Ice-T: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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Marrow learned from his commanding officer that he could receive an early [[Military discharge|honorable discharge]] because he was a single father. Taking advantage of this, Marrow was discharged as a Private First Class (PFC - E3) in December 1979 after serving for two years and two months.{{sfn|Marrow|Century|2011|pages=30–43}}<ref name="Targum">{{cite news|last=O'Flanagan|first=Emma |title= Ice-T addresses group, provides inspiration |url= http://www.dailytargum.com/2.4985/1.1514326-1.1514326 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20110610163841/http://www.dailytargum.com/2.4985/1.1514326-1.1514326|url-status=dead |archive-date=June 10, 2011|work= [[The Daily Targum]] |publisher=Targum Publishing Company |location= [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]] |date= February 23, 2004| access-date=June 29, 2008}}</ref>

During an episode of ''[[The Adam Carolla Show (podcast)|The Adam Carolla Podcast]]'' that aired on June 6, 2012, Marrow claimed that after being discharged from the Army, he began a career as a bank robber. Marrow claimed he and some associates began conducting take-over bank robberies "like [in the film] ''[[Heat (1995 film)|Heat]]''". Marrow then elaborated, explaining, "Only punks go for the drawer, we gotta go for the safe." Marrow also stated he was glad the United States justice system has [[Statute of limitations|statutes of limitations]], which had likely expired when Marrow admitted to his involvement in multiple [[United States federal probation and supervised release|Class 1 Felonies]] in the early-to-mid 1980s.<ref>{{citationCite web |last=Marks |first=Brian needed|date=September2023-02-01 |title=Ice-T celebrates upcoming Hollywood Walk of Fame star |url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11703319/Ice-T-celebrates-news-hell-honored-Hollywood-Walk-Fame-star-trip.html |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=Mail 2021Online}}</ref>

In July 2010, Marrow was mistakenly arrested. A month later when Marrow attended court, the charges were dropped and the prosecution stated "there had been a clerical error when the rapper was arrested". Marrow gave some advice to young people who think going to jail is a mark of integrity, saying, "Street credibility has nothing to do with going to jail, it has everything to do with staying out."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/aug/18/ice-t-cleared-following-arrest|last= Michaels|first= Sean|date= August 18, 2010|title= Ice-T cleared following New York arrest|work= [[The Guardian]]|access-date= July 24, 2019|archive-date= May 11, 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240511075217/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/aug/18/ice-t-cleared-following-arrest|url-status= live}}</ref>

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Ice-T finally landed a deal with a major label [[Sire Records]]. When label founder and president [[Seymour Stein]] heard his demo, he said Ice-T sounded like [[Bob Dylan]].{{sfn|Coleman|2007|page=238}} Shortly after, he released his debut album ''[[Rhyme Pays]]'' in 1987 supported by [[Evil E|DJ Evil E]], [[DJ Aladdin]] and producer [[Afrika Islam]], who helped create the mainly party-oriented sound. The record wound up being certified gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]]. That same year, he recorded [[Colors (Ice-T song)|the title theme song]] for [[Dennis Hopper]]'s ''[[Colors (film)|Colors]],'' a film about inner-city gang life in Los Angeles. His next album ''[[Power (Ice-T album)|Power]]'' was released in 1988, under his own label Rhyme Syndicate, and it was a more assured and impressive record, earning him strong reviews and his second gold record. Released in 1989, ''[[The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say!]]'' established his popularity by matching excellent abrasive music with narrative and commentative lyrics.<ref name=allmusic /> In the same year, he appeared on [[Hugh Harris (singer)|Hugh Harris]]' single "Alice".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Hugh-Harris-3-With-Ice-T-Alice/release/1042389|title=Hugh Harris With Ice-T - Alice|work=[[Discogs]]|publisher=Zink Media, Inc.|location=[[Portland, Oregon]]|date=1989|access-date=September 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423050123/http://www.discogs.com/Hugh-Harris-3-With-Ice-T-Alice/release/1042389|archive-date=April 23, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1991, he released his album ''[[O.G. Original Gangster]].'', which is regarded as one of the albums that defined gangsta rap.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} On ''OG'', he introduced his heavy metal band [[Body Count (band)|Body Count]] in a track of the same name. Ice-T toured with Body Count on the first annual [[Lollapalooza]] concert tour in 1991, gaining him appeal among middle-class teenagers and fans of alternative music genres. The album ''[[Body Count (album)|Body Count]]'' was released in March 1992.<ref name=allmusic/> For his appearance on the heavily collaborative track "[[Back on the Block]]", a composition by jazz musician [[Quincy Jones]] that "attempt[ed] to bring together black musical styles from jazz to soul to funk to rap", Ice-T won a [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group|Grammy Award for the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group]], an award shared by others who worked on the track including Jones and fellow jazz musician [[Ray Charles]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Pareles|first=Jon|title=Grammys Turn Into Quincy Jones Show |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE2D9173EF932A15751C0A967958260|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 23, 1991|access-date=July 2, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022132009/https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE2D9173EF932A15751C0A967958260|archive-date=October 22, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

Controversy later surrounded Body Count over its song "[[Cop Killer (song)|Cop Killer]]". The rock song was intended to speak from the viewpoint of a criminal getting revenge on racist, brutal cops. Ice-T's rock song infuriated government officials, the [[National Rifle Association of America]], and various police advocacy groups.<ref name=allmusic/><ref name="Arnold Schwarzenegger blew away dozens of cops as the Terminator. But I don't hear anybody complaining">{{cite news|last=Philips|first=Chuck|title=COVER STORY : 'Arnold Schwarzenegger blew away dozens of cops as the Terminator. But I don't hear anybody complaining.' : A Q & A with Ice-T about rock, race and the 'Cop Killer' furor|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1992-07-19/entertainment/ca-4406_1_cop-killer|access-date=January 2, 2014|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 19, 1992|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312163549/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-07-19/entertainment/ca-4406_1_cop-killer|archive-date=March 12, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> Consequently, Time Warner Music refused to release Ice-T's upcoming album ''[[Home Invasion (album)|Home Invasion]]'' because of the controversy surrounding "Cop Killer". Ice-T suggested that the furor over the song was an overreaction, telling journalist [[Chuck Philips]] "...they've done movies about nurse killers and teacher killers and student killers. [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] blew away dozens of cops as the [[Terminator (character)|Terminator]]. But I don't hear anybody complaining about that". In the same interview, Ice-T suggested to Philips that the misunderstanding of ''Cop Killer'', the misclassification of it as a rap song (not a rock song), and the attempts to censor it had racial overtones: "The [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] says it's OK for a white man to [[cross burning|burn a cross in public]]. But nobody wants a black man to write a record about a cop killer".<ref name="Arnold Schwarzenegger blew away dozens of cops as the Terminator. But I don't hear anybody complaining"/>

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===Personal disputes===

====LL Cool J====

Ice-T had a feud with [[LL Cool J]] in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Apparently, this was instigated by LL's claim to be "the baddest rapper in the history of rap itself".<ref>{{citationCite web |last= |first= needed|date=December2023-02-12 |title=Ice-T 2021Opens Up About Ending LL COOL J Feud: ‘It Was Just Rap Beef’ |url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/ice-t-ending-ll-cool-j-feud |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=HipHopDX |language=en}}</ref> Ice-T recorded disses against LL on his 1988 album ''Power''. On the album was the track, "[[I'm Your Pusher (Ice-T song)|I'm Your Pusher]]", in which a rap music addict declines to buy an LL Cool J record. The album also contains the posse rap track, "The Syndicate", which took aim at LL's lyrical ability, claiming that rapping about oneself so frequently was a "first grade topic".{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} The song also mocked the song's hook "I'm Bad", which identified it as an LL diss specifically. In the book ''[[Check the Technique|Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies]]'', Ice-T said that the song "Girls L.G.B.N.A.F." was also intended as a diss to LL Cool J, by making a crude song to contrast with the love songs that LL was making at the time.{{sfn|Coleman|2007|page=247}}

On LL's response, "[[To da Break of Dawn]]" in 1990, he dissed [[Kool Moe Dee]] (whose feud with LL was far more publicized) as well as [[MC Hammer]]. He then devoted the third verse of the song to dissing Ice-T, mocking his rap ability ("take your rhymes around the corner to rap rehab"), his background ("before you rapped, you was a downtown car thief"), and his style ("a brother with a perm deserves to get burned"). He also suggested that the success of ''Power'' was due to the appearance of Ice-T's girlfriend Darlene on the album cover. Ice-T appeared to have ignored the insults and he had also defended LL Cool J after his arrest in the song "Freedom of Speech".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lyricsfreak.com/l/ll+cool+j/to+da+break+of+dawn_20084664.html|title=To Da Break Of Dawn Lyrics – LL Cool J|last1=LL Cool J|author-link=LL Cool J|work=Lyricsfreak|publisher=LyricFind Inc.|location=[[Toronto]]|access-date=April 18, 2014|archive-date=December 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203045617/http://www.lyricsfreak.com/l/ll+cool+j/to+da+break+of+dawn_20084664.html|url-status=live}}</ref>