Tracy Marrow (born February 16, 1958 in Newark, New Jersey), better known a… Read Full Bio ↴Tracy Marrow (born February 16, 1958 in Newark, New Jersey), better known as Ice-T, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He is one of the pioneers of gangsta rap and was also instrumental in creating rapcore.

Ice-T started in 1982 out with other West Coast rap pioneers such as Kid Frost, DJ Flash, and The Egyptian Lover with Electro recordings. Later on, he changed his style and was the first West Coast rapper to be accepted by the East Coast. 6 'n The Mornin is sometimes seen as the track that triggered the whole gangster rap movement. It was produced by The Unknown DJ, who produced electro funk tracks before and went on to produce Compton's Most Wanted. The song was inspired by Schoolly D's "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" and became itself the inspiration for Eazy-E and N.W.A's Boyz-N-The-Hood. Ice-T went on to work with Afrika Islam, the man behind the beats on 1987's Rhyme Pays, 1988's Power and 1989's The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say.

He also is a star in Law in Order: Special Victims Unit.

In 1992 he created the crossover band Body Count with 4 other black musicians.

Ed
Ice-T Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let me tell ya a little story
Bout my homeboy Ed
Use to drink every day
Straight 40's to the head
You try to snap on him
He'd ask what you said
You still try to break
He'd start given up lead

Love to gamble
On one knee he stayed
Tryin' to hit seven
on one knee he stayed
Worked tees and weights
So he always got paid
Blew on the hoes
Every dollar he made
Crazy friends, crazy friends he had
Superfly drobe, super dope pad
Cars for your ass
and I'm talkin' class
Benz's and better
With his name on the dash
One night he got drunk
And started drivin' real fast...

Ed's dead

Overall Meaning

Ice-T's song Ed tells the story of his friend Ed, who had a serious drinking problem. Ed was known for drinking straight 40s, and if anyone tried to confront him, he would ask them to repeat themselves. The lyrics suggest that Ed was a bit of a tough guy, as he would start to fight anyone who tried to challenge him. In addition to being a heavy drinker, Ed was a gambler who loved to try and hit seven. Despite these vices, Ed was diligent when it came to work, as he worked with tees and weights and always got paid. Unfortunately, Ed's hard-earned money often went to waste when he would spend it on women.

Ed's life was full of highs and lows. He had flashy friends, a super dope pad, and drove cars like a Benz. However, one night, after getting drunk and driving too fast, Ed ended up dead. The lyrics suggest that while Ed lived a wild and reckless life, he met a tragic end due to his vices.

The song tells the story of a man who lived his life on the edge, enjoying the pleasures of life without regard for the consequences. It's a cautionary tale about the dangers of excess and the pitfalls of a life without balance. Ice-T paints a vivid picture of his friend Ed, giving us a glimpse into the highs and lows of his life.

Line by Line Meaning

Let me tell ya a little story
I'm about to talk about my homeboy named Ed.

Bout my homeboy Ed
This story is about my friend Ed.

Use to drink every day
Ed had a drinking problem and drank every day.

Straight 40's to the head
He drank forty-ounce bottles of beer.

You try to snap on him
If someone tried to insult Ed,

He'd ask what you said
He would ask that person to repeat themselves if he didn't hear them.

You still try to break
If the person continued to insult him,

He'd start given up lead
he would become violent in response.

Love to gamble
Ed enjoyed gambling.

On one knee he stayed
Ed would sometimes kneel down while gambling.

Tryin' to hit seven
He would try to roll a seven to win money.