Born Tracy Marrow, Ice-T is one of the original gangster rappers, of whom Greg Knot of The Chicago Tribune wrote: "Ice-T is that rare gangster rapper who leads with his brain instead of his gun or his crotch."
Ice-T's 1992 song "Cop Killer, performed with his heavy-metal band Body Count, landed him at the center of a controversy about gangsta rap — was it a legitimate form of expression or incendiary hate-mongering? His latest album is The Pimp Penal Code.
Ice-T continues to perform as a musician but has also cultivated a successful acting career. His roles include a policeman on the TV show Law and Order Special Victims Unit and parts in the films New Jack City, Trespass and Ricochet. (This interview originally aired May 1, 1992.)
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.