Ice T joined me on That Moment with Daymond John and gave me his raw and candid thoughts on some of the most transformative moments that he faced throughout his career, focusing most intently on the moment his album was blocked by Time Warner (spoiler: even though that’s the public narrative around how it went down…it’s not accurate, and Ice gave me the full inside scoop on how the situation with his album Home Invasion actually happened) and what finally prompted him to become a devoted and fully committed father and husband.
Key Takeaways:
Ice recalled his music successes and the controversy that surrounded his platinum album Cop Killer, not shying away from how the lyrics affected its listeners and ultimately the stock of Time Warner. He shared how he was able to ultimately walk away with no hard feelings - something that most people would not have been able to manage.
One of the most enlightening parts of our discussion was what it really means to find your identity - not just in the music world, but in business and your personal life - and tap into your inner gangster. (And I’d be willing to bet you aren’t coming into this interview with the same definition of “gangster” that you’ll walk away with!)
The stories Ice shared provide more than just a glimpse into how you can evolve as a person while also staying true to yourself, and listeners will walk away with so much inspiration that they can put to work in their own lives. As Ice explains in our talk, no one else wakes up with your dream, and it’s so important to lock that thought into the way you approach your passions.
Tune in to That Moment with Daymond John to fulfill your true inner gangster and reframe the way you approach negativity!
Who is Ice T?
If you’ve listened to rap music or turned on a TV in the past 30 years, today’s guest needs no introduction. But before you get into today’s episode of That Moment with Daymond John, let me tell you a little background on my friend Ice T.
Ice lost both of his parents at a young age and went to live with an aunt in South Central Los Angeles. He enlisted in the US Army in 1977 and served for 4 years before returning to LA. Ice started messing around with music, starting off as a DJ and then pivoting to rapping, and he signed with Sire Records in 1987.
His first album, Rhyme Pays, was released that same year, and Ice went on to release 2 more albums in the late 1980s. His 1992 collaboration album with Body Count included the release of his most controversial song: Cop Killer. The song and resulting commentary led to Ice’s next solo album being blocked by Time Warner (and he finally gives his full side of the story in this interview!), and he broke with Sire/Warner Bros. Records to create his own label Rhyme Syndicate and Priority Records.
Throughout this time, he’d also been working as an actor in movies like New Jack City and Ricochet before landing his iconic role as Detective Fin on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2000 - a role he still holds today. He married his current wife Coco in 2005, and they went on to have a baby girl who is close friends with my own daughter, and I’m proud to call Ice a friend.
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Catch the full episode on Apple Podcasts here: https://dj.daymondjohn.com/ice
Catch the full episode on Spotify here: https://dj.daymondjohn.com/icet
