Ice-T | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ice-T performing withBody Count in 2019 | |
| Born | Tracy Lauren Marrow (1958-02-16)February 16, 1958 (age 67) Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Crenshaw High School |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Darlene Ortiz (1984–2001)[1] |
| Children | 3 |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels |
|
| Member of | Body Count |
| Formerly of | Uncle Jamm's Army |
| Website | icet |
Musical artist | |
Tracy Lauren Marrow[2] (born February 16, 1958), known professionally asIce-T (orIce T), is an American rapper and actor. He is active in bothhip hop andheavy metal. Ice-T began his career as an underground rapper in the 1980s and was signed toSire Records in 1987, when he released his debut albumRhyme Pays. The following year, he founded the record label Rhyme $yndicate Records (named after his collective of fellow hip-hop artists called the "Rhyme $yndicate") and released another album,Power (1988), which is Ice-T's only album to be certifiedplatinum by theRIAA.[3] His next three albums,The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say! (1989),O.G. Original Gangster (1991) andHome Invasion (1993), were also critically acclaimed and commercially successful, and were all certified gold in the US.[3]
Ice-T co-founded the heavy metal bandBody Count in 1990, which he introduced onO.G. Original Gangster, on the track titled "Body Count". The band released itsself-titled debut album in 1992. Ice-T encountered controversy over his track "Cop Killer", the lyrics of which discussed killing police officers. He asked to be released from his contract withWarner Bros. Records, and his follow-up solo album,Home Invasion, was released throughPriority Records. Ice-T released two more albums in the late 1990s andone in the 2000s before focusing on both his acting career and Body Count, who have released eight studio albums to date, the latest being 2024'sMerciless.
As an actor, Ice-T played small parts in the filmsBreakin' (1984) and its sequels,Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo andRappin' (1984 and 1985 respectively), before his major role debut, starring as police detective Scotty Appleton inNew Jack City (1991). He received top billing for his role inSurviving the Game (1994) and continued to appear in small roles in TV series and other films throughout the 1990s. Since 2000, he has portrayedNYPD detective/sergeantOdafin Tutuola on theNBC police dramaLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit, making him the longest-running male series actor in American TV history, according toDeadline.[4] A reality television show titledIce Loves Coco ran for three seasons (2011–2013) onE!, featuring the home life of Ice-T and his wifeCoco Austin. In 2018, he began hosting the true crime documentaryIn Ice Cold Blood on theOxygen cable channel, which ran for three seasons.
Tracy Lauren Marrow, the son of Solomon and Alice Marrow,[5][6] was born inNewark, New Jersey[7] on February 16, 1958. Solomon's family was originally from Virginia and Philadelphia, and Alice's family was originally from Louisiana. Both of his parents wereAfrican American. Ice-T states that his father was a "dark-skinned brother" while his mother was a "fair-skinned" black woman that looked likeDorothy Dandridge orLena Horne.[8][5] For decades, Solomon worked as aconveyor belt mechanic at theRapistan Conveyor Company. When Marrow was a child, his family moved to upscaleSummit, New Jersey.[5] The first time race played a major part in Marrow's life was at the age of seven, when he became aware of the racism leveled by his white friends towards black children. Marrow surmised that he escaped similar treatment because they thought that he was white due to his lighter skin.[9][5] Relaying this incident to his mother, she told him, "Honey, people are stupid"; her advice and this incident taught Marrow to control the way the negativity of others affected him.[5]
His mother died of a heart attack when he was in third grade. Solomon raised Marrow as a single father for four years, with help from a housekeeper.[5] Marrow's first experience with illicit activity occurred after a bicycle that his father bought him for Christmas was stolen. After Marrow told his father, Solomon shrugged, "Well, then, you ain't got no bike".[5] Marrow stole parts from bicycles and assembled "three or four weird-looking, brightly-painted bikes" from the parts; his father either did not notice or never acknowledged this.[5] When Marrow was 13 years old, Solomon also died of a heart attack.[5][10]
Following his father's death, the orphaned Marrow briefly lived with a nearby aunt, then was sent to live with his other aunt and her husband inView Park-Windsor Hills, an upper middle-class Black neighborhood inSouth Los Angeles.[11] While his cousin Earl was preparing to leave for college, Marrow shared a bedroom with him. Earl was a fan of rock music and listened only to the local rock radio stations; sharing a room with him sparked Marrow's interest inheavy metal music.[12]
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 Ice-T - Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction? (Part 1),Loudwire[13] | |
| Ice-T - Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction? (Part 2),Loudwire[14] |
Marrow moved to theCrenshaw District of Los Angeles when he was in the eighth grade. He attended Palms Junior High, which was predominantly made up of white students, and included black students who traveled by bus fromSouth Central to attend.[11] He then attendedCrenshaw High School, which was almost entirely made up of black students.[11][15]
Marrow stood out from most of his friends because he did not drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, or use drugs.[16] During Marrow's time in high school, gangs became more prevalent in the Los Angeles school system. Students who belonged to theCrips andBloods gangs attended Crenshaw, and fought in the school's hallways.[11] Marrow, while never an actual gang member, was affiliated with the former.[11] Marrow began reading the novels ofIceberg Slim, which he memorized and recited to his friends, who enjoyed hearing the excerpts and told him, "Yo, kick some more of that by Ice, T",[16] giving Marrow his nickname. Marrow and other Crips wrote and performed "Crip Rhymes".[17]
His music career started with the band of the singing group The Precious Few of Crenshaw High School. Marrow and his group opened the show, dancing to a live band. The singers were Thomas Barnes, Ronald Robinson and Lapekas Mayfield.
In 1975, at the age of seventeen, Marrow began receivingSocial Security benefits resulting from the death of his father and used the money to rent an apartment for $90 a month.[16] He soldcannabis and stole car stereos to earn extra cash, but he was not making enough to support his pregnant girlfriend. After his daughter was born, Marrow enlisted in the United States Army in October 1977. Following basic training, Marrow was assigned to the25th Infantry Division.[16][18] During his time in the army Marrow was involved with a group of soldiers charged with the theft of a rug.[16] While awaiting trial, he received a $2,500 bonus check and went absent without leave (AWOL), returning a month later, after the rug had been returned. Marrow received anon-judicial punishment as a consequence of hisdereliction of duty.[16]
During his spell in the Army, Marrow became interested inhip hop music. He heardThe Sugarhill Gang's newly released single "Rapper's Delight" (1979), which inspired him to perform his own raps over the instrumentals of this and other early hip-hop records. The music, however, did not fit his lyrics or form of delivery.[17]
When he was stationed in Hawaii (where prostitution was not a heavily prosecuted crime) as a squad leader atSchofield Barracks, Marrow met apimp named Mac.[16] Mac admired that Marrow could quoteIceberg Slim, and he taught Marrow how to be a pimp himself.[16] Marrow was also able to purchase stereo equipment cheaply in Hawaii, including twoTechnics turntables, a mixer, and large speakers. Once equipped, he then began to learnturntablism and rapping.[17]
Marrow learned from his commanding officer that he could receive an earlyhonorable discharge because he was a single father. Taking advantage of this, Marrow was discharged as a Private First Class (PFC - E3) in December 1979 after serving for two years and two months.[16][18]
During an episode ofThe Adam Carolla Podcast that aired on June 6, 2012, Marrow claimed that after being discharged from the Army, he began a career as a bank robber. Marrow claimed he and some associates began conducting take-over bank robberies "like [in the film]Heat". Marrow then elaborated, explaining, "Only punks go for the drawer, we gotta go for the safe." Marrow also stated he was glad the United States justice system hasstatutes of limitations, which had likely expired when Marrow admitted to his involvement in multipleClass 1 Felonies in the early-to-mid 1980s.[19]
In July 2010, Marrow was mistakenly arrested. A month later when Marrow attended court, the charges were dropped and the prosecution stated "there had been a clerical error when the rapper was arrested". Marrow gave some advice to young people who think going to jail is a mark of integrity, saying, "Street credibility has nothing to do with going to jail, it has everything to do with staying out."[20]
After leaving the Army, Marrow wanted to stay away from gang life and violence and instead make a name for himself as a DJ.[17] As a tribute to Iceberg Slim, Marrow adopted the stage name Ice-T. While performing as a DJ at parties, he received more attention for his rapping, which led Ice-T to pursue a career as a rapper.[17] However, he soon returned to a life of crime and robbed jewelry stores with his high school friends. Ice-T's raps later described how he and his friends pretended to be customers to gain access before smashing the display glass with small sledgehammers.[17][21]
Ice-T's friends Al P. andSean E. Sean went to prison. Al P. was caught in 1982 and sent to prison for robbing a high-end jewelry store inLaguna Niguel for $2.5 million in jewelry. Sean was arrested for possession of not only cannabis, which Sean sold, but also material stolen by Ice-T. Sean took the blame and served two years in prison. Ice-T stated that he owed a debt of gratitude to Sean because his prison time allowed him to pursue a career as a rapper.[22] Concurrently, he wound up in a car accident and was hospitalized as aJohn Doe because he did not carry any form of identification due to his criminal activities.[23] After being discharged from the hospital, he decided to abandon the criminal lifestyle and pursue a professional career rapping.[23] Two weeks after being released from the hospital, he won an open mic competition judged byKurtis Blow at the Carolina West nightclub.[24] According to Michael Khalfani known as Disco Daddy, Ice-T won the first week of the competition under the name of DJ Tracy, but got beaten by Disco Daddy the second week, which led to the name change of Ice-T (Khalfani got signed to Rappers Rapp Records).
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In 1982, Ice-T met producer Willie Strong from Saturn Records. In 1983, Strong recorded Ice-T's first single, "Cold Wind Madness", also known as "The Coldest Rap", anelectro hip-hop record that became anunderground success, becoming popular even though radio stations did not play it due to the song's explicit lyrics about taking a woman to the Snooty Fox motel in Los Angeles.[22] That same year, Ice-T released "Body Rock", another electro hip-hop single that found popularity in clubs. In 1984, Ice-T was a featured rapper on "Reckless", a single by DJChris "The Glove" Taylor and (co-producer) David Storrs that gained widespread popularity as a featured track via the motion pictureBreakin' and its soundtrack album. This song was almost immediately followed up with a sequel entitled "Reckless Rivalry (Combat)", which was featured in theBreakin' sequel,Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, however, it was never featured on the soundtrack album and was only released as a single on Taxidermi Records. In 1985, he appeared in the filmRappin' by performing two verses of his trackKillers, which was his first political rap. Ice later recorded the songs "Ya Don't Quit" and "Dog'n the Wax (Ya Don't Quit-Part II)" with Unknown DJ, who provided aRun–D.M.C.-like sound for the songs.[24]
Ice-T received further inspiration as an artist fromSchoolly D'sgangsta rap single "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?", which he heard in a club. Ice-T enjoyed the single's sound and delivery, as well as its vague references to gang life, although the real life gang, Park Side Killers, was not named in the song.[24]
Ice-T decided to adopt Schoolly D's style, and wrote the lyrics to his first gangsta rap song, "6 in the Mornin'", in his Hollywood apartment, and created a minimal beat with aRoland TR-808. He compared the sound of the song, which was recorded as aB-side on the single "Dog'n The Wax", to that of theBeastie Boys.[24] The A-side caused some controversy for the lyrics, which were unusually violent by the standards of hip hop at the time.[25] The B-side was more successful and was later released as an extended rap on his first album. He intentionally did not represent any particular gang, and wore a mixture of red and blue clothing and shoes to avoid antagonizing gang-affiliated listeners, who debated his true affiliation.[24]
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Ice-T finally landed a deal with a major labelSire Records. When label founder and presidentSeymour Stein heard his demo, he said Ice-T sounded likeBob Dylan.[26] Shortly after, he released his debut albumRhyme Pays in 1987 supported byDJ Evil E,DJ Aladdin and producerAfrika Islam, who helped create the mainly party-oriented sound. The record wound up being certified gold by theRecording Industry Association of America. That same year, he recordedthe title theme song forDennis Hopper'sColors, a film about inner-city gang life in Los Angeles. His next albumPower was released in 1988, under his own label Rhyme Syndicate, and it was a more assured and impressive record, earning him strong reviews and his second gold record. Released in 1989,The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say! established his popularity by matching excellent abrasive music with narrative and commentative lyrics.[2] In the same year, he appeared onHugh Harris' single "Alice".[27]
In 1991, he released his albumO.G. Original Gangster. OnOG, he introduced his heavy metal bandBody Count in a track of the same name. Ice-T toured with Body Count on the first annualLollapalooza concert tour in 1991, gaining him appeal among middle-class teenagers and fans of alternative music genres. The albumBody Count was released in March 1992.[2] For his appearance on the heavily collaborative track "Back on the Block", a composition by jazz musicianQuincy Jones that "attempt[ed] to bring together black musical styles from jazz to soul to funk to rap", Ice-T won aGrammy Award for the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, an award shared by others who worked on the track including Jones and fellow jazz musicianRay Charles.[28]
Controversy later surrounded Body Count over its song "Cop Killer". The rock song was intended to speak from the viewpoint of a criminal getting revenge on racist, brutal cops. Ice-T's rock song infuriated government officials, theNational Rifle Association of America, and various police advocacy groups.[2][29] Consequently, Time Warner Music refused to release Ice-T's upcoming albumHome Invasion because of the controversy surrounding "Cop Killer". Ice-T suggested that the furor over the song was an overreaction, telling journalistChuck Philips "...they've done movies about nurse killers and teacher killers and student killers.Arnold Schwarzenegger blew away dozens of cops as theTerminator. But I don't hear anybody complaining about that". In the same interview, Ice-T suggested to Philips that the misunderstanding ofCop Killer, the misclassification of it as a rap song (not a rock song), and the attempts to censor it had racial overtones: "TheSupreme Court says it's OK for a white man toburn a cross in public. But nobody wants a black man to write a record about a cop killer".[29]
Ice-T split amicably with Sire/Warner Bros. Records after a dispute over the artwork of the albumHome Invasion. He then reactivated Rhyme Syndicate and formed a deal withPriority Records for distribution. Priority releasedHome Invasion in the spring of 1993.[30] The album peaked at No. 9 onBillboard magazine'sTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at No. 14 on theBillboard 200,[31] spawning several singles including "Gotta Lotta Love", "I Ain't New Ta This" and "99 Problems" – which would later inspireJay-Z to recorda version with new lyrics in 2003. In 2003 he released the single "Beat of Life" withSandra Nasić,Trigga tha Gambler andDJ Tomekk and placed in the German charts.[32][33]
Ice-T had also collaborated with certain other heavy metal bands during this time period. For the filmJudgment Night, he did a duet withSlayer on the track "Disorder".[34] In 1995, Ice-T made a guest performance onForbidden byBlack Sabbath.[6] Another album of his,VI – Return of the Real, was released in 1996, followed byThe Seventh Deadly Sin in 1999.[35]
His first rap album since 1999,Gangsta Rap, was released on October 31, 2006. The album's cover, which "shows [Ice-T] lying on his back in bed with his ravishing wife's ample posterior in full view and one of her legs coyly draped over his private parts", was considered to be too suggestive for most retailers, many of which were reluctant to stock the album. Some reviews of the album were unenthusiastic, as many had hoped for a return to the political raps of Ice-T's most successful albums.
Ice-T appears in the filmGift. One of the last scenes includes Ice-T and Body Count playing withJane's Addiction in a version of theSly and the Family Stone song "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey".
Besides fronting his own band and rap projects, Ice-T has also collaborated with otherhard rock and metal bands, such asIcepick,Motörhead,Slayer,Megadeth,Pro-Pain, andSix Feet Under. He has also covered songs byhardcore punk bands such asthe Exploited,Jello Biafra, andBlack Flag. Ice-T made an appearance atInsane Clown Posse'sGathering of the Juggalos (2008 edition).[36] Ice-T was also a judge for the 7th annualIndependent Music Awards to support independent artists.[37] His 2012 filmSomething from Nothing: The Art of Rap features a who's who of underground and mainstream rappers.[38]
In November 2011, Ice-T announced via Twitter that he was in the process of collecting beats for his next LP which was expected sometime during 2012, but as of October 2014[update], the album has not been released. A new Body Count album,Bloodlust, was released in 2017.[39] After the release of the album, responding to an interview question asking if he's "done with rap", he answered "I don't know" and noted that he's "really leaning more towardEDM right now".[40] Body Count received their second Grammy nomination and later won the award at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021 for "Best Metal Performance" with their song "Bum-Rush" from the albumCarnivore.[41]
In July 2019, Ice-T released his first solo hip hop track in 10 years, titled "Feds in My Rearview". The track is the first in a trilogy, with the second track, "Too Old for the Dumb Shit", described as a prequel to "Feds in My Rearview", and released in September 2019.[42] Ice-T was also featured on the 2020 hip hop posse cut "The Slayers Club" alongsideR.A. the Rugged Man,Brand Nubian and others.
Ice-T performed at New Year's Eve Toast & Roast 2021,Fox broadcast.[43][44]
Ice-T was prominently featured as both a rapper and a breakdancer inBreakin' 'n' Enterin' (1983), a documentary about the earlyWest Coast hip hop scene.
Ice-T's first film appearances were in the motion pictures,Breakin' (1984), and its sequel,Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984). These films were released before Ice-T released his first LP, although he appears on the soundtrack toBreakin'. He has since stated he considers the films and his own performance in them to be "wack".[45]
In 1991, he embarked on a serious acting career, portraying police detective Scotty Appleton inMario Van Peebles' action thrillerNew Jack City, gang leader Odessa (alongsideDenzel Washington andJohn Lithgow) inRicochet (1991), gang leader King James inTrespass (1992), followed by a notable lead role performance inSurviving the Game (1994), in addition to many supporting roles, such as J-Bone inJohnny Mnemonic (1995), and the marsupial mutant T-Saint inTank Girl (1995). He was also interviewed in the Brent Owens documentaryPimps Up, Ho's Down,[46] in which he claims to have had an extensive pimping background before getting into rap. He is quoted as saying "once you max something out, it ain't no fun no more. I couldn't really get no farther." He goes on to explain his pimping experience gave him the ability to get into new businesses. "I can't act, I really can't act, I ain't no rapper, it's all game. I'm just working these niggas." Later he raps at thePlayers Ball.
In 1993, Ice-T, along with other rappers and the threeYo! MTV Raps hostsEd Lover,Doctor Dré, andFab 5 Freddy starred in the comedyWho's the Man?, directed byTed Demme. In the film, he is a drug dealer who gets really frustrated when someone calls him by his real name, "Chauncey", rather than his street name, "Nighttrain".
In 1995, Ice-T had a recurring role as vengeful drug dealer Danny Cort on the television seriesNew York Undercover, co-created byDick Wolf. His work on the series earned him the 1996NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In 1997, he co-created the short-lived seriesPlayers, produced by Wolf. This was followed by a role as pimp Seymour "Kingston" Stockton inExiled: A Law & Order Movie (1998). These collaborations led Wolf to add Ice-T to the cast ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit. Since 2000, he has portrayedOdafin "Fin" Tutuola, a former undercover narcotics officer transferred to the Special Victims Unit. In 2002, the NAACP awarded Ice-T with a second Image Award, again for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, for his work onLaw & Order: SVU.
Around 1995,[47] Ice-T co-presented a UK-produced magazine television series on black culture,Baadasss TV.[48]
In 1997, Ice-T had apay-per-view special titledIce-T's Extreme Babes which appeared on Action PPV, formerly owned byBET Networks.[49][50]
In 1999, Ice-T starred in theHBO filmStealth Fighter as aUnited States Naval Aviator who fakes his own death, steals anF-117stealth fighter, and threatens to destroy United Statesmilitary bases. He also acted in the filmSonic Impact, released the same year.
Ice-T made an appearance on the comedy television seriesChappelle's Show as himself presenting the award for "Player Hater of the Year" at the "Player-Haters Ball", a parody of his own appearance at the Players Ball. He was dubbed the "Original Player Hater".
Beyond Tough, a 2002 documentary series, aired onDiscovery Channel about the world's most dangerous and intense professions, such as alligator wrestlers and Indy 500 pit crews, was hosted by Ice-T.[51]
In 2007, Ice-T appeared as a celebrity guest star on the MTV sketch comedy showShort Circuitz. Also in late 2007, he appeared in the short-music filmHands of Hatred, which can be found online.
Ice-T was interviewed for theCannibal Corpse retrospective documentaryCenturies of Torment, as well as appearing inChris Rock's 2009 documentaryGood Hair, in which he reminisced about going to school in hair curlers.[52]
A 2016 advertisement forGEICO features Ice-T behind a lemonade stand run by children. When people ask if it is Ice-T, the actor yells back, "No, it's lemonade!"[53]
In 2020, Ice-T competed onThe Masked Singer spin-offThe Masked Dancer where he portrayed "Disco Ball" and was the first to be eliminated.
Ice-T's voice acting roles include Madd Dogg in the video gameGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas, as well as Agent Cain inSanity: Aiken's Artifact. He also appears as himself inDef Jam: Fight for NY andUFC: Tapout fighting video games. He also voiced the character Aaron Griffin in the video gameGears of War 3.[54] Marrow also made an appearance in the 2019 video gameBorderlands 3, in which he voices the character of BALEX.[55] On August 22, 2023, it was revealed atGamescom 2023 that he would be voicing the contractor, Mac inPayday 3.[56]
On December 27, 2013, Ice-T announced that he was entering podcasting in a deal with the Paragon Collective. Ice-T co-hosts theIce-T: Final Level podcast[57] with his longtime friend, Mick Benzo (known as Zulu Beatz on Sirius XM). They discuss relevant issues, films, video games, and do a behind the scenes ofLaw & Order: SVU segment with featured guests from the entertainment world. The show will release new episodes bi-weekly. Guests have includedJim Norton.[58] Ice-T released his first episode on January 7 to many accolades.[59]
On October 20, 2006,Ice-T's Rap School aired and was a reality television show on VH1. It was a spin-off of the British reality showGene Simmons'Rock School, which also aired on VH1. InRap School, rapper/actor Ice-T teaches eight teens fromYork Preparatory School in New York called the "York Prep Crew" ("Y.P. Crew" for short). Each week, Ice-T gives them assignments and they compete for an imitation gold chain with a microphone on it. On the season finale on November 17, 2006, the group performed as an opening act forPublic Enemy.
On June 12, 2011,E! reality showIce Loves Coco debuted. The show is mostly about his relationship with his wife,Nicole "Coco" Austin.[60][61]
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Ice-T cites writerIceberg Slim and rapperSchoolly D as influences, with Iceberg Slim's novels guiding his skills as a lyricist.[17][24] His favorite heavy rock acts areEdgar Winter,Led Zeppelin andBlack Sabbath.[12] His hip hop albums helped shapegangsta rap, with music journalists tracing works of artists such asTupac Shakur,Notorious B.I.G.,Eminem andN.W.A to "6 in the Mornin'".[24]
A love of rock led Ice to use guitar in his albums, to provide his songs with edge and power, and to make his raps harder. He drew on the fusion of rock and hip hop byRick Rubin-produced acts such asBeastie Boys,Run-DMC, andLL Cool J, who featured rock samples in their songs.[12]
Body Count – whose 1992debut album Ice described as a "rock album with a rap mentality"[67] – is described as paving the way for the success ofrap rock fusions by acts likeKid Rock andLimp Bizkit.[12][67] However, Ice-T states that the band's style does not fuse the two genres, and that Body Count is solely a rock band.[12]
InHip Hop Connection, Ice listed his favorite rap albums:[68]
On March 20, 1976, Marrow's high school girlfriend Adrienne gave birth to their daughter LeTesha Marrow, and they continued attending high school while raising her.[16] While filmingBreakin' in 1984, he met his second girlfriend Darlene Ortiz, who was at the club where the film was shot. They began a relationship and Ortiz was featured on the covers ofRhyme Pays andPower.[24] Ice-T and Ortiz had a son, Ice Tracy Marrow Jr., on November 23, 1991;[24] Ice Marrow, aka "Little Ice", became a backing vocalist with Body Count in time for the recording of their albumCarnivore.
Ice-T married swimsuit modelNicole "Coco" Austin[61] in January 2002.[69] In celebration of their impending ninth wedding anniversary, the couple renewed their wedding vows on June 4, 2011.[60] As of 2006, they owned a penthouse apartment inNorth Bergen, New Jersey.[70] In 2012, they were building a five-bedroom house inEdgewater, New Jersey, that was expected to be completed by the end of the year.[71] In 2015, the couple had their first child together, a daughter.[72][73]
Ice-T has stated on numerous occasions that he is ateetotaler, and lives astraight edge lifestyle.[74][75] He is a long time practitioner of BrazilianJiu-Jitsu andboxing, and is a big fan of theUFC.[76][77]
During the popularity ofPublic Enemy, Ice-T was closely associated with the band and his recordings of the time showed a similar political viewpoint. He was referred to as "The Soldier of the Highest Degree" in the booklet forFear of a Black Planet and mentioned on the track "Reggie Jax". Ice-T's trackThis One's For Me included a defense of Professor Griff after theantisemitism controversy and attacked other rappers for not speaking out in his defense. At the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony for Ice-T, Chuck D appeared on stage alongside his longtime friend.[78]
Ice-T also collaborated with fellow vocalist and anti-censorship campaignerJello Biafra on his albumThe Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say!. He and Biafra appeared onThe Oprah Winfrey Show in 1990 to debateTipper Gore on censorship in music. After the controversy of the Body Count songCop Killer, Ice-T became an icon for free-speech campaigners, which led to a doubling in album sales.[79] The song was condemned by bothGeorge H. W. Bush andDan Quayle during the1992 United States presidential election.[80] When he decided to withdraw the song from his album, he replaced it with a metal version of his rapFreedom of Speech. A 2004Guardian article wrote, "He's toured universities lecturing on first amendment rights and civil liberties and is vocal about the billions wasted on the Iraq war. He insists, however, he'd never get involved in politics."[81]
The last track ofOG Original Gangster condemned both theGulf War andmass incarceration. In 2017, Ice-T signed a petition to Congress for criminal-justice reform.[82]
His 1994 book,The Ice Opinion, was largely focused on his view on politics. Writing in the aftermath of the1992 Los Angeles riots, he was one of the only rappers who criticized the targeting of Koreans by some Black rioters.[83]
On June 5, 2008, Ice-T joked that he would be voting forJohn McCain in the2008 American elections, speculating that his past affiliation with Body Count could hurtBarack Obama's chances if he endorsed him, so he would choose instead to ruin McCain's campaign by saying he supported him.[84][85] In 2015, Ice-T said that he admired Obama "just for the simple fact he took the shot and went all the way to be president" and included Obama in the list of people who he would like to have for a dream dinner party.[86]
On September 22, 2022, Ice-T narrated an advertisement for theFoundation for Individual Rights and Expression.[87]
Ice-T had a feud withLL Cool J in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Apparently, this was instigated by LL's claim to be "the baddest rapper in the history of rap itself".[88] Ice-T recorded disses against LL on his 1988 albumPower. On the album was the track, "I'm Your Pusher", in which a rap music addict declines to buy an LL Cool J record. In the bookCheck the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies, Ice-T said that the song "Girls L.G.B.N.A.F." was also intended as a diss to LL Cool J, by making a crude song to contrast with the love songs that LL was making at the time.[89]
On LL's response, "To da Break of Dawn" in 1990, he dissedKool Moe Dee (whose feud with LL was far more publicized) as well asMC Hammer. He then devoted the third verse of the song to dissing Ice-T, mocking his rap ability ("take your rhymes around the corner to rap rehab"), his background ("before you rapped, you was a downtown car thief"), and his style ("a brother with a perm deserves to get burned"). He also suggested that the success ofPower was due to the appearance of Ice-T's girlfriend Darlene on the album cover. Ice-T appeared to have ignored the insults and he had also defended LL Cool J after his arrest in the song "Freedom of Speech".
In August 2012, Ice-T said that the rivalry was "never serious" and that he needed a nemesis to create "an exciting dispute".[90]
In June 2008, on DJ Cisco'sUrban Legend mixtape, Ice-T criticizedSoulja Boy (whose name is DeAndre Way) for "killing hip hop" and called his song "Crank That" "garbage" compared to the works of other hip-hop artists such asRakim,Das EFX,Big Daddy Kane andIce Cube. One of the comments exchanged was Ice-T telling Way to "eat a dick".[91] The two then traded numerous videos back and forth over the Internet. These videos included a cartoon and video of Ice-T dancing on Way's behalf and an apology, but reiteration of his feelings that Way's music "sucks", on Ice-T's behalf.[92] MusicianKanye West defended Way saying, "He came from the 'hood, made his own beats, made up a new saying, new sound and a new dance with one song".[93]
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Breakin' | Rap Talker | |
| Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo | Radiotron Rapper | ||
| 1985 | Rappin' | Himself | |
| 1991 | New Jack City | Scotty Appleton | |
| Ricochet | Odessa | ||
| 1992 | Trespass | King James | |
| Why Colors? | Himself | Short | |
| 1993 | CB4 | Himself | |
| Who's the Man? | Chauncey "Nighttrain" Jackson | ||
| Gift | Himself | Video | |
| 1994 | Surviving the Game | Jack Mason | |
| 1995 | Tank Girl | T-Saint | |
| Johnny Mnemonic | J-Bone | ||
| 1996 | Frankenpenis | Himself | Video |
| 1997 | Below Utopia | Jim | |
| Mean Guns | Vincent Moon | ||
| The Deli | Phil The Meat Man | ||
| 1998 | Crazy Six | Raul | |
| Exiled: A Law & Order Movie | Seymour "Kingston" Stockton | TV movie | |
| Judgment Day | Matthew Reese | Video | |
| 1999 | Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang | The Judge | |
| Urban Menace | Narrator | Video | |
| Stealth Fighter | Owen Turner | ||
| Final Voyage | Josef | ||
| Sonic Impact | Agent Taja | ||
| The Disciples | The Sensei | TV movie | |
| Corrupt | Corrupt | ||
| Frezno Smooth | DJ Superfly | ||
| 2000 | The Wrecking Crew | Menace | |
| Leprechaun in the Hood | Mack Daddy | Video | |
| Luck of the Draw | Macneilly | ||
| The Alternate | Agent Williams | ||
| Point Doom | Ringman | ||
| 2001 | 3000 Miles to Graceland | Hamilton | |
| Deadly Rhapsody | Wilson | ||
| Tara | Grady | Video | |
| 'R Xmas | The Kidnapper | ||
| Kept | Jack Mosler | ||
| Air Rage | Matt Marshall | Video | |
| Guardian | Max | ||
| Ablaze | Albert Denning | ||
| Ticker | Terrorist Commander | ||
| Out Kold | Goldie | ||
| Gangland | Officer Dunn | ||
| The Heist | C-Note | ||
| 2002 | Stranded | Jeffries | Video |
| On the Edge | Slim Jim | ||
| 2003 | Crime Partners | King Fischer | |
| 2004 | Lexie | Rasheed | Video |
| Up in Harlem | Himself | ||
| 2005 | Tracks | Officer Brian Clark | |
| 2006 | Copy That | Himself | Short |
| 2007 | BelzerVizion | Himself | Short |
| Apartment 309 | Detective Shearod | Short | |
| 2009 | Tommy and the Cool Mule | Jackie A (voice) | Video |
| The Magic 7 | Dr. Scratch (voice) | TV movie | |
| 2010 | The Other Guys | Narrator (voice) | |
| 2013 | Santorini Blue | Dr. Lewis | |
| Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn | Tyler Moss | ||
| 2014 | Crossed the Line | Miguel | |
| 2015 | What Now | Himself | |
| The Ghetto | Victor | ||
| 2016 | How We Met | Narrator | |
| 2017 | Bloodrunners | Chesterfield | |
| 2019 | Clinton Road | R.J. | |
| UglyDolls | Peggy (voice) | [94] | |
| 2020 | Equal Standard | Croft | [95] |
| 2025 | Zombie Plane |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Fame | Enforcer | Episode: "Break Dance" |
| 1988 | MusiCalifornia | Himself | Episode: "L.A. Country" |
| 1990 | It's Showtime at the Apollo | Himself | Episode: "Episode 3.24" |
| 1991 | Soul Train | Himself | Episode: "Run D.M.C./Ice-T/Oleta Adams" |
| Sex in the '90s | Himself | Episode: "More Sex in the 90's" | |
| 1994 | Without Walls | Himself/Host | Episode: "Kiss My Baad Assss Ice-T's Guide to Blaxploitation" |
| 1994–96 | Baadasss TV | Himself/Co-Host | Recurring Co-Host |
| 1995 | The History of Rock 'n' Roll | Himself | Episode: "Up from the Underground" |
| New York Undercover | Danny Up/Danny Cort | Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2 | |
| 1996 | Saturday Night Special | Himself/Host | Episode: "Episode 1.4" |
| MADtv | Himself/Host | Episode: "Episode 2.2" | |
| Swift Justice | Earl Borgese | Episode: "Takin' Back the Street" | |
| 1997 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Himself | Episode: "Needledrop" |
| L.A. Heat | Cage | Episode: "Rap Sheet" | |
| Duckman | Himself/Taanzi (voice) | Episode: "A Star Is Abhorred" & "Ebony, Baby" | |
| 1997–98 | Players | Isaac "Ice" Gregory | Main Cast |
| 1998 | Welcome to Paradox | Revell | Episode: "The Winner" |
| 1999 | Batman Beyond | Ramrod (voice) | Episode: "Splicers"[94] |
| V.I.P | The Prophet | 2 episodes | |
| Sin City Spectacular | Himself | Episode: "Episode 1.21" | |
| 2000 | I Love the '70s | Himself | Episode: "I Love 1973" |
| Behind the Music | Himself | Episode: "Ice-T" | |
| 2000– | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Detective/Sergeant Odafin "Fin" Tutuola | Main Cast: Season 2– |
| 2001 | I Love the '80s | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| Say It Loud! A Celebration of Black Music in America | Himself | Recurring Guest | |
| I Love the '90s | Himself | Recurring Guest | |
| Weakest Link | Himself | Episode: "Scene Stealers Edition" | |
| Hollywood Squares | Himself | Recurring Guest | |
| 2002 | Beyond Tough | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| 2003 | Chappelle's Show | Himself | Episode: "Blackzilla & Playa Haters' Ball" |
| Star Search | Himself/Guest Judge | Episode: "The One with Guest Judge Ice-T" | |
| 2004 | I Love the '90s | Himself | Episode: "1992" |
| And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop | Himself | Episode: "Back in the Day" | |
| 2005 | E! True Hollywood Story | Himself | Episode: "Snoop Dogg" |
| Law & Order | Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola | Episode: "Flaw" | |
| 2006 | The Drug Years | Himself | Episode: "Just Say No! (1980s-Present)" |
| Hip Hop Honors | Himself/Host | Main Host | |
| Ice-T's Rap School | Himself/Host | Main Host | |
| 2007 | Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav | Himself/Roaster | Episode: "Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav" |
| Sesame Street | Himself | Episode: "Maria the Chicken" | |
| 2008 | The Greatest | Himself | Episode: "100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs" |
| Celebrity Family Feud | Himself | Episode: "Episode 1.1" | |
| 2009 | The Heyman Hustle | Himself | Episode: "Episode 1.15" |
| TV Land Moguls | Himself | Episode: "The '90s" | |
| Black to the Future | Himself | Episode: "Hour 4: The 00s" | |
| I Get That a Lot | Himself | Episode: "Episode 1.1" | |
| 2010 | All Star Mr & Mrs | Himself | Episode: "Episode 3.2" |
| 30 for 30 | Himself | Episode: "Straight Outta L.A." | |
| Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Himself | Episode: "Kathy With a Z" | |
| 2011–13 | Ice Loves Coco | Himself | Main Cast |
| 30 Rock | Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola | Episode: "¡Qué Sorpresa!" & "Hogcock!"[96] | |
| 2011 | Full Throttle Saloon | Himself | Episode: "Episode 2.9" |
| Celebrity Close Calls | Himself | Episode: "Ice-T/Cheryl Tiegs/Ed Begley Jr/Yancy Butler" | |
| 2012 | E! True Hollywood Story | Himself | Episode: "Ice-T & Coco" |
| 2013 | Criss Angel Believe | Himself | Episode: "Cement Grave" |
| Chrissy & Mr. Jones | Himself | Episode: "Popping Off" | |
| 2014 | Celebrities Undercover | Himself | Episode: "Ice-T & Coco" |
| Celebrity Crime Files | Himself/Narrator | Main Narrator | |
| Amp'd Up | Himself | Episode: "Beat Poetry" | |
| 2014–16 | Chicago P.D. | Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola | Guest Cast: Season 1–3 |
| 2015 | Ice & Coco | Himself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host |
| Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja | Superintendent (voice) | Episode: "The Fresh Principal of Norrisville High" | |
| 2016 | Love & Hip Hop: New York | Himself | Episode: "Love & Hip Hop: New York" |
| Hip-Hop Evolution | Himself | Recurring Guest: Season 1 | |
| Younger | Himself | Episode: "Secrets & Liza" | |
| Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Himself | Episode: "Kimmy Sees a Sunset!" | |
| 2016–17 | Unsung Hollywood | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| 2017 | Hollywood Medium | Himself | Episode: "Nico Tortorella/Ice-T & Coco Austin/Alan Thicke" |
| Party Legends | Himself | Episode: "Sexy Kurt Cobain" | |
| Unsung | Himself | Episode: "Ice-T" | |
| The $100,000 Pyramid | Himself/Celebrity Player | Episode: "Kyle Busch vs. Lara Spencer and Ice-T vs. Peri Gilpin" | |
| 2017–18 | Match Game | Himself/Celebrity Panelist | Guest Panelist: Season 2-3 |
| 2018 | Rock & Roll Road Trip with Sammy Hagar | Himself | Episode: "L.A. Metal" |
| The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale | Himself | Episode: "Michael!" | |
| David Tutera's Celebrations | Himself | Episode: "Ice-T and Coco Throw A Baby Shower" | |
| Celebrity Family Feud | Himself | Episode: "Episode 5.9" | |
| American Dad! | Himself (voice) | Episode: "The Census of the Lamb" | |
| 2018–21 | In Ice Cold Blood | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| 2019 | Untold Stories of Hip Hop | Himself | Episode: "Ice-T, Swizz Beatz & Wyclef" |
| Deadly Class[97] | Ice-T Slot Machine (voice) | Episode: "Saudade" | |
| Saturday Night Live | Sergeant Odafin "Fin" Tutuola | Episode: "Kit Harington/Sara Bareilles" | |
| 2020 | Yo Mama | Himself | Episode: "I PAID Celebs $3,000 for YO MAMA JOKES" |
| Martha Knows Best | Himself | Episode: "Martha Claus is Coming to Town" | |
| The Masked Dancer | Himself/Disco Ball | Episode: "Premiere - Everybody Mask Now!" | |
| 2021 | Straight Up Steve Austin | Himself | Episode: "Ice-T" |
| Hip Hop Uncovered | Himself | Main Guest | |
| The Mediator | Himself/Host | Main Host | |
| Bubble Guppies | Garbage Khan (Voice) | Episode "A Load of Litterbugs!" | |
| 2021–23 | Law & Order: Organized Crime | Sergeant Odafin "Fin" Tutuola | Guest Cast: Season 2–3 |
| 2022 | Origins of Hip Hop | Himself | Episode: "Ice-T" |
| Betraying the Badge | Himself/Narrator | Main Narrator | |
| Saturday Night Live | Light Skin Larry Targaryen | Episode: "Dave Chappelle/Black Star" | |
| 2023 | Fight the Power: How Hip-Hop Changed the World | Himself | Main Guest |
| Celebrity Game Face | Himself/Contestant | Episode: "Music Icons Edition" | |
| Rewind the '90s | Himself | Main Guest | |
| Hip Hop Treasures | Himself/Host | Main Host | |
| Rick and Morty | Magma "Q" (voice) | Episode: "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie" | |
| Barmageddon | Himself | Episode: "Blake Shelton's Holiday Bartacular ft. Ice T" | |
| 2024 | Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson | Himself | Narrator[98] |
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1983 | Breakin N Enterin |
| 1990 | Rap City Rhapsody |
| Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones | |
| RapMania: The Roots of Rap | |
| 1994 | The Legend of Dolemite |
| 1997 | Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery |
| Rhyme & Reason | |
| 1998 | Pimps Up, Ho's Down |
| 1999 | Hollywood: Wild in the Streets |
| 2000 | Straight from the Streets |
| Hip Hop 2000 | |
| 2001 | Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy |
| 2002 | Big Pun Still Not a Player |
| 2003 | Beef |
| Cwalk: It's a Way of Livin | |
| Tupac: Resurrection | |
| 2004 | Beef II |
| Prison Ball | |
| 2005 | Fuck |
| There's a God on the Mic | |
| 2008 | A Family Underground |
| 2009 | Good Hair |
| 2010 | GhettoPhysics |
| Sounds Like a Revolution | |
| 2011 | The (R)evolution of Immortal Technique |
| Planet Rock: The Story of Hip-Hop and the Crack Generation | |
| Give it up for Greg Giraldo | |
| 2012 | Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap |
| Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp | |
| 2013 | Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire |
| 2019 | Public Enemy Number One[99] |
| 2020 | Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne |
| 2022 | Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain |
| 2023 | Justa Geta Record Deal : It All Makes Sense Now |
| Freestyle 101: Hip Hop History | |
| 2024 | Celebrity Boxing: The 16th Minute |
| It Was All a Dream |
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Prime Mover | - | Amiga |
| 2000 | Sanity: Aiken's Artifact | Agent Nathaniel Cain | |
| 2002 | UFC: Tapout | Himself | |
| 2004 | Def Jam Fight for NY | Himself | Voice and likeness[94] |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Madd Dogg | [94] | |
| 2006 | Scarface: The World Is Yours | John Johnson | |
| Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover | Himself | ||
| 2011 | Gears of War 3 | Aaron Griffin | Voice and likeness[94] |
| 2019 | Borderlands 3 | Balex | [100][94] |
| 2021 | Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition | Madd Dogg | Archival recordings Remaster ofGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas only[101] |
| 2023 | Payday 3 | Mac | Voice and likeness[102] |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Back on the Block" | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Won |
| 1992 | "New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)" | Best Rap Solo Performance | Nominated |
| 2018 | "Black Hoodie" | Best Metal Performance | Nominated |
| 2021 | "Bum-Rush" | Won |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Colors" | Best Rap Video | Nominated |
| Best Video from a Film | Nominated | ||
| 1991 | "New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)" | Best Rap Video | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | New Jack City | Best Breakthrough Performance | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Pimpin' 101" | Best Non-Sex Performance - Film or Video | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Planet Rock: The Story of Hip-Hop and the Crack Generation" | Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming | Nominated |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Surviving the Game | Best Black Survivor in a Movie | Nominated |
Kings of Vice novel series
[...] born in Tarzana, California and brought up in Palos Verdes, California. [...] In 2001, Coco was introduced to actor/rapper Ice T [...] the couple dated a few months and then was married.NOTE: Archived version specifies: "the couple dated a few months and then was married in January 2002."
I pushed Chanel out in 3 tries! This was taken not 5 minutes after delivery.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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| Studio albums | |
| Singles | |
