Ice T's debut album "Rhyme Pays" is considered to have defined the "gangsta" rap genre. Ice-T claims that this would be the first hip-hop album to carry a parental advisory warning label although, it was years later before the industry-standard explicit-lyrics sticker was developed. This album was Ice T's big break into the rap industry and the rest is history.
Ice-T is a rapper, songwriter, actor, and producer from New Jersey. After leaving the Army in the late 70s, he wanted to stay away from gang life and violence and instead make a name for himself as a DJ. However, while he was performing as a DJ at parties, he received more attention for his rapping. This led Ice-T to begin his career as an underground rapper. His 1987 debut album was reportedly the first hip-hop album to have an explicit content sticker on the front. He was incredibly successful as a rapper but also co-founded the heavy metal band Body Count, which he introduced on his 1991 rap album "O.G. Original Gangster." Over the course of his career, he has founded a record label (Rhyme $yndicate Records), been featured in multiple movies and TV shows, and has done voice acting for cartoons and even video games.