In 1988, TV audiences got their first look at not just an actor, but a celebrity. He was called “Ice” or simply “T,” and his character name was Detective Robert McCallister.
He portrayed Officer Robert McCalllister in the popular show Law And Order (the original version). The show quickly garnered fame for its fast-paced action sequences and dramatic plot lines.
But it is what happened after the show ended that made him famous. His character received his own spinoff series: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
By creating more characters of his own, he has created several successful careers. He also produces other shows such as Straight Outta Compton and Throwdown.
His popularity didn’t slow down when he took time off to be a father. He and wife Tracy welcomed two children together before splitting up in 2016.
Now, he continues to focus on his career by appearing in movies and hosting television programs like Rap Legends.
In 1985, Ice released his first solo LP, Power. The title track was an instant radio hit that featured some of his now famous lyrics. It also features one of his most recognizable songs, “Cop Killer.” This is how he got his start as a rapper!
Many people refer to this song as rap music’s anthem for racial equality. According to Ice, though, it’s about something much more personal than that. He wrote the lyrics while he was in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder.
He wanted to show other inmates that even though you may not like someone else’s life, you can never take away their dignity. You have to look beyond what color they are and what grade school they went to before committing a crime.
Ice said he received many letters from different people telling him how his lyrics inspired them to give up drinking or stop smoking. Some even told him how his lyrics helped them deal with loss or grief. These stories made him feel good, so he kept writing.
Now that he has retired from performing, he still writes lyrics because it helps him relax and focus. He says his greatest gift is encouraging others to keep working hard no matter what position in life you find yourself in.
He started his movie career in 1986 with The Coldest Winter, which was followed by two more films that year. His next feature film appearance came three years later when he starred as Detective Wallace in Police Academy 2. Since then, his screen presence has solidified him as an actor who many people know.
Police academy wasn’t your average police comedy though- it tackled issues such as racism, homophobia, and drug use. This helped make the character of Lieutenant Waters famous today.
He played this role for six seasons before moving onto other projects. These include playing gangster Kurt Kobain in Menace II Society, the title character from Straight Talk (2013) and its sequel, and the voice of Birdman in 2014's Zootopia.
His acting skills have won him several awards including two NAACP Image Awards and one Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Before he was known for his flashy suits, heavy make up, and catchy lyrics about blunts and hoes, rapper/actor/producer Ice-T spent most of his early career trying to shed the gangsta image that got him famous in the first place.
In fact, it wasn’t until well into his acting career that he would achieve mainstream success as an actor with movies like The Warriors and Body Of Evidence.
But before then, he made a name for himself by taking what some might consider an unconventional approach to getting attention. He coined the term “gangsta rap” to describe his music, which focused heavily on drug use, sex, and violence.
He also embraced this style completely. While many musicians dress in expensive clothes or use elaborate stage decorations while performing, Ice never did.
Instead, he wore black leather jackets and pants with bandanas around his neck and face paint covering half of his body. He didn’t even have much furniture in his house — just empty spaces filled with pictures and memories.
Ice is arguably one of the greatest rappers ever because of his ability to connect deeply with his audience. He still writes his own songs today and they always get great reactions from people.
He once said his goal was simply to put out music that makes you feel good and wants you to dance to it. Many people agree that he succeeded.
In 1995, he received media attention for his comments about how black people should be killed in street riots. He later apologized for these statements but not before they made him famous!
He then went onto have more success as an actor with appearances in TV shows such as The A-Team and Men of a Certain Age, movie roles including Cop Land, Suicide Squad and Ghettoblaster, and music career collaborations like with Naughty By Nature and Dr. Dre.
His song “Cop My Hustle” was featured in several movies and is now considered to be a hip hop classic. His album Official Mixtape Vol. 1 was one of the first mixtapes ever released by an artist.
These achievements helped solidify his status as a rapper and musician.
In 1990, television was still at its peak with people watching mostly one or two shows per week. There were few programs that could draw large audiences every night, but there were some that would keep viewers engaged for several weeks at a time. One of these is known as the “world-wide web” of the eighties and nineties – The sitcom.
Mostly focused on three to five characters, a sitcom will typically have a plot that advances the story arc by introducing new conflicts and/or stories. New storylines are often built around certain events in earlier episodes. These narratives sometimes diverge from what has happened before, creating an interesting mix.
A great example of this is The Jeffersons, which features a house flipping business run out of a Manhattan apartment building. It follows George and his son Jerome as they try to make it in their father’s footsteps while also trying to maintain relationships with friends and family members.
One such relationship is between George and his best friend, Iola (Penny) Palmer. They met when she moved into the same building as him and his wife, Gloria, and now they befriends hang out together and help take care of each other. While The Jeffersons does not focus too much on romantic relationships, it is important to note that Penny and George share a strong bond that extends beyond just friendship.
Another key element of The Jeffersons is the way it portrays race relations.
Believe it or not, his career as a television personality didn’t start with him being in Gangsta Rap! He actually has very little affiliation to that genre aside from some songs here and there. It was his close friendship with rapper Dr. Dre that really got his foot into the door of mainstream success.
Ice had met Dre back when he first started rapping (Dre even wrote one of his early verses!), so they formed an immediate bond. After filming a few episodes for The People's Court together, producer Rick Allen asked Dre if he knew anyone who could help promote the show. At first, Dre said no, but then mentioned Ice as someone he thought would be perfect for the job.
Dr. Dre called up Ice at the time to ask if he wanted to do more TV work and, after talking it over, he accepted. From there, things took off quickly for both men.
