Publishers Weekly
★ 04/11/2022
Two paths diverge to beget staggeringly different tales in this potent dual narrative about the cost of living dangerously. With the help of journalist Century, rapper Ice-T and his former, literal partner-in-crime Spike deliver a propulsive chronicle of the choices that shaped their lives, beginning with the smash-and-grab jewelry robberies that brought the two together in L.A. in their early 20s in the early 1980s. “Armed only with baby sledgehammers,” Ice recalls, “we’d... smash the glass, filling bags with the loot and escaping without anyone in the store getting hurt.” But after the violence escalated and a car crash left him nearly dead, Ice stepped away, changed gears, and pursued his rap, and eventual acting, career. While Ice’s star was rising, Spike, blinded by “dollar signs,” chose to “keep speeding in the fast lane” and ended up in prison for a 1992 jewelry store heist that went awry when a member of his crew murdered a customer. As they chart their trajectories through alternating perspectives—with Ice eventually landing a recurring role on Law & Order: SVU and Spike serving 23 years behind bars before helping at-risk youth after his release—what unfolds is less a story of redemption than a raw testament to life’s consequential decisions. This grave and astonishing account will leave fans in awe. (July)
From the Publisher
"A propulsive chronicle...This grave and astonishing account will leave fans in awe."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Poignant and powerful, this work will resonate with a wide audience."—Library Journal (starred review)
“An astounding and provocative tale....A powerful memoir of diverging lives.”—Booklist
"This well-crafted memoir is a bracing reminder of how a few choices can separate success from a troubled life." —Kirkus Reviews
"Split Decision is a thrilling read. It’s also a reminder that our choices determine the type of person we can become, but we also have the ability to change. No one deserves a permanent label if they’re willing to put in the work." —Spin Magazine
Library Journal
★ 04/01/2022
In this two-voice memoir cowritten by Douglas Century (coauthor, Under and Alone), rapper and actor Ice-T and his friend Spike look back on the choices that led them down different paths. Living for the moment, the two robbed Los Angeles jewelry stores. However, Ice-T started to get into the music industry and realized that if he didn't go straight, he would be jeopardizing his future. Meanwhile, Spike, an aspiring musician himself, continued masterminding heists until 1992, when one ended tragically and he was sentenced to 35 years to life in the California detention system. While Ice-T recalls his rise in music, film, and television, Spike discusses his journey to self-discovery and redemption, which eventually led to his parole after more than 20 years in prison. The dual narrative is compelling and reflective. Ice-T and Spike give voice to growing up in Los Angeles in the 1970s and 1980s, amid gang violence, with few ways out of poverty. Although readers know how life turns out for each narrator, they'll still root for both Spike and Ice-T and share in their joys, fears, struggles, and triumphs. VERDICT Poignant and powerful, this work will resonate with a wide audience: rap and Law {}amp; Order fans, young adults, and readers of memoir.—Rebekah J. Buchanan
Kirkus Reviews
2022-04-25
A joint memoir from rapper and actor Ice-T and his former partner in crime.
Ice-T (born Tracy Morrow) has been ahead of the cultural curve his entire career, so it’s hardly surprising that this collaboration takes multiverse storytelling conventions and applies them to nonfiction. The result is much more than a gritty, Sliding Doors–style story. Though he has been in the public eye for decades, Ice-T, whose two-decade-plus portrayal of detective Fin Tutuola on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit made him the longest-running Black actor in TV history, is a relatively private guy. Ice-T opens up about being orphaned at age 12 and being quickly attracted to the trappings of criminal life, where he began working on jewelry store heists with his friend Spike. His love of hip-hop was connected to that life, but once he started drawing attention for his music, he realized he had to make a choice, and he chose music. “I’m going to show you the glamour and fast money that entice cats to want to be players, but also how they end up getting shot, overdosing, doing life in prison,” he writes. “There are no success stories among gangsters and players unless, like me, they manage to get out in time. No one’s invincible. You stay in the game long enough and you will go to prison or get killed.” Spike chose to stay in the game longer, telling himself he would get out after he had saved enough money to comfortably focus on his music. Spike got caught and went to prison, while Ice-T went on to fame and fortune. What makes their fascinating stories so effective is that neither one is told with any judgment or jealousy. They both own their decisions and recognize the consequences, good and bad.
This well-crafted memoir is a bracing reminder of how a few choices can separate success from a troubled life.
