Born Tracy Morrow in Newark, N.J. in 1959 rapper/musician/activist Ice-T grew up in rough South
Central Los Angeles, where he began rapping as a teenager and adopted his now-famous
moniker (derived from the pimp/writer Iceberg Slim). After completing high school, Ice-T cut
several rap singles and appeared in hip-hop film classics Rappin' and Breakin', but failed to
achieve national prominence. Finally in 1987 Ice-T signed to Sire and released his major-label
debut, Rhyme Pays, produced by Afrika Islam; the album quickly went gold. Ice-T returned in
1988 with another gold-seller, Power, which also won critical acclaim. Taking on the fight against
music censorship, Ice-T released his book, 1989's The Iceberg / Freedom of Speech...Just Watch
What You Say, a highly political effort. Now a rap superstar, Ice-T began an acting career with a
starring role in the 1991 film New Jack City. Also, that year Ice-T released O.G.: Original Ganster.
Ice-T also became the frontman for a heavy metal group called Body Count that released its
debut, self-titled LP in 1992. It quickly became the subject of massive controversy due to its final
track, "Cop Killer," written from the perspective of an angry African-American man who shoots Los
Angeles police officers in retaliation for their beating of Rodney King. Conservatives and police
groups protested Sire's parent company, Time-Warner, prompting the label to censor new
pressings of the album ("Cop Killer" was replaced by a spoken word track by the Dead Kennedys'
Jello Biafra) and reject Ice-T's next rap album, despite its completely different content and style.
Outraged, Ice-T became an increasingly visible public figure, speaking against censorship in the
media and on college campuses and penning a book about his ordeal. He appeared in a number
of movies and television shows, including New York Undercover and Players. Moving to Priority
Records, Ice-T finally released his delayed rap album, Home Invasion, in 1993. The following year
he recorded a second Body Count album, Born Dead, which, surprisingly, did not generate any
controversy at all. Ice-T's most recent project was the 1998 rap album, What Really Goes On,
produced by DJ Aladdin and Ice-T.
Born Tracy Morrow in Newark, N.J. in 1959 rapper/musician/activist Ice-T grew up in rough South
Central Los Angeles, where he began rapping as a teenager and adopted his now-famous
moniker (derived from the pimp/writer Iceberg Slim). After completing high school, Ice-T cut
several rap singles and appeared in hip-hop film classics Rappin' and Breakin', but failed to
achieve national prominence. Finally in 1987 Ice-T signed to Sire and released his major-label
debut, Rhyme Pays, produced by Afrika Islam; the album quickly went gold. Ice-T returned in
1988 with another gold-seller, Power, which also won critical acclaim. Taking on the fight against
music censorship, Ice-T released his book, 1989's The Iceberg / Freedom of Speech...Just Watch
What You Say, a highly political effort. Now a rap superstar, Ice-T began an acting career with a
starring role in the 1991 film New Jack City. Also, that year Ice-T released O.G.: Original Ganster.
Ice-T also became the frontman for a heavy metal group called Body Count that released its
debut, self-titled LP in 1992. It quickly became the subject of massive controversy due to its final
track, "Cop Killer," written from the perspective of an angry African-American man who shoots Los
Angeles police officers in retaliation for their beating of Rodney King. Conservatives and police
groups protested Sire's parent company, Time-Warner, prompting the label to censor new
pressings of the album ("Cop Killer" was replaced by a spoken word track by the Dead Kennedys'
Jello Biafra) and reject Ice-T's next rap album, despite its completely different content and style.
Outraged, Ice-T became an increasingly visible public figure, speaking against censorship in the
media and on college campuses and penning a book about his ordeal. He appeared in a number
of movies and television shows, including New York Undercover and Players. Moving to Priority
Records, Ice-T finally released his delayed rap album, Home Invasion, in 1993. The following year
he recorded a second Body Count album, Born Dead, which, surprisingly, did not generate any
controversy at all. Ice-T's most recent project was the 1998 rap album, What Really Goes On,
produced by DJ Aladdin and Ice-T. 
