Black Ice

Hip-hop poet Black Ice began spreading his words of revolution back in 1993 when he was known as Lamar Manson. A captivating performer with a pro-family, anti-establishment message, Black Ice worked Philadelphia's coffeehouse and poetry slam circuit hard, earning himself a loyal local following along the way. It wouldn't be long before he was taking his performances on the road. At a gig in New York City, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons caught his act and the poet's quest for nationwide recognition kicked into overdrive. Black Ice went on to appear on five consecutive seasons of the Simmons-produced Def Poetry Jam on the HBO cable television network, which led to a starring role in the Tony Award-winning Def Poetry on Broadway. It was 2004 when he made his breakthrough into hip-hop, appearing on both Method Man's Tical 0: The Prequel and Pete Rock's Soul Survivor II. Two years later he would team with producer Eric "Booty" Greene and release his debut album, The Death of Willie Lynch, on the Koch label.