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Ice-T is finally getting the recognition from Hollywood that he deserves.
On Tuesday, January 31, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced told Variety about its plan to honor the gangsta rap pioneer with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. While he's been making an impact on NBC's Law & Order: SVU for the past two decades, the veteran MC's star will be presented for the Recording category. Ice-T will be joined by Public Enemy's Chuck D, Law & Order creator Dick Wolf and his co-star Mariska Hargitay, who will honor him at the ceremony.
"When I think about how many times I got arrested in Hollywood.... This is a trip. 💎," Ice-T tweeted in response to the news.
Ice-T began his journey in the entertainment industry as a DJ before he started releasing singles in 1983. One of his songs "Reckless Rivalry (Combat) with DJ Chris "The Glove" Taylor and producer David Storrs was the featured track in the iconic 1984 film Breakin', which was also the rapper's first film credit. A few years later, the Los Angeles native dropped his debut album Rhyme Pays. His political rhymes and hardcore flows on albums like Power and O.G. Original Gangster helped establish the gangsta rap genre and paved the way for other rap stars like N.W.A., Geto Boys and others to flourish.
With eight solo albums, seven collaborative efforts and seven LPs with his heavy metal band Body Count, Ice-T's star on the coveted stretch located on Hollywood Boulevard is long-overdue. According to the announcement, his star will be installed nearby other legends like Thelonius Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Luciano Pavarotti, Mama Cass Elliott, John Denver and Herbie Hancock.