Thursday, Apr 17, 2025 • Brian Lopez : contact

As Ice-T reflected on his decades-long career in music, film and television, he told University of Texas at Arlington students that humility and his ability to seize opportunities were keys to his success.

“One of the reasons that I’ve been able to stay in the game is humility; I’ve never really felt that I had ‘It,’” Ice-T said Wednesday afternoon during a master class for UT Arlington students before his sold-out appearance at the Maverick Speakers Series. “I never really felt that I was ever in a place that was secure. I’ve always been hustling forward because the moment you get complacent, you can lose it.”

A group of UTA music majors enrolled in a course taught by Gene Shelton were invited to attend Ice-T’s master class. For Shelton—an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Music at UTA with 30 years of experience in the record industry—the event was also a welcome reunion. He previously served as Ice-T’s publicist at Warner Bros. Records.

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Ice-T took the students on a journey through his challenging childhood, moving alone to Los Angeles as a teenager, diving into rap music, maneuvering the L.A. gang scene, breaking into movies and TV, and ultimately becoming a cultural icon.

Today, the pioneer of “gangsta” rap continues his starring role in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” one of the longest-running TV dramas in television history.

Ice-T first set out to be a DJ but ultimately found himself drawn to words and rhymes. He released his first album, “Rhyme Pays,” in 1987. It peaked at No. 23 on the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and launched his music career.

“Hip-hop is intoxicating because it has four entry points,” he said. “When you first get into the culture of hip-hop, you could either be a dancer, you could be a graffiti artist, you could be a DJ, or you could be a rapper.”

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Tylar Brown, a UTA sophomore majoring in graphic design, appreciated Ice-T's honesty and straightforwardness, noting his willingness to speak openly about his life.

“It was like I was talking to an uncle,” Brown said. “They say never meet your heroes, but Ice-T breaks that rule. It was cool to see a person who I look up to just be honest with himself and his life experience.”

Ice-T’s tough upbringing and wide-ranging success have made him a powerful voice for young people across America, regardless of race. Born an only child in New Jersey, he lost parents before age 11 and was sent to Los Angeles to live with an aunt who struggled with alcoholism. By 16, he had struck out on his own, got entangled in the L.A. gang scene and ultimately enlisted in the U.S. Army.

Ice-T broke into acting in the late 1980s, playing small parts in the films “Breakin’” (1984) and its sequels, “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo” (1984) and “Rappin’” (1985), before debuting in a major role as police detective Scotty Appleton in “New Jack City” (1991).

He made his first appearance on “Law and Order: SVU” in 2000 as Detective Fin Tutuola and has since become the longest-running male actor on a primetime television series. Ice-T encouraged students to seize opportunities that can open doors, recalling how a low-paying first movie role led to better roles.

Nicholas Andrew Karr, a UTA senior majoring in audio production, said he appreciated Ice-T’s perspective on acting because it showed that success in that field doesn’t necessarily require formal training like acting school—it’s more about the effort you’re willing to put into your goals.

“I'm glad we saw the real version of Ice-T,” Karr said.