Ice-T becomes the longest-running black actor on prime-time TV

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 12: Hip-hop Artist Ice-T performs at the CBGB Music & Film Festival 2013 - By Invitation Only ICE-T Performance on October 12, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for CBGB)

Ice-T NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 12: Hip-hop Artist Ice-T performs at the CBGB Music & Film Festival 2013 - By Invitation Only ICE-T Performance on October 12, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for CBGB) (Brad Barket)

Ice-T has recently beat Epatha Merkerson's record for being the longest-running African-American character in prime-time TV for his role on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Merkerson recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ensemble Theater's gala. She played Lieutenant Anita Van Buren for 17 years on "Law & Order," until Ice-T beat her record for having 18 seasons on "Special Victims Unit."

"I played a cop on New Jack City, but I never thought I would be on television."

"Now I'm like the longest-running black male cop in history. Imagine that… and Ice T? How did that happen?,"  Ice-T told Paste Magazine.

Watch the exclusive flashback interview of the rap artist and actor Ice-T from back in the day below.