Ice-T

Ice-T not only invented gangster rap, he has lived it. Ice-T is the original embodiment of LA Hip-Hop and a cultural icon. Through his music, his multiple books, and his lecture tours of America’s prisons, high schools, libraries, and colleges (including Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford), Ice-T has become a cultural icon and an influential spokesman for America’s youth, regardless of color.

Born an only child in New Jersey, Ice learned the art of survival pretty fast. Both his parents passed before he was 11, resulting in him being shipped to Los Angeles to live with an alcoholic aunt. Ice struck out on his own at 16 and soon became involved in crime while navigating the LA gangs scene, then joining the Army.

His first entertainment break came with a rap cameo in the film "Breakin’". He soon defined the gangster rap genre with tracks like “Six in the Mornin’” and “New Jack Hustler.” He later formed the metal band Body Count with high school friend Ernie C., releasing the controversial “Cop Killer” in 1991. Body Count earned a Grammy nomination in 2018 for “Black Hoodie” and won in 2020 for “Bum Rush.”

While stirring political and cultural conversations through music, Ice-T also built a successful acting career with roles in "New Jack City," "Ricochet," "Trespass," and "Johnny Mnemonic." In 2012, he made his directorial debut with "The Art of Rap" at Sundance and produced "Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp," which premiered at TIFF.

Ice-T has also starred on "Law & Order: SVU" for 26 seasons, making it the longest-running drama in television history, and establishing him as the longest-running actor in a prime-time live-action series.

From 2018–2021, he hosted "In Ice Cold Blood" on Oxygen and has also hosted or produced "The Mediator" (A+E), "Hip Hop Treasures" (VH1), "Framed by the Killer" (Oxygen), and many other shows.

More recent projects include: the narration of Netflix’s "Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson"; hosting the documentary "Fate & Fentanyl"; and appearing in the films "Misty Green" and "The Apprenticeship of Ted Kotchoff."

As a brand spokesman, Ice-T currently appears in national campaigns for Lipton, Adidas, and CarShield. He’s also worked with Tide, Cheerios, Nike, Coors, and Johnson & Johnson, and was the voice of NBC’s 2022 Super Bowl and NFC promos. Ice-T is also a published author with four books: "The Ice Opinion," "Ice: A Memoir," "Kings of Vice," and "Split Decision."