Ice-T Urges Current Generation of Hip-Hop Artists to Exercise Restraint

Veteran rapper and actor Ice-T, also known as Tracy Marrow, has expressed his concern for the current generation of hip-hop artists, urging them to exercise restraint.

Reflecting on the tragic deaths of prominent figures in the genre due to drug use or violence, Ice-T highlighted the losses of Nipsey Hussle, Migos’ Takeoff, Pop Smoke, and XXXTentacion.

He emphasized the need for the modern crop of musicians to realize the urgency to “calm down” before another tragedy strikes.

Speaking at Essence Fest over the weekend, as reported by Rolling Stone magazine, Ice-T shared his perspective, saying, “My generation, we lost Tupac, we lost Biggie, and we got the memo. Everybody calmed down. We all figured this out: We [were] rapping to get out of the streets. But the youngsters who are out here behaving like that, these kids are millionaires, so I don’t know how many young people gotta get lost, I don’t know which one might trigger that message, but I think it’s time for this generation to get a hold of itself.”

Ice-T, known for his iconic roles in the “Lethal Weapon” franchise, also reflected on the evolution of hip-hop over the past 50 years. He acknowledged that while hip-hop was initially perceived as a fad, it has now produced billionaires within the industry. Ice-T expressed his delight at the genre’s continued flourishing and its status as a cultural phenomenon.

“Hip-hop has gray hairs,” he stated. “The beauty of it is that it’s still here, still flourishing, and people still love it. It’s gone through a lot of different growing pains and stuff, but for them to say it was a fad — now you have hip-hop billionaires! Hip-hop is a culture. A youth culture, started by kids.”

Ice-T’s call for the current generation of hip-hop artists to exercise self-control echoes his own experiences and the lessons learned from past tragedies within the genre. As the conversation surrounding the influence and impact of hip-hop continues, his words serve as a reminder to prioritize the well-being and longevity of the art form.