Perhaps the most telling précis comes at the intro to his first release in the 1987 classic, Rhyme Pays. “A child was born in the east one day; moved to the west coast, when his parents passed away. Never understood his obsession with rhymes or beats – at poetry he was considered elite. No matter what the job or crime, he never lost his obsession for rhyme.”

That album went gold as did his critically acclaimed follow up Power. Nominated in 1990 for a Grammy Award for New Jack Hustler he also recorded The Iceberg and in 1991 the equally applauded but far darker and more evil Original Gangster. Along with his posse including Evil E, Sean E Sean, Afrika Islam, DJ Aladdin, Donald D – some part of the revered Rhyme Syndicate and Zulu Nation – and many of whom still stand by him today – he also recorded the more mature but just as incensed Home Invasion and in 1996, Return of the Real. Not forgetting too, other material he has done including the immortal and magnificent Colors. He even drew the attention of the then president in George W. Bush, with his lyrically sadistic Cop Killer - a reaction to the beating of Rodney King. Dropped and banned from all but the original pressings of the 1992 Body Count album [a rock and roll side project] the song remains one of urban music’s most profound moments. Their second album, the 1997 Violent Demise: Last Days would ultimately be the end of Body Count following the unfortunate though unrelated deaths of band members Beatmaster V, Mooseman and Ernie C. Back into the hip hop fray though, by the time Seventh Deadly Sin had dropped, it was clear that all that could be conquered by Ice-T in music had been – and he decided to concentrate on other projects, leaving music mostly to a new school breed of players.

To this end, labeling the Ice as simply a poet or rhyme author would be selling him short. Born Tracey Morrow in 1959 in New Jersey, he was raised in the school of hard knocks – the streets of South Central Los Angeles. Surviving the crime infested streets, he is now just as determined to pursue his diverse career, enjoying a roster of various duties and roles. Indeed, in 1989, he put his pen to paper in a different format releasing a book: The Iceberg // Freedom of Speech…Just watch what you say. It was a literary protest against music censorship – with an acute foresight – and would help cement Ice-T as significant figure in modern music. The following year, he lectured on First Amendment Rights and Civil Liberties at a number of prestigious universities in the United States including Stanford and Harvard. Yet just as before, he was able to leverage the attention he garnered in the headlines to launch characters in an altogether new function – acting. Ricochet, Trespass and New Jack City highlighted his on screen ability with incisiveness and an equally chilling demeanor. Alongside a string of other minor and major roles in movies including 3000 Miles to Graceland and Johnny Mnemonic, Ice-T also played in a number of commercial television projects including the MTV Music Awards, The Disciples and even Wrestlemania. Later Ice secured a role with executive producer Dick Wolf in the NBC series Law and Order. Including movies in the series, he is onto his fourth such project, starring in Special Victims Unit and New York Undercover. He also has an interest in Pimpin’ 101 where he stars as the host of a documentary looking at the science of pimping, no less. Straight to the point, it is x-rated and further underlines his business acumen, astuteness and dexterity if not his ‘love of the game’.

No stranger to pessimism and disapproval, his resume is testament to his determination, staying power and the love of his fans. He has hosted the DMC Technics DJ Championships – he has even acted as voiceover in Sanity: Aikens Artifact – a science fiction adventure game. He has appeared on Jerry Springer and has brushed shoulders with a magnificent selection of people everywhere. His natural disposition, like his acting and on-stage presence, is full of energy and atmosphere. Basically, Ice-T is one of the longest standing pimp-hardcore-player-mother-fuckers in the game. He couldn’t put it better himself. I’m a steak and lobster eatin’, billionaire meetin’, cash money makin’, movin’ shakin’, corporate jet glidin’, limousine ridin’, writin’ hits, filthy rich, straight up nigga!

Ice-T’s tour of Australia continues this weekend, playing Melbourne at Room 680 on Friday July 8th (BUY TICKETS) and then The Arena in Brisbane on Saturday July 9th (BUY TICKETS).