Ice-T vs. Soulja Boy Feud
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Every debate needs an entry point.
On its face, the beef between leonine gangsta rap MC Ice-T and upstart teen phenom Soulja Boy is simply an epithet-fueled squabble: Ice accused Soulja of “single-handedly ruining hip-hop“, and Soulja responded with wisecracks about Ice’s motives (he’s dropping a new album), his age (he’s older than the Internet and Wal-Mart — does that make him the McCain of rap?), and his mewling — “You don’t like the way hip-hop is,” Soulja says, “then change it.”
Ice responded — “Sorry I told you to eat a dick; your music’s still garbage” — and super-producer/rapper/blogger Kanye West chimed in with unfortunately typed words of support, i.e., “Soulja Boy is fresh ass hell” — a phrase sure to inspire t-shirts, ringtones, and at least one scatologically punny domain purchase (FreshAssHell.com — Dropping Knowledge on the Daily!).
But while the marquee banana-tossing has provoked side-taking on various popularity permutations (Ice-T > Soulja Boy, Soulja Boy > Ice-T, etc.), and discussion about forensic strategies (i.e. the relative wisdom of provoking a popular artist vs. responding to a pedigreed Jacobite), the real debate re-raised by the MC beef is one of classic hip-hop province: What does Soulja Boy’s popularity say about the changing nature of hip-hop?
In other words, this isn’t about Ice-T’s music prefs — it’s about what Ice-T’s prefs say about the changing music business, which is struggling, in the face of declining album sales and online distribution, with what it means to be popular, successful and relevant. Those three qualifiers, formerly inextricably linked — if you were popular, then you were successful, and thus relevant — are now loosely joined online. You can have an indomitable online presence (popularity) and not make any money (success). Can you have both popularity and success, but not be relevant?
Ice-T says yes. In his apology vid, Ice criticized Soulja for lacking the lyrics-based, culturally-conscious MC skills of Big Daddy Kane, Das EFX and Rakim. To Ice, Soulja’s a talentless fluke whose success is rooted in a trite dance hit.
But that trite dance hit was a self-produced single that Soulja personally seeded onto P2P nets from his bedroom. He advantaged himself of a teen-centric distribution mechanism to circumvent the music industry’s barriers to entry. In doing so, he was the first major example of mainstream Internet music success.
Soulja may not be socio-politically relevant, but from a business perspective, he is relevant. Regardless of the quality of his music, he’s an agent of change. And it’s never more apparent than in this beef — played out in real time, on his online turf. Or as Ice-T said in an unfortunate Ted Stevens-like turn of phrase, on “the YouTubes.”
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Comments
Soulja Boy new album, July 6, 2008 at 7:53 AM
Soulja boy is a new level of hip hop. We need to have something for the new generation to relate to because we didn’t grow up when Ice-t did. No disrespect to Ice-t or anything. I mean Soulja boy maybe a no Nas but he is new school. I think all this beef needs to stop between rappers. Can’t they just make money and do positive stuff for their co-rappers?
d-hova, July 31, 2008 at 11:52 AM
ice-t needs to stop brakin hiz finga tyrna switch da channel so he wnt hav 2 listen 2 soulja boi man u possed 2 b John Mc Cain assistant president cuz he iz old az hell man all i gotta say iz dat ice -t needs 2 stop listen 2 da 70-80’s he needs to get use 2 it. u 2 old 4 dizz drama!
jon, August 2, 2008 at 4:41 PM
soulja boy is better than ice t
robert haywood, August 8, 2008 at 2:43 PM
Soulja boy seriously needs to be stop. His songs suck and he knows it that is why he always has some dance he knows will be popular to get peoples attention. If soulja boys didnt dance in any of his videos and just stuck with rapping do you think he would be as popular as he is now. Sure ppl will argue saying that his dancing is part of his songs as an entertainer but seriously look at his songs, example the song donk i just saw the music video for it recently, what the fuck is that. Soulja boy should just shut up and stay home.
Tyler Lusk, August 28, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Soulja boy is garbage! Ice-t is the man Original Gangsta is still one of the best rap albums of all time. All the mainstream rap these days pretty much sucks, the underground has some great artist like Sage Francis, POS, and Brothe Ali and thats what true hip hop is. All praise ICE-T!!!
YuppYupp, September 23, 2008 at 1:49 PM
Soulja Boy doesnt even rap..he talks with beats the the background. He tries to be the new lil John with throwin in words in the middle of his songs. Ok he got one song that made a dance, Ice-T would destory him in any category. Give it up Boy, your shits weak. In 5 years u wont hear of him but T will always be talked about
Junius, September 29, 2008 at 1:04 PM
Claiming that Soulja Boy is someone that the current and upcoming generation can relate to: THAT MAKES NO SENSE. If you believe these generations can only relate to dancing, clothes and “swag”, you obviously lack the depth of character and insight to hold an intelligent argument concerning anything, especially the relevance of content in music. May you rest in your inevitable poverty stricken existence, wrapping Big Mac’s singing the latest Young Jeezy single…
Dahlias, October 4, 2008 at 12:21 PM
It is sickening to think that any person would side with Soulja Boy on this. I’m not American and people all around the world think Americans have no sense. African Americans used to have your music. Concious rap is virtucally non-existent and other Black people from the Caribbean, like myself, have no respect for what Black Americans stand for. You need to wake up. Ice-T is a heavyweight and Soulja Boy is a fool, in every aspect of the word, who got luck
E-teezy, October 31, 2008 at 5:18 AM
first of all, why T even trying to start wit soulja boy? SB just makin his money the way he know how to. if the ppl didnt like it then he wouldnt go platnium, sell cds, or get a million its on myspace and youtube. how bout this: SB and ice-t make a album and release on the same day and see which album sells better. after SB win then T needs to eat a dick
quala, November 14, 2008 at 10:12 AM
i think that ice-t should just step aside because he aint in the game no more soulaja boy is the new level of hip hop know and he needs to get over there aint nothing he can say that will make soulja boy stop doing what he do we all still resepect ice-t for all the music that he had put out there for us bacdk in the day but know we got to resepect soulja boy for the music that he is putting out there for all of us out here today
pamela, December 12, 2008 at 2:25 PM
Soulja boy u is so f***ing sexying……………….
baby tae, January 13, 2009 at 7:24 AM
soulja boy is fuccin wacc
da onli reason he made it in the came
cause of mr. college park was lookin on mysapce
he is just a luccy person thats all
kiss me thru the phone song
is only hot cause of sammie
you fucced up da verses and took a full verse sayin dah dah da da da dahh dah
wtf who does that
your lame.. only the beats are hot
get some skills and when you do you holla at me in da streets
Ice T is way more expreince then Soulja Boy Nd His coccy ass no body self
thats why dis bitch ass kid clamining he got rob by like 6-8 dudes
niggah it was only to ppl
and if you reppin from where your suppose to be “North Carolina”
why da hell ya own people dont like you
cant even go to your own damn state with out gettin shot at
now dont that tell you somethin
common sense
Ice T im on ya side baby do you what
West West Ya’ll
rajean, February 20, 2009 at 10:12 AM
man yall just need to tight’n up yall just mad because that dude is getting money doing his own beats and songs you and ice-t just mad because yall wanna do the same dance moves like soulja boy is doing but yall can’t why because he just too good madn and later soon i will be dissing ice-t for getting at soulja boy im only 13 years if youre gonna get back at me then your gay so shut up and go make your own songs and beats haters hatin on soulja boy every where last be not least big ups to all his haters and yes im a soulja boy tellem fan f ice-t and his son
Sup, July 15, 2009 at 4:14 PM
I’m with my Ice-T. Soulja boy can’t rap, mainstream is crap, so strap and blast, put you in a cast. Make sure your locked stocked and loaded, fuck with the wrong nigga and be capped and corroded…
Man, just put some meaning into your songs…. For real… Rap is in such a big coma now…