ICE T ANYTHING Is Possible

The Law & Order: SVU star and rapper reflects on his long road to success

- Susan Hornik

When the actors’ union went on strike last summer, many performers wondered how to fill their time. Not Ice-T. The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star was able to return to the music that launched his career. “I’ve been in the studio with Treach, making new music. We started a little project called Black Cadillac,” Ice, 65, tells Closer. The Grammy winner is, of course, also looking forward to getting back on the Law & Order set to play Odafin “Fin” Tutuola very soon. Just don’t expect him to ever combine his two worlds and allow Fin to start rapping on the show. “I wouldn’t do that — that would be corny,” he vows. “I got to draw the line somewhere.”

You lost both your parents by the time you were 13. How did you survive so much loss so young?

With all due respect, I think it’s better for me that it happened so early, because I was able to deal with it early. As a kid, a lot of times you don’t register things. You’re in pain, but you don’t even know how much pain you’re in because you don’t understand death. So I dealt with it. I got shipped out to LA to live with my aunt — some lady I’d never met. I’ve been on my own ever since I was 17 years old.

How did that affect your view of life? 

It’s one of those things that I adjusted to. I don’t deal much with my past. I ripped the rearview mirror off of my life and I look forward. I’m more focused on what is in front of me. You know, I found out that a lot of very successful people — billionaires — are orphans, too.