Ice T Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Ice-T’s Net Worth and Salary?

With a net worth of $65 million, Ice-T, the American rapper and actor also known as Tracy Marrow, began his journey in music during high school, where he performed in a band with his classmates. His positive experience led him to pursue a music career. After spending four years in the U.S. Army, he kicked off his rap career.

In the late ’80s, he signed with Sire Records and quickly gained national fame when his debut album became the first hip-hop album to require an explicit content warning sticker. Following this, he released several albums and co-founded the heavy metal band Body Count. Not satisfied with solely rapping, Ice-T seriously ventured into acting in the early ’90s. Alongside releasing iconic hip-hop albums like “Power,” “The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech… Just Watch What You Say,” and “O.G. Original Gangster,” he also made a name for himself in Hollywood, appearing in films such as “New Jack City,” “Ricochet,” “Trespass,” “Surviving the Game,” and “Tank Girl.”

Fast forward to today, and both his music and acting careers continue to thrive. Since 2000, he has been a prominent figure on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” having participated in over 400 episodes as of now. Ice-T and his wife Coco starred in the popular E! reality series titled “Ice Loves Coco.” In 2023, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“SVU” Salary

As of now, Ice-T earns $250,000 for each episode of “Law & Order: SVU.” This amounts to approximately $6 million per season before considering syndication royalties.

Early Life

Born as Tracy Lauren Marrow on February 16, 1958, in Newark, New Jersey, Ice-T moved to Los Angeles at 12 years old to stay with relatives following the passing of both parents. He attended Crenshaw High School, distinguishing himself from peers as he refrained from drinking, smoking, or using drugs. Despite the prevalent gang activity at his school, Marrow did not associate with any gangs, although many friends were linked to the Crips. He began his musical journey by singing with The Precious Few at Crenshaw High School. At 17, he started receiving Social Security benefits due to his father’s death and managed to rent an apartment for $90 a month. To support his pregnant girlfriend, he sold cannabis and stole car stereos for extra cash. After graduating high school, he spent four years in the U.S. Army after the birth of his daughter in 1977, where he developed an interest in hip-hop and honed his turntable and rapping skills.

Music Career

In tribute to Iceberg Slim, Marrow adopted the stage name Ice-T. Initially, he worked as a DJ at parties, which garnered him attention as a rapper. After a brief return to crime through jewelry store robberies with friends, a car accident led him to abandon this lifestyle in favor of a professional rap career. His debut single, “Cold Wind Madness,” achieved underground success even though radio stations shunned it due to explicit content. The following year, he released “Killers,” his first politically-charged rap. In 1987, he secured a deal with Sire Records and put out his debut album, “Rhyme Pays.”

The first three albums he released—spanning 1987, 1988, and 1989—achieved gold certification from the RIAA. However, his 1991 album “O.G. Original Gangster” is now regarded as his most iconic work and is recognized as a seminal album in gangsta rap. This album also introduced his metal band, Body Count, which later produced its own record featuring the contentious track “Cop Killer.” In 1991, Ice-T received a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Back on the Block.” Amidst the controversy surrounding this song, he left Sire/Warner Bros. to join Priority Records. He continued to release albums with Body Count throughout the 1990s and 2000s, culminating with “Carnivore” in 2020, while also reconnecting with his rap roots in 2006 through the album “Gangsta Rap.” Ice-T won his second Grammy in 2021 for Best Metal Performance with the song “Bum-Rush.”

Acting Career

Alongside a flourishing music career, Ice-T ventured into acting in 1984, starting with the film “Breakin’” and its sequel, “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo,” also released that year. These films made their debut prior to his first LP (although he is featured on the soundtrack of “Breakin’”). In 1991, he took on the role of a police detective in “New Jack City.” That same year, he appeared with Denzel Washington and John Lithgow in “Ricochet” and continued to take on supporting roles throughout the 1990s. Ice-T won his first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for portraying drug dealer Danny Cort in the TV series “New York Undercover.” He featured in the HBO film “Stealth Fighter” in 1999, and that same year, he acted in “Sonic Impact.” In
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His debut as detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola occurred in 2000 on the hit series “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” where he won his second NAACP Image Award for this role. In 2007, he made an appearance on the MTV sketch comedy show “Short Circuitz.” More recently, Ice-T has been seen in “Bloodrunners” (2017), “Clinton Road” (2019), and “Equal Standard” (2020). Additionally, he has lent his voice to various video games.

Other

The books authored by Ice-T include “The Ice Opinion: Who Gives a F—?” (1994), “Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption-From South Central to Hollywood” (2011), “Kings of Vice” (2011), and “Mirror Image” (2013). In 2022, “Split Decision: Life Stories” was published, followed by “Death for Hire: The Origin of Tehk City” in 2023.

Venturing into reality programming, Ice-T participated in “Ice-T’s Rap School” in 2006, a spin-off of VH1’s British show “Gene Simmons’ Rock School.” In this series, he assigned tasks each week to eight teens from New York Preparatory School, competing for a gold chain adorned with a microphone. The season finale in 2006 saw the group performing with Public Enemy. Additionally, he starred in the reality show on E! titled “Ice Loves Coco,” which showcased his relationship with his wife, Nicole “Coco” Austin.

In December 2013, he entered the podcasting sphere by partnering with Paragon Collective. He co-hosts “Ice-T: Final Level Podcast” alongside his longtime friend Mick Benzo. The podcast covers current events, movies, video games, and behind-the-scenes insights from “Law and Order: SVU,” featuring guests from the entertainment industry. The show has garnered critical acclaim. Furthermore, he appeared in a GEICO commercial filmed in 2016.

Personal Life

In 1976, Ice-T welcomed a daughter with his then-girlfriend Adrienne while they were still in high school. In 1992, he dated Darlene Ortiz, with whom he had a son. He married swimsuit model Nicole “Coco Marie” Austin in January 2002. The couple purchased a penthouse in New Jersey in 2006 and built a five-bedroom home in Edgewater, New Jersey, in 2012. They celebrated the arrival of their first child in November 2015.

Ice-T has faced two notable personal disputes; the first arose with LL Cool J in the late ’80s due to LL’s assertion of being “the baddest rapper in the history of rap itself.” Ice-T countered with diss tracks and mockery of LL’s songs, though by 2012, the conflict was resolved. He also had a clash with Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, accusing him of “killing hip hop” and criticizing his song “Crank That” as rubbish. The two exchanged numerous diss videos throughout their rivalry.