Pusha T revealed the origin of his rap name during a recent interview. The 45-year-old, coincidentally, was inspired by an Ice-T record.
Speaking to REVOLT Sunday on the GRAMMYs red carpet, Push was asked to confirm that he took his rap moniker from a song by the gangster rapper-turned-actor. “Yes I did,” the It’s Almost Dry artist said. “An Ice-T song, ‘I’m Your Pusher.'”
The GRAMMY nominee was then asked if the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star knows that he inspired his name, to which the Virginia rapper replied “You know what? I seen him standing outside of a hotel one day and I actually did tell him. I actually gave him all of his flowers right then and there, I had to.”
“He told me he was actually a fan of my work and that was enough for me,” the “If You Know You Know” rapper said when asked for the 64-year-old’s reaction.
Ice-T was flattered by the revelation and reshared the clip on Twitter.
“Absolutely nothing but Respect to @PUSHA_T,” Ice-T wrote on Twitter on Wednesday (Feb. 8). “Love is love.” The father of three then gave the coke rapper high praise, saying “he’s one of the best to ever do it.”
Ice-T released “I’m Your Pusher” in 1988. The record peaked at No. 13 on the US Billboard Hot Black Singles chart and No. 21 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. “I’m Your Pusher” includes a sample from Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusherman.”
Notably, Pusha T references the song’s title in the opening of the classic Clipse record “Grindin’.”