Ice-T refused to ever make hip-hop music.
 In 1983, Strong recorded Ice-T's first single, "Cold Wind Madness", also known as "The Coldest Rap", an electro hip-hop record that became an underground success, becoming popular even though radio stations did not play it due to the song's hardcore lyrics
 Ice-T encountered controversy over his track "Cop Killer", the lyrics of which discussed killing police officers

