 "Photo: Lana Lee/Staff Photographer")
Hundreds of students and faculty listened Thursday to singer, activist and actor Ice-T speak about life and the importance of perseverance in reaching success, and then gave the New Jersey native a standing ovation when he finished sharing his rags-to-riches story.
At the event, "The Killing Fields: Racism, Riots and Revolution," - held in the Multipurpose Room of the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus - Ice-T said, "You got power. I got power. All you have to do is step up and speak."
A large portion of Ice-T's presentation, sponsored by The Office of Student Leadership, Involvement and Programs, was centered around his philosophical outlook on life. He touched on subjects, hoping to inspire people to be free thinkers, to understand and use their power and to stand up and take action. "[By] walking you through my life, I can teach you so much," Ice-T said.
Those words rang true for most people who were in attendance.
"I loved it. ... It got me focused," Livingston College senior James Moore said. "Ice-T inspired me with his acting in 'New Jack City.' Therefore, I was drawn to follow his career."
Born in Newark, Ice-T - whose real name is Tracy Morrow - faced many hardships after his parents died while he was in middle school. He was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in South Central Los Angeles, where he was confronted with a dangerous lifestyle that required him to fight just to survive.
Through his high school years, he learned how to survive the harsh streets of the city and discovered the painful realities of life as a hustler. Ice-T attended one of the five most dangerous high schools in the country, where he became a member of a gang.
"I was more of a gang affiliate. ... I never rolled out on drive-bys or killed nobody," he said. He explained the reality of gangs and said, "People that think gangs are cool are basically stupid. ... Gangs are basically surrogate families."
After high school, Ice-T joined the Army and served as a ranger in the 25th Infantry. He did not enjoy his four years in the military because, he said, "I didn't like total submission to a leader other than myself." It was after this time he began a life of crime involving bank and jewelry store robberies and ultimately pimping.
Ice-T said it was his life experience on the streets that gave him the knowledge necessary to break into the world of rap music. He made his first record in 1982 and released his first album, "The Coldest Rapper," one year later. His 1987 gold record, "Rhyme Pays," gave him national recognition as the first gangster rapper from the West Coast.
Ice-T is probably most recognized for his work as a rapper and frontman for the heavy metal band Body Count - which created much controversy and media attention in the early 90s over the violently explicit song "Cop Killer."
Ice-T said he never meant for people to think he hated police. "I am not a cop hater; I am a brutal cop hater," he said, adding he just wanted to shed light on the issue and unfortunate presence of police brutality.
All of the negative publicity he received from this controversy motivated him further to speak out against censorship, making him one of the most visible spokespersons against censorship in the media. "You have the right to free speech, but you must also be prepared for the ramifications," he said, stating he warned people to watch what they say - especially in the entertainment industry - because there can be serious consequences.
Ice-T currently plays the role of Detective Odafin Tutuola on the hit NBC series "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit." Many people recognize him from his work on the show more than they do from his music. They can appreciate the irony of the situation where a rapper who attracted a lot of negative attention from "Cop Killer" now plays the role of a cop.
Rhonda Quinn, a professor of anthropology, said, "I enjoyed what he said about censorship. ... I think he was very insightful."
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