1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: Disgraceland as a production of Double Elvis. The stories about 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: Ice Tea are insane. He was orphaned at a young age, 3 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: became a Crip street gang affiliate in high school, then 4 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:20,959 Speaker 1: a soldier in the US Army, where he learned the 5 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: skills necessary to lead an LA based crew of jewel thieves. 6 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: As an MC, he literally invented gangster rap, and as 7 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: a hardcore front man, he earned the scorn of the 8 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: President of the United States, and for the past twenty 9 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 1: years he's been known as Fintitola to most Americans, Okay, 10 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: most Americans two parents age on television's longest running action series, 11 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: Law and Order Special Victims Unit. But back in the day, 12 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 1: Ice Tea made great music. Unlike that music I played 13 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: for you at the top of the show. That wasn't 14 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: great music. That was a preset loop from my melotron 15 00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: called Streetwalkinhita MK two played you that loop because I 16 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: can't afford the rights to be with you by mister 17 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: Big And why would I play you that specific slice 18 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: of soft rock shedd Cheese? Could I afford it? Because 19 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: that was the number one song in America on March tenth, 20 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety two, and That was the day that iced 21 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: Tea's band body Count released their self titled debut featuring 22 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: the song cop Killer, a song that would bring down 23 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,759 Speaker 1: the wrath of the United States government onto the rapper 24 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: turned rocker and nearly derail his career. On this episode, 25 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: Crip rhymes Jewel, heis cop Killers. In the OG original 26 00:01:38,480 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: Gangster iced T I'm Jake Brennan and this is Disgraceland. 27 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: George H. W. Bush, the forty first President of the 28 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: United States, was sitting in the Oval office, distracted and confused. 29 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: Distracted by his reelection bid, which was being challenged by 30 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: a surprisingly formative opponent, a Pudge's Southern Democratic governor from 31 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: a state few voters could even find on the map 32 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: and who would seemingly say anything to win. The tactic 33 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: proved an effective defense to his own campaign operatives, who 34 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: were fast becoming notorious for their willingness to do anything 35 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: to win, and the President was confused by the topic music. 36 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 1: His chief of staff, Samuel Skinner, was trying to explain 37 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 1: it to him. He's a rapper, but he's a criminal, 38 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: the President asked, we think so. I don't understand why 39 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:58,519 Speaker 1: are we even talking about this? Because he wants to 40 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: kill cops. Then the president's man read in the lyrics, 41 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: lyrics about sought off, twelve gages and cop killers. The 42 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: presidents seemed shocked by the lyrics and by what he 43 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: learned about the band, and in particular the singer's popularity. 44 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: We can't have this, the President said, especially in a 45 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: re election year. His chief of staff thought, what are 46 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: we doing about it? The President wanted to know the 47 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: insincerity of his concern when ignored by everyone in the room, 48 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: and they were too smart to see it as anything 49 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: but opportunistic. But nonetheless they knew its value. Necessary red 50 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: meat to throw to the base, Cook up some family 51 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: values drama, throw a little scare into suburban voters, and 52 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: motivate them to get to the polls and unrock the vote. 53 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: The president's chief of staff explained what had been authorized 54 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: thus far, a four bureau check, the FBI, Secret Service, IRS, 55 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: and NSA had all begun independent probes into the musician. 56 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: His real name was Tracy Marrow, his stage name was 57 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: ice T. The name further confused the president. His chief 58 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: of staff explained that no, this was a different rapper 59 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: than the one they had previously told him about. The 60 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: one who said fuck the police, and the chief of 61 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: staff ignored the President's confusion and focused on the opportunity. 62 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: A four bureau check was no joke. It meant a 63 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: substantial amount of the federal government's weight had been deployed 64 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: to dig into ice Tea's background, all because of some 65 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: lyrics he wrote. From the perspective of a character he 66 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: created who was fighting back against police brutality, ice Tea 67 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 1: had witnessed it firsthand, coming up in the streets of 68 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: drug and crimester in south central Los Angeles, where the 69 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: racist at the time LAPD ruled through a hard mix 70 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: of violence and intimidation. So what do we know about him, 71 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: the President asked, His chief of staff had good news. 72 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:52,119 Speaker 1: He's a thuck. He's committed numerous crimes, larceny, grand theft, 73 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: auto pandering, possibly distribution of controlled substances, probably worse worse. 74 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,919 Speaker 1: The President wanted to know. Was he an agitator revolutionary? 75 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: Was this a potential black panther mess like the one 76 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,239 Speaker 1: Nixon had to deal with? Nothing like that. The President 77 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 1: was reassured. He was caught up in the gangs of 78 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: south central Los Angeles, one of those gang bangers, not 79 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 1: exactly He's what they call an affiliate. The President was 80 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: losing patience. An affiliate, it was explained, wasn't quite a member, 81 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: but he wasn't just some geek off the street either. 82 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: He was, as the Italian mafioso put it, connected but 83 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: not a mad man. Iced Tea from his days in 84 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: high school, lived among and hung around with the notorious 85 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: Cripps Street gang as he grew older. He didn't rep 86 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: collars or kill on site rival gang members, the Bloods, 87 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: who might mistakenly show up in crypt territory, but he 88 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: did socialize and live with the protection of the Cryps. 89 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,679 Speaker 1: It was a subtle distinction, but an important one because 90 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: in the context he was now being discussed, it meant 91 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: he was unlikely to be an actual killer, as the 92 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: lyrics to cop Killer from his hardcore band body Count suggested. 93 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 1: But he's a criminal, the President asked again, Yes, that 94 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: I have him arrested and let's move on. By this point, 95 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: the President had lost most of his patients, and what 96 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: little he had left was about to be completely drained 97 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: by what his chief of staff told him next, we can't, 98 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: and the President just stared. His anger was brimming after 99 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 1: a be why not I thought you said we had 100 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: him on larceny maybe worse. Well, not exactly. We're aware 101 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: of the crimes he committed, but we don't have any 102 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 1: real evidence. How exactly are you aware? Because he's admitted 103 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,039 Speaker 1: to the crimes on his records. The President was now 104 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: utterly confused. Just who the hell is this guy? His 105 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: chief of staff leaned back in his chair and started 106 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,239 Speaker 1: to tell the forty first president of the United States 107 00:06:47,279 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: a story, A story about an original gangster. Six in 108 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: the Morning, a b side to one of Ice T's 109 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: earliest singles, could be heard everywhere on South central Los 110 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: Angeles during the summer of nineteen eighty six. Those lyrics 111 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: they were familiar to locals and completely alien to the 112 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: white kids who made their way on weekends to the 113 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: club called the Radio to hear the DJ spin it. 114 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: To locals, the melody, the cadence, and the subject matter 115 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: utterly real words depicting life on the streets as lived 116 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: by gangsters and hustlers. It was just another crip rhyme, 117 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: a type of rhyme crip gang members and affiliates would 118 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: make up to pass the time. The only difference was 119 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: six in the Morning was accompanied by music and wasn't 120 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: just being spit out a cappella on the street corner 121 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: or at a party. Young Tracy fucked with krip rhymes 122 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: like these, just like other kids his age did back 123 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: a Crenshaw High. His secret weapon, though, was his inspiration, 124 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: Iceberg Slim, the former pimp who had turned author, selling 125 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: barely fictionalized accounts of his life in the pimping game 126 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: to a largely black audience. Iceberg Slim was real. He 127 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: didn't mince shit. He told it like it was. Slim 128 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: spoke to what life was like out there, with no 129 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: snitching but absolute rottness in street knowledge. Tracy Marrow took 130 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: the same approach, choosing not to boast about to make believe, 131 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: but to instead rap about what was real. His friends 132 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: loved it. Tracy was notoriously anti drugs and alcohol from 133 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: an early age, so at parties when everyone else was 134 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: getting wasted, Tracy would entertain himself and others with his 135 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:52,959 Speaker 1: Iceberg Slim inspired krip rhymes. His friends couldn't get enough. 136 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: Yo Ki ta ice for Iceberg Slim, Tea for Tracy, 137 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: and ice tea was and so too was quote unquote 138 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: gangster rap, a term that wouldn't come to prominence for 139 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: a couple of years, but make no doubt about it, 140 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: Ice Tea had originated the form when he launched his 141 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: recording career. Inspired by the flow of Philly rappers school 142 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:18,079 Speaker 1: we d who hinted at his crew's crimes in PSK, 143 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: iced T took it a step further and explicitly documented 144 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: the antics and crimes he and his crip affiliates were 145 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: getting up to as teenagers and young adults banging, dealing, rhyming, stealing. 146 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: As familiar as these rhymes were to locals, they were 147 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: completely alien to the white kids who populated the radio 148 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: every Friday night. Rhymes like these, this can't be overstated, 149 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: were completely new at the time. There was a level 150 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: of realness, of hardness, a hard reality that had never 151 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: been heard in music before. Tracy Merrill aka iced T, 152 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: self central resident cripp Street gang affiliate, had invented gangster 153 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: rap just by being himself, rapping about what he knew, 154 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,200 Speaker 1: who he knew, and what he saw around him, the 155 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: reality he took from the environment he lived in, an 156 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: environment consumed by the crack epidemic of the nineteen eighties 157 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: and overrun by violent gangsters who would just as soon 158 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 1: cut you down with an AK forty seven, or who's 159 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: he's some machine gun for walking down the wrong street 160 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: wearing the wrong colored seekers as they would smile at 161 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: you menacingly from the back seats of their chopped lowriders. 162 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: Streets that were controlled by vicious, racist, abusive cops who 163 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: batterle rammed first and asked questions later. In the mid 164 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: to late eighties, south central Los Angeles, where iced Tea 165 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: had grown up and lived, was nothing short of a 166 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: war zone. An iced Tea was prepared for war. He'd 167 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: done his time in the US Army. After getting his 168 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:52,160 Speaker 1: girlfriend pregnant. With a new daughter and zero career opportunities 169 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: that didn't involve robbing, dealing, or banging, iced Tea joined 170 00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 1: up and the army changed him. First and foremost, it 171 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: taught him how to strategize and how to lead men. Second, 172 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 1: it humiliated him. A particularly cruel superior officer had it 173 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: out for him and told him to know uncertain terms 174 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: that the only reason he was in the army was 175 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: because he was too much of a failure to make 176 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:18,199 Speaker 1: it on the outside to provide for his family. He 177 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 1: was a little bitch who ran into the arms of 178 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 1: uncle because he was too weak a sister to cut 179 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 1: it out on the outside. This, more than anything in 180 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: his life to this point, motivated him to succeed, to 181 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: win on his terms, to do it his way. So 182 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: when he got out, he turned to the one thing 183 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: he felt naturally suited for crime, robbing jewels, furs, high 184 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: end wares, but mainly jewels. Jobs he could put crews 185 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: together to pull that didn't involve guns, smash and grab 186 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: stuff no murder. Ice could lead his crew, calculate the risks, 187 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: make his scores without leaving a trail of bodies, fence 188 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 1: his goods support, his daughter, stacked a cash, buy that 189 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: Porsche Peacock, those Iceberg slim threads, fly as a motherfucker, 190 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 1: fuck that bee boy, Cankle, Iced Tea, Rockneman, Marcus Fendy, 191 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: and any other high end designer garb he could get 192 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: his hands on. From his smashing grabs, he was being 193 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: his true self. He was beyond street, He was upwardly mobile. 194 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: His crimes made him so. Iced Teas boys Vic and Shawnee. 195 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: Sean had a spot in Inglewood, a stash house, minx, 196 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: other furs, shoe boxes, hat boxes, racks of expensive suits 197 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: and dresses, bags of jewels, and literally pounds of marijuana, 198 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 1: tightly packaged in duct taped plastic lining the walls of 199 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 1: the back rooms from Florida's ceiling. The dope was Vic 200 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: and Shawnee Shan's. Ice didn't truck with drugs. His game 201 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: was contraband to wit in the driveway under the car port, 202 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 1: covered in a canvas tarp and stuffed with expensive furs 203 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: a stolen ghost rider. They'd fenced the threads and ditched 204 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: the whip. After the next jobs, getaway, Easy Come, Easy go, 205 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: Ice was leaning over the dining room table, his arms outstretched, 206 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: palms down on the upper corners of a large map 207 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: of greater Los Angeles. They were going far out, this time, 208 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: north northeast, almost to sand Bernardino County. They' hit too 209 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: many spots near La and Ice could feel the heat coming. 210 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: After this job, they'd need to expand further north, or 211 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: perhaps further east, maybe as far as Arizona, to put 212 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: in work. The getaway was possibly more important than the 213 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 1: robbery itself. Ice learned in the army that once the 214 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 1: job was done, there needed to be a clear exit strategy. 215 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: No man left behind on the street. The exit strategy 216 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 1: all but guaranteed success, and this was the element that 217 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,679 Speaker 1: Ice knew most fly by night street criminals never thought of. 218 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: All they cared about was the smash and grab. But 219 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,439 Speaker 1: once they'd stolen what they'd come to steal, they were 220 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: rendered vulnerable, without a real life escape plan, arrested and 221 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: left pondering their laziness over a slow twenty five years 222 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: in the pen Ice Tea was not lazy. He laid 223 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: out the getaway plan first, then, working in reverse chronological order, 224 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: explained the job, robbing all the diamonds, gold knots, and 225 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: rolex as they could from the suburban Ball's high end 226 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: jewelry store, delegating to his crew in the process, he 227 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: laid it out for them. The clerk in these places 228 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: was almost always a woman, and there was usually never 229 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: anyone else in the store not working, not in the back, 230 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: and did of course not enter the store if there 231 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 1: were already customers milling about. This was before CCTV, before 232 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: armed security guards. In high end merchandising shops. Usually the 233 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,359 Speaker 1: only security they had to deal with was mall security, 234 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: and part of their plan was to hit their mark. 235 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: When they knew the mall guard was in a totally 236 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: separate part of the mall. Even if an alarmed trip, 237 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: they would still have at least four minutes to grab 238 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: as much merch as they could before any security would 239 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 1: be anywhere remotely close to them. They entered as planned, 240 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: with the security guard fucked off in search of a 241 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: food court donut or something. ICE's accomplice, Tanya, got into 242 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: a quick conversation with the woman behind the counter about 243 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 1: one of the jewelry pieces. Nat the Cat, played a 244 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: cool pretending to be Tanya's semi interested husband, not the 245 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 1: cat's brother. Bebop. ICE's other accomplice was the second set 246 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: of eyes. Ice was the first. Two sets of eyes 247 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: were needed to kick off the plan, and there needed 248 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:35,239 Speaker 1: to be firm confirmation that there were indeed no cameras, 249 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: no other store staff, no customers, and no donut eaters 250 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: milling about outside. Ice was also the basher. The code 251 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: was an affirmative answer from Bebop that it was quote 252 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: unquote a bet. While Ice and Beebop browsed the jewelry 253 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: in its cases and Tanya kept the shop worker behind 254 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: the counter occupied, Ice would ask Bebop in code if 255 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: the coast was clear, he would ask is it a bet? 256 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: And if it was safe, Bebop would reply with okay, Holmes, 257 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: it's a bed. And with that Ice he would whip 258 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: the tiny sledgehammer from his pocket and smash the glass 259 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: jewelry case open, and the two would begin looting as 260 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: much hardware as they could. Usually the female shopkeeper, even 261 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: without a gun trained on her, was scared in a paralysis, 262 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 1: but as she split for the back room, or got 263 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: cute and activated an alarm, or if the broken glass 264 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: triggered an alarm, it didn't matter. They had time four 265 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: minutes tops Ice would meticulously grab as many jewels and 266 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 1: watches as he could while that the cat kept time 267 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: on his watch, shouting out the amount of time left 268 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: as the second sticked away, and usually with at least 269 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: a minute despair, Ice and his crew were out of 270 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 1: there on foot, through the back of the store, into 271 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: the catacombs of the mall, out to the garage, into 272 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: the jack ghost Rider with stolen plates, and off before 273 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: security even made it to the scene of the crime. 274 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 1: The cops weren't even part of the equation. Such was 275 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: the beauty of the mall robbery. It worked because Iced 276 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 1: tea put in the work planning strategy. It was who 277 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: he was and when he wasn't robbing, he used planning 278 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: rhymes in his head and stepping up to the mic 279 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: to MC at the radio. And this post work ritual 280 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: was a little different than his smash and grab post 281 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: work ritual. There was no stash house and no stolen 282 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:28,879 Speaker 1: getaway car. Ice was in his Porsche nine fourteen, tiny car, 283 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:33,120 Speaker 1: butt tight and fast. Ice loved that car. He earned it, 284 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: just as he earned the sleep he was looking forward 285 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: to that night, but that morning rather, it was late. 286 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: The gig that night was incredible and the radio was packed. 287 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:47,479 Speaker 1: Madonna showed up, Yes, that Madonna. She loved Ice as 288 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:50,360 Speaker 1: set as did the crowd. He was starting to really 289 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 1: feel this rap game, but man running robberies and rhymes 290 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 1: had him bone tired, especially on that night. He pulled 291 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: up to the light at West Boulevard and Slawson let 292 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: his eyes rest for a second. His foot slipped off 293 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:15,160 Speaker 1: of the brake, and before he even realized it. When 294 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:18,360 Speaker 1: he awoke, he didn't know where he was or who 295 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,719 Speaker 1: he was, and need did did anyone else. His wallet 296 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: wasn't recovered from the crash, and the car was broadsided 297 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,160 Speaker 1: by a truck, flipped, rolled, its steering wheel broke off. 298 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: The driver's side of the car was totally demolished, and 299 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 1: the small Porsche was folded completely in half. A two 300 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 1: door roadster turned accordion rag with the ambulance came the 301 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: trailing LA newspaper reporter. He took one look at the wreck, 302 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 1: and his experience told them he needn't check with cops 303 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 1: on the scene. He knew the fate of the driver 304 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 1: sitting lifeless, blood burbling from his mouth, crammed into the 305 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 1: passenger side door from impact, and so he reported the 306 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: wreck as he saw it with his own two eyes, 307 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: as a fatal We'll be right back after this word 308 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 1: word were. The only way to describe the voices is 309 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: to say they sounded like ghosts, distant but with unmistakable 310 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: presence cutting through the fog, accompanying the sounds of the 311 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: gurney being wheeled over the linoleum floors, and the sound 312 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: of the PA system summoning this doctor and that nurse 313 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,199 Speaker 1: to pick up this or that phone to report to 314 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: this room or that one, and of course the sound 315 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 1: of the bleeping vital signs monitor slowly but steadily chirping 316 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 1: in the background, accenting the sound of Ice Tea's heartbeat, 317 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:52,679 Speaker 1: but the voices were ghostly, pained, damned, and angry about it. 318 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: Iced Tea drifted in and out of semi consciousness in 319 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: his La Countie hospital bed, and the more awake he became, 320 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: the more scary things got. He didn't know where he 321 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:06,159 Speaker 1: was or what was happening. All he knew were the 322 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:10,639 Speaker 1: sounds flooding his consciousness. Together they orchestrated a mini horror 323 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,680 Speaker 1: show in his head, all the aforementioned hospital sounds mixed 324 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: with random conversation from the spirits conducting this waking nightmare, 325 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,439 Speaker 1: talk of next of kin, colostomy bags DNR, and the 326 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 1: unmistakable chill engulfing his chest, cold hard fear. Ice team 327 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 1: worked to shut it all out because his injuries were 328 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: so bad his limbs wouldn't heal correctly if they put 329 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: casts on his body, so he lay in traction for 330 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 1: ten weeks, and through the haze of two and a 331 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,359 Speaker 1: half months of pain meds, he dwelled upon the last 332 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: big job he had pulled and why two of his 333 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:52,119 Speaker 1: homies were now doing time for something he did. Truck 334 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 1: hijackings were dangerous. Unlike the docile women behind the counters 335 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 1: at jewelry stores, dudes who drove trucks fancied themselves part 336 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: time cowboys with their skull bandits and Clint Eastwood correspondence courses. 337 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:07,719 Speaker 1: You never knew what level of redneck or working class 338 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 1: hero you were potentially running up against. Plus when you 339 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: ran up on a truck driver, they had options depending 340 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: on how you executed your jacking. They could run you down, 341 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 1: back over you, draw down on you at their piece, 342 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: which a good percentage of them carried, or they could 343 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,119 Speaker 1: just keep driving Later For you, lou, what were you 344 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 1: gonna do? Give chase in your stolen car and blast 345 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: off shots at the truck from your driver's side window, 346 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: right there on the streets of Inglewood. But the risk 347 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: was worth the reward. The sheer amount of merchandise on 348 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,160 Speaker 1: those trucks was worth far more than anything they could 349 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: boost in a store, and trucks were moving so much 350 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,439 Speaker 1: swag from Lax through Inglewood into la that on a 351 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: yearly basis, it was estimated that upwards of half a 352 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:52,160 Speaker 1: billion dollars was being jacked by street bandits like Ice 353 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,480 Speaker 1: and his boys. With the stash house Shawnee Sean and Vic. 354 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: The truck approached the stop sign, Ice and someone from 355 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,520 Speaker 1: his crew were curved waiting opposite the truck on the 356 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 1: other side of the intersection, knowing its route and timing 357 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:09,640 Speaker 1: out by the airport in the dead of night. As 358 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: soon as the truck braked, they floored it straight across 359 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,199 Speaker 1: the intersection, head on toward the truck, slamming on their brakes. 360 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: Nose to nose with the truck, they sprung from their car, 361 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: guns drawn on the driver the entire time while jumping 362 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: up to Meat and his cab, opening both the drivers 363 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 1: and passenger side doors, pulling the driver out of the 364 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 1: cab and dragging him back to the trailer to have 365 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: him open the rear doors and gain entry to the 366 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 1: merge at the back of the truck. Their accomplice that 367 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:38,400 Speaker 1: the cat was waiting in a second stolen car. They 368 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: cleaned the truck out, filling every square inch of NAT's car, 369 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: before tearing off into the night back to Vic and 370 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: Shawnee Sean's stash house. The job was clean, guns but 371 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: no shots, Just like Iced Tea liked it, Leaving bodies 372 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: was nothing but trouble. Real heat in real time. An 373 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 1: Ice couldn't afford that kind of charge. It was a 374 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,959 Speaker 1: good thing he was so disciplined, because shortly after the 375 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: truck job, someone tipped off the LAPD who raided Vic 376 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 1: in Shawnye Sean's stash house. Ice Tea wasn't there at 377 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 1: the time, but all the contraband was, and so was 378 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 1: the stolen car and Sean's pounds of weed. LAPD wanted 379 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: to know who Sean did the hijacking with no one. 380 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: He told them, bullshit. They knew he couldn't have done 381 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 1: the work all by himself. They reminded him of the 382 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 1: stiff sentence he'd received twenty five years for the truck job, 383 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 1: and the car was grand theft auto, not to mention 384 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: the weed distribution. Fuck it, Shawnee. Sean told them, yeah, man, 385 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:44,879 Speaker 1: whatever the shit's in my house, give me whatever you got, Shawnny. 386 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: Sean took the weight himself. Vic took the weight too. 387 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 1: Ice Tea would never forget it. They would never forget 388 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 1: how lucky he was to not only survive the bus 389 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: and a potential long prison sentence, but to also survive 390 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 1: the car crash. His body was ravaged, broken pelvis, broken ribs, 391 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,400 Speaker 1: broken fever, the rest of his body smashed, bashed, cashed. 392 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,920 Speaker 1: The recuperation was long and arduous, and gave him time 393 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,879 Speaker 1: to think. He was too smart to ignore the fact 394 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:15,880 Speaker 1: that his luck would eventually run out, so he gave 395 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 1: up the hustle. Crime pays, but at what costs, So 396 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: no more crime. From now on, the rhymes would have 397 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 1: to pay. His years slinging crip rhymes in the underground 398 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,680 Speaker 1: scene already had him well connected. Hot off the success 399 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 1: of the sixth in the Morning single, I signed his 400 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: first major label deal with Sire Records, a Warner Brothers subsidiary. 401 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 1: His debut album from nineteen eighty seven, Rhyme Pays, went gold. 402 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: His second album, Power went platinum. At the time, Iced 403 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: Tea was the only gangster rapper in the game, and 404 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,440 Speaker 1: it made his rhymes fresh. While other rappers were still 405 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,679 Speaker 1: hiding their street roots to appeal to the mainstream. Iced 406 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,719 Speaker 1: Tea continued to take his cues from Iceberg Slim and 407 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: rapped only the real shit, and it worked. By the 408 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 1: early nineteen nineties, Iced Tea was recording the theme song 409 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,439 Speaker 1: to Dennis Hopper's film Colors about dangs in La and 410 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,680 Speaker 1: he was touring Lollapalooza, doing a half hip hop set 411 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 1: and then bringing out body Count for the second half, 412 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:21,439 Speaker 1: exposing himself to a whole new audience. I'm listening to 413 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 1: exactly what you wouldn't think Ice Tea would be listening 414 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: to now, he told MTV News and a teaser before 415 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: his set, and rattled off West Coast hardcore bands like 416 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: Black Flag and Suicidal Tendencies. In other interviews, he would 417 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: name check Slayer in Black Sabbath, and The new band 418 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,880 Speaker 1: also featured Shawnnie Seawan and Vick now known as beat 419 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: Master V, both fresh from doing two years taking the 420 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: rap for Ice. But the realist shit of all was 421 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: cop Killer, which closed the four song body Count set 422 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:54,400 Speaker 1: every afternoon and whipped suburban teens into an anarchic frenzy 423 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: that nobody else on the first Lollapalooza bill could match 424 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:03,159 Speaker 1: Rollin's band No. Nine in not even close, butthole Surfers maybe, 425 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:06,159 Speaker 1: but they went on too early Living Color. Okay, they 426 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: came close. The controversy over the song exploded into the 427 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,919 Speaker 1: mainstream the next year, when cop Killer was featured as 428 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 1: the final song on body Count's self titled debut it 429 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: caught the attention of the highest office in the land, 430 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,200 Speaker 1: the President of the United States, who unleashed the National 431 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: Security State on Iced Tea to dig up dirt on 432 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: him and send him to jail. The surveillance had its effect. 433 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: Ice was on edge. He always had the feeling of 434 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 1: seeing an ice cream truck parked outside his house in 435 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 1: the dead of winter, of something being off. G men 436 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: had even questioned his daughter at her school to find 437 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: out if her dad, Iced Tea was in any extremist groups. 438 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,239 Speaker 1: On top of all the heat from the government, the 439 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:51,399 Speaker 1: fire storm over cop Killer was impacting Warner Brothers bottom line, 440 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 1: and the future of his record deal was in doubt. 441 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 1: His next record was in the can, but its release 442 00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:00,680 Speaker 1: had already been delayed. All the pressure, all the attention 443 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: that had Iced Tea wound up. His history on the 444 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:08,159 Speaker 1: streets had informed his music and launched him into the stratosphere, 445 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: but now it dogged him. No matter how successful his artistry. 446 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 1: The street was calling out his name, welcoming him home, 447 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: and with the slightest push, Iced Tea was ready to snap. 448 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: Ice Tea was pissed at the edge of the stage, 449 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: looking out at the massive Italian crowd that had assembled 450 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 1: the Sea body count. They were showing their appreciation for 451 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,840 Speaker 1: the band with the long standing European punk rock tradition 452 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: of spitting on them. Ice Tea was not having it. 453 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 1: This wasn't the late seventies, this was the nineties. Shit 454 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: had changed. Man, who knew what kinds of disease these 455 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: Italian kids were sending body counts away. Ice clocked the 456 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: main culprit front row, black T shirt, long, greasy black hair. 457 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 1: He looked more like an aimless Italian street kid than 458 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 1: an actual fan. Ice told the crowd the chill with 459 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 1: the spitting. They didn't mainly this kid didn't. Ice positioned 460 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 1: himself right at the front of the stage, right in 461 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 1: front of the kid, the main offender. Ice gave the 462 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 1: crowd the kid basically one more chance to stop spitting, 463 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 1: telling them that that ship wasn't cool and they could 464 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:33,680 Speaker 1: do whatever the fuck they wanted, but the spitting had 465 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 1: to stop. Most did, but again the kid did not. 466 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: As the frontman, Iced Tea told the crowd to put 467 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 1: their hands in the air, and when they did, the 468 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 1: kid included Iced Tea hauled off and cocked him with 469 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: his fist right in the grill immediately Iced Tea screamed 470 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 1: cop killer right into the mic, and the band kicked 471 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 1: into the song behind him. The crowd erupted, and the 472 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: kid who Ice punched his friends warmed iced Tea and 473 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: began hurling off punches of their own. Ice grabbed his 474 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: mic stand a straight stand. This was no boom. This 475 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: was a weapon with its dome shaped metal base. Ice 476 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: swung it without mercy, flailing around and clearing away back 477 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 1: onto the stage, away from what was now turning from 478 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:20,240 Speaker 1: an audience into a mob, while the band raged behind him. 479 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 1: The crowd started chanting in English, We're going to kill you, 480 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 1: We're going to kill you, and the chance grew louder 481 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:30,640 Speaker 1: Hooligan soccer stadium loud. The band instinctively dropped their instruments 482 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 1: and sprinted off of the stage, and the chance only increased. 483 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: From backstage, it sounded like the roar the gladiator's colosseum. 484 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 1: Iced Tea's instincts quickly kicked in and exit strategy was 485 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,960 Speaker 1: imminently needed. It was all the matter. If they didn't 486 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: break out soon, they'd be consumed by the mob and 487 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: torn limb from limb for turning on their fans. And 488 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 1: their tour bus wasn't an option. Outside the Colisseum, the 489 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:58,400 Speaker 1: mob already had it surrounded. Iced Tea had the promoter 490 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: quickly summoned six calves. He then made it to the 491 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: exit door through the cavernous venue's catacombs. He peeked out 492 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: the door and the mob was waiting. They'd struck up 493 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: a massive bonfire in the parking lot ship up beyond 494 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 1: Thunderdome real fast. Ice could see the cabs entering through 495 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: the gate approaching. He pulled his hoodie up over his head, 496 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,360 Speaker 1: lowered his gaze, and fast walked out the door ahead 497 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:24,320 Speaker 1: of his bandmates and crew toward the cabs, and for 498 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: a minute they went unnoticed. Then, as he was walking, 499 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: he could see members of the mob noticing his entourage, 500 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 1: and they slowly started closing in, approaching him and his 501 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,560 Speaker 1: band and crew, putting themselves between them and the cabs. 502 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: Ice lowered his shoulders and did his best Emmitt smith 503 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: sprinting straight into the crowd, pummeling members of the mob 504 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 1: unexpectedly with the force of his rushing body. He his guitarist, 505 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: urdye See, and the promoter made it through to one 506 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: of the cabs and dove into the back seat. The 507 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: driver was shell shocked, paralyzed by fear, and the mobs 508 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:57,719 Speaker 1: surrounded the cab and began pounding on the windows, rocking 509 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: it back and forth. Iced Tea cuffed the dry in 510 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 1: the back of the head to snap him out of it. 511 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:06,360 Speaker 1: Drive motherfucker, and the driver did no such thing. He 512 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: popped open his door, rammed his shoulder into it, and 513 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: pushed his way out of the car to escape. 514 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 2: Ice hopped over the seat under the front, took the 515 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:16,240 Speaker 2: wheel and began pushing the car into and through the crowd, 516 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 2: bodies banging onto the cab, bouncing off of its body. Finally, 517 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:22,240 Speaker 2: they made it through and out of the area of 518 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 2: the venue, into the streets of Milan, and back toward 519 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 2: their hotel. 520 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 1: They'd escaped. They were now on the hook for not 521 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 1: only assault, but also a grand theft auto. Smartly, Ice 522 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 1: had the promoter drive the cab straight back to the 523 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: venue to return it to its driver. Ice Tea cooled 524 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:44,920 Speaker 1: as jets at his hotel. Before we knew it, morning 525 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 1: had come and he was being ushered to the train 526 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 1: station en route to a radio station in Rome for 527 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: a previously scheduled interview with the country's number one rock DJ. 528 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: The news of the melee last night's body Count concert 529 00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 1: in Milan was everywhere that morning, especially on the airways. 530 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: The Italians were pissed, and while walking into the studio 531 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: to do the interview, ice T felt like he was 532 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 1: walking in front of a firing squad. 533 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 3: He Laura in so you can Know Charlie for Americano 534 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:21,920 Speaker 3: iced tea Cantata. The group ROCs called body can Undo 535 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 3: a quanto mare Matsarah last and in Territo as soon 536 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 3: as a. 537 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 1: God Killer before Maxa Polizio. 538 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 3: Regi and Bastard Maziano an invaso mazzar I see a 539 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 3: sb so miraculos Aveny require Room introduced the exclusiva Presentaday 540 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:57,480 Speaker 3: five Sienora signor Ladies and gentlemen on the level Americano 541 00:32:57,640 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 3: nong ki cantata de body count I. 542 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: Despite the anger in the DJ's voice, iced Ta took 543 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,480 Speaker 1: to him straight on, looked him in the eye, shook 544 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 1: his hand, sat down at the mic, and he immediately 545 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: on air began recounting his side of the story that 546 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 1: he had given the audience a chance to stop spitting, 547 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 1: that it was one dude who wouldn't stop that he 548 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,120 Speaker 1: and his van couldn't stand there and take it. But 549 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:23,479 Speaker 1: the dude didn't listen, and what did they expect him 550 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:25,920 Speaker 1: to do? Stand there and continue to get spit on? 551 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:29,520 Speaker 1: The DJ got it it immediately directed his ire and 552 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: his countryman loop Na, what did you expect Icey to do? 553 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:35,360 Speaker 1: This is why we love him. 554 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:38,560 Speaker 3: He's a gangster and if you disrespect him, yeah, he 555 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 3: will punch you in your stupid face. 556 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 1: The DJ's interpretation of what had gone down turned public 557 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 1: sentiment almost immediately, and body Count were permitted to continue 558 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: their tour of Italy. Iced Ta had stayed true to himself, 559 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:58,479 Speaker 1: to who he was, to his origins as a gangster. 560 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:01,520 Speaker 1: It served him well in the past. It kept them 561 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 1: alive at Crenshaw High with the crips, got them through 562 00:34:04,320 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: the Army, allowed him to maneuver his way through early 563 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 1: adulthood as a hustler who knew exactly when to give 564 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: up the game before the game gave him a twenty 565 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 1: five year sentence, and those gangster origins gave him the 566 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:19,520 Speaker 1: inspiration necessary to launch not only his rap career, but 567 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:23,759 Speaker 1: an entire new genre that he invented, gangster rapp. But 568 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:26,000 Speaker 1: when the time came for iced T to deal with 569 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:29,080 Speaker 1: the mess Cop Killer had made for him. Again, he 570 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:33,200 Speaker 1: relied on his gangster instincts. The controversy over a song 571 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:36,760 Speaker 1: depicting the murder of police officers by a fictional character, 572 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:39,520 Speaker 1: something that had been done over and over again in 573 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 1: television and film for years, by the way, was deemed 574 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 1: so offensive coming from the mouth of a black musician 575 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:48,400 Speaker 1: that the President of the United States of America had 576 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:52,720 Speaker 1: weighed in. Multiple federal agencies were investigating him, and Warner 577 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:56,279 Speaker 1: Brothers Records, the label that released body Count's music cop 578 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:59,920 Speaker 1: Killer included, was under so much scrutiny that their company 579 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:04,640 Speaker 1: stock was literally dropping. Iced T knew what to do 580 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,759 Speaker 1: when the heat got too hot for the OG. The 581 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:10,719 Speaker 1: OG didn't stick around to get burned. And if the 582 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,799 Speaker 1: OG didn't have a clear exit strategy and wound up 583 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:17,000 Speaker 1: getting popped, then the OG made like Shawni Shan when 584 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 1: he caught the charge at his stash house. What the 585 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 1: OG didn't do was bring down his partners with him. 586 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 1: So when it came to cop Killer, that's what iced 587 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:29,799 Speaker 1: T did. He took the weight himself. He wasn't going 588 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:32,560 Speaker 1: to dig in on some sensored artist's crusade and sink 589 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,879 Speaker 1: the whole ship and the process destroying his future earning 590 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 1: potential because without rhymes, iced T's only real skill to 591 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,359 Speaker 1: that point anyway, was crime, and he wasn't going back 592 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: to that. So he did the smart thing. He bore 593 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 1: the brunt of cop killer and let his partners at 594 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:51,120 Speaker 1: Warner Brothers off the hook by agreeing to take the 595 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:54,160 Speaker 1: song off body Count's album and issuing it as a 596 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:58,160 Speaker 1: free single to his fans instead. Some in the media 597 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,320 Speaker 1: charged ice with being a cellout to giving into censorship, 598 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 1: but real OG's knew the score. Public enemies Chuck d 599 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,919 Speaker 1: came to iced T's defense and said, if you ain't 600 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:13,160 Speaker 1: in the battles, you shouldn't comment on the war. Iced 601 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:16,320 Speaker 1: Tea knew about war, a certain type of war anyway. 602 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:19,680 Speaker 1: He was a soldier and then a criminal, the original 603 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:23,360 Speaker 1: gangster who stayed Og to the end, using those gangster 604 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 1: instincts to navigate through what could otherwise have been certain disgrace. 605 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:54,360 Speaker 1: I'm Jake Brennan, and this is Disgraceland. Disgraceland was created 606 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 1: by Yours Truly and is produced in partnership with Double Elvis. 607 00:36:57,840 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 1: Credits for this episode can be found on the show 608 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:03,880 Speaker 1: notes page at disgracelampod dot com. If you're listening as 609 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: a Disgraceland All Access member, thank you for supporting the show. 610 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:10,040 Speaker 1: We really appreciate it, and if not, you can become 611 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:13,279 Speaker 1: a member right now by going to disgracelampod dot com 612 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 1: slash Membership. 613 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 4: Members can listen to every episode of disgracelan ad free, 614 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,520 Speaker 4: Plus you'll get one brand new exclusive episode every month, 615 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 4: weekly unscripted bonus episodes, special audio collections, and early access 616 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 4: to merchandise and events. Visit disgracelampod dot com slash Membership 617 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:34,680 Speaker 4: for details, Rate and review the show, and follow us 618 00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:38,640 Speaker 4: on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook at disgracelampod and on 619 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:42,279 Speaker 4: YouTube at YouTube dot com slash at disgracelampod. 620 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:47,520 Speaker 1: Rock a Roller, He's the man.