Troy Ave: How I Survived Rikers Island

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8 • 745 Ratings

🗓️ 15 February 2026

⏱️ 129 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Troy Ave sits down with Ian Bick for an honest conversation about his upbringing, the path that led him into the criminal justice system, and what it took to survive time at Rikers Island. In this episode, Troy Ave breaks down his early life, the court case that changed everything, the realities of being locked up inside Rikers, and how incarceration reshaped his mindset both personally and professionally. He speaks honestly about accountability, survival, and navigating life after the system while continuing his journey in music. _____________________________________________ #TroyAve #HipHopInterview #PrisonStory #StreetLife #TrueCrimePodcast #MusicIndustry #LifeAfterPrison #rikersislandstories _____________________________________________ Thank you to AVA & LUCY for sponsoring this episode: AVA: Take control of your credit today. Download the Ava app and when you join using my promo code LOCKEDIN, you’ll get 20% off your first year—monthly or annual, your choice. _____________________________________________ LUCY: Go to HTTP://LUCY.CO/IANBICK and use promo code IANBICK to get 20% off your first order. _____________________________________________ Connect with Troy Ave: https://www.instagram.com/troyave/?hl=en _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Troy Ave on Rikers Island & Interview Introduction 00:32 Growing Up in Brooklyn: Background & Perspective 01:44 Privilege, Exposure & Early Worldview 03:40 Family Life, Brooklyn Upbringing & Environment 06:11 Lessons From Parents & Early Business Mindset 07:27 Teen Years: Discipline, Mistakes & Street Fights 10:39 Gang Life: Attraction, Reality & Short-Lived Appeal 13:05 Life Choices After Gangs: Credit, Jobs & Direction 14:24 First Hustles: Work, Streets & School Balance 17:46 From the Streets to Music: Motivation & Drive 21:40 The Mixtape Era & Early Music Grind 24:45 Drug Money vs Music Money 27:30 Leaving the Streets & Refocusing on Music 33:00 Jail Time, Loyalty & Leveling Up Mentally 36:52 Touring Independently & Music Industry Lessons 41:01 The Real Consequences of Street Life 44:42 The Shooting, Arrest & Legal Battle 52:00 Inside Rikers Island: Firsthand Experience 01:00:32 Life in Jail: Mindset, Privileges & Survival 01:13:12 Locked Up Again: Routines & Mental Toughness 01:19:12 Money, Status & Jail Politics 01:32:00 Rikers Island: Violence, Dominance & Reality 01:46:40 Lessons Learned, Hustle & Life After Jail 02:01:47 Achievements, Missed Goals & New Perspective 02:06:06 Final Reflections & Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Rikers is a treacherous place. I had people sending me pictures of their violence and, yo, let me know anybody you need. I'm just like, man, let me get the fuck away from this person because I'm out of here in a few and I'm not about to get an extra charge looking with you. Harvey Weinstein was my neighbor. So what do you think was the worst thing you saw there? Troy Ave opens up about his upbringing, his criminal case, and surviving Rikers Island.
0:21.6	Today, he breaks down what jail was really like, how the system changed him, and what life
0:26.5	looks like after coming out the other side.
0:31.9	Where'd you grow up, Troy?
0:33.4	Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York.
0:34.9	Where'd you grow up?
0:36.1	I was actually born in Manhattan.
1:44.9	Well, part, because I'm looking for a condo of Manhattan. I live there for one month. Oh, that doesn't count. My dad's from Brooklyn, though. What part? He grew up in Coney Island. Oh, shit, before I got gentrified. Yeah, he's from back in the day. Yeah, yeah, that's a fact. Colony Island. Damn, good thing he don't live there now. Yeah, his dad was, his dad was an immigration attorney back in the day and then they moved up here. They had a house and Danbury a summer house. Oh, and then they end up just kicking it. Yeah, and then when I was born, they renovated the summer house, and I grew up here in, well, in Danbury, the town over. So the thing that people don't understand about summer houses is that, like, it's really a thing that you don't think, like, you were actually privileged. You grew up having a summer house, right? Or did his father have a summer house? I lived in his, his old summer house, yeah. So, that's certain shit that we don't think about growing up. Like, when I'm from, you don't, like, you see it on movies. Oh, we have a place in the Hamptons or a place or whatever. And I never even thought I would be doing that or living like that. I'm like, man, that's stupid. Why you got two homes? But then here I am.
1:46.5	Shout to Butch Lewis.
1:47.0	I.P.
1:47.5	Bush Lewis.
1:49.2	Great man.
1:52.3	Anybody listening to sound about voice of tuning Google.
1:52.8	Butch Lewis.
1:55.7	He gave Bob Johnson startup money for BET.
2:02.7	Butch Lewis had me at Chipriani's hanging out for dinner with fucking Denzel Washington, Heath Ledger, Roberto Cavali.
2:05.6	You know what I'm saying?
2:06.6	But anyway, Bush Lewis had a, he had a house in Delaware, like a little mini mansion
2:11.2	in Delaware.
2:12.2	Then he had a beach house in Delaware a few hours apart.
2:16.4	Never knew Delaware was this big. And then he had an apartment, a few hours apart. Never knew Delaware was this big.
2:18.4	And then he had an apartment, a condo in Manhattan.
	...

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