In the heart of Times Square enshrouded in an overcast haze—beneath which is drenching New Yorkers in an early summer drizzle—a blaze of neon lights and Sabrina Carpenter album billboards conveniently serve as the backdrop as cameras flash and Ice T proved once again why he’s not just a name—he’s a legacy.
Celebrating his third consecutive National Iced Tea Day with Raising Cane’s, the Hip-Hop pioneer turned television mainstay served fans his signature blend of charisma and cold-brewed wisdom as he poured “The Official Iced Tea of Ice T.”
But this wasn’t just a brand activation — it was a moment of reflection on a career that’s spanned generations, held together by one guiding principle: staying original.
“My name is not Ice T-E-A, it’s Ice T because my first name is Tracy,” Ice clarified at the press conference, blending humor and humility. “It started as Cool T, but it rings like iced tea, so I ended up embracing the drink. You understand me?”
That full-circle embrace has led to viral partnerships like his now-beloved collaboration with Raising Cane’s — a relationship that began organically years ago when he stumbled into a location near a studio in Arizona. The flavor hooked him. The vibe kept him coming back.
“It was amazing,” he said. “I was just totally amazed at a restaurant that could actually flourish with one item. It has to be good. It was like drugs — the sauce, the bread, the tea — everything hit.”
But while fans came for the tea, Ice gave them something more—a masterclass in authenticity. He reflected on what’s allowed his name, image and likeness to remain culturally relevant for more than three decades across music, film and television.
“I always just try to be me,” he said. “I was unaware that so many people live similar lives, but the key word in my life is ‘originality.’”
In the early days of Hip-Hop, copying your peers was a cardinal sin. That instinct to defy conformity is what set Ice apart then — and continues to keep his name alive now.
“I come from a world in Hip-Hop where you had to be different, where you couldn’t sound or dress like anyone else,” he explained. “If I can catch you trying to be somebody else, I lose respect. I only respect originality.”
It’s that ethos that gave birth to one of the most enduring slang terms in modern culture: “OG.”
“OG stands for original gangster, which comes from L.A. gang terminology,” he explained. “When gangster rap came out, the press labeled it. But I was out two years before N.W.A, so I said, ‘If it’s gangster rap, then I’m the original gangster.’ And that’s where OG came from.”
That self-awareness and pioneering spirit have defined Ice’s trajectory, long after the music videos faded and the network television cameras turned on. With Law & Order: SVU now entering its 27th season, he’s officially the longest-running male actor in primetime history. And yet, he’s still introducing younger fans to the fact that he was the chart-topping rap icon behind hits such as “Colors” before he was Detective Tutuola.
“Right now, if you told some kids I’m a rapper, they get confused,” he laughed. “A girl told me, ‘I’ve been watching you my whole life,’ and she was 23. I’m like, yeah, we’ve been on 27 seasons. You don’t have a reference point of me doing music.”
The endurance of the show biz juggernaut’s career has even become somewhat of a novelty in his own household, where Ice T says despite his legendary status, he plays second fiddle to the era of social media stars his daughter worships.
“My daughter wants to meet all these TikTokers and pop stars,” he said. “We took her to see Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter. Sabrina was actually on Law & Order as a kid — she was a great actress. But Kevin Hart said it best: ‘our kids don’t care we were in a movie. You bring a TikToker in, and they lose their mind.’”
Still, Ice isn’t chasing validation. As he reminded the crowd, he’s not doing this for clout — he’s doing it because it makes sense. The iced tea, the chicken, the vibe — it’s all him.
“When somebody says, ‘Hey, we’d like Ice T to help become a brand ambassador,’ I’m not just doing anything. I’m gonna choose stuff that matches me,” he said. “This is all me all day — some chicken and some iced tea. Come on, man. Stop playing.”
And with that, the original gangster tipped his cup to the crowd, still standing tall in a city that never stops moving, reminding everyone that legacy isn’t about chasing the moment — it’s about staying true, and letting the world come to you.
