Editing Ice-T (section)

===Activism===
During the popularity of [[Public Enemy (group)|Public Enemy]], Ice-T was closely associated with the band and his recordings of the time showed a similar political viewpoint. He was referred to as "The Soldier of the Highest Degree" in the booklet for ''[[Fear of a Black Planet]]'' and mentioned on the track "Reggie Jax". Ice-T's track ''This One's For Me'' included a defense of Professor Griff after the [[Public Enemy#Accusations of antisemitism|antisemitism controversy]] and attacked other rappers for not speaking out in his defense. At the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony for Ice-T, Chuck D appeared on stage alongside his longtime friend.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-02-17/ice-t-hollywood-walk-of-fame-star-ceremony-mariska-hargitay-chuck-d|title=Rapper Ice-T feels the love at Hollywood Walk of Fame: 'You are indeed the real O.G.'|first=Christie|last=D'Zurilla|access-date=June 2, 2024|date=February 17, 2023|newspaper=LA Times}}</ref>

Ice-T also collaborated with fellow vocalist and anti-censorship campaigner [[Jello Biafra]] on his album ''[[The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say!]]''. He and Biafra appeared on ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' in 1990 to debate [[Tipper Gore]] on censorship in music. After the controversy of the Body Count song ''Cop Killer'', Ice-T became an icon for free-speech campaigners, which led to a doubling in album sales.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o2kVAQAAIAAJ&q=ice-t+free+speech|page=91|title=An American Paradox Censorship in a Nation of Free Speech|last=Garry|first=Patrick|date=1993|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|isbn=9780275945220|access-date=May 11, 2024|archive-date=May 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511075907/https://books.google.com/books?id=o2kVAQAAIAAJ&q=ice-t+free+speech|url-status=live}}</ref> The song was condemned by both [[George H. W. Bush]] and [[Dan Quayle]] during the [[1992 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Writing Across the Curriculum: A Prentice Hall Pocket|date=2006|last=Brown|first=Stephen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mBEg3ZTYzOAC&q=ice-t+free+speech+icon|isbn=9780131565814|page=76|publisher=Pearson Education, Limited|access-date=May 11, 2024|archive-date=May 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511075911/https://books.google.com/books?id=mBEg3ZTYzOAC&q=ice-t+free+speech+icon|url-status=live}}</ref> When he decided to withdraw the song from his album, he replaced it with a metal version of his rap ''Freedom of Speech''. A 2004 ''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' article wrote, "He's toured universities lecturing on first amendment rights and civil liberties and is vocal about the billions wasted on the Iraq war. He insists, however, he'd never get involved in politics."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=February 2, 2024|title='Me get into politics? Nah, I've left crime behind'|last=Collins|first=Hattie|date=May 28, 2004|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/may/28/3|archive-date=May 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511075738/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/may/28/3|url-status=live}}</ref>

The last track of ''[[OG Original Gangster]]'' condemned both the [[Gulf War]] and [[mass incarceration]]. In 2017, Ice-T signed a petition to Congress for criminal-justice reform.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/ice-t-has-had-it-with-americas-overcrowded-prisons|publisher=Daily Beast|access-date=March 8, 2024|date=April 13, 2017|title=Ice-T Has Had It With America's Overcrowded Prisons|first=Asawin|last=Suebsaeng|archive-date=March 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308221603/https://www.thedailybeast.com/ice-t-has-had-it-with-americas-overcrowded-prisons|url-status=live}}</ref>

His 1994 book, ''The Ice Opinion'', was largely focused on his view on politics. Writing in the aftermath of the [[1992 Los Angeles riots]], he was one of the only rappers who criticized the targeting of Koreans by some Black rioters.<ref>{{cite book|page=384|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ckjeHrqbW8C|title=Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation|date=May 31, 2011|last=Chang|first=Jeff|isbn=9781446460108|publisher=Ebury Publishing|access-date=May 11, 2024|archive-date=May 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511080203/https://books.google.com/books?id=6ckjeHrqbW8C|url-status=live}}</ref>

On June 5, 2008, Ice-T joked that he would be voting for [[John McCain]] in the [[2008 United States elections|2008 American elections]], speculating that his past affiliation with Body Count could hurt [[Barack Obama]]'s chances if he endorsed him, so he would choose instead to ruin McCain's campaign by saying he supported him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tmz.com/2008/06/05/ice-t-add-mccain-to-my-body-count/|title=Ice T – Add McCain to My Body Count|work=[[TMZ]]|location=Los Angeles|date=June 5, 2008|access-date=April 18, 2014|archive-date=December 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203052832/http://www.tmz.com/2008/06/05/ice-t-add-mccain-to-my-body-count/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.theinsider.com/news/944138_ice_t_backs_up_john_mccain|title=Ice-T backs up McCain|magazine=[[The Insider (TV series)|The Insider]]|publisher=[[CBS Television Distribution]]|location=United States|date=January 28, 2010|access-date=January 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128213313/http://www.theinsider.com/news/944138_ice_t_backs_up_john_mccain|archive-date=January 28, 2010 }}</ref> In 2015, Ice-T said that he admired Obama "just for the simple fact he took the shot and went all the way to be president" and included Obama in the list of people who he would like to have for a dream dinner party.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/nov/07/q-and-a-ice-t|title=Ice-T: 'What's my favourite smell? Money'|last=Greenstreet|first=Rosanna|date=November 7, 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=May 11, 2024|archive-date=May 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511080318/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/nov/07/q-and-a-ice-t|url-status=live}}</ref>

On September 22, 2022, Ice-T narrated an advertisement for the [[Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ice-T featured in new free speech ad to air nationally during 'Law & Order: SVU' season premiere: 'We all have the right to express ourselves' |url=https://www.thefire.org/news/ice-t-featured-new-free-speech-ad-air-nationally-during-law-order-svu-season-premiere-we-all |website=Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression |date=September 22, 2022 |access-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-date=February 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219033701/https://www.thefire.org/news/ice-t-featured-new-free-speech-ad-air-nationally-during-law-order-svu-season-premiere-we-all |url-status=live }}</ref>