Ice-T Tells It Like He Is to Stanford Law Students : Lecture: The controversial rap star warns of renewed violence if police are acquitted a second time in the Rodney G. King beating.

Rap star Ice-T, who has given artistic voice to the gang members of South-Central Los Angeles, visited Stanford Law School during the weekend and warned of renewed violence as long as African- Americans are denied equal justice.

Displaying a quick sense of humor and a steady stream of profanity, Ice-T ripped the U.S. Constitution, compared President Clinton to a smooth-talking car salesman and defended his “Cop Killer” song that prompted protests last year from police and politicians.

He also spoke candidly of his days as a gang member in Los Angeles, where life included drive-by shootings, murder, kidnaping for ransom, jewelry heists and insurance fraud.

“I did the whole nine yards, including drive-bys. . . ,” he said. “All I ever wanted to do in life was be a pimp.”

Ice-T drew frequent applause and laughter from the audience of Stanford students during his three-hour talk Saturday night, but he also conveyed the anger and frustration of young African-American men who feel “the system” has deprived them of all opportunity.

If the police officers who were videotaped beating African-American motorist Rodney G. King and are now facing a federal civil rights trial are acquitted a second time, Ice-T warned, violence will again erupt in Los Angeles.

“There are going to be a lot of dead (people) on the street. You mark my words,” he said. “We have to try to prevent this. I pray to God that justice is done.”

At the same time, the former Crenshaw High School student, who is in his early 30s, said it was “the happiest day of my entire life” when rioting broke out last April over the not guilty verdict in the officers’ first trial in a state court.

“During the riot, I rolled into the neighborhood,” he said. “I was chilling out, signing autographs. It was the most peaceful time I had ever been in South-Central Los Angeles. Brothers were dancing. Music was playing. It was a very great thing.”

Ice-T, whose real name is Tracy Marrow, inspired a national controversy last year with “Cop Killer,” which included lyrics such as, “Die, die, die pig, die.”

The artist professed some surprise that the song had become so notorious. “I didn’t think ‘Cop Killer’ was controversial because everyone I know hates the cops,” he said. “I thought everyone hated the police. Really.”

Focusing just on the one song, he said, was like taking only the scenes of the “Terminator” films in which Arnold Schwarzenegger shoots police officers and saying it represents the actor’s entire work.

“That’s what the media did to me this year,” he said. “They took a four-minute bite and said, ‘That’s what this guy’s all about.’ ”

Although the song has prompted debate over his First Amendment right of free speech, Ice-T dismissed the Constitution as “totally twisted” because, when it was written more than 200 years ago, it regarded people like him as property.

“I have the right under God to say anything I want to say,” he said. “I do not need a law to tell me what I can and cannot say.”

Ice-T praised Warner Bros. Records as the “home of free speech” among the major record labels, but controversy over the song prompted them to end their seven-year contractual relationship. “They are a part of the system, and they can’t be in the business of black rage,” he explained.

Ice-T has signed with the smaller Priority Records and said he will now receive $7 for each album sold, rather than the 93 he used to get.

Taking questions from the Stanford students, Ice-T defended himself from charges that his music is sexist and glamorizes violence. He also said he did not vote in last year’s presidential election, in part because he distrusted Clinton.

“He’s like a car salesman,” the rap singer said. “I’m a con artist, and I’ve seen a smooth con. This mother’s got a smooth con. . . .”

But he also said he was “really impressed” with what he had seen from the President so far and backed his economic program. “I’m willing to pay more taxes,” he said. “I paid a million in taxes last year.”

Ice-T said he donates a large amount of money to charities in his community, particularly Hands Across Watts, which is part of an effort to bring an end to gang warfare in Los Angeles.

“My first agenda is to keep my homeboys alive,” he said. “This (last) year five of my friends died. I should be dead the way I was living.”