Ice-T stepped on the two-hour A&E special airing with fentanyl and fentanyl, aired at 9 p.m. ET, focusing on the deadly grip of fentanyl throughout the United States and the life it continues to steal – including the lives of Prince, Mac Miller and Coolio.
Hip-hop idols are both the host and executive producer of the documentary, which weaves the most tragic losses of sad families, law enforcement and the music industry.
The project aims to reveal the scope of fentanyl destruction and educate viewers on the deadly existence of the drug supply.
“Fentanyl is everywhere for me. By the time I learned about the drug, I’ve lost people. It’s a poison in the drug world and I want to do everything possible to make people aware of its dangers,” Ice-T said in a statement on the project. “Everyone knows someone who became a victim of fentanyl.”
The film arrives when the United States sees a sharp drop in excess death toll.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of drug-related deaths fell by 27% from 110,037 in 2023 to 80,391 in 2024.
During the same period, opioid overdoses (including those involved in fentanyl) dropped from 83,140 to 54,743. Nevertheless, fentanyl is still the leading cause of overdose death, accounting for nearly 70% of all drug deaths.
“These are stories that everyone needs to hear,” Ice-T added.
This includes the high-profile deaths of artists who unknowingly consume fentanyl inducible substances. Prince died in 2016 after taking fake painkillers containing synthetic opioids.
Mac Miller died in 2018 from a mixture of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol.
Coolio, “Gangsta’s Paradise”, died in 2022 with fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine in his system.
The list continues with Rich Homie Quan, who died in 2024 due to the combination of fentanyl, codeine, alprazolam and promethazine.
The documentary takes a deep dive into how fentanyl is often mixed with other substances.
According to the Drug Enforcement Bureau, five of the 10 drugs tested in 2024 contain potentially fatal fentanyl doses – from seven out of ten of the previous year.
The CDC also reported that overdose rates remain disproportionate and adults have the highest mortality rates among black, Hispanic, American Indian and multiracial populations.
