WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.379 Welcome to the deep dive. We take your sources. 00:00:03.839 --> 00:00:06.919 And today, it's a really, really comprehensive 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:09.939 look at one person. And we pull out the most 00:00:09.939 --> 00:00:12.619 vital bits of knowledge, the key insights, basically 00:00:12.619 --> 00:00:14.699 giving you a shortcut to being seriously well 00:00:14.699 --> 00:00:16.140 -informed. Yeah, getting you right up to speed. 00:00:16.420 --> 00:00:19.500 Exactly. And today, oh man, we are diving deep 00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:22.719 into a life that just completely defies any easy 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:24.899 label. We're talking about someone who's managed 00:00:24.899 --> 00:00:28.219 to be like a pioneering Gangsta rapper right 00:00:28.219 --> 00:00:31.339 and then a really controversial heavy metal frontman 00:00:31.339 --> 00:00:35.219 and then a beloved TV detective for what decades 00:00:35.219 --> 00:00:38.179 now It's incredible plus a reality TV star often 00:00:38.179 --> 00:00:40.520 all at the same time So the big question is how 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:42.939 does one person navigate all these totally different 00:00:42.939 --> 00:00:45.539 sometimes clashing worlds and stay so relevant 00:00:45.539 --> 00:00:48.719 for so long It is an amazing journey. It really 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:50.659 is like you said a master class in adaptation 00:00:50.659 --> 00:00:53.520 and being authentic and just sheer staying power 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:56.679 And that's exactly why our deep dive today is 00:00:56.679 --> 00:00:59.640 all about Tracy Lauren Marrow, who everyone of 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:02.100 course knows as Ice -T. He's way more than just 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:04.180 an artist, you know. He's this cultural force, 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:07.340 his unique brand. It's left a mark on basically 00:01:07.340 --> 00:01:10.299 every medium he's touched. Always reinventing, 00:01:10.420 --> 00:01:13.609 but always somehow undeniably Ice -T. So our 00:01:13.609 --> 00:01:15.969 mission today is to kind of unravel that complex 00:01:15.969 --> 00:01:18.209 tapestry for you. We want to give you the crucial 00:01:18.209 --> 00:01:21.450 insights into how Ice -T became this enduring 00:01:21.450 --> 00:01:25.269 cultural icon. We've really dug into a single 00:01:25.269 --> 00:01:28.310 massive source. The Wikipedia entry on Ice -T. 00:01:28.310 --> 00:01:30.450 It is packed. Oh, it's a gold mine. Seriously, 00:01:30.450 --> 00:01:32.489 we're going to pull out the most unexpected twists, 00:01:32.609 --> 00:01:35.390 the surprising facts, and really get into the 00:01:35.390 --> 00:01:37.750 grit and the ingenuity behind the legend. This 00:01:37.750 --> 00:01:39.569 whole deep dive is designed to give you that 00:01:39.569 --> 00:01:41.730 shortcut. You'll understand the strategic pivots, 00:01:41.790 --> 00:01:43.890 the principles he stuck to, and just the sheer 00:01:43.890 --> 00:01:46.189 audacity behind his career. So get ready, because 00:01:46.189 --> 00:01:48.450 this is going to be fascinating. OK, let's unpack 00:01:48.450 --> 00:01:49.969 this incredible story, starting right, right 00:01:49.969 --> 00:01:52.609 at the beginning. So Tracy Lauren Marrow, born 00:01:52.609 --> 00:01:56.010 February 16, 1958. in Newark, New Jersey. His 00:01:56.010 --> 00:01:57.909 family background sounds pretty rich just in 00:01:57.909 --> 00:02:01.109 terms of American experience. His dad, Solomon 00:02:01.109 --> 00:02:04.049 Marrow from Virginia and Philly. His mom, Alice 00:02:04.049 --> 00:02:06.590 from Louisiana, both African -American. Right. 00:02:06.950 --> 00:02:08.750 And Ice -T himself has mentioned the differences 00:02:08.750 --> 00:02:11.889 in their complexions. His dad darker, his mom 00:02:11.889 --> 00:02:15.250 lighter. He even compared her looks to like Dorothy 00:02:15.250 --> 00:02:18.349 Dandridge or Lena Horne. Pretty striking. Wow. 00:02:18.610 --> 00:02:21.650 And his dad, Solomon, he was a conveyor belt 00:02:21.650 --> 00:02:23.830 mechanic, right? Yeah. worked for the same company 00:02:23.830 --> 00:02:25.949 for decades. Sounds like a stable working class 00:02:25.949 --> 00:02:29.370 foundation. Definitely. But what's really foundational, 00:02:29.370 --> 00:02:32.490 I think, are those early life experiences, how 00:02:32.490 --> 00:02:34.610 they shaped his whole worldview, his resilience. 00:02:34.669 --> 00:02:38.310 How so? Well, when he was young, the family moved 00:02:38.310 --> 00:02:41.490 to Summit, New Jersey, which is an upscale suburb, 00:02:42.009 --> 00:02:44.669 big contrast to Newark. OK. And it was there 00:02:44.669 --> 00:02:47.629 he was only seven. He had this really profound 00:02:47.629 --> 00:02:50.909 direct encounter with racism. He saw his white 00:02:50.909 --> 00:02:53.289 friends saying racist things to other black kids. 00:02:53.650 --> 00:02:56.849 Oh, wow. At seven. Yeah. And he realized they 00:02:56.849 --> 00:02:58.389 probably didn't say it to him because his lighter 00:02:58.389 --> 00:03:01.050 skin maybe made them think he was white. So he 00:03:01.050 --> 00:03:04.150 told his mom. And her response was just incredibly 00:03:04.150 --> 00:03:07.849 simple but powerful. She said, honey, people 00:03:07.849 --> 00:03:11.229 are stupid. Huh. People are stupid. Yeah. And 00:03:11.229 --> 00:03:14.219 he said that advice just stuck with him. It taught 00:03:14.219 --> 00:03:16.240 him how to control how other people's negativity, 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:18.620 their ignorance, affected him. It was like this 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:20.840 early tool for emotional self -preservation. 00:03:21.180 --> 00:03:23.439 Really shaped him. That's a heavy lesson for 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:26.280 a kid. But his early life, it was also marked 00:03:26.280 --> 00:03:29.219 by some really derp loss, wasn't it? Oh, tragically 00:03:29.219 --> 00:03:32.120 so. His mother, Alice, she died of a heart attack 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:34.319 when he was just in third grade. Oh, man. Huge 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:38.400 loss. So for the next four years, his dad, Solomon, 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:41.280 raised him as a single parent, sometimes with 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:43.490 help from a housekeeper. Right. But then, when 00:03:43.490 --> 00:03:46.610 Ice -T was only 13, incredibly vulnerable age, 00:03:47.610 --> 00:03:50.150 his father also died. Another heart attack. Wow. 00:03:50.330 --> 00:03:53.250 Both parents gone by 13? Exactly. Suddenly, he's 00:03:53.250 --> 00:03:55.930 completely orphaned. And that just forces this 00:03:55.930 --> 00:03:58.289 dramatic shift in his life. Right. What happened 00:03:58.289 --> 00:04:00.629 then? Well, first, he stayed briefly with an 00:04:00.629 --> 00:04:03.349 aunt nearby in Jersey. But pretty quickly, he 00:04:03.349 --> 00:04:05.750 was sent across the country to live with another 00:04:05.750 --> 00:04:08.009 aunt and her husband in View Park Windsor Hills 00:04:08.009 --> 00:04:11.310 in L .A. OK, so L .A., what was that area like? 00:04:11.650 --> 00:04:14.639 It was... affluent, mostly black neighborhood 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:19.100 in South LA. So a new home, but also a big cultural 00:04:19.100 --> 00:04:21.579 shift, new influences. He shared a room with 00:04:21.579 --> 00:04:23.980 his cousin Earl, who was apparently a big rock 00:04:23.980 --> 00:04:26.759 music fan. Ah, interesting. Yeah, and that was 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:29.519 his first real exposure to heavy metal, which 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:31.300 seems kind of funny now, knowing where he went 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:34.199 with Body Count later. But those seeds were planted 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:36.899 way back then. Oh, a big move geographically, 00:04:36.920 --> 00:04:39.860 and then socially too, right? Into the Crenshaw 00:04:39.860 --> 00:04:42.069 district. Yeah, by eighth grade. He's in the 00:04:42.069 --> 00:04:44.089 Crenshaw district, went to Palms Junior High 00:04:44.089 --> 00:04:46.670 first, which was mostly white, with black students 00:04:46.670 --> 00:04:48.850 bussed in. But then Crenshaw High School was 00:04:48.850 --> 00:04:51.310 the opposite, almost entirely black. So he's 00:04:51.310 --> 00:04:53.189 right there at the intersection of all these 00:04:53.189 --> 00:04:55.689 different social dynamics, academics, street 00:04:55.689 --> 00:04:58.009 culture. And Crenshaw High, that was deep in 00:04:58.009 --> 00:05:00.689 the gang culture era, Crips and Bloods. How did 00:05:00.689 --> 00:05:03.050 he navigate that? Well, what's interesting is, 00:05:03.269 --> 00:05:05.589 despite that environment, he made some really 00:05:05.589 --> 00:05:08.829 specific personal choices. He consciously avoided 00:05:09.019 --> 00:05:12.439 alcohol, tobacco, drugs. Really? That set him 00:05:12.439 --> 00:05:15.779 apart, I imagine. Totally. Now, the source says 00:05:15.779 --> 00:05:18.980 he was affiliated with the Crips. But, and this 00:05:18.980 --> 00:05:21.139 is important, it notes he was never an actual 00:05:21.139 --> 00:05:23.939 gang member. What's the difference, you think? 00:05:24.040 --> 00:05:26.819 It suggests he, you know, understood the codes, 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:29.639 maybe needed some level of protection or belonging 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:32.740 to navigate that world. But he kept a critical 00:05:32.740 --> 00:05:35.480 distance. He wasn't fully participating in the 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:39.910 criminal side. He was observing, absorbing. Which 00:05:39.910 --> 00:05:41.949 you definitely hear later in his lyrics. Okay, 00:05:41.949 --> 00:05:44.790 this is where it gets really good. The name Ice 00:05:44.790 --> 00:05:48.449 -T. Where did that come from? Huh? Yeah, straight 00:05:48.449 --> 00:05:50.329 out of high school. Shows that mix of street 00:05:50.329 --> 00:05:53.170 smarts and like intellectual curiosity. He started 00:05:53.170 --> 00:05:56.410 reading novels by Iceberg Slim. The famous former 00:05:56.410 --> 00:05:58.550 pimp turned author. That's the one. Yeah. Pretty 00:05:58.550 --> 00:06:01.129 stuff. Apparently, Mero got so into it, he'd 00:06:01.129 --> 00:06:03.089 memorize whole passages and then recite them 00:06:03.089 --> 00:06:05.939 like dramatically to his friends. No way. Yeah. 00:06:06.060 --> 00:06:07.459 And his friends would be like, yo, kick some 00:06:07.459 --> 00:06:10.620 more of that by ice tea. Ah, here it is. Ice 00:06:10.620 --> 00:06:13.160 tea. Exactly. That's how the moniker was born. 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:15.540 He even started writing his own stuff, called 00:06:15.540 --> 00:06:17.759 them Crip rhymes, performing them with other 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:20.500 guys associated with the Crips, blending that 00:06:20.500 --> 00:06:22.899 literary influence with his reality. That's wild. 00:06:22.980 --> 00:06:25.459 But he was in a singing group, too, earlier. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:29.079 Yeah, briefly. The Precious Few at Crenshaw High, 00:06:29.699 --> 00:06:32.379 opening shows, dancing. So music was kind of 00:06:32.379 --> 00:06:35.500 there early on. even before the rap persona solidified. 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:38.259 Such a mix of experiences. But then he took a 00:06:38.259 --> 00:06:40.439 totally different path for a while. The military. 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:44.120 Right. A major detour. So he turned 17 and 75, 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:46.399 started getting Social Security benefits after 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:49.540 his dad died, rented an apartment, but needed 00:06:49.540 --> 00:06:52.050 more money. OK. So he admits to doing some minor 00:06:52.050 --> 00:06:54.550 stuff, selling weed, stealing car stereos. But 00:06:54.550 --> 00:06:56.089 the real turning point was when his girlfriend 00:06:56.089 --> 00:06:58.029 got pregnant, his daughter was born. Letitia. 00:06:58.129 --> 00:07:00.430 Yep. And suddenly he needed to support them. 00:07:00.810 --> 00:07:04.769 So October 1977, he enlists in the US Army. A 00:07:04.769 --> 00:07:07.189 pragmatic choice, really. Looking for stability. 00:07:07.350 --> 00:07:10.769 And his army time. Sounds like it wasn't exactly 00:07:10.769 --> 00:07:12.810 smooth sailing. There was something about a rug. 00:07:13.149 --> 00:07:17.009 Huh? Yeah, the stolen rug incident. Assigned 00:07:17.009 --> 00:07:19.930 to the 25th Infantry Division. He and some others 00:07:19.930 --> 00:07:22.589 got charged with stealing this rug. While waiting 00:07:22.589 --> 00:07:24.730 for trial, he got a big bonus check, like $2 00:07:24.730 --> 00:07:28.689 ,500, and promptly went AWOL for a month. Oh, 00:07:28.689 --> 00:07:31.389 boy. Yeah. He came back after the rug was recovered, 00:07:31.730 --> 00:07:34.490 got nonjudicial punishment. But amidst all that 00:07:34.490 --> 00:07:37.870 drama, something huge happened musically. He 00:07:37.870 --> 00:07:42.029 heard Rapper's Delight. 1979. The Sugarhill Gang. 00:07:42.370 --> 00:07:45.149 Game changer. Totally captivated him. He immediately 00:07:45.149 --> 00:07:47.430 started trying to rap over instrumentals, though 00:07:47.430 --> 00:07:49.910 he did say later that the party vibe of that 00:07:49.910 --> 00:07:51.550 track didn't quite fit his style of stories he 00:07:51.550 --> 00:07:54.050 wanted to tell. Not yet, anyway. And Hawaii played 00:07:54.050 --> 00:07:56.069 a big role, too, right? Not just being stationed 00:07:56.069 --> 00:07:58.610 there. Yeah, kind of ironically. While stationed 00:07:58.610 --> 00:08:00.949 there, where apparently prostitution wasn't as 00:08:00.949 --> 00:08:03.610 strictly policed, he met a pimp. named Mack. 00:08:03.790 --> 00:08:05.870 Okay. And Mack was impressed that Murrow could, 00:08:05.870 --> 00:08:09.029 quote, iceberg slim so well. So Mack kind of 00:08:09.029 --> 00:08:10.589 took him under his wing, taught him about pimping. 00:08:10.949 --> 00:08:13.629 Seriously? Yeah. But Hawaii was also key because 00:08:13.629 --> 00:08:16.189 the military exchange let him buy stereo equipment 00:08:16.189 --> 00:08:20.110 cheap. Turntables, mixer. Ah, the tools of the 00:08:20.110 --> 00:08:22.230 trade. Exactly. That's where he really started 00:08:22.230 --> 00:08:26.769 honing the skills. Turntablism, rapping, laying 00:08:26.769 --> 00:08:29.290 the groundwork. And then he managed to get an 00:08:29.290 --> 00:08:33.279 early honorable discharge. PFC E3, after just 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:37.320 over two years, used his status as a single dad 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:40.200 to help get out early. OK, now we get to this 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:42.779 really dangerous edge he was walking, the post 00:08:42.779 --> 00:08:45.460 -army crime phase. He's been pretty open about 00:08:45.460 --> 00:08:47.399 this later in life, right? Like, bank robbery. 00:08:47.879 --> 00:08:50.080 Incredibly open. Yeah. Yeah, on Adam Carolla's 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:52.720 podcast back in 2012, he talked about a bank 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:55.519 robbing career in the early to mid -80s, compared 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:57.889 it to the movie Heat. Wow. Said they were class 00:08:57.889 --> 00:09:00.690 one felonies, and he was just grateful for statutes 00:09:00.690 --> 00:09:03.110 of limitations. I mean, this wasn't petty stuff. 00:09:03.169 --> 00:09:05.470 This was serious. And the jewelry store robberies, 00:09:05.629 --> 00:09:07.669 too. Right. Said he got back into crime with 00:09:07.669 --> 00:09:10.409 high school buddies. Their method was pretty 00:09:10.409 --> 00:09:13.309 bold. Pretend to be customers, get inside, then 00:09:13.309 --> 00:09:16.049 smash the cases with sledgehammers. Grab and 00:09:16.049 --> 00:09:18.110 run. That took some nerve. High risk. Extremely 00:09:18.110 --> 00:09:19.649 high risk. Shows the kind of edge he was living 00:09:19.649 --> 00:09:21.809 on. And his friends. Didn't they end up taking 00:09:21.809 --> 00:09:24.399 the fall? Yeah, really serious consequences for 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.120 them. His friend Al P got caught for a massive 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:30.220 jewelry store robbery in 82. Another friend, 00:09:30.419 --> 00:09:33.960 Sean E. Sean, got arrested for weed, but also 00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:36.519 for stuff Ice -T himself had stolen. Oh, man. 00:09:36.820 --> 00:09:39.399 And Sean, in this incredible act of loyalty, 00:09:40.039 --> 00:09:43.220 took the blame for Ice -T's stolen goods. Did 00:09:43.220 --> 00:09:45.940 two years in prison for it. Wow. Ice -T has said 00:09:45.940 --> 00:09:48.720 repeatedly that Sean's sacrifice is the only 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:51.879 reason he got to pursue rap. felt this huge debt. 00:09:52.139 --> 00:09:54.039 It really fueled his drive. That's heavy. And 00:09:54.039 --> 00:09:56.320 then came the car accident, the John Doe moment. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:58.419 Yeah, another absolutely pivotal moment. He's 00:09:58.419 --> 00:10:00.179 in this car crash, ends up in the hospital, but 00:10:00.179 --> 00:10:03.460 he has no ID on him. My no ID. Deliberate. Didn't 00:10:03.460 --> 00:10:05.039 want to be linked to his criminal activities 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.500 if caught. So he's lying there, literally nameless, 00:10:07.659 --> 00:10:11.210 a John Doe. Yeah. And that experience, staring 00:10:11.210 --> 00:10:13.850 into that anonymity, facing the reality of his 00:10:13.850 --> 00:10:16.750 choices, that was the epiphany. The final straw. 00:10:16.970 --> 00:10:19.250 Exactly. He decided right then to completely 00:10:19.250 --> 00:10:21.669 abandon the criminal life, full commitment to 00:10:21.669 --> 00:10:23.950 making it in rap. And he acted on it fast, didn't 00:10:23.950 --> 00:10:27.169 he? Like, really fast. Amazingly fast. Just two 00:10:27.169 --> 00:10:29.570 weeks after getting out of the hospital, he enters 00:10:29.570 --> 00:10:33.230 an open mic contest under the name DJ Tracy First. 00:10:33.230 --> 00:10:37.490 OK. At a club called Carolina West. And the judge... 00:10:38.179 --> 00:10:41.299 Curtis Blow. The Curtis Blow? Yep, and ICE -T1. 00:10:41.460 --> 00:10:44.360 Wow, talk about validation. Huge validation, 00:10:44.539 --> 00:10:46.259 like a sign he was finally on the right path, 00:10:46.519 --> 00:10:49.000 a second chance, literally. This whole period, 00:10:49.019 --> 00:10:50.820 it just shows incredible resilience, doesn't 00:10:50.820 --> 00:10:53.340 it? The losses, the racism, the military, the 00:10:53.340 --> 00:10:56.340 crime, then this huge pivot. Absolutely. It lays 00:10:56.340 --> 00:10:58.879 the groundwork for everything that follows, shows 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:01.299 that drive, that ingenuity to just completely 00:11:01.299 --> 00:11:03.360 change course. It wasn't just reacting, was it? 00:11:03.500 --> 00:11:05.759 He was making his own chances. Totally. He wasn't 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:08.039 just fearless, he was strategic. He understood 00:11:08.039 --> 00:11:10.179 how to use even negative attention, like later 00:11:10.179 --> 00:11:12.600 controversies, to build his platform, turning 00:11:12.600 --> 00:11:14.899 outrage into cultural capital. It's quite the 00:11:14.899 --> 00:11:17.860 foundation. OK, so criminal life ditched, path 00:11:17.860 --> 00:11:21.139 chosen, music. Let's track those early moves. 00:11:21.220 --> 00:11:23.500 Starting around 82, he jumps into the LA hip 00:11:23.500 --> 00:11:25.679 hop scene, but it's Electro first, right? Yeah, 00:11:25.740 --> 00:11:28.340 Electro was big then on the West Coast. He teams 00:11:28.340 --> 00:11:30.779 up with the producer, Willie Strong, from Saturn 00:11:30.779 --> 00:11:34.919 Records. And in 83, drops his first single, Cold 00:11:34.919 --> 00:11:37.559 Wind Madness, also known as the Coldest Rap. 00:11:37.820 --> 00:11:40.139 And that one made waves underground. Big time. 00:11:40.250 --> 00:11:43.350 The lyrics were pretty explicit for radio taking 00:11:43.350 --> 00:11:45.769 a woman to a motel, but became this huge underground 00:11:45.769 --> 00:11:48.149 hit. Really helped define that grittier West 00:11:48.149 --> 00:11:50.690 Coast sound. He followed it with body rock the 00:11:50.690 --> 00:11:53.950 same year. More electro, big in the clubs. And 00:11:53.950 --> 00:11:56.850 then came the break -in connection. Right, 1984. 00:11:57.669 --> 00:12:00.009 He's the featured rapper on DJ Chris the Glove 00:12:00.009 --> 00:12:03.009 Taylor's track, Reckless. And that song is all 00:12:03.009 --> 00:12:05.169 over the movie break -in. and the soundtrack. 00:12:05.409 --> 00:12:07.970 Wider audience. Exactly. Got a much more visibility. 00:12:08.450 --> 00:12:11.129 He was also in the sequel, Breaking 2, with Rectus 00:12:11.129 --> 00:12:13.289 Rivalry, even though, like you said before, he 00:12:13.289 --> 00:12:15.629 later called those movies wack. Right. But he 00:12:15.629 --> 00:12:17.710 was already showing political flashes too. A 00:12:17.710 --> 00:12:20.330 little bit. In the 85 movie Rapin, he performed 00:12:20.330 --> 00:12:23.289 a track called Killers. He considers that his 00:12:23.289 --> 00:12:25.889 first political rap, a hint of the commentary 00:12:25.889 --> 00:12:28.870 to come. And he was experimenting, working with 00:12:28.870 --> 00:12:31.259 unknown DJ on stuff like Yeah Don't Quit. which 00:12:31.259 --> 00:12:33.960 had more of a run DMC vibe, starting to move 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:36.460 beyond pure electro. Okay, now the big shift. 00:12:36.700 --> 00:12:39.399 The birth of gangsta rap, for him at least. And 00:12:39.399 --> 00:12:41.820 it was inspired by someone else. Yeah, he directly 00:12:41.820 --> 00:12:45.240 credits Schoolie D, the Philly rapper, heard 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:48.559 his track, PSK What Does It Mean, in a club. 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:51.179 What was it about that trap? Just the raw sound, 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:53.480 the aggressive delivery, the kind of vague but 00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:56.159 potent street references. It just hit him. And 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:57.620 right after hearing it, he went home and wrote 00:12:57.620 --> 00:13:00.240 Six in the Morning. Just like that, in his apartment. 00:13:00.340 --> 00:13:03.200 Yep. crafted the lyrics, laid down this minimal 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.440 kind of menacing beat with a Roland TR -808. 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:08.620 The classic 808 sound. Oh, yeah. That booming 00:13:08.620 --> 00:13:11.559 bass, the crisp snare. It was the sound of early 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:13.700 electro and gangster rap. Perfect sonic backdrop 00:13:13.700 --> 00:13:16.100 for the stories he was starting to tell. Raw, 00:13:16.460 --> 00:13:19.419 simple, powerful. And Six in the Morning. That 00:13:19.419 --> 00:13:21.659 was the game changer. Absolute game changer. 00:13:21.779 --> 00:13:24.759 Even though it started as a B -side. The lyrics, 00:13:25.340 --> 00:13:27.759 that first person story of a gang member's day. 00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:32.019 were just so violent and raw for the time, caused 00:13:32.019 --> 00:13:34.820 a stir even underground. Controversy fueled it. 00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:37.580 Totally. Became a massive underground hit, especially 00:13:37.580 --> 00:13:39.980 on the West Coast. It's widely seen now as one 00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:42.809 of the absolute foundational tracks. of gangsta 00:13:42.809 --> 00:13:44.789 rap. And he was smart about the gang stuff publicly 00:13:44.789 --> 00:13:46.850 too, wasn't he? The red and blue? Very smart. 00:13:47.330 --> 00:13:49.610 Deliberately wore both red and blue, kept it 00:13:49.610 --> 00:13:52.190 ambiguous, didn't want to alienate crypts or 00:13:52.190 --> 00:13:54.850 bloods. Strategic move to broaden his appeal 00:13:54.850 --> 00:13:57.250 in that really divided environment. That street 00:13:57.250 --> 00:13:59.509 cred and strategy worked. He got a major deal. 00:13:59.649 --> 00:14:02.289 Yeah, with Sire Records. Seymour Stein, the co 00:14:02.289 --> 00:14:05.090 -founder, hurt his demo. Apparently Stein compared 00:14:05.090 --> 00:14:07.549 him to Bob Dylan. Dylan? Wow, that's unexpected. 00:14:07.809 --> 00:14:09.980 Right. For his lyrical death. The storytelling. 00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:13.240 So 1987, Rhyme Pays comes out. His debut album 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:16.700 goes gold. Got his DJs Evil E, Aladdin, producer 00:14:16.700 --> 00:14:19.500 Africa Islam on board. Established his sound 00:14:19.500 --> 00:14:21.720 kind of party oriented, but still gritty. And 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:25.940 the colors movie theme too. Same year, 87. Recorded 00:14:25.940 --> 00:14:28.120 the title track for Dennis Hopper's movie Colors 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:31.220 about LA gang life. Really cemented that connection 00:14:31.220 --> 00:14:34.539 to street narratives. Then Power in 88 on his 00:14:34.539 --> 00:14:37.259 own Rhyme Syndicate label. Critically acclaimed, 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:39.480 another gold record. He was huge. And getting 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:42.220 more political. Definitely. The iceberg freedom 00:14:42.220 --> 00:14:45.320 of speech. Just watch what you say. In 89, really 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:48.379 hammered home the social commentary. Blending 00:14:48.379 --> 00:14:50.240 that abrasive music with these really pointed 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:52.980 lyrics, he found his voice. Then came the move 00:14:52.980 --> 00:14:55.279 that probably blew everyone's minds. Body Count. 00:14:55.460 --> 00:14:59.159 Oh yeah. 1991, his album OG Original Gangster 00:14:59.159 --> 00:15:01.860 has a track called Body Count. And on it, he 00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:04.019 introduces his heavy metal band of the same name. 00:15:04.090 --> 00:15:06.730 Just out of nowhere on a rap album. Pretty much. 00:15:06.990 --> 00:15:09.149 Revolutionary crossover. A black rapper fronting 00:15:09.149 --> 00:15:11.309 a metal band. None heard of, really. And he didn't 00:15:11.309 --> 00:15:13.409 just record it. He took them on tour. Famously 00:15:13.409 --> 00:15:15.990 on the first Lollapalooza in 91. Lollapalooza. 00:15:16.190 --> 00:15:18.789 So he's playing to alternative rock crowds. Exactly. 00:15:19.169 --> 00:15:21.830 Super smart move. Expanded his appeal massively. 00:15:22.309 --> 00:15:24.350 Reached middle -class kids, alternative fans. 00:15:24.889 --> 00:15:26.590 Showed this incredible artistic fearlessness 00:15:26.590 --> 00:15:29.149 way ahead of the curve on crossing genres. And 00:15:29.149 --> 00:15:31.350 he got mainstream recognition too. A Grammy. 00:15:31.740 --> 00:15:34.740 Not for Body Count, though. Right, also in 91. 00:15:34.860 --> 00:15:37.740 Won a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo 00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:40.100 or group. But it was for being on Quincy Jones' 00:15:40.279 --> 00:15:42.820 big collaborative track, Back on the Block. Ah, 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:46.019 that massive project with Ray Charles and everyone. 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:48.799 Yeah, incredible roster. So he's getting accolades 00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:51.659 across the board. But then another Body Count 00:15:51.659 --> 00:15:54.559 song sparks the firestorm. Cop Killer. Cop Killer, 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:57.700 the big one. From Body Count's debut album in 00:15:57.700 --> 00:16:01.009 92. It's a rock song, not rap. And Ice -T said 00:16:01.009 --> 00:16:02.929 it was written from the perspective of a character 00:16:02.929 --> 00:16:06.029 seeking revenge on racist cops. But the lyrics? 00:16:07.029 --> 00:16:09.889 About to bust some shots off. Pretty intense. 00:16:10.169 --> 00:16:12.730 Incredibly intense. And the reaction was immediate 00:16:12.730 --> 00:16:14.490 and furious. We're talking President Bush calling 00:16:14.490 --> 00:16:16.870 it sickening, Vice President Quayle demanding 00:16:16.870 --> 00:16:20.090 Time Warner drop him, police unions organizing 00:16:20.090 --> 00:16:22.190 boycotts. It wasn't just song controversy, it 00:16:22.190 --> 00:16:24.370 was a national flashpoint. Police brutality, 00:16:24.509 --> 00:16:27.570 race, free speech. All of it exploded. Did he 00:16:27.570 --> 00:16:29.909 back down? Not at all. He doubled down defending 00:16:29.909 --> 00:16:32.490 it. Told journalists it was artistic expression, 00:16:32.769 --> 00:16:35.730 a character's voice. He called out the hypocrisy 00:16:35.730 --> 00:16:38.250 like, Arnold Schwarzenegger kills cops in movies. 00:16:38.470 --> 00:16:41.269 Nobody complains. Fair point. And he hit hard 00:16:41.269 --> 00:16:43.850 on the racial bias angle. Argued it was being 00:16:43.850 --> 00:16:46.730 mislabeled as rap, not rock, because he was black. 00:16:47.429 --> 00:16:49.690 Famously said something like, the Supreme Court 00:16:49.690 --> 00:16:52.090 says a white man can burn a cross, but a black 00:16:52.090 --> 00:16:55.259 man can't write a song about a cop killer. powerful 00:16:55.259 --> 00:16:57.399 stuff. So what happened with the label, Warner 00:16:57.399 --> 00:16:59.899 Brothers? Well, Time Warner, the parent company, 00:17:00.019 --> 00:17:02.139 faced immense pressure. They refused to release 00:17:02.139 --> 00:17:04.579 his next solo album, Home Invasion, because of 00:17:04.579 --> 00:17:07.460 the controversy. So Ice -T and Sire Warner Bros. 00:17:07.940 --> 00:17:10.539 parted ways. Amicably, apparently. But did that 00:17:10.539 --> 00:17:12.859 hurt him? Ironically, no. It turned him into 00:17:12.859 --> 00:17:16.079 this huge icon for free speech advocates. His 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:18.759 album sales actually doubled. He went on Oprah 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.240 with Jello Biafra to debate Tipper Gore about 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:23.599 censorship. He became this major voice on the 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:25.160 First Amendment. So he eventually pulled the 00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:28.019 song? He did withdraw Cop Killer from the Body 00:17:28.019 --> 00:17:29.900 Count album, replaced it with a metal version 00:17:29.900 --> 00:17:32.220 of his rap track, Freedom of Speech. Some saw 00:17:32.220 --> 00:17:35.119 it as caving, but he framed it as strategic, 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:37.940 stop the corporate fight, refocus on the bigger 00:17:37.940 --> 00:17:40.160 issue of censorship itself, not just one song. 00:17:40.500 --> 00:17:42.900 Wow. Navigating that must have been intense. 00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:45.259 So post Warner Bros, what was the next move? 00:17:45.420 --> 00:17:48.450 Move fast. signed with Priority Records, released 00:17:48.450 --> 00:17:51.069 Home Invasion in 93, and it still did really 00:17:51.069 --> 00:17:54.150 well. Top 10 R &B hip hop, top 15 Billboard 200. 00:17:54.349 --> 00:17:57.309 And it had 99 problems on it, the original. Yeah, 00:17:57.430 --> 00:17:59.890 the original 99 problems, which of course Jay 00:17:59.890 --> 00:18:02.559 -Z famously flipped years later. shows that lasting 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:04.759 influence. And he kept up the metal clabs too. 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:07.200 Did a track with Slayer for the Judgment Night 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:10.380 soundtrack. Slayer? Yeah, Disorder. And guested 00:18:10.380 --> 00:18:13.779 on a Black Sabbath album, Forbidden, in 95. Kept 00:18:13.779 --> 00:18:16.119 building that cross -genre cred. What about his 00:18:16.119 --> 00:18:19.200 solo rap career after that? Kept going. V .I. 00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:21.440 Return of the Real in 96, The Seventh Deadly 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:25.890 Sin in 99, Gangsta Rap in 2006. That last one 00:18:25.890 --> 00:18:28.309 had a bit of cover art controversy, too suggestive 00:18:28.309 --> 00:18:30.809 for some stores. Reviews were kind of mixed on 00:18:30.809 --> 00:18:33.589 these later solo albums. Some fans wanted that 00:18:33.589 --> 00:18:36.589 earlier political edge back. But Body Count kept 00:18:36.589 --> 00:18:40.170 going strong. Oh yeah. Body Count had this amazing 00:18:40.170 --> 00:18:44.089 resurgence. Bloodlust in 2017, Carnivore in 2020, 00:18:44.890 --> 00:18:48.210 and Bumrush from Carnivore won them their second 00:18:48.210 --> 00:18:51.529 Grammy. Best metal performance in 2021. A second 00:18:51.529 --> 00:18:53.490 Grammy for metal. That's incredible. Totally 00:18:53.490 --> 00:18:55.589 remarkable. And they just dropped a new album, 00:18:55.789 --> 00:18:58.750 Merciless, in 2024. Still going. He hasn't totally 00:18:58.750 --> 00:19:01.190 abandoned solo rap, though. Nope. Came back with 00:19:01.190 --> 00:19:03.549 some tracks in 2019 like Fed's In My Rear View, 00:19:03.650 --> 00:19:05.869 Too Old For The Dumb Shit. Still got the lyrical 00:19:05.869 --> 00:19:08.109 chops, still commenting. Featured on other tracks, 00:19:08.210 --> 00:19:10.390 too, like The Slayer's Club. Plus more collabs 00:19:10.390 --> 00:19:12.430 with bands like Motorhead, Megadeth. He even 00:19:12.430 --> 00:19:14.609 did a documentary about rap, Something From Nothing, 00:19:14.789 --> 00:19:17.700 the art of rap. The man does not stop. It really 00:19:17.700 --> 00:19:19.579 is this story or relentless drive, isn't it? 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:22.259 Pushing boundaries lyrically, musically, turning 00:19:22.259 --> 00:19:25.519 controversy into a platform, just constant evolution. 00:19:26.019 --> 00:19:29.400 Absolutely. Shaping genres, adapting, staying 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:32.440 relevant for decades. It's a masterclass in creative 00:19:32.440 --> 00:19:34.839 longevity and impact, not just changing with 00:19:34.839 --> 00:19:37.000 the times, but often being ahead of them. OK, 00:19:37.019 --> 00:19:40.440 so the music career alone is legendary. But Ice 00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:44.339 -T built this whole other massive career. beyond 00:19:44.339 --> 00:19:47.579 the mic, acting. His very first movie roles, 00:19:47.859 --> 00:19:49.779 though, back in the break -in days, right? Yeah, 00:19:49.960 --> 00:19:52.680 mid-'80s, break in and enter in, break in two. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:54.880 He was basically playing a rapper, a break dancer. 00:19:55.160 --> 00:19:58.420 And he wasn't too proud of those later. No. He's 00:19:58.420 --> 00:20:00.740 been very blunt. Call the films and his performances 00:20:00.740 --> 00:20:04.019 whack. Classic Ice -T honesty. He saw them as 00:20:04.019 --> 00:20:06.920 stepping stones, maybe. but not high art. But 00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:08.880 then he got serious about acting in the 90s. 00:20:08.920 --> 00:20:11.119 Totally pivoted. His breakout role was definitely 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:13.740 Detective Scotty Appleton in New Jack City. 1991, 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:16.079 Mario Van Peebles film. Huge movie. And he was 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:18.200 great in it. He showed real dramatic chops. Exactly. 00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:19.779 Surprised a lot of people. And he followed it 00:20:19.779 --> 00:20:22.119 up quickly. Played the gang leader Odessa in 00:20:22.119 --> 00:20:24.819 Ricochet that same year. King James in Trespass 00:20:24.819 --> 00:20:28.519 in 92, with Ice Cube. By 94, he's getting lead 00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:31.299 roles like in Surviving the Game. He proved he 00:20:31.299 --> 00:20:34.039 could carry a film. He was also in Johnny Mnemonic 00:20:34.039 --> 00:20:38.160 and Tank Girl as a mutant kangaroo. T -Saint. 00:20:38.420 --> 00:20:41.359 Yeah, memorable roles, showing range. He became 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:44.720 a legit screen presence. Now, there's that interesting 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:47.579 bit from the documentary Pimp's Up, Hose Down, 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:49.660 where he talks about his pimping background, 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:51.980 giving him skills for business, and saying he 00:20:51.980 --> 00:20:55.640 can't act. It's all game. Right. Super controversial, 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:58.059 fascinating statement. It blurs the lines, doesn't 00:20:58.059 --> 00:21:02.529 it? Is he being literal about pimping? Or using 00:21:02.529 --> 00:21:05.390 it as a metaphor for street smarts, negotiation, 00:21:05.990 --> 00:21:07.809 reading people skills he applied to Hollywood. 00:21:08.009 --> 00:21:10.549 Yeah, like saying real world hustle beats formal 00:21:10.549 --> 00:21:13.390 training. Exactly. It feeds into that persona 00:21:13.390 --> 00:21:15.869 of the ultimate strategist, the guy who understands 00:21:15.869 --> 00:21:18.730 the game on a duper level than maybe classically 00:21:18.730 --> 00:21:20.950 trained actors. Whether literal or metaphor, 00:21:21.349 --> 00:21:23.549 it reinforces his brand. And it definitely didn't 00:21:23.549 --> 00:21:25.750 slow down his TV career. He worked with Dick 00:21:25.750 --> 00:21:28.230 Wolf early on. Yeah, that connection was crucial. 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:30.759 He had a recurring role on Wolf's show New York 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:34.119 Undercover in 95. Played Danny Court, a drug 00:21:34.119 --> 00:21:36.359 dealer. Him won an award for that. His first 00:21:36.359 --> 00:21:40.019 NAACP image award. Outstanding supporting actor 00:21:40.019 --> 00:21:44.180 in a drama series, 1996. Huge recognition. Then 00:21:44.180 --> 00:21:47.740 he co -created a show called Players in 97. Was 00:21:47.740 --> 00:21:51.259 in the exiled. A Law and Order movie in 98. All 00:21:51.259 --> 00:21:53.140 setting the stage for the big one. Finn Tituola, 00:21:53.240 --> 00:21:57.299 Law and Order. SVU. Detective? No, Sergeant. 00:21:57.549 --> 00:22:00.849 Vodafone Finn Tutuola joined SVU in 2000, its 00:22:00.849 --> 00:22:03.730 second season, and he's still there. It's unbelievable. 00:22:03.789 --> 00:22:06.750 Longest -running male actor on a primetime drama 00:22:06.750 --> 00:22:08.730 series in U .S. history. That's what Deadline 00:22:08.730 --> 00:22:11.069 reported. An incredible run. Sticks to the volumes 00:22:11.069 --> 00:22:12.670 about his appeal, the character's resonance. 00:22:13.109 --> 00:22:16.049 People love Finn. He got another NAACP award 00:22:16.049 --> 00:22:19.750 for SVU. Yep. Won again in 2002. Nominated several 00:22:19.750 --> 00:22:22.250 more times. Consistent acclaim for that role. 00:22:22.569 --> 00:22:24.589 But beyond Finn, he's popped up in so many other 00:22:24.589 --> 00:22:26.859 memorable TV spots. Like Chappelle's show. The 00:22:26.859 --> 00:22:29.539 player haters ball. Original player hater. Hilarious. 00:22:29.980 --> 00:22:32.000 And the Geico commercial. No, it's lemonade. 00:22:32.420 --> 00:22:34.400 Instantly iconic. He's got such great comedic 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:36.799 timing and self -awareness. Holy. He leans into 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:39.460 the public perception. He hosted Ice -T's rap 00:22:39.460 --> 00:22:41.859 school on VH1 teaching rich kids about hip hop. 00:22:41.900 --> 00:22:43.980 Right. I remember that. Hosted the true crime 00:22:43.980 --> 00:22:47.000 show in ice cold blood on Oxygen. Leveraged that 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:49.900 persona. He even did the mass dancer as disco 00:22:49.900 --> 00:22:53.279 ball. No way. Disco ball. Yep. And people were 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:55.740 genuinely surprised when he was revealed. He 00:22:55.740 --> 00:22:57.819 was also interviewed in Chris Rock's documentary, 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:00.720 Good Hair, talking about going to cool and curlers. 00:23:00.900 --> 00:23:03.539 Just great anecdotes. His voice is so distinctive, 00:23:03.539 --> 00:23:05.680 it makes sense he'd do animation and voice acting, 00:23:05.900 --> 00:23:08.440 too, like Rick and Morty. Oh, yeah. Played himself 00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:10.880 as an alien water tea character. His reaction 00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:13.480 on Twitter was classic. This happens with cartoonists 00:23:13.480 --> 00:23:16.220 after lots of drugs. Oh, crazy. Perfect. Just 00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:18.779 totally self -aware. He even came back later 00:23:18.779 --> 00:23:21.400 to voice the character's fictional father, Magma 00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:24.009 Q. He just rolls with the absurdity. And video 00:23:24.009 --> 00:23:26.329 games, too. He's been in some big ones. Definitely. 00:23:26.750 --> 00:23:29.210 Mad Dog and Grand Theft Auto. Sam and Dre is 00:23:29.210 --> 00:23:31.609 a huge role. Yeah, I remember that. Agent Kane 00:23:31.609 --> 00:23:34.630 in Sanity. Aiken's Artifact. Aaron Griffin in 00:23:34.630 --> 00:23:38.529 Gears of War 3. Balex in Borderlands 3. Mac in 00:23:38.529 --> 00:23:41.470 Payday 3. Plus playing himself in Def Jam. Fight 00:23:41.470 --> 00:23:45.109 for NY in UFC. Tap Out. He really engages with 00:23:45.109 --> 00:23:48.769 that world. So music, movies, TV, voice acting. 00:23:49.259 --> 00:23:51.980 than podcasting. It jumped into podcasting back 00:23:51.980 --> 00:23:56.099 in 2013. Ice -T Final Level co -hosted with his 00:23:56.099 --> 00:23:59.099 friend Mick Benzo. They talk issues, movies, 00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:02.160 games, behind the scenes, SVU stuff. Guests like 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:05.119 Jim Norton, just another platform for his voice. 00:24:05.319 --> 00:24:07.680 And we have to mention the reality TV with Coco. 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:11.900 Ice Loves Coco on E ran for three seasons, 2011, 00:24:12.140 --> 00:24:14.920 2013. Gave people this glimpse into their home 00:24:14.920 --> 00:24:17.420 life, their dynamic, led to another show, Eyes 00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:21.220 on Coco, in 2015. He really understands building 00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:23.519 that multifaceted public presence. It really 00:24:23.519 --> 00:24:25.500 is incredible versatility, isn't it? And that 00:24:25.500 --> 00:24:27.599 entrepreneurial spirit, leveraging his fame, 00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:30.359 constantly trying new things, adapting. Exactly. 00:24:30.819 --> 00:24:33.140 It shows how a strong, authentic brand, even 00:24:33.140 --> 00:24:35.819 a controversial one, can open so many doors. 00:24:36.359 --> 00:24:39.099 It's about adaptability, self -awareness, and 00:24:39.099 --> 00:24:41.480 just refusing to be put in one box. His honesty 00:24:41.480 --> 00:24:43.700 about his past, even the tricky stuff, just adds 00:24:43.700 --> 00:24:45.819 another layer to that story of reinvention. OK, 00:24:45.819 --> 00:24:47.819 let's shift focus a bit from the career to the 00:24:47.819 --> 00:24:50.539 man himself. Personal life, activism, that public 00:24:50.539 --> 00:24:52.359 persona he's built. He's a father, right? Three 00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:54.680 kids? That's right. His oldest daughter, Letitia 00:24:54.680 --> 00:24:56.819 Marrow, born back in 76 with his high school 00:24:56.819 --> 00:25:00.240 girlfriend, Adrienne. Then his son, Ice. Crazy 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:03.740 Marrow Jr. Little Ice, born in 91 with Darlene 00:25:03.740 --> 00:25:06.279 Ortiz. She was on his album covers, remember? 00:25:06.339 --> 00:25:08.599 Yeah, iconic covers. And Little Ice is involved 00:25:08.599 --> 00:25:10.880 in music, too. Yeah, he's actually a backing 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:13.660 vocalist for Body Count now. Was on the Grammy 00:25:13.660 --> 00:25:16.430 -winning Carnivore album. Following in his dad's 00:25:16.430 --> 00:25:19.009 footsteps, in a way. And then his youngest, with 00:25:19.009 --> 00:25:21.890 Coco. Right. He married Nicole Coco Austin back 00:25:21.890 --> 00:25:24.930 in January 2002. They renewed their vows publicly 00:25:24.930 --> 00:25:28.109 in 2011. And their daughter, Chanel Nicole, was 00:25:28.109 --> 00:25:30.390 born in 2015. They live in New Jersey now, right? 00:25:30.710 --> 00:25:32.710 Featured on the reality shows. Kind of bringing 00:25:32.710 --> 00:25:34.829 him back to his East Coast roots. Seems like 00:25:34.829 --> 00:25:36.809 it. But one thing about his personal life that 00:25:36.809 --> 00:25:39.329 often surprises people is his lifestyle. He's 00:25:39.329 --> 00:25:42.369 famously straight -edge. Damn. Teetotler. Doesn't 00:25:42.369 --> 00:25:44.910 drink alcohol. He's also said he's never smoked 00:25:44.910 --> 00:25:48.529 weed or cigarettes, ever. Wow. That really contrasts 00:25:48.529 --> 00:25:51.089 with the whole gangster rap image, doesn't it? 00:25:51.250 --> 00:25:53.750 Hugely. And it's reflected in his discipline 00:25:53.750 --> 00:25:56.630 elsewhere. He does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, boxing. 00:25:56.990 --> 00:25:59.869 He's a big UFC fan. There's this really focused, 00:26:00.150 --> 00:26:02.150 physically disciplined side to him. How do you 00:26:02.150 --> 00:26:05.109 think he squares that? The discipline with the 00:26:05.109 --> 00:26:08.769 rebellious image? Is it a performance or just 00:26:08.769 --> 00:26:11.750 him? That's a great question. I tend to think 00:26:11.750 --> 00:26:14.720 it's just authentically him. Maybe the discipline 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:17.700 required to survive his early environment without 00:26:17.700 --> 00:26:20.539 fully succumbing to drugs or alcohol is the root 00:26:20.539 --> 00:26:22.779 of that straight edge choice. It's not an act. 00:26:23.059 --> 00:26:25.240 It's who he had to become. Both sides are real. 00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:27.960 Makes sense. And activism has always been part 00:26:27.960 --> 00:26:30.099 of his platform too, linked with public enemy 00:26:30.099 --> 00:26:33.059 early on. Yeah, ideologically very close. They 00:26:33.059 --> 00:26:35.279 even called him the soldier of the highest degree 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:38.460 in the fear of a black planet liner notes. High 00:26:38.460 --> 00:26:41.759 praise from P .E. Wow. And after cop killer, 00:26:42.029 --> 00:26:44.529 He really leaned into being a free speech advocate. 00:26:44.869 --> 00:26:46.750 Gave lectures at colleges about the First Amendment, 00:26:47.150 --> 00:26:49.650 using his own story. Really powerful. And his 00:26:49.650 --> 00:26:52.349 music often tackled issues directly. Oh yeah. 00:26:52.730 --> 00:26:55.730 OG original gangster. Had tracks condemning the 00:26:55.730 --> 00:26:58.029 Gulf War. Talking about mass incarceration way 00:26:58.029 --> 00:27:00.289 back then. He signed a petition for criminal 00:27:00.289 --> 00:27:03.049 justice reform in 2017. It's a consistent thread. 00:27:03.569 --> 00:27:06.289 His 1994 book, The Ice Opinion, laid out his 00:27:06.289 --> 00:27:08.630 political views too. Criticized the targeting 00:27:08.630 --> 00:27:11.029 of Koreans during the L .A. riots. Not afraid 00:27:11.029 --> 00:27:13.640 to speak out. even if it's complex. He's got 00:27:13.640 --> 00:27:15.900 a sarcastic side to his politics, too, though. 00:27:16.039 --> 00:27:19.799 The John McCain joke. Oh, yeah. 2008. Joked he'd 00:27:19.799 --> 00:27:21.539 vote for McCain just because his endorsement 00:27:21.539 --> 00:27:24.119 would ruin the campaign. Sort of an inverse endorsement 00:27:24.119 --> 00:27:26.799 for Obama. Clever. Later, he just admired Obama 00:27:26.799 --> 00:27:28.579 for taking the shot, making it to president. 00:27:28.980 --> 00:27:32.119 And recently, 2022, he narrated an ad for Fire 00:27:32.119 --> 00:27:35.460 E, the free speech group, still championing that 00:27:35.460 --> 00:27:37.579 cause. Of course, with a public persona like 00:27:37.579 --> 00:27:40.859 his, there have been clashes, feuds. The LL Cool 00:27:40.859 --> 00:27:43.000 J beef was a big one back in the day. Oh, yeah. 00:27:43.140 --> 00:27:45.420 Late 80s, early 90s. Apparently started because 00:27:45.420 --> 00:27:48.180 LL claimed he was the baddest rapper. Ice T wasn't 00:27:48.180 --> 00:27:51.089 having it. So he dissed him on Power. Yep. I'm 00:27:51.089 --> 00:27:53.309 Your Pusher had a character refusing an L .L. 00:27:53.390 --> 00:27:56.349 record. Girls OGBNAF was like the anti -LL love 00:27:56.349 --> 00:28:00.049 song, direct lyrical shots. And L .L. fired back 00:28:00.049 --> 00:28:03.930 hard. Brutally. On to the break of dawn. Mocked. 00:28:03.930 --> 00:28:06.789 Ice -T's rapping, his background, his hair, the 00:28:06.789 --> 00:28:09.309 perm. Said the power album only sold because 00:28:09.309 --> 00:28:12.309 Darlene was on the cover. Ouch. Did Ice -T keep 00:28:12.309 --> 00:28:14.670 it going? Mostly ignored it, actually. Even defended 00:28:14.670 --> 00:28:17.930 L .L. after an arrest. Years later. Ice -T said 00:28:17.930 --> 00:28:20.269 the beef was never serious, just an exciting 00:28:20.269 --> 00:28:22.670 dispute for hip -hop. He kind of saw the theater 00:28:22.670 --> 00:28:24.849 in it. Understood the game. What about the Soulja 00:28:24.849 --> 00:28:27.470 Boy thing? That felt different. Yeah, 2008. More 00:28:27.470 --> 00:28:30.930 generational. Ice -T went after Soulja Boy, said 00:28:30.930 --> 00:28:33.670 he was killing hip -hop called Crank That Garbage, 00:28:34.289 --> 00:28:36.170 compared him unfavorably to Rakim, Big Daddy 00:28:36.170 --> 00:28:38.130 Kane. That sparked a reel back and forth. Oh 00:28:38.130 --> 00:28:40.450 yeah. Video's flying. Ice -T told him to eat 00:28:40.450 --> 00:28:43.019 a dick. Kanye West even stepped in to defend 00:28:43.019 --> 00:28:45.700 Soulja Boy's independent success. It highlighted 00:28:45.700 --> 00:28:48.000 that shift in hip -hop sound and business. So 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:49.819 looking at his overall style, his influences. 00:28:50.359 --> 00:28:52.700 Icebrick Slim for lyrics, Schoolie D for the 00:28:52.700 --> 00:28:54.759 gangsta style, we covered those. But the rock 00:28:54.759 --> 00:28:57.759 influence was always there too. Deeply. He loves 00:28:57.759 --> 00:29:00.369 Edgar Winter, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath. said 00:29:00.369 --> 00:29:02.809 that passion for heavy guitar is why he put guitar 00:29:02.809 --> 00:29:05.150 sounds on his rap albums, even before Body Count. 00:29:05.769 --> 00:29:08.150 One of that edge, that power. He definitely built 00:29:08.150 --> 00:29:10.490 on what Rick Rubin was doing with Beastie Boys, 00:29:10.630 --> 00:29:14.089 Run DMC, that rock hip hop fusion. Sure. Though 00:29:14.089 --> 00:29:16.950 he's specific about Body Count, calls it a rock 00:29:16.950 --> 00:29:19.849 album with a rap mentality, not strictly rap 00:29:19.849 --> 00:29:21.970 rock like say Limp Bizkit or Kid Rock later. 00:29:22.309 --> 00:29:25.349 He sees Body Count as purely a rock band, which 00:29:25.349 --> 00:29:28.109 is an interesting distinction he makes, but they 00:29:28.109 --> 00:29:30.960 absolutely paved the way. And his impact on gangster 00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:33.680 rap itself, Six in the Morning, is seen as foundational. 00:29:33.960 --> 00:29:36.279 Undeniably. Journalists trace artists like Tupac, 00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:38.900 Biggie, Eminem, N .W .A. directly back to the 00:29:38.900 --> 00:29:41.200 groundwork laid by Six in the Morning. He's a 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:43.420 true patriarch of that West Coast sound. And 00:29:43.420 --> 00:29:45.319 his own favorite rap albums give some insight, 00:29:45.579 --> 00:29:47.680 too. Yeah, he's listed classics. B .C. Boy's 00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:50.440 Licensed to Ill, Eric B. and Rakim's Paid in 00:29:50.440 --> 00:29:53.279 Full, N .W .A.'s Straight Outta Compton, Public 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:55.559 Enemies, It Takes a Nation of Millions. Shows 00:29:55.559 --> 00:29:58.200 his taste, his roots in that golden era he helped 00:29:58.200 --> 00:30:00.859 shape. This whole section really gets into his 00:30:00.859 --> 00:30:03.920 core values, doesn't it? How he handles relationships, 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:07.000 politics, conflict, all while staying true to 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:09.500 himself. Absolutely. It shows that complexity, 00:30:09.640 --> 00:30:11.819 but also that consistency. Navigating it all 00:30:11.819 --> 00:30:14.220 with his clear personal code, it explains a lot 00:30:14.220 --> 00:30:17.259 about his staying power. Authenticity and conviction, 00:30:17.619 --> 00:30:20.259 even when it's controversial. Hashtag tag out, 00:30:20.299 --> 00:30:23.339 tag outro. Wow. What a journey we've covered 00:30:23.339 --> 00:30:25.859 today. Seriously sprawling. From that really 00:30:25.859 --> 00:30:30.259 tough start. the losses, the crime, to changing 00:30:30.259 --> 00:30:32.779 music forever, becoming this fixture on TV, being 00:30:32.779 --> 00:30:36.019 this outspoken activist. Iced tea is just... 00:30:35.880 --> 00:30:39.039 something else he really is reinvention authenticity 00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:41.200 adaptability those aren't just buzzwords for 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:43.279 him they're the absolute definition of his career 00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:45.819 constantly pushing constantly being himself yeah 00:30:45.819 --> 00:30:48.240 and his story it's more than just about him isn't 00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:50.299 it it's really about the power of shaping your 00:30:50.299 --> 00:30:52.660 own narrative having the guts to evolve but not 00:30:52.660 --> 00:30:55.039 losing who you are at your core and maybe some 00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:57.440 serious strategic thinking too absolutely yeah 00:30:57.440 --> 00:30:59.000 so hopefully you the listener have gained this 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:02.039 unique understanding now how talent resilience 00:31:02.039 --> 00:31:04.859 and just refusing to be defined by others can 00:31:04.859 --> 00:31:07.220 lead to the this incredible decades -long influence 00:31:07.220 --> 00:31:09.940 across so many different areas. So here's a final 00:31:09.940 --> 00:31:12.380 thought to leave you with. Thinking about Ice 00:31:12.380 --> 00:31:14.880 -T's constant reinvention, his relevance across 00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:18.779 music, TV, everything. What does his career maybe 00:31:18.779 --> 00:31:21.799 teach you about embracing change, about keeping 00:31:21.799 --> 00:31:23.759 your own voice authentic, whether it's in your 00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:26.099 job or just your life? What's that pivot you've 00:31:26.099 --> 00:31:28.279 been hesitant about or that truth you haven't 00:31:28.279 --> 00:31:31.440 quite spoken? Definitely something to think about. 00:31:31.640 --> 00:31:33.519 Something to chew on. Thanks for deep diving 00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:34.119 with us.