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.

First Impression
Ice-T Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Upon initial contact with Ice-T's music,
I had envisioned him to be an ill-
Mannered and psychologically
Unstable man with an extremely
Uneducated and barbaric
Frame of mind, whose raps displayed
Nothing but ridiculous jaargon,
Shocking sexual audacity and

Repulsive images of the ghetto.
However, after further analysis of
His music I can deduce
That he is the epitome of
Antidisestblishmentarianism who
Embodies the entire spectrum of the
Urban experience and struggle.
But to make things more plain and
Simple to the lymn, I find Ice-T to be
The dopest, flyist, O.G. pimp hustler
Gangster plyer hardcore
Motherfucker living today.

To be honest I'm totally and
Irrevocably on his dick

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ice-T's "First Impression" are a commentary on the perceptions and misperceptions that people often hold about rap music and those who create it. The singer begins by admitting that, before hearing Ice-T's music, they had a preconceived notion of him as a violent and uneducated person who glorifies the worst aspects of urban life. However, upon closer examination, the singer realizes that Ice-T's music is a reflection of the complexities of the urban experience, and that he actually represents a form of resistance to dominant cultural norms.

Ice-T is portrayed in the lyrics as someone who defies expectations, embodying a range of identities and experiences that are often overlooked or dismissed by mainstream society. He is described as a "fly" and "dope" hustler and gangster, yet he is also a voice of social and political dissent. In this way, Ice-T is a symbol of the contradictions and tensions that exist within American culture, particularly within the lives of those who are marginalized or oppressed.

Line by Line Meaning

Upon initial contact with Ice-T's music,
Upon first listening to Ice-T's music,

I had envisioned him to be an ill-
I imagined him to be a sick, twisted,

Mannered and psychologically
Well, not really just his behavior,

Unstable man with an extremely
But also mentally unstable, and having a

Uneducated and barbaric
Lack of education and generally lacking civility,

Frame of mind, whose raps displayed
His mindset was displayed in his raps,

Nothing but ridiculous jaargon,
Full of nonsensical jargon,

Shocking sexual audacity and
Including shocking sexual content and

Repulsive images of the ghetto.
Disgusting, poverty-stricken images of the urban poor.

However, after further analysis of
But after scrutinizing his music more closely,

His music I can deduce
I can conclude that his music is