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    Rappers Named Ice: Gangsta Rappers to Not-So-Gangsta Actors

    If you were a rapper with the moniker “Ice” in the ‘80s or ‘90s, you pretty much had permission to do whatever you wanted to, including acting, talent be damned.

    Even Vanilla Ice got in on the action. After he stormed into the hip-hop scene in 1990 with “Ice Ice Baby,” and before he just as quickly faded back into obscurity, Van Winkle made an amazing cameo appearance in "TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze." After he experienced one of the “coolest experiences“ of his career, he followed it up with a starring role in "Cool as Ice," which won him a Golden Raspberry Award.

    Ice Cube, hailed as one of rap’s top lyricists, gained fame and fortune early on with rap group N.W.A. before flying solo. While straddling genre lines with his music collaborations, Ice also ventured into acting in the early ‘90s with his debut role in “Boyz n the Hood." With encouragement from friends, Cube took his pen to paper again, but this time to write films. He is most recognized for his involvement and creation of the “Friday” franchise. He is still active today after releasing umpteen albums and starring in over 25 movies and sadly, Coors Light commercials.

    After the Army, Ice-T started out as a bank robber before becoming a Grammy award-winning rapping and metal artist. But using music to distance himself from the law was hard to do when releasing songs like “Cop Killer.” Ironic that Ice-T has now been in over 75 movies and TV shows, typically playing police, most notably in his current role of 13 years, Fin on "Law & Order: SVU."