Gangster Rapper Will Talk to People About Hustling During Conference at MIT

Just call him Ice-MIT.

Actually, probably best if you don’t. Just call him Ice-T, or by his birth name, Tracy Marrow.

Regardless of which name you choose to use to address the original gangster rapper by, he wants people to come together at MIT on Saturday, February 22, where he will serve as the keynote speaker at the “Small Bytes and Apps Entrepreneurship Conference.”

Judging by a short video he made to promote the Cambridge gathering, which bills itself as an opportunity for people to learn about their personal brand, and how to better market themselves by tapping into the vast offerings of the Internet by making immediate connections, Ice-T will be talking about “hustling” and “everything you need to know to get your game together.”

According to Rayna Verbeck, cofounder of the Small Bytes series, which has been around for the last five years, Ice-T got pulled into making an appearance with the help of Wheeler Del Toro, an events host. “It’s long been part of Ice-T’s mission to talk to students at different schools. Del Toro and Ice-T were having dinner, and he said he would like to get involved in the event. We looked at his brand, and the longevity of his brand, and how he has rebranded several times throughout his career,” said Verbeck. “It’s been a significant career. Looking at that…he has a really interesting story on how to create a brand that has the strength and flexibility to carry you through different careers.”

She said that’s what millennials are looking at right now as they adapt to the digital age when building a personal brand. Whether taking on a role as an entrepreneur, or diving into a formal business position, if you can be flexible with your brand it will be easy to transition back and forth, she said.  Students at MIT have been involved on the ground level in helping organize the event, and will be in attendance on Saturday. It’s open to the public.

Besides Ice-T, who will be offering his expertise on getting your name out there to the masses, attendees will also get insight from radio host Gary Vaynerchuk, and branding consultant Dan Schawbel.

Here’s what else the seminar has to offer:

Your personal and business brand could appear in thousands of places in the real and digital world in the blink of an eye. Millions could learn about your product or service in less time than it takes to put your signature on a million-dollar deal. However, a key to your success is targeting the right people, places, and activities to get these maximum benefits and powerful results. Collaborate with other highly committed achievers. Learn skills designed to increase the power, marketability, and exposure of your brand.

Nothing about “hustling” in their program description, but we’re fairly confident that actor/director/music mogul Ice-T will deliver.

Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time Ice-T has ventured to the Bay State to talk about his career, and how he achieved success. Back in March of last year, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star spoke to students at UMass Boston, where he talked about growing up on the gritty streets of Los Angeles, where he would “rob banks on the way home from robbing a bank.”

As the keynote speaker on February 22, Ice-T will likely leave the drug and gangster talk on the sideline, and focus more on his current career path. The event claims speakers will be focused on topics like “reaching for the stars” to make your name stand out.

The Boston area is becoming a hotbed for some of rap’s founding fathers. Nas has his own fellowship brewing at Harvard University, and LL Cool J is being recognized by the same school for his decades-long career as a pioneer in the rap realm.

Too bad, looks like they forgot about Dr. Dre.