Though Dr. Dre once famously said “I started this gangsta shit, and this the muthafuckin thanks I get?” on “The Watcher,” the lineage of gangsta rap actually stretches back even further. In a recently-revived interview clip that appears to be from the 90s, Dre actually credits Ice-T as being one of the major innovators in West Coast gangsta rap.
The clip was shared by none other than Ice-T himself, who opted to address the narrative that he’s gone uncredited in hip-hop for far too long. “People say I don’t get enough credit,” writes Ice-T, sharing a throwback clip of a Dr. Dre interview on his Twitter. “But when @DrDre lays it down.. That’s ENOUGH for me.”
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In the clip, a younger Dre opens up about the history of West Coast gangsta rap, crediting Ice-T as being one of the key originators and primary influences. “Hip-hop on the West Coast started in 1982-83, something like that,” explains Dre. “I guess, so-called gangsta rap started at the same time. Those were the records that really made it out here. Ice-T had a big influence on a lot of people out here, because he actually started it to me.”
“Ice-T and Schoolly D actually,” continues Dre. “Schooly D had the record “P.S.K” at the time, and Ice-T had “6 In The Morning,” and these were the only records we were playing. They were saying things we could relate to.” Dre smiles knowingly, his respect for Ice-T evident. It’s no wonder the pair opted to keep in touch, to the point where Ice was among the people to provide an update on Dre’s health following his brain aneurysm scare in early 2021
Check out Ice-T’s post below, and show some love to the legend who helped make gangsta rap what it is today.