Ice-T

Born Tracy Morrow in Newark, New Jersey in 1959, rapper / musician / actor / activist Ice-T was raised in the gang-infested, pimp-heavy streets of South Central, Los Angeles. He became immersed in both cultures, and began rapping about his daily activities while still a teenager in high school. In fact, his current nickname was borrowed from the infamous pimp-turned-writer, Iceberg Slim. Friends urged him to take his talents into a recording studio, where he recorded several rap singles.