Yannick "Thurz" Koffi is a solo artist from Inglewood , Los Angeles . He is a descendant of both the Ivory Coast and Belize , taking his moniker from his last name " Koffi " which translates in Ghana's native language of Akan to "boy born on Friday".
132-432: As a rap duo U-N-I put out three street albums and one mixtape Fried Chicken & Watermelon (2007), Before There Was Love (2009), A Love Supreme (2009) and A Love Supreme 2.0 (2010) becoming known throughout the urban and alternative blogosphere during a time of “hipster” movement momentum. The duo were credited with reviving the "true essence" of hip-hop, rejecting the gangsta rap style that had become common. As
264-689: A conveyor belt mechanic at the Rapistan Conveyor Company . When Marrow was a child, his family moved to upscale Summit, New Jersey . The first time race played a major part in Marrow's life was at the age of seven, when he became aware of the racism leveled by his white friends towards black children. Marrow surmised that he escaped similar treatment because they thought that he was white due to his lighter skin. Relaying this incident to his mother, she told him, "Honey, people are stupid"; her advice and this incident taught Marrow to control
396-468: A non-judicial punishment as a consequence of his dereliction of duty . During his spell in the Army, Marrow became interested in hip hop music . He heard The Sugarhill Gang 's newly released single " Rapper's Delight " (1979), which inspired him to perform his own raps over the instrumentals of this and other early hip-hop records. The music, however, did not fit his lyrics or form of delivery. When he
528-482: A pay-per-view special titled Ice-T's Extreme Babes which appeared on Action PPV, formerly owned by BET Networks . In 1999, Ice-T starred in the HBO film Stealth Fighter as a United States Naval Aviator who fakes his own death, steals an F-117 stealth fighter , and threatens to destroy United States military bases . He also acted in the film Sonic Impact , released the same year. Ice-T made an appearance on
660-492: A "Day of Atonement" event to advocate against violent themes in hip-hop music , to promote unity, and to celebrate Shakur's life. He invited rap group A Tribe Called Quest , Chuck D with Public Enemy , Kool Herc , Afrika Bambaataa , model Bethann Hardison , actor Malik Yoba , Bad Boy Records president Sean Combs , and rapper the Notorious B.I.G. There were an estimated 2,000 attendees. Tillard also criticized
792-475: A black plague of agony: broken glass, burning buildings coughing up black smoke. My pain will be a molotov cocktail of hope for all those who sit silent, listening, contemplating violence, awaiting their turn to play their part in the uprising we call Rodney King Riots." He released the second single “Los Angeles” on April 29 to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots that took place during
924-427: A civil suit against Shakur and Interscope Records, claiming the record's violent lyrics incite "imminent lawless action". District Judge John D. Rainey held that Shakur and the record companies did not have the duty to prevent distributing his music when they could not reasonably foresee violence arising from the distribution, nor was there any intent for the usage of the music as a "product for purposes of recovery under
1056-421: A crack dealer and his posse to death (in self-defense). The album Criminal Minded followed in 1987, and was the first rap album to have firearms on its cover. Shortly after the release of this album, BDP's DJ, Scott LaRock was shot and killed. After this, BDP's subsequent records were more focused with the inadequate rationale removed. The New York–based Run-DMC and LL Cool J , though originating prior to
1188-428: A debt of gratitude to Sean because his prison time allowed him to pursue a career as a rapper. Concurrently, he wound up in a car accident and was hospitalized as a John Doe because he did not carry any form of identification due to his criminal activities. After being discharged from the hospital, he decided to abandon the criminal lifestyle and pursue a professional career rapping. Two weeks after being released from
1320-474: A duo they won the 2008 MTV Video Music Award for “Best Breakout LA Artist” On April 2 he performed as a solo artist for the first time at The 2011 Paid Dues Festival in San Bernardino along with Black Star , Immortal Technique , Asher Roth , Dead Prez , E-40 , Murs , Blu & Fashawn . In February 2011 he announced he would be putting out a solo album entitled L.A. Riot . Paying tribute to
1452-454: A flop, its subsequent critical acclaim and commercial success encouraged other mainstream rappers to take greater creative risks with their music. During the release of The Blueprint 3 , New York rap mogul Jay-Z revealed that next studio album would be an experimental effort, stating, "... it's not gonna be a #1 album. That's where I'm at right now. I wanna make the most experimental album I ever made." Jay-Z elaborated that like Kanye, he
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#17327828120561584-650: A lemonade stand run by children. When people ask if it is Ice-T, the actor yells back, "No, it's lemonade!" In 2020, Ice-T competed on The Masked Singer spin-off The Masked Dancer where he portrayed "Disco Ball" and was the first to be eliminated. Ice-T's voice acting roles include Madd Dogg in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas , as well as Agent Cain in Sanity: Aiken's Artifact . He also appears as himself in Def Jam: Fight for NY and UFC: Tapout fighting video games. He also voiced
1716-526: A name for himself as a DJ . As a tribute to Iceberg Slim, Marrow adopted the stage name Ice-T. While performing as a DJ at parties, he received more attention for his rapping, which led Ice-T to pursue a career as a rapper. After breaking up with his girlfriend Caitlin Boyd, he returned to a life of crime and robbed jewelry stores with his high school friends. Ice-T's raps later described how he and his friends pretended to be customers to gain access before smashing
1848-465: A new subgenre of hip hop which would become even more commercially successful and popularly accepted. Gangsta Boo , Gangsta Blac, and Ghetto Twinz released Gangsta rap albums. The earlier, somewhat controversial crossover success enjoyed by popular gangsta rap songs like " Gin and Juice " gave way to gangsta rap's becoming a widely accepted staple on the pop charts in the late 1990s. R&B -styled hooks and samples of well-known soul and pop songs from
1980-826: A notable lead role performance in Surviving the Game (1994), in addition to many supporting roles, such as J-Bone in Johnny Mnemonic (1995), and the marsupial mutant T-Saint in Tank Girl (1995). He was also interviewed in the Brent Owens documentary Pimps Up, Ho's Down , in which he claims to have had an extensive pimping background before getting into rap. He is quoted as saying "once you max something out, it ain't no fun no more. I couldn't really get no farther." He goes on to explain his pimping experience gave him
2112-627: A products liability theory". Judge Rainey concluded the suit by ruling the Davidsons' argument that the music was unprotected speech under the First Amendment was irrelevant. Politicians such as C. Delores Tucker have cited concerns with sexually explicit and misogynistic lyrics featured in hip-hop tracks. Tucker claimed the explicit lyrics used in hip-hop songs were threatening to the African-American community. Tucker, who once
2244-528: A recurring role as vengeful drug dealer Danny Cort on the television series New York Undercover , co-created by Dick Wolf . His work on the series earned him the 1996 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series . In 1997, he co-created the short-lived series Players , produced by Wolf. This was followed by a role as pimp Seymour "Kingston" Stockton in Exiled: A Law & Order Movie (1998). These collaborations led Wolf to add Ice-T to
2376-465: A rock song), and the attempts to censor it had racial overtones: "The Supreme Court says it's OK for a white man to burn a cross in public . But nobody wants a black man to write a record about a cop killer". Ice-T split amicably with Sire/Warner Bros. Records after a dispute over the artwork of the album Home Invasion . He then reactivated Rhyme Syndicate and formed a deal with Priority Records for distribution. Priority released Home Invasion in
2508-462: A similar sound at the same time as Bad Boy was Master P and his No Limit label in New Orleans, as well as the New Orleans upstart Cash Money label. Three 6 Mafia , Lil Jon, Pitbull, and Crime Mob released "crunk" CDs. By the turn of the century, the style of gangsta rap pioneered by N.W.A. had long given way to materialism regarding money, women and cars. Gangsta rap was hugely popular in
2640-593: A summit in Harlem over what he perceived as negative imagery in hip hop. Def Jam Recordings founder Russell Simmons organized a counter-summit, urging the public not to "support open and aggressive critics of the hip-hop community". In 1992, then-U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle blasted the recording industry for producing rap music he believed led to violence. Quayle called on Time Warner Inc. subsidiary, Interscope Records , to withdraw Tupac Shakur 's 1991 debut album 2Pacalypse Now from stores. Quayle stated, "There
2772-457: Is a music scene, similar to the early underground gangsta rap scene, that emerged in north-eastern Mexico and southern Texas . Its lyrical content, popular among Latino youth, is violent and focuses on the power of drug cartels and the gruesomeness of the Mexican drug war . Narco-rap emerged in the urban areas of Tamaulipas , a Mexican state currently subject to a turf war between Los Zetas and
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#17327828120562904-1344: Is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture and values typical of urban gangs, reality of the world and street hustlers . Emerging in the late 1980s, gangsta rap's pioneers include Schoolly D of Philadelphia and Ice-T of Los Angeles, later expanding in California with artists such as N.W.A and Tupac Shakur . In 1992, via record producer and rapper Dr. Dre , rapper Snoop Dogg , and their G-funk sound, gangster rap broadened to mainstream popularity. Gangsta rap has been recurrently accused of promoting disorderly conduct and broad criminality, especially assault, homicide, and drug dealing, as well as misogyny , homophobia , promiscuity, and materialism. Gangsta rap's defenders have variously characterized it as artistic depictions but not literal endorsements of real life in American ghettos, or suggested that some lyrics voice rage against social oppression or police brutality , and have often accused critics of hypocrisy and racial bias. Still, gangsta rap has been assailed even by some black public figures, including Spike Lee , pastor Calvin Butts and activist C. Delores Tucker . Philadelphia rapper Schoolly D
3036-414: Is a target. Snoop (Doggy Dogg) has gone four times platinum and makes more money than the president. They don't like that, so you hear "ban this, ban that". We attack people's emotions. It's a real live show that brings out the inside in people. Like I said, intense. It is widely speculated that the ensuing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records resulted in
3168-420: Is absolutely no reason for a record like this to be published—It has no place in our society." Quayle's motivation came in light of the murder of a Texas state trooper Bill Davidson, who had been shot by Ronald Ray Howard after he had been pulled over. Howard was driving a stolen vehicle while songs from 2Pacalypse Now were playing on the tape deck when he was stopped by the officer. The family of Davidson filed
3300-682: Is an American rapper and actor. He is active in both hip hop and heavy metal . Ice-T began his career as an underground rapper in the 1980s and was signed to Sire Records in 1987, when he released his debut album Rhyme Pays . The following year, he founded the record label Rhyme $ yndicate Records (named after his collective of fellow hip-hop artists called the "Rhyme $ yndicate") and released another album, Power (1988), which would go platinum . He also released several other albums that went gold , including The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say! (1989), O.G. Original Gangster (1991) and Home Invasion (1993). Ice-T co-founded
3432-532: Is generally considered the first "gangsta rapper", significantly influencing the more popular early gangsta rap originator, Ice-T . Ice-T was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1958. As a teenager, he moved to Los Angeles where he rose to prominence in the West Coast hip hop scene . An early case of using "gangsta" as an adjective and a compliment came in his 1984 single Body Rock . In 1986, Ice-T released " 6 in
3564-1009: Is part of the new generation of rappers that is influenced by G-funk. Vince Staples ' conscious rap album Summertime '06 (2015) reflects the "challenges of racism, injustice, and violent fallouts in his childhood neighborhood". T.I, Rick Ross , Future, and Gucci Mane released new rap style "trap" CDs. Charlie Row Campo released "Stop Studio Gangstas" album. Other Afroamerican and Chicano gangsta rappers who gained small success or big success include XXXTentacion , Kendrick Lamar , Ms Krazie, Knight Owl , Chino Grande, Lil Rob , Mr. Criminal, Mr. Capone-E , Mr. Sancho, ShooterGang Kony, Mozzy , YNW Melly , Pusha T , Nsanity, Jeezy (Young Jeezy), YG , Nipsey Hussle , Migos , Freddie Gibbs , Meek Mill , A$ AP Mob , Jay Rock , ScHoolboy Q , 21 Savage , Kodak Black 6ix9ine , Blueface , NBA Youngboy , NLE Choppa , Pop Smoke , Young Dolph and BlocBoy JB . Gangsta rap's pioneers have met success in other forms of pop culture as well. In 2016, N.W.A
3696-628: Is still most associated with the style. DJ Screw is credited with the creation of and early experimentation with the genre. DJ Screw began making mixtapes of the slowed-down music in the early 1990s and began the Screwed Up Click . This provided a significant outlet for MCs in the South-Houston area, and helped local rappers such as Willie D, Big Moe , Lil' Flip , E.S.G. , UGK , Lil' Keke , South Park Mexican , and Z-Ro gain regional and sometimes national prominence. Narco-rap
3828-417: Is what drove them to crime; none made reference to music. Ice Cube famously satirized the blame placed on gangsta rap for social ills in his song " Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It ". Many gangsta rappers maintain they are playing a "role" in their music like an actor in a play or film, and do not encourage the behavior in their music. Moreover, English scholar Ronald A.T. Judy has argued that gangsta rap reflects
3960-678: The Kill at Will EP (1991) and The Predator (1992) all contributed significantly to the development of gangsta rap. N.W.A's second album, Efil4zaggin (1991) (released after Ice Cube's departure from the group), broke ground as the first gangsta rap album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard pop charts. Aside from N.W.A and Ice-T, Too Short (from Oakland ), Kid Frost and the South Gate –based Latino group Cypress Hill were pioneering West Coast rappers with gangsta rap songs and themes. Above
4092-469: The Gulf Cartel . Narco-rappers sing about the life of mobsters and the reality of the cities under the cartel's rule. Some of the key players of the genre are Cano y Blunt , DemenT and Big Los. Before the late 1990s, gangsta rap, while a huge-selling genre, had been regarded as well outside of the pop mainstream, committed to representing the experience of the inner-city and not "selling out" to
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4224-540: The Ice-T: Final Level podcast with his longtime friend, Mick Benzo (known as Zulu Beatz on Sirius XM). They discuss relevant issues, films, video games, and do a behind the scenes of Law & Order: SVU segment with featured guests from the entertainment world. The show will release new episodes bi-weekly. Guests have included Jim Norton . Ice-T released his first episode on January 7 to many accolades. On October 20, 2006, Ice-T's Rap School aired and
4356-504: The MTV Video Music Awards , claimed that "gangsta rap was dead". While Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Entertainment fared better than its West Coast rival, it eventually began to lose popularity and support by the end of the decade, due to its pursuit of a more mainstream sound, as well as challenges from Atlanta and New Orleans–based labels, especially, Master P 's No Limit stable of popular rappers. Houston first came on to
4488-687: The Sicilian Mafia , the Italian-American Mafia , African-American organized crime , and Latin American organized crime or drug cartels ) or has subject matter that would relate to the mafia. Though a significant amount of mafioso rap was grittier and more street-oriented, focusing on street-level organized crime, other mafioso rap artists frequently focused on lavish, self-indulgent, materialistic , and luxurious subject matter associated with crime bosses and high-level mobsters, such as expensive drugs, cars, and champagne . Though
4620-477: The sales race between Kanye West's Graduation and 50 Cent 's Curtis , both released on September 11, 2007, as a turning point for hip hop. Kanye West emerged the victor, selling nearly a million copies in the first week alone, proving that innovative rap music could be just as commercially viable as gangsta rap, if not more so. Cyhi the Prynce called it the "biggest shift in our culture" and that it led to
4752-455: The 1970s and 1980s were the staples of this sound, which was showcased primarily in Sean "Puffy" Combs 's latter-day production work for The Notorious B.I.G. (" Mo Money, Mo Problems "), Mase (" Feels So Good ") and non-Bad Boy artists such as Jay-Z (" Can I Get A... ") and Nas (" Street Dreams "), which he sampled from 2Pac's song (All Eyez On Me). Also achieving similar levels of success with
4884-579: The 1987 album Paid in Full . The hip hop group Beastie Boys also influenced the gangsta rap genre with their 1986 album Licensed to Ill , with an early reference to being a "gangster" mentioned in the song "Slow Ride". In 1986, the Los Angeles–based group C.I.A. (consisting of Ice Cube, K-Dee, Sir Jinx ) rapped over the Beastie Boys ' tracks for songs such as "My Posse" and "Ill-Legal", and
5016-469: The 1990s and early 2000s, Nation of Islam Minister Conrad Tillard , known as the "Hip-Hop Minister," was an outspoken critic of hip hop lyrics that he perceived as degrading and dangerous to Blacks. He said such lyrics suggested "that we are penny-chasing, Champagne-drinking, gold-teeth-wearing, modern-day Sambos, pimps and players." He criticized hip-hop lyrics that portrayed American black communities as degenerate. He believed that in seeking to emulate
5148-627: The 1992 Los Angeles Riots, set for release in Spring 2012 on the 20-year anniversary. They will interview various members of the South Central community who were present around Florence and Normandie during the beating and riots. He currently serves as General Manager at Holy Grail, a consignment sneaker store located in Downtown Los Angeles. Gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap , initially called reality rap ,
5280-536: The 20th Anniversary of the Rodney King beating (March 3, 1991) he released to YouTube a politically inspired re-enactment of the assault. The video clip transformed him into the image of the motorist (via makeup and computer effects). In conjunction he debuted the first song “Rodney King” which was a stark contrast to the music that U-N-I were known for which predominately centered on themes of video games, sneakers and women. “Rodney King” discusses every detail from
5412-481: The Beastie Boys' influence can be seen significantly in N.W.A's early albums. The Beastie Boys had started out as a hardcore punk band, but after introduction to producer Rick Rubin and the exit of Kate Schellenbach they became a hip hop group. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, the Beastie Boys' 1986 album Licensed to Ill is "filled with enough references to guns, drugs and empty sex (including
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5544-430: The Billboard 100, or soul chart in spite of not being associated with Death Row. Ray Luv released G single "Last Nite" in 1995. Mafioso rap is a hardcore hip hop subgenre founded by Kool G Rap in the late 1980s. East Coast mafioso rap was partially the counterpart of West Coast G-funk rap. Mafioso rap is characterized by references to famous mobsters and mafiosi , racketeering and organized crime (particularly
5676-534: The Exploited , Jello Biafra , and Black Flag . Ice-T made an appearance at Insane Clown Posse 's Gathering of the Juggalos (2008 edition). Ice-T was also a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists. His 2012 film Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap features a who's who of underground and mainstream rappers. In November 2011, Ice-T announced via Twitter that he
5808-465: The French and US-based gangsta rap and battle rap . Although there is a certain correlation between street-rap and gangsta-rap, gangsta-rap is not considered as a derivative genre since it is only partially related to street-rap and has contextually little to do with the other subgenre. Ice-T Tracy Lauren Marrow (born February 16, 1958), better known by his stage name Ice-T (or Ice T ),
5940-595: The Game (1994) and continued to appear in small roles in TV series and other films throughout the 1990s. Since 2000, he has portrayed NYPD detective/sergeant Odafin Tutuola on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , making him the longest-running male series actor in history, according to Deadline . A reality television show titled Ice Loves Coco ran for three seasons (2011–2013) on E! , featuring
6072-554: The German charts. Ice-T had also collaborated with certain other heavy metal bands during this time period. For the film Judgment Night , he did a duet with Slayer on the track "Disorder". In 1995, Ice-T made a guest performance on Forbidden by Black Sabbath . Another album of his, VI – Return of the Real , was released in 1996, followed by The Seventh Deadly Sin in 1999. His first rap album since 1999, Gangsta Rap ,
6204-460: The Law also played an important role in the gangsta rap movement, as their 1990 debut album Livin' Like Hustlers . Ice-T released one of the seminal albums of the genre, OG: Original Gangster in 1991. It also contained a song by his new thrash metal group Body Count , who released a self-titled album in 1992. Particular controversy surrounded one of its songs " Cop Killer ". The rock song
6336-551: The Mornin' ", which is regarded as the second gangsta rap song. Ice-T had been MCing since the early 1980s, but first turned to gangsta rap themes after being influenced by Schoolly D's self-titled debut album , and especially the song " P.S.K. What Does It Mean? " (1985), which is regarded as the first gangsta rap song. Schoolly D had "Am I Black Enough For You" album in 1989. In an interview with PROPS magazine, Ice-T said: In 2011, Ice-T repeated in his autobiography that Schoolly D
6468-595: The Rapper, Meek Mill, Yo Gotti, Fat Joe and 21 Savage in an amicus curiae brief arguing that Knox's song should be seen as a political statement and thus is protected speech. The Supreme Court declined review in April 2019. The gangsta-rap movement in Germany derived its roots from the 1990s; since 2003–2004, it has become a successful subgenre of German hip hop. Contextually and musically, it borrows its influences from
6600-476: The Reverend Al Sharpton and other civil rights leaders , calling them "hired guns" for not condemning rappers Sean Combs or Shyne Barrows. He also criticized the businessmen who supported that approach. He feuded with Def Jam founder Russell Simmons in 2001, accusing him of stoking violence by allowing the frequent use of words such as " nigga " and "bitch" in rap lyrics. Tillard organized
6732-956: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened the door for more Hip-Hop inductions, as they were followed up by the 2012 induction of Beastie Boys , and the 2013 induction of Public Enemy . The explicit nature of gangsta rap's lyrics has made it heavily controversial. There is also debate about the causation between gangsta rap and violent behavior. A study by the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Berkeley, Calif., finds young people who listen to rap and hip-hop are more likely to abuse alcohol and commit violent acts. Critics of gangsta rap hold that it glorifies and encourages criminal behavior, and may be at least partially to blame for
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#17327828120566864-584: The Shocker ( Charge It 2 Da Game , 1998) and C-Murder ( Life or Death , 1998). No Limit released Mia X , Mr. Serv-On and TRU albums also. Cash Money Records , also based out of New Orleans, had enormous commercial success with Juvenile, B.G., Hot Boys, beginning in the late 1990s with a similar gangsta rap style like No Limit. Memphis collective Hypnotize Minds , led by Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat , have taken gangsta rap to some of its darker extremes. Led by in-house producers DJ Paul and Juicy J ,
6996-654: The ability to get into new businesses. "I can't act, I really can't act, I ain't no rapper, it's all game. I'm just working these niggas." Later he raps at the Players Ball . In 1993, Ice-T, along with other rappers and the three Yo! MTV Raps hosts Ed Lover , Doctor Dré , and Fab 5 Freddy starred in the comedy Who's the Man? , directed by Ted Demme . In the film, he is a drug dealer who gets really frustrated when someone calls him by his real name, "Chauncey", rather than his street name, "Nighttrain". In 1995, Ice-T had
7128-589: The award at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021 for "Best Metal Performance" with their song "Bum-Rush" from the album Carnivore . In July 2019, Ice-T released his first solo hip hop track in 10 years, titled "Feds in My Rearview". The track is the first in a trilogy, with the second track, "Too Old for the Dumb Shit", described as a prequel to "Feds in My Rearview", and released in September 2019. Ice-T
7260-601: The cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit . Since 2000, he has portrayed Odafin "Fin" Tutuola , a former undercover narcotics officer transferred to the Special Victims Unit. In 2002, the NAACP awarded Ice-T with a second Image Award, again for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, for his work on Law & Order: SVU . Around 1995, Ice-T co-presented a UK-produced magazine television series on black culture, Baadasss TV . In 1997, Ice-T had
7392-546: The character Aaron Griffin in the video game Gears of War 3 . Marrow also made an appearance in the 2019 video game Borderlands 3 , in which he voices the character of BALEX. On August 22, 2023, it was revealed at Gamescom 2023 that he would be voicing the contractor, Mac in Payday 3 . On December 27, 2013, Ice-T announced that he was entering podcasting in a deal with the Paragon Collective. Ice-T co-hosts
7524-411: 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." After leaving the Army, Marrow wanted to stay away from gang life and violence and instead make
7656-532: The comedy television series Chappelle's Show as himself presenting the award for "Player Hater of the Year" at the "Player-Haters Ball", a parody of his own appearance at the Players Ball. He was dubbed the "Original Player Hater". Beyond Tough , a 2002 documentary series, aired on Discovery Channel about the world's most dangerous and intense professions, such as alligator wrestlers and Indy 500 pit crews,
7788-586: The course of six days (April 29-May 4, 1992) in Los Angeles’ South Central community. He has said that these socio-economic and political uprisings as well as the recent North Africa protests serve as the backdrop behind this concept album. Throughout the music and multimedia campaign a central question he asks fans is "What do you Riot for?" Even releasing an official "Riot Manifesto" which included statements like “I Riot, because BET has failed every generation after 1999” and “I Riot, because I haven't felt
7920-415: The deaths of Death Row Records ' 2Pac and Bad Boy Records ' the Notorious B.I.G.. Even before the murders, Death Row had begun to unravel, as co-founder Dr. Dre had left earlier in 1996; in the aftermath of 2Pac's death, label owner Suge Knight was sentenced to prison for a parole violation, and Death Row proceeded to sink quickly as most of its remaining artists, including Snoop Dogg , left. Dr. Dre, at
8052-477: The display glass with baby sledgehammers. Ice-T's friends Al P. and Sean E. Sean went to prison. Al P. was caught in 1982 and sent to prison for robbing a high-end jewelry store in Laguna Niguel for $ 2.5 million in jewelry. Sean was arrested for possession of not only cannabis, which Sean sold, but also material stolen by Ice-T. Sean took the blame and served two years in prison. Ice-T stated that he owed
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#17327828120568184-495: The divisive n-word, race, self-hate and self-love. "Two Clips" produced by Grammy Award winning producer DJ Khalil features street-based singer-songwriter Kobe and deals with patterns of recurring gang violence. Other guest artists include Black Thought of The Roots and BJ the Chicago Kid . He has collaborated with his longtime visual director Tomas Whitmore for what will soon be a video documentary surrounding all aspects of
8316-535: The establishment of "gangsta rap" as a cohesive genre, were influential in the formation of gangsta rap, often producing early aggressive hardcore hip hop songs and being among the first rappers to dress in gang-like street clothing. The seminal Long Island–based group Public Enemy featured aggressive, politically charged lyrics, which had an especially strong influence on gangsta rappers such as Ice Cube . The duo Eric B. & Rakim would further influence gangsta rap with aggressive, street-oriented raps, especially on
8448-466: The existence of street gangs. Those who are supportive or at least less critical of gangsta rap hold that crime on the street level is for the most part a reaction to poverty and that gangsta rap reflects the reality of lower class life. Many believe that the blaming of crime on gangsta rap is a form of unwarranted moral panic ; The World Development Report 2011 , for instance, confirmed that most street gang members maintain that poverty and unemployment
8580-443: The experience of blackness at the end of political economy, when capital is no longer wholly produced by human labor but in a globalized system of commodities. In this economy, gangsta rap traffics blackness as a commodifiable effect of "being a nigga". In other words, gangsta rap defines the experience of blackness, in which he locates in gangsta rap's deployment of the word "nigga", in this new global economic system as "adaptation to
8712-561: The film Gift . One of the last scenes includes Ice-T and Body Count playing with Jane's Addiction in a version of the Sly and the Family Stone song "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey". Besides fronting his own band and rap projects, Ice-T has also collaborated with other hard rock and metal bands, such as Icepick , Motörhead , Slayer , Megadeth , Pro-Pain , and Six Feet Under . He has also covered songs by hardcore punk bands such as
8844-486: The 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 statutes of limitations , which had likely expired when Marrow admitted to his involvement in multiple Class 1 Felonies in the early-to-mid 1980s. In July 2010, Marrow was mistakenly arrested. A month later when Marrow attended court,
8976-469: The first major controversy regarding hip hop lyrics when their song " Fuck tha Police " earned a letter from FBI Assistant Director, Milt Ahlerich, strongly expressing law enforcement 's resentment of the song. Due to the influence of Ice-T, N.W.A, and Ice Cube 's early solo career, gangsta rap is often somewhat erroneously credited as being a mostly West Coast phenomenon, despite the contributions of East Coast acts like Boogie Down Productions in shaping
9108-491: The force of commodification". For Judy, nigga (and gangsta rap) becomes an epistemologically authentic category for describing the condition of being black in the modern "realm of things". Despite this, many who hold that gangsta rap is not responsible for social ills are critical of the way many gangsta rappers intentionally exaggerate their criminal pasts for the sake of street credibility . Rick Ross and Slim Jesus among others have been heavily criticized for this. In
9240-459: The genre and despite Philadelphia rapper Schoolly D being generally regarded as the first gangsta rapper. In the early 1990s, former N.W.A member Ice Cube would further influence gangsta rap with his hardcore, socio-political solo albums, which suggested the potential of gangsta rap as a political medium to give voice to inner-city youth. Ice Cube's early solo albums and EPs, including AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991),
9372-417: The genre died down for several years, it re-emerged in 1995 when Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon released his critically acclaimed solo album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... That year also saw the release of Doe or Die by AZ and the release of the album 4,5,6 by subgenre originator Kool G Rap. His album featured other mafioso rap artists, including MF Grimm , Nas , and B-1. These three albums brought
9504-837: The genre to mainstream recognition, and inspired other East Coast rappers, such as Jay-Z , Notorious B.I.G. , Nas , and Diddy to adopt the same themes with their albums Reasonable Doubt , Life After Death , It Was Written , and No Way Out , respectively. East Coast gangsta rap was popular by the late 1990s, and there were more modern mafioso rap albums such as Ghostface Killah 's Fishscale , Jay-Z 's American Gangster , Raekwon 's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II , Lil Wayne 's Tha Carter II , and Rick Ross 's Deeper Than Rap . Many rappers, such as Conejo, Mr Criminal, T.I. , Fabolous , Jadakiss , Jim Jones , and Cassidy have maintained popularity with lyrics about African-American organized crime or "hustling". Lil' Kim 's mafioso album La Bella Mafia , released in 2003,
9636-416: The heavy metal band Body Count in 1990, which he introduced on O.G. Original Gangster , on the track titled "Body Count". The band released its self-titled debut album in 1992. Ice-T encountered controversy over his track " Cop Killer ", the lyrics of which discussed killing police officers. He asked to be released from his contract with Warner Bros. Records , and his follow-up solo album, Home Invasion ,
9768-485: The home life of Ice-T and his wife Coco Austin . In 2018, he began hosting the true crime documentary In Ice Cold Blood on the Oxygen cable channel, which ran for three seasons. Tracy Lauren Marrow, the son of Solomon and Alice Marrow, was born in Newark , New Jersey on February 16, 1958. Solomon was African-American and Alice was a Caucasian woman from Louisiana Creole background . For decades, Solomon worked as
9900-719: The hospital, he won an open mic competition judged by Kurtis Blow at the Carolina West nightclub. According to Michael Khalfani known as Disco Daddy, Ice-T won the first week of the competition under the name of DJ Tracy, but got beaten by Disco Daddy the second week, which led to the name change of Ice-T (Khalfani got signed to Rappers Rapp Records). In 1982, Ice-T met producer Willie Strong from Saturn Records. In 1983, Strong recorded Ice-T's first single, "Cold Wind Madness", also known as "The Coldest Rap", an electro hip-hop record that became an underground success, becoming popular even though radio stations did not play it due to
10032-589: The intent to commit a crime, is necessary to convict someone of a crime for using threatening words in a rap song. In a notable case, rapper Jamal Knox, performing as "Mayhem Mal", wrote a gangsta rap song named "F*** the Police" shortly after he was arrested for gun and drug charges in Pittsburgh. The song's lyrics specifically named the two arresting officers, and included explicit violent threats including "Let's kill these cops cuz they don't do us no good". One of
10164-516: The label became known for its pulsating, menacing beats and uncompromisingly thuggish lyrics. However, in the mid-2000s, the group began attaining more mainstream popularity, eventually culminating in the Three 6 Mafia winning an Academy Award for the song " It's Hard out Here for a Pimp " from Hustle & Flow . The chopped and screwed genre was developed in Houston , Texas, the location which
10296-465: The label. 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. But I don't hear anybody complaining about that." In the same interview, Ice-T suggested to Philips that the misunderstanding of "Cop Killer",
10428-415: The lyrics in gangsta rap, young Black Americans became victims of mass incarceration, violence, sexual exploitation, and drug crime. In the 1990s, he started an organization called A Movement for C.H.H.A.N.G.E. ("Conscious Hip Hop Activism Necessary for Global Empowerment"), to advocate for "conscious hip hop activism". After the drive-by shooting murder of rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996, Tillard organized
10560-720: The mainly party-oriented sound. The record wound up being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America . That same year, he recorded the title theme song for Dennis Hopper 's Colors , a film about inner-city gang life in Los Angeles. His next 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. In
10692-417: The mainstream during the mid-2000s, propelled by 50 Cent 's influential Get Rich or Die Tryin' album, which contained "catchy" and melodic music that helped its success on pop charts, while rapping about themes of guns and wealth. By the late 2000s, alternative hip hop had secured its place within the mainstream, due in part to the declining commercial viability of gangsta rap. Industry observers view
10824-425: The misclassification of it as a rap song (rather than a rock song), and the attempts to censor it had racial overtones: "The Supreme Court says it's OK for a white man to burn a cross in public. But nobody wants a black man to write a record about a cop killer." Ice-T's next album, Home Invasion , was postponed as a result of the controversy, and was finally released in 1993. While it contained gangsta elements, it
10956-792: The motion pictures, Breakin' (1984), and its sequel, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984). These films were released before Ice-T released his first LP, although he appears on the soundtrack to Breakin ' . He has since stated he considers the films and his own performance in them to be "wack". In 1991, he embarked on a serious acting career, portraying police detective Scotty Appleton in Mario Van Peebles ' action thriller New Jack City , gang leader Odessa (alongside Denzel Washington and John Lithgow ) in Ricochet (1991), gang leader King James in Trespass (1992), followed by
11088-512: The multi-platinum double album All Eyez on Me . Not long afterward, his murder brought gangsta rap into the national headlines and propelled his posthumous The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory album (released under the alias "Makaveli") to the top of the charts. Lill 1/2 Dead released gangsta album. Warren G and Nate Dogg were other musicians at the forefront of G-funk. Successful G-funk influenced artists also included Spice 1 , MC Lyte and MC Ren , all of them reaching decent positions on
11220-747: The music and handed out petitions. She then proceeded to buy stock in Time Warner , Sony and other companies for the sole purpose to protest rap music at shareholders meetings. In 1994, Tucker protested when the NAACP nominated rapper Tupac Shakur for one of its image awards as Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture from his role in Poetic Justice . Some rappers labeled her "narrow-minded", and some ridiculed her in their lyrics, notably Shakur, who mentions her multiple times in his diamond certified 1996 album All Eyez On Me . Shakur mentions Tucker in
11352-544: The national scene in the late 1980s with the violent and disturbing stories told by the Geto Boys (hit single "Mind Playing Tricks On Me"), with member Scarface achieving major solo success in the mid-1990s. After the deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. and the media attention surrounding them, gangsta rap became an even greater commercial force. However, most of the industry's major labels were in turmoil, bankrupt, or creatively stagnant, and new labels representing
11484-426: The night of the beating including the statistics of the basketball game King was watching, the alcohol consumption, the marijuana, the make and model of car he was driving; the chase through highways and residential areas through Lake View Terrace interspersed with King's parole worries; the brutality captured on video by a plumber named George Holliday. He raps: " Beware: This stormy black Monday will morph its way into
11616-492: The officers, believing to be threatened, subsequently left the force. Knox was convicted of making terroristic threats and of witness intimidation in a bench trial, and the conviction was affirmed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania , which held that the song's lyrics amounted to a true threat. Knox petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States to hear the case, and academics joined rappers Killer Mike, Chance
11748-602: The parts; his father either did not notice or never acknowledged this. When Marrow was thirteen years old, Solomon also died of a heart attack. Following his father's death, the orphaned Marrow briefly lived with a nearby aunt, then was sent to live with his other aunt and her husband in View Park-Windsor Hills , an upper middle-class Black neighborhood in South Los Angeles . While his cousin Earl
11880-465: The pop charts. However, the rise of Bad Boy Records, propelled by the massive crossover success of Bad Boy head Sean "Puffy" Combs 's 1997 ensemble album, No Way Out , on the heels of the media attention generated by the murders of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. , signaled a major stylistic change in gangsta rap (or as it is referred to on the East Coast, hardcore rap), as it morphed into
12012-475: The pop-oriented rap styles of MC Hammer , the Fresh Prince and Tone Lōc . The album established the dominance of West Coast gangsta rap and Dre's new post-N.W.A label, Death Row Records (owned by Dr. Dre along with Marion "Suge" Knight ), as Dre's album showcased a stable of promising new Death Row rappers. The album also popularized the subgenre of G-funk, a slow, drawled form of hip hop that dominated
12144-417: The pornographic deployment of a Wiffleball bat in " Paul Revere ") to qualify as a gangsta-rap cornerstone." The first blockbuster gangsta rap album was N.W.A 's Straight Outta Compton , released in 1988. Straight Outta Compton established West Coast hip hop as a vital genre, and establish Los Angeles as a legitimate rival to hip hop's long-time capital, New York City. Straight Outta Compton sparked
12276-534: The rap charts for some time. Extensively sampling P-Funk bands, especially Parliament and Funkadelic , G-funk was multi-layered, yet simple and easy to dance to. The simple message of its lyrics, that life's problems could be overcome by guns, alcohol and marijuana, endeared it to a teenage audience. The single " Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang " became a crossover big hit, with its humorous, House Party -influenced video becoming an MTV staple despite that network's historic orientation towards rock music. Another success
12408-418: The rap scenes in new locations sprang up. Master P's No Limit Records label, based out of New Orleans, became quite popular in the late 1990s, though critical success was very scarce, with the exceptions of some later additions like Mystikal ( Ghetto Fabulous , 1998). No Limit had begun its rise to national popularity with Master P's The Ghetto Is Trying to Kill Me! (1994), and had major hits with Silkk
12540-487: The same love and attachment for an album since Redman's Muddy Waters.” On June 21 he released the third single "Prayer" which officially confirmed the break-up of U-N-I after a groundswell of speculation from fans. The album features production from longtime collaborator RO Blvd (U-N-I), DJ Khalil (Eminem, Jay-Z, 50 Cent), Aaron Harris (Dr. Dre, Dead Prez), THX (Murs, The Clipse, Mobb Deep) and Terrace Martin (Snoop Dogg, Lalah Hathaway). Tracks include "Niggas" which discusses
12672-403: The same year, he appeared on Hugh Harris ' single "Alice". In 1991, he released his album O.G. Original Gangster . On OG , he introduced his heavy metal 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
12804-431: The show, dancing to a live band. The singers were Thomas Barnes, Ronald Robinson and Lapekas Mayfield. In 1975, at the age of seventeen, Marrow began receiving Social Security benefits resulting from the death of his father and used the money to rent an apartment for $ 90 a month. He sold cannabis and stole car stereos to earn extra cash, but he was not making enough to support his pregnant girlfriend. After his daughter
12936-428: The song " Boyz-n-the-Hood "), as well as the Beastie Boys on their seminal hardcore hip hop-inspired album Licensed to Ill (1986). Boogie Down Productions released their first single, "Say No Brother (Crack Attack Don't Do It)", in 1986. It was followed by " South Bronx /P is Free" and "9mm Goes Bang" in the same year. The latter is the most gangsta-themed song of the three; in it, KRS-One boasts about shooting
13068-467: 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 . 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
13200-505: The song's explicit lyrics about taking a woman to the Snooty Fox motel in Los Angeles. That same year, Ice-T released "Body Rock", another electro hip-hop single that found popularity in clubs. In 1984, Ice-T was a featured rapper on "Reckless", a single by DJ Chris "The Glove" Taylor and (co-producer) David Storrs that gained widespread popularity as a featured track via the motion picture Breakin' and its soundtrack album. This song
13332-479: The songs "Ya Don't Quit" and "Dog'n the Wax (Ya Don't Quit-Part II)" with Unknown DJ, who provided a Run–D.M.C. -like sound for the songs. Ice-T received further inspiration as an artist from Schoolly D 's gangsta rap single " P.S.K. What Does It Mean? ", which he heard in a club. Ice-T enjoyed the single's sound and delivery, as well as its vague references to gang life, although the real life gang, Park Side Killers,
13464-399: The sound of new rappers like Drake . Although he designed it as a melancholic pop album rather than a rap album, West's subsequent release 808s & Heartbreak would have a significant effect on hip hop music. While his decision to sing about love, loneliness, and heartache for the entirety of the album was at first heavily criticized by music audiences and the album was predicted to be
13596-501: The spring of 1993. The album peaked at No. 9 on Billboard magazine's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 , spawning several singles including " Gotta Lotta Love ", " I Ain't New Ta This " and "99 Problems" – which would later inspire Jay-Z to record a version with new lyrics in 2003. In 2003 he released the single " Beat of Life " with Sandra Nasić , Trigga tha Gambler and DJ Tomekk and placed in
13728-648: The standards of hip hop at the time. The B-side was more successful and was later released as an extended rap on his first album. He intentionally did not represent any particular gang, and wore a mixture of red and blue clothing and shoes to avoid antagonizing gang-affiliated listeners, who debated his true affiliation. 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 . Shortly after, he released his debut album Rhyme Pays in 1987 supported by DJ Evil E , DJ Aladdin and producer Afrika Islam , who helped create
13860-412: The tracks "Wonda Why They Call U Bitch" and " How Do U Want It ", where Shakur raps "Delores Tucker, you's a motherfucker/Instead of trying to help a nigga you destroy a brother." Tucker filed a $ 10 million lawsuit against Shakur's estate for the comments made in both songs. In her lawsuit, she claimed that the comments were slanderous, caused her emotional distress and invaded her personal privacy. The case
13992-553: The way for New York City to take back dominance from the West Coast. In an interview for The Independent in 1994, the Wu-Tang Clan's GZA commented on the term "gangsta rap" and its association with his group's music and hip hop at the time: Our music is not "gangsta rap". There's no such thing. The label was created by the media to limit what we can say. We just deliver the truth in a brutal fashion. The young black male
14124-519: The way the negativity of others affected him. His mother died of a heart attack when he was in third grade. Solomon raised Marrow as a single father for four years, with help from a housekeeper. Marrow's first experience with illicit activity occurred after a bicycle that his father bought him for Christmas was stolen. After Marrow told his father, Solomon shrugged, "Well, then, you ain't got no bike". Marrow stole parts from bicycles and assembled "three or four weird-looking, brightly-painted bikes" from
14256-526: Was Ice Cube 's Predator album, released at about the same time as The Chronic in 1992. It sold over 2 million copies and was No. 1 in the charts, propelled by the hit single " It Was a Good Day ", despite the fact that Ice Cube was not a Death Row artist. One of the genre's biggest crossover stars was Dre's protégé Snoop Doggy Dogg ( Doggystyle ), whose exuberant, party-oriented themes made songs such as " Gin and Juice " club anthems and top hits nationwide. In 1996, 2Pac signed with Death Row and released
14388-520: Was a commercial success, receiving platinum certification. Meanwhile, rappers from New York City, such as Wu-Tang Clan , Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik , Onyx , Big L , Mobb Deep , Nas , the Notorious B.I.G. , DMX and the Lox , among others, pioneered a grittier sound known as hardcore hip hop . In 1994, both Nas and the Notorious B.I.G. released their debut albums Illmatic (April 19) and Ready to Die (September 13) respectively, which paved
14520-517: Was a reality television show on VH1. It was a spin-off of the British reality show Gene Simmons ' Rock School , which also aired on VH1. In Rap School , rapper/actor Ice-T teaches eight teens from York Preparatory School in New York called the "York Prep Crew" ("Y.P. Crew" for short). Each week, Ice-T gives them assignments and they compete for an imitation gold chain with a microphone on it. On
14652-487: 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. During an episode of 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
14784-437: Was affiliated with the former. Marrow began reading the novels of Iceberg Slim , which he memorized and recited to his friends, who enjoyed hearing the excerpts and told him, "Yo, kick some more of that by Ice, T", giving Marrow his nickname. Marrow and other Crips wrote and performed "Crip Rhymes". His music career started with the band of the singing group The Precious Few of Crenshaw High School. Marrow and his group opened
14916-462: Was almost entirely made up of black students. Marrow stood out from most of his friends because he did not drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, or use drugs. During Marrow's time in high school, gangs became more prevalent in the Los Angeles school system. Students who belonged to the Crips and Bloods gangs attended Crenshaw, and fought in the school's hallways. Marrow, while never an actual gang member,
15048-485: Was almost immediately followed up with a sequel entitled "Reckless Rivalry (Combat)", which was featured in the Breakin ' sequel, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo , however, it was never featured on the soundtrack album and was only released as a single on Taxidermi Records. In 1985, he appeared in the film Rappin' by performing two verses of his track Killers , which was his first political rap. Ice later recorded
15180-466: Was also featured on the 2020 hip hop posse cut "The Slayers Club" alongside R.A. the Rugged Man , Brand Nubian and others. Ice-T performed at New Year's Eve Toast & Roast 2021, Fox broadcast. Ice-T was prominently featured as both a rapper and a breakdancer in Breakin' 'n' Enterin' (1983), a documentary about the early West Coast hip hop scene. Ice-T's first film appearances were in
15312-549: Was born, Marrow enlisted in the United States Army in October 1977. Following basic training, Marrow was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division . During his time in the army Marrow was involved with a group of soldiers charged with the theft of a rug. While awaiting trial, he received a $ 2,500 bonus check and went absent without leave ( AWOL ), returning a month later, after the rug had been returned. Marrow received
15444-710: Was eventually dismissed. Shakur was not the only rap artist to mention her in his songs, as Jay-Z , Eminem , Lil' Kim , the Game and Lil Wayne have all previously criticized Tucker for her opposition of the genre. Gangsta rap has also raised questions of whether it is protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution , since lyrics may express violence and may be considered true threats . The Supreme Court ruled in Elonis v. United States (2015) that mens rea ,
15576-504: Was his inspiration for gangsta rap. Ice-T continued to release gangsta albums for the remainder of the 1980s: Rhyme Pays in 1987, Power in 1988 and The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say in 1989. Ice-T's lyrics also contained strong political commentary, and often played the line between glorifying the gangsta lifestyle and criticizing it as a no-win situation . Schoolly D's works would heavily influence not only Ice-T, but also Eazy-E and N.W.A (most notably in
15708-565: Was his most political album to date. After a proposed censoring of the Home Invasion album cover art, he left Warner Bros. Records . Ice-T's subsequent releases went back to straightforward gangsta rap, but were not as popular as his earlier releases. In 1992, former N.W.A member Dr. Dre released The Chronic (1992) include " Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang ", a massive seller (eventually going triple platinum) which showed that explicit gangsta rap could hold as much mass commercial appeal as
15840-688: Was hosted by Ice-T. In 2007, Ice-T appeared as a celebrity guest star on the MTV sketch comedy show Short Circuitz . Also in late 2007, he appeared in the short-music film Hands of Hatred , which can be found online. Ice-T was interviewed for the Cannibal Corpse retrospective documentary Centuries of Torment , as well as appearing in Chris Rock 's 2009 documentary Good Hair , in which he reminisced about going to school in hair curlers. A 2016 advertisement for GEICO features Ice-T behind
15972-480: Was in the process of collecting beats for his next LP which was expected sometime during 2012, but as of October 2014 , the album has not been released. A new Body Count album, Bloodlust , was released in 2017. After the release of the album, responding to an interview question asking if he's "done with rap", he answered "I don't know" and noted that he's "really leaning more toward EDM right now". Body Count received their second Grammy nomination and later won
16104-612: Was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . They were followed up by the late Tupac Shakur in 2017 who was inducted as the first solo hip hop act, under his first year of eligibility as a nominee. Other Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Hip-Hop Acts include the 2007 induction of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five , who are considered pioneers of expanding the sound of Hip-Hop from disco inspired partying, to street reality that inspired social change. The 2009 induction of Run-DMC to
16236-488: 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. Consequently, Time Warner Music refused to release Ice-T's upcoming album Home Invasion because of the controversy surrounding "Cop Killer". Ice-T suggested that the furor over
16368-463: Was intended to speak from the viewpoint of a police target seeking revenge on racist, brutal cops. Ice-T's rock song gained controversy, with observers ranging from President George H.W Bush and his Vice President Dan Quayle , the National Rifle Association of America , police organizations across the nation to various police advocacy groups. Consequently, Time Warner Music refused to release Ice-T's upcoming album Home Invasion and dropped Ice-T from
16500-439: Was not named in the song. Ice-T decided to adopt Schoolly D's style, and wrote the lyrics to his first gangsta rap song, " 6 in the Mornin' ", in his Hollywood apartment, and created a minimal beat with a Roland TR-808 . He compared the sound of the song, which was recorded as a B-side on the single "Dog'n The Wax", to that of the Beastie Boys . The A-side caused some controversy for the lyrics, which were unusually violent by
16632-594: Was preparing to leave for college, Marrow shared a bedroom with him. Earl was a fan of rock music and listened only to the local rock radio stations; sharing a room with him sparked Marrow's interest in heavy metal music . Marrow moved to the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles when he was in the eighth grade. He attended Palms Junior High, which was predominantly made up of white students, and included black students who traveled by bus from South Central to attend. He then attended Crenshaw High School , which
16764-687: Was released in March 1992. 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 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 . Controversy later surrounded Body Count over its song " Cop Killer ". The rock song
16896-470: Was released on October 31, 2006. The album's cover, which "shows [Ice-T] lying on his back in bed with his ravishing wife's ample posterior in full view and one of her legs coyly draped over his private parts", was considered to be too suggestive for most retailers, many of which were reluctant to stock the album. Some reviews of the album were unenthusiastic, as many had hoped for a return to the political raps of Ice-T's most successful albums. Ice-T appears in
17028-640: Was released through Priority Records . Ice-T released two more albums in the late 1990s and one in the 2000s before focusing on both his acting career and Body Count, who have released eight studio albums to date, the latest being 2024's Merciless . As an actor, Ice-T played small parts in the films Breakin' (1984) and its sequels, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo and Rappin' (1984 and 1985 respectively), before his major role debut, starring as police detective Scotty Appleton in New Jack City (1991). He received top billing for his role in Surviving
17160-671: Was stationed in Hawaii (where prostitution was not a heavily prosecuted crime) as a squad leader at Schofield Barracks , Marrow met a pimp named Mac. Mac admired that Marrow could quote Iceberg Slim , and he taught Marrow how to be a pimp himself. Marrow was also able to purchase stereo equipment cheaply in Hawaii, including two Technics turntables, a mixer, and large speakers. Once equipped, he then began to learn turntablism and rapping. Marrow learned from his commanding officer that he could receive an early honorable discharge because he
17292-494: Was the highest-ranking African American woman in the Pennsylvania state government, focused on rap music in 1993, labeling it as "pornographic filth" and claiming it was offensive and demeaning to black women. Tucker stated, "You can't listen to all that language and filth without it affecting you." Tucker also handed out leaflets containing lyrics from rap music and urged people to read them aloud. She picketed stores that sold
17424-508: Was unsatisfied with contemporary hip hop, was being inspired by indie-rockers like Grizzly Bear , and asserted his belief that the indie rock movement would play an important role in the continued evolution of hip-hop. In the 2010s, a new form of gangsta rap known as drill emerged from the Midwest, gaining popularity via rappers such as Lil Durk , Chief Keef , Lil Reese , King Von , Polo G and G Herbo . West Coast rapper Vince Staples
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