Every generation has a voice that doesn’t just tell the story — it is the story. On April 16, that voice belongs to Ice-T, and it’s coming through the speakers at Texas Hall. No filter. No fluff. Just the truth, live and direct.
At 7:30 p.m., the Maverick Speakers Series welcomes one of pop culture’s most enduring forces to the University of Texas at Arlington. The event is free for students, faculty, and staff, with tickets available for the community. For anyone who believes in the power of a lived experience, this night is unmissable.
Born Tracy Lauren Marrow in New Jersey, Ice-T lost both of his parents before age 11 and ended up in Los Angeles under the roof of an alcoholic aunt. By 16, he was on his own. The street becomes school, and survival becomes the only assignment. He joins the Army. He finds rhythm. He finds voice. He finds rap.
His first industry moment comes with a flash of dialogue in “Breakin’” — a small role that launches a legacy. “Six in the Mornin’” and “New Jack Hustler”— are tracks that echo far beyond the West Coast. Ice-T doesn’t just ride the wave of gangster rap. He shapes it.
Then he flips genres and flips expectations. With longtime friend Ernie C, he forms Body Count, a metal band that stirs national controversy with “Cop Killer” and later earns a Grammy for “Bum Rush.” Ice-T never backs down. Instead, he doubled down on his career.
He takes on roles in “New Jack City,” “Ricochet,” “Trespass,” and “Johnny Mnemonic.” Each performance is sharp, intense, and unforgettable. Then comes “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and the birth of Detective Odafin Tutuola —an iconic character that Ice-T has played across more than two decades on the longest-running drama in television history.
Meanwhile, he directs (“Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap”), produces (“Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp”), and writes (“The Ice Opinion,” “Split Decision,” “Kings of Vice,” “Ice: A Memoir”). He hosts crime shows, sells us everything from Cheerios to CarShield, and narrates the Super Bowl.
In 2024, he released “Merciless,” a new Body Count album. He continues filming season 26 of “SVU.” His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is already a reality, but Ice-T keeps moving like he’s got something to prove — even if he doesn’t.
The Maverick Speakers Series is built for moments like this — where icons meet ideas, and experience takes the mic. Past speakers include LeVar Burton, Jane Goodall, Bill Nye, Soledad O’Brien, Emmitt Smith. Ice-T brings a new rhythm. A different kind of lesson. One built on the back of a life few survive, and fewer still transform into art.
