Ice-T

He's a godfather, a freedom fighter, a hustler turned hardcore Hip Hop writer. He's MC Ice-T, the man who showed us all how to change and win at the game of life. Ice-T brought understanding to the problems of the hood. Before him, gangstas were bogeymen in the eyes of suburban squares, who lived a comfortable distance from the everyday violence. Ice hooked us with his bragging, sometimes raunchy tales and the aura that he was the coolest guy we'd ever meet Hip Hop's answer to The Fonz. Then, there he was, talking with Oprah and Arsenio, not a self-made monster of the city streets, but a self-made millionaire with a knack for spreading wisdom. Never forgetting those he left behind in the struggle. He'd lived through hell and did some bad things. But he hustled his way to the top and stayed there because he paid dues and knew that to change the game, he had to respect the game. The key: knowing which rules to follow and which rules to break. "Colors" could've easily been a senseless sensory drive-by; instead, it was an introspective take on gang mentality. Many fans aren't familiar with Ice-T's past. They don't know about the iconic Power album cover or how he sold millions with almost no radio airplay. They don't know he left gangs behind and hooked up with the Zulu Nation's Afrika Islam to start Rhyme Syndicate, a crew of MCs and DJs that included Everlast. They don't know that Body Count predated Cypress Hill's transformation into a hard rock band. But what those unsuspecting fans are currently witnessing on TV screens are all the years of game that made Ice-T who he is. Surviving the streets by mastering its rules, defending his beliefs even if it meant taking on corrupt cops, and turning his past experiences into undeniable, nonconformist music it's all there each time he flips a script.