>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK.
MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS A TWO-TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNING
ARTIST, STAR OF "LAW & ORDER: S.V.U." FOR THE PAST 22 SEASONS,
-- PAST THIS SEASONS.
AND ONE OF THE ORIGINATORS OF GANGSTA RAP.
HE'S NOW WRITTEN A NEW BOOK CALLED 'SPLIT DECISION.'
PLEASE WELCOME TO THE LATE SHOW, ICE-T.
♪ I LOVE YOU.
♪ NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> POPPING OFF IN HERE.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) >> I NEVER BEEN IN HERE.
>> EVEN WITH.
>> NEVER BEEN IN THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER.
>> Stephen: WELCOME TO THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER.
>> I AM OLD, I GREW UP ON ED SULLIVAN BACK IN THE DAY.
>> Stephen: BEATLES, ELVIS PRESSLEY AND NOW ICED -T.
>> I AM THEY THE BUILDING.
>> Stephen: YOU AND I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK A FEW YEARS BACK
ON THE OLD GIG BUT BACK THEN I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO ASK YOU,
HOW DID THE NAME ICE-T COME ABOUT?
HOW DID YOU GET THE MONIKER?
>> I USED TO BE BOOKED BY THIS WRITER NAMED ICEBERG SLIM, HE
WAS A PLAYER.
>> Stephen: HOW OLD WERE YOU.
>> I'M IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO I WOULD, MY REAL NAME IS TRACY WHICH IN THE HOOD, THAT
GETS YOU INTO FIGHTS BECAUSE GUYS MEET YOU AND THEY SAY
TRACY, THAT SAY BITCH NAME, SO NOW YOU FIGHTING SOMEBODY YOU
JUST MET, YOU KNOW.
SO I TURNED THAT INTO TREY BUT I WOULD QUOTE ICEBERG SLIM AND I
WOULD SAY ALL THIS SLY STUFF AND THEY WOULD SAY SAY MORE OF THAT
ICE STUFF, T SO ICE-T IS SHORT FOR ICEBERG T.
>> Stephen: WOW.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: DO YOU REMEMBER ANY OF THE KNOWLEDGE YOU LEARNED
FROM ICEBERG SLIM?
>> JUST THAT WOMEN AIN'T GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE.
I GOT TO BE SHARPER THAN THEM.
THAT SAUL I HAD.
YOU KNOW WHAT I AM SAYING.
SO I HAD TO LEARN AT 16 I'M QUOTING WORDS FROM LIKE A 45
YEAR OLD PLAYER.
AND THE GIRLS THOUGHT I WAS INCREDIBLE.
THEY THOUGHT I WAS FASCINATING.
I NEVER TOLD THEM THAT WAS ICEBERG SLIM, I WAS LIKE THAT'S
ME.
>> Stephen: NOW YOU ARE PASSING SOME OF THIS KNOWLEDGE
ON WITH YOUR BOOK NOW WHICH YOU WROTE WITH YOUR OLD FRIEND
SPIKE.
ST ALL THE SPLIT DECISIONS, LIFE STORIES.
FIRST OF ALL, HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN SPIKE?
>> SPIKE AND I WERE FRIENDED BACK IN THE DAY.
THIS IS PREDATES ME MAKING MUSIC, WHEN I WAS IN THE STREETS
IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES AND SPIKE AND PRI CRIMEIES AND WE
USED TO BE ROBBERIES, WE DID HUNDREDRIES OF ROBBERY, WE
ROBBED JEWELRY STORES, I COULD SPEAK ON THIS NOW, THERE IS A
THING CALLED STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
BUT WE WERE VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL AT IT AND THEN THERE
WAS A POINT, I WAS SO SUCCESSFUL I NEVER GOT CAUGHT.
YOU KNOW.
AND WHAT HAPPENED IS AT SOME POINT I DECIDED HEY, MUSIC IS
STARTING TO COME IN I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS ROUTE.
AND HE TRIED TO DO ONE MORE LICK.
AND DURING, WHEN IT HAPPENED SOMEONE GOT KILLED.
AND HE ENDED UP GETTING A LIFE SENTENCE 35 TO LIFE, YOU KNOW,
THEY TRIED TO GIVE HIM THE DEATH PENALTY AND AT THE END OF THE
DAY HE MADE IT OUT.
AND HE CAME BACK, HE DID 26 YEARS IN THE PEN TEN TEAR,
SERVED HIS DEBT AND NOW HE WANTED TO WRITE THIS BOOK AS A
CAUTIONARY TALE TO PEOPLE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT EVERY DECISION
YOU MAKE CAN CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUR LIFE.
(APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: YOU TALK IN THE BOOK A LOT GROWING UP AS A
HUSTLER, DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST HUSTLE?
>> I MEAN MY FIRST HUSTLE I USED TO SELL KOOL-AID, YOU KNOW, I
WOULD TAKE A DOLLAR'S WORTH OF KOOL-AID AS A KID AND I WOULD
BREAK IT DOWN AND I WOULD MAKE $10 SELLING IT.
AND I NEVER FORGET, ONE DAY I WAS SELLING KOOL-AID, MEI FATHER
CAME IN, AND I SAID, HE SAID WHAT IS THE MATTER.
I SAID I COULDN'T SELL ANY TODAY, IT GOT COLD.
HE SAID WELL INSTEAD OF SELLING KOOL-AID SELL-- AND I NEVER
HEARD NIK MORE GENIUS IN MY LIFE, YOU KNOW, AS THE TRENDS
CHANGE, YOU CHANGE.
>> Stephen: YOU SHOULD BE ON SHARK TANK.
I'M TELLING YOU, BECAUSE YOU SAY HUSTLER.
YOU SAY HUSTLER, I SAY CAPITALIST.
BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THAT IS.
>> HUSTLERS ARE CAPITALISTS BUT ARE YOU COMING, YOU ARE HUSTLING
LIKE I DID, COMING FROM A SURVIVAL ASPECT, NOT GREED.
ARE YOU JUST LOOKING AT THE OPTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE
TO YOU AT THE TIME.
AND YOU THINK CRIME IS THE WAY TO GET IT.
LATER ON I LEARNED THAT NO, I DON'T HAVE TO LIMIT MYSELF TO
CRIME.
CAN DO THAT SAME INITIATIVE AND PUSHING A POSITIVE DIRECTION AND
LOOK TO SUCCESS.
I'VE ACTUALLY-- HOW THE HELL, AFTER THIS, ALL TRUE STORY, HOW
AM I THE LONGEST RUNNING COP ON TELEVISION?
(APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
>> THAT SAY HUSTLE.
THAT IS THE HUSTLE.
>> Stephen: SO YOU STARTED MAKING MUSIC IN THE 1980S.
WHAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT RAP MUSIC, THE SCENE.
>> I THINK THE BIGGEST THING THAT SURPRISED ME ABOUT MUSIC
WAS YOU COULD LIE.
>> Stephen: WHAT YOU DO YOU MEAN.
>> I WAS WATCHING MUSIC INDIVIDUAL YORKS OH, THAT IS
THEIR HOUSE, THAT IS THEIR CAR, THAT IS THEIR GIRL.
WHEN WE GOT I WAS LIKE OH, YOU CAN RENT THE CAR, M TV CRIBS,
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A HOUSE, WE'LL PUT YOU IN A HOUSE THAT IS
NOT YOURS, I'M LIKE THIS IS ALL FAKE.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
WHEN I GOT IN THERE, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS HAD TO USE MY OWN CARS.
I HAD A RHYME WHERE I SAID I DON'T RAP ABOUT GIRLS I CAN'T
CAUGHT, GUNS I AIN'T SHOT AND-- THE GAME IS TOO DEEP, I
DID HONESTLY BELIEVE I WOULD DIE IN MY SLEEP, I ALWAYS HELD TO
THE CODE OF BEING HONEST.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS COVER RIGHT HERE.
>> THAT'S MY GIRL.
>> Stephen: THAT'S YIR GIRL.
>> THAT'S MY SON'S MOM, THAT IS DARLENE, THOSE ARE MY GUNS.
AND THAT WAS MY LIFE AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW.
AND HEY, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD LIE.
I WAS LIKE WHAT.
YOU CAN GET SOMEONE TO-- THEY WILL COME AND PUT JEWELRY ON YOU
FOR THE VIDEO AND THEN TAKE IT BACK.
OR YOU GOT ALL THE GIRLS IN THE JACUZZI AND THEIR BOYFRIENDS ARE
SITTING RIGHT OUT OF FRAME WAITING ON THEM LIKE-- SO I WAS
COMING FROM A REAL WORLD, STEVE.
I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS SHOW BUSINESS IS SO FAKE.
>> Stephen: EXCEPT THIS SHOW, THIS SAUL REAL, THIS SAUL REAL
HERE, WE KEEP IT REAL, RIGHT?
(APPLAUSE) OKAY, WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK
BREAK, WHEN WE COME BACK I WILL ASK ICE-T ABOUT HIS FIRST
EXPERIENCE ABOUT PERFORMING.
STICK AROUND, Y'ALL.