Hear the rapper and actor talk about crime, Hollywood, racism, and more -- before he was a Law & Order SVU detective and just after he created the metal band Body Count
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In 1991, Ice-T had just appeared in the movie New Jack City -- and his rap albums were defining what was then an unusual style of west coast gangsta rap.
That’s why I chose him as one of the top five rappers to lead off my book about hip-hop, Break It Down: The Inside Story from the New Leaders of Rap.
Since then, I couldn’t throw out the tape of my interview – which lasted well over an hour. But I hadn’t shared it with anyone, until now.
As I listened again, I remembered that Ice-T (whose real name is Tracy Marrow) is one of the all-time most amazing talkers. There was almost nothing I wanted to cut. So here it is, the interview almost in its entirety.
For me, it was surprising to hear Ice-T’s 1991 thoughts on topics that are still relevant. His commentary on Donald Trump was different from what it would be now. But our discussion of Clarence Thomas could have happened yesterday. We also talked about education, racism, poverty, crime, the police, censorship, fatherhood, politics, the army, Hollywood, and – of course – the origin of gangsta rap.
So much happened in Ice-T's life after our talk. A year later, he caused a national controversy when his metal band Body Count released the song “Cop Killer.” The song was banned and became an election talking point for the first George Bush and his vice president Dan Quayle. Later, Ice-T appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies – with his most prominent credit being 25 years on Law & Order SVU.
Most of all, this flashback interview reminded me of the sharpness and openness of Ice-T’s mind. And his strength, which helped him bounce back from losing both parents as a child and ultimately allowed him to leave his rough street life in South-Central L.A.
If you want more about Ice-T's current life, you’ll find links to articles about his wife Coco, his three kids, his exhibit at Harvard, his online bonding with Stephen King, his support of vaccination, his bulldogs, his podcast, and more on the I Couldn't Throw It Out blog.
Ice-T Photo by Sven Mandel via Wikimedia Commons
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