Tracy Marrow (born February 16, 1958), better known by his stage name Ice-T, is a Grammy Award- and NAACP Image Award-winning American rapper, actor, and author. He is credited with helping to pioneer gangsta rap, a sub-genre of hip hop music, in the late 1980s. As an actor, he is perhaps best known for his portrayal of NYPD Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Although one of West Coast hip hop's leading figures, Marrow, son of Solomon and Alice, was actually born in urban Newark, New Jersey, and christened Tracy by his father. When he was a child, he moved from his native Newark to the upscale community of Summit, New Jersey. His mother died of a heart attack when he was in third grade and his father died of a heart attack four years later.[2] After his father died, he went to live with his paternal aunt in California and later attended Crenshaw High School in the district of the same name in South Central Los Angeles. After high school, he entered the 75th Ranger Regiment in the United States Army, an experience he has said he did not enjoy.
He was previously in a relationship with Darlene Ortiz, who was featured on the covers of his 1987 album Rhyme Pays and his 1988 album Power. The couple had a son in 1992. In early 2005, Ice-T married swimsuit model Nicole "Coco Marie" Austin.
He said a few lines on Chunky A's (Arsenio Hall) song "Dope, The Big Lie," from the album "Large and in Charge".
Chose his pseudonym in honor of author Iceberg Slim (pen name of Robert Maupin Beck, 1918-1992; aka, Robert Beck), an ex-pimp turned author whose heavy-hitting novels detailed the hard life of the criminal underworld.
Served in the U.S. Army Rangers (1979-1981).
His daughter's name is Letesha and his son's name is Tracy Marrow Jr. and is called Little Ice.
He holds the distinction of being the only guest vocalist ever to appear on a Black Sabbath album, doing a guest rhyme on the song "Illusion of Power" on Sabbath's 1995 album, "Forbidden".
Attended Crenshaw High School in south-central Los Angeles.
He is the first hip-hop MC to perform the notorious C-Walk dance in front of cameras in the early 1980s.
Although he had a large feud with the LAPD as a result from his song "Cop Killer," he, ironically, plays a cop in the popular series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999).
Almost didn't accept the role of Scottie in the film New Jack City (1991) because he feared that if the film was a flop it would negatively effect his already hot hip-hop career. It turned out to be his breakthrough part and started him on his acting career.
2002 Won Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
for: "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999)
1996 Won Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
for: "New York Undercover" (1994)
# Thira (2009)
# "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2000-2009)
# The Magic 7 (2009) (1 episode, 2008)
# Apartment 309 (2007)
# BelzerVizion (2007)
# Scarface: The World Is Yours (2006)
# Copy That (2006)
# "Law & Order" (1 episode, 2005)
# Tracks (2005/II)
# Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
# Lexie (2004)
# Up in Harlem (2004)
# Ice-T & SMG: The Repossession Live (2002)
# Pimpin' 101 (2002)
# On the Edge (2002)
# Air Rage (2001)
# Ablaze (2001)
# Out Kold (2001)
# Ticker (2001)
# Guardian (2001)
# 'R Xmas (2001)
# Deadly Rhapsody (2001)
# Point Doom (2001)
# 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)
# Crime Partners 2000 (2001)
# Tara (2001)
# Stranded (2001/I)
# Kept (2001)
# The Disciples (2000)
# The Alternate (2000)
# Luck of the Draw (2000)
# Leprechaun in the Hood (2000)
# Gangland (2000)
# Sanity, Aiken's Artifact (2000)
# Corrupt (1999)
# "V.I.P." .... Prophet / ... (2 episodes, 1999)
# Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1999)
# Final Voyage (1999)
# Stealth Fighter (1999) (as Ice T)
# "Batman Beyond" .... Ramrod (1 episode, 1999)
# Urban Menace (1999)
# "L.A. Heat" .... Cage (1 episode, 1999)
# Judgment Day (1999) (
# Frezno Smooth (1999)
# The Heist (1999)
# The Wrecking Crew (1999)
# Sonic Impact (1999)
# Exiled (1998) (TV)
# "Welcome to Paradox" .... Revell (1998)
# Crazy Six (1998)
# "Players" .... Isaac 'Ice' Gregory (1997-1998)
# Below Utopia (1997)
# The Deli (1997)
# Mean Guns (1997)
# "Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man" (1997)
# "MADtv" .... Host (1996)
# "Swift Justice" (1 episode, 1996)
# Franken!$#!# (1996) (V)
# "New York Undercover" (1995)
# Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
# Tank Girl (1995)
# Surviving the Game (1994)
# Who's the Man? (1993)
# Trespass (1992) (as Ice T)
# Why Colors? (1992)
# Ricochet (1991) (as Ice T)
# New Jack City (1991) (as Ice T)
# Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)
# Breakin' (1984)
# "Fame" (1983)
(On the controversy created by "Cop Killer): "When the President (of the United States) mentions your name in anger, you KNOW the s--t has hit the fan!"
(Commenting on the 1992 Los Angeles riots): "Los Angeles is a microcosm of the United States. If L.A. falls, the country falls."
[On his "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999) co-star, Richard Belzer] "Belzer's the best. He's Jewish and I'm Black, so the Klan's after both of us. Belzer is a G, an old-school cat who knows the game. He's very controversial in his comedy, and me in my music. So I think we just naturally clicked".
"I can tell you how to become a millionaire in as much time as it takes a woman to have a baby. One catch: the nine-month plan ends in a funeral."
On his contribution to "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999): "I bring a lot of s***t to the show. I'm the only person on the show probably anybody under 20 knows who they are. I bring black people and ethnic people. I bring an edge to the show, because at any moment I might smack the !$#!# out of somebody. When I got on the show, it was in the 40s. Now it's top 10. So I brought something."