In the latest edition of UK music monthly X-Ray magazine (August 2003, issue no. 7) is an interview with Ice-T in their "X-Rayed" section. Here's a relevant excerpt:

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Phillip Mlynar: What's the deal with your website ( http://www.IceT.com/ )? You're selling albums for $5?!

Ice-T: But that makes money. There's no couple of dollars going to the distributor, there's no fucking payola for radio or video, it's just the price that's going to the artist minus all the bullshit. And selling it direct like this, you're not having to search peer-to-peer sites and risk getting someone impound your computer.

Phillip Mlynar: That's the complete opposite view to much of the pop music industry.

Ice-T: Well, pop just means popular, and what's in this year will be out the next. Artists need to go for that core audience. Forget the pop element and build up a core base. You know, there are still huge Public Enemy and Prince fans out there that will get violent on you if you say something wrong about their music, and this is years on from their height of publicity.

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Now, all you Org folks try to look past the "dis" of Prince fans, and check out how much Ice-T asks for his albums at his website after cutting out the middle men.

I love Ice T.

Natsume said:

Co-Sign!!!

Chico319 said:

Co-sign here too. Trouble is, Ice T hasn't made a good album since "OG", but who cares?

IceT rulez !

Yeah, he's cool !!

So basically we're all Prince's bitches? That's what Ice is really trying to say.

sinisterpentatonic said:

uhhh where?

Natsume said:

Artists need to go for that core audience. Forget the pop element and build up a core base.

isn't the reason Prince charges as much as he does, especially for concert tix, is that he views himself as the baddest out there?. In fact didn't Prince say as much last year. Point is that as long as we keep paying for it he will keep charging as much. Lets face it a lot of us get that moment of insanity when there is something new and PRINCE related to buy and just buy it anyway.

Ice T is damn right!

BVH said:

This didn't strike me as a dis at all. I took it as a characterization of a fiercely loyal fanbase, as in don't fuck with them. He's using it to justify going the same route as Prince, so it seemed positive to me.

sinisterpentatonic said:

ok..you made me laugh...

sinisterpentatonic said:

Well I didn't read that, but we are ain't we

Sweeny79 said:

Just ask CalhounSq, wherever she is.

BVH said:

Any of you Prince fans ever gotten violent over Prince? I haven't although at times I'd like to.

His re-make of Head was funny as fuck. The first Eminem.

frankjotzo said:

Please. Did you ever hear Body Count?

Fuckin A, Ice-T.

I have to say this. I don't like Ice-T and I don't like rap, but I'm almost tempted to buy his new album off the website just to support him in what he's doing and that is telling the corporate money makers 'we don't need you, you need us'. Ice-T

It's not a dis in any way. You need to re-read it.

He said "Forget the pop element and build up a core base. You know, there are still huge Public Enemy and Prince fans out there that will get violent on you if you say something wrong about their music, and this is years on from their height of publicity."

Can you not understand that he's using PE and Prince as examples of artists who have a core fanbase, who aren't waiting for them to be in the pop element to continue buying their music and concert tickets?

2freaky4church1 said:

It was hilarious

Ice-T the original pimp, playa, hustla
the original G

FunkMistress said:

... or the follow-up to OG, "Home Invasion"???

Go Ice, you're still the man

I've met Ice, he's pretty cool.

BVH said:

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BVH,

Maybe you need to re-read the article. Ice does not dis Prince. He is giving him props.

Ice mentions things that I have said for years on this site .The record companies dictate to the public what is good and what is not.Artists like P.E.,Prince,Bowie,& others are trying to allow the music to be heard .

My hope is for Prince to be able to see the gold mine he sits upon and harvest it before it is too late.

Hehe, Cant u see prince asking $5 for a brand new cd, containing material new and old unreleased...

Thats just straight up dreaming.


with Prince fixation on money and his old record label, he couldnt understand that level of thinking.

Even if he did do that, he would feel like we owe him something.. he only has one instrumental for sale and he's already askin us to send him shit.

Just think, he isnt even on the brink of doing something that brilliant, and yet, he has one instrumental and an edit of a concert goin on sale, for which u had to pay to access that (a few days early) Its simply laughable compared to other artists setups.


Its the price u pay for something this unordinary. Prince is not ordinary, its obvoius, someone that creates this much chaotic disorder with a record label, then acts like a baby for signing for something he didnt know they could do (master recordings) This very person could be rolling in what he wants, but decides to sh*t on it like its a freakin toilet bowl. Yeah, he's great and he can fart some great music, but since when does he think this crap of a club and rediculous ideas of gaining masters is gonna hold water? The boy is dreamin and his ideas are presently sinking. I mean, The music club is such a great concept, and its almost a joke when compared to anothers work. to think, Prince feels u owe him something to be on his site, yet he yearns for the freedom of his music. Prince talks so much about freedom, yet he splurges for isolation, for his fans and himself.

Say what you will about Prince's past or present business dealings, but I respect him for actually walking the walk. A music club is a good idea, and although it doesn't guarantee huge exposure or sales, it does guarantee music and money, without giving a cut to the middle-man.