Before "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," Ice-T was a prominent figure in the gangsta rap scene in the late 1980s and later blended genres with his hardcore punk/thrash metal band Body Count. One of their most controversial hits was the song "Cop Killer," a small irony given his twenty years of portraying a police officer on television. Ice-T also portrayed undercover cop Scotty in the 1991 noir thriller "New Jack City" alongside Wesley Snipes, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock.
Discussing his work on "SVU" in an interview with Page Six, Ice-T explained his reasoning behind staying on as a cast member. "You think because I am a rapper, I should have turned this down?" he asked. "That would have been stupid. I am about getting that check."
While a talented rapper and performer, there are benefits to being the cast member of a popular series like "SVU" that Ice-T clearly recognized. The position of a regular cast member on the drama series allows for less travel and the chance to stay home and close to family, and a steady paycheck. It's a smart move, one that made the already famous rapper into a TV icon.
