Any respectable rap fan knows the difference between Ice Cube and Ice-T, but can you guess which of the two is richer? Both men made a name for themselves as gangsta rappers from South Central Los Angeles and both made a successful crossover to acting. However, only one has bragging rights to a nine-figure fortune. Find out how both earned their keep, then see how Ice Cube’s net worth stacks up to Ice-T’s net worth.
Ice Cube And Ice-T Have Had Similar Careers
On paper, Ice Cube and Ice-T have had strikingly similar careers.
Ice Cube, born O’Shea Jackson, was a gangsta rap pioneer. As a founding member of N.W.A., his contribution to the 1988 album Straight Outta Compton put West Coast hip-hop on the map. He also proved to be a successful solo artist with his albums AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990) and Death Certificate (1991).
Then the acting bug bit. Ice Cube made his big-screen debut as Darrin “Doughboy” Baker in John Singleton’s 1991 film Boyz n the Hood. Since then he’s become a household name, starring in myriad popular franchises including Friday, Barbershop, and 21 Jump Street. He even managed to shed his gangsta rap reputation to score lead roles in family-friendly comedies like Are We There Yet?
Ice-T, born Tracy Marrow, hails from the East Coast but got his start in music while living in Los Angeles. His 1987 debut studio album Rhyme Pays was certified gold, but his 1991 sophomore effort O.G. Original Gangster made him a star.
While Ice Cube went solo after N.W.A., Ice-T took the opposite approach and found success as the frontman of the heavy metal band Body Count. However, both artists faced plenty of criticism for exploring similar themes: N.W.A. made headlines for the song “F–k The Police” while Body Count is best known for the track “Cop Killer.”
But just like Ice Cube, Ice-T managed to evolve from a bad boy rapper to a mainstream actor. The 63-year-old is perhaps best known as Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Talk about longevity: he has been a regular on the series since 2000 and appeared in 474 episodes (and counting.) Mariska Hargitay, who has starred since SVU’s 1999 debut, is the only co-star to beat his record.
Don’t forget the dozens of films he’s appeared in, including New Jack City and Tank Girl. He and Ice Cube share so much in common, is it any surprise that they’ve shared screen time? In 1992, the two rappers co-starred in the action film Trespass.
Ice Cube’s Net Worth
Ice Cube has an estimated net worth of $160 million. He uses this income to support not only his family but other passions as well!
In addition to rapping and acting, Cube has had plenty of additional ventures and deals to pad his income. He produced and wrote a number of the films he’s starred in, including Friday and Barbershop. Are We There Yet? was even adapted into a TBS sitcom that ran for three seasons between 2010 and 2013.
He also established the now-defunct clothing line Solo by Cube, which sold hoodies with built-in earbuds.
In 2017, the rapper co-founded Big3, a 3-on-3 basketball league comprised of former NBA players and international ballers. The league scored a broadcast deal with CBS in 2019.
Ice Cube lives a life that matches his net worth. He is said to own two sweet cribs: a mansion in Encino, California that he purchased for $2.36 million in 1996 and a $7.25 million home in Marina Del Rey that he acquired in 2016.
And in 2016, he revealed to Top Gear that he likes to indulge in cars. He told the outlet he owned a Corvette Stingray, a Rolls Royce Ghost, two Bentleys (an Arnage and Flying Spur), a Porsche Panamera, and a Cadillac Escalade.
“A lot of people will spend more on their car than they would on their house,” he said. “They’re a big status symbol, and a big signature on your personality.”
Ice-T’s Net Worth
Ice-T has an estimated net worth of $60 million.
It’s likely that royalties from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will have him set for life. But Ice-T still rakes in paychecks from other sources. He starred in two separate reality shows—VH1’s Ice-T’s Rap School and E!’s Ice Loves Coco—in 2006 and 2011, respectively. He also wrote three books and is currently the host of his own podcast, Ice-T: Final Level.
Like Ice Cube, it seems he has no qualms spending his money on nice digs. In 2012, he dropped $2.19 million on a 4,200 square-foot home in Edgewater, New Jersey. It was an upgrade from the $1.5 million Jersey penthouse he lived in back in 2005.
We only wonder if he regrets not hanging onto his home on the West Coast. In the mid-1990s, he sold his Los Angeles bachelor pad for $2 million; but by 2017, it was back on the market for $9 million.
We wouldn’t call Ice-T’s net worth chump change, but in terms of this battle of the rappers, it looks like Ice Cube comes out on top.