and that was the first Black Sabbath album. And I’ve used that record over and over in my music.”
However, when he was finally asked what the first album he ever purchased was, the rapper interestingly revealed it was the 1976 Parliament album, The Clones of Doctor Funkenstein, disclosing, “I was in ninth grade, and all that Parliament and P-funk was the big thing. It was interesting getting into Parliament because they had a kind of rock thing going on. There were lots of guitars in it. Even though it was considered funk, it had a little rock vibe, too.”
You can listen to the full The Clones Of Doctor Funkenstein below.