Ice T was an only child raised in New Jersey by his parents. After both their sudden deaths during his youth, at the age of twelve he was uprooted from his home in New Jersey and sent to live with his Aunt in South Central. He graduated high school with good decent grades but began to be influenced by the gang culture so common in his hood and was dealing drugs and committing robberies. After the birth of his first daughter he decided to join the military but in the back of his mind what he wanted to do was make music. But music is a tough business to break into and Ice T has gone on the record to state that for start up capital he was moonlighting as a bank robber.