Dick Wolf has a recurring pattern of casting rappers in his shows — Ice-T on New York Undercover and Law & Order: SVU, and now Joe Budden on Crime in America podcast.

Joe Budden and Law & Order creator Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment partnered to launch Crime In America, a weekly true-crime podcast series.

With Ice-T specifically, Wolf valued his authentic, street-smart edge and cast him as Detective Fin Tutuola with the mandate to “play the cop that we need.” When Ice-T raised concerns about taking on a police role given his history and past criticism of law enforcement, Wolf reframed it pragmatically — asking Ice-T if he agreed society still needed police despite existing tensions. When Ice-T agreed, Wolf told him to play that ideal version of a cop, balancing realism about law enforcement with genuine street credibility.