Rapper and actor Ice-T, born Tracy Marrow, 67, has been married to ex-swimsuit model Nicole “Coco” Austin for nearly three decades. But before Coco, the “O.G. Original Gangster” dated another cover girl for over 15 years.
Darlene Ortiz, 58, met Ice-T in 1984 at the Radiotron nightclub in Los Angeles during the filming of the “Breakin.'” In the breakdancing-themed movie, Ice starred as the character Rap Talker.
After entering into a romantic relationship, Ice-T tapped Ortiz to pose for the cover art for his 1987 album, “Rhyme Pays,” and 1988’s “Power.”
The controversial “Power” image featured Ortiz holding a shotgun while wearing a bathing suit and red high-heeled shoes. The LP’s back cover shows off her bare cheeks.
Ortiz also starred in Ice-T’s “I’m Your Pusher” and “High Rollers” music videos. Many hip-hop historians refer to the “Definition Of Down – My Life with Ice-T & the Birth Of Hip-Hop” author as a video vixen pioneer.
Ice-T and Darlene share a son, Tracy Marrow Jr., who was born in November 1991. Their relationship reportedly ended in 2001 the same year he met his current wife, Coco.
He and Coco met on the set of a music video for his song “I Ain’t New Ta This.” Their daughter, Chanel Nicole, was born in November 2015, 13 years after her parents tied the knot in 2002.
Ortiz has built her own online following as co-host of comedian Corey Holcomb’s “5150 Show.”
Old photos of Ortiz and Ice-T recently sprang up on Janice Currence’s Instagram page. People in the comments voiced their thoughts on one of the most high-profile hip-hop romances of the 1980s and 1990s.
“This is his son Little T’s mother. 15 years and no marriage? And he left her for his current wife, Coco,” one person wrote about Ice-T and Ortiz never walking down the aisle.
Ice-T did tie the knot with Coco in January 2002. The stars of the E! network’s canceled “Ice Loves Coco” reality television series renewed their wedding vows in June 2011.
Instagram users also compared Ice-T’s former flames, with many fans complimenting both ladies and commending the “Colors” artist for his loyalty.
“Beautiful lady. Nothing like the blow-up doll he’s with now,” an Ortiz backer wrote in the app. Another comment read, “I loved Ice T and Darlene so much together vs Coco! Their time together was such a legendary duo!”
A third Instagram user expressed, “Coco was decent, but [Ortiz] was gorgeous.” Plus, someone theorized that Ice-T has regrets, writing, “He knows she was the best he had and he messed that up.”
Ortiz provided insight into her days alongside Ice-T in her ‘Definition Of Down” memoir. She spoke about the negative reactions to the book during a 2016 interview with AllHipHop.
“I am getting some interesting feedback from people before they even know what it’s about. They’re like, ‘Isn’t that a contradiction? She called it “Definition Of Down,” but yet she’s putting this story out,’” Ortiz said.
She resumed, “Well, yeah, but look how way later it is. And I never did that dude dirty, and I don’t think this book is doing anybody dirty. I think this is beautiful. So I’ll see how everything unfolds.”
In addition to Darlene and Coco, Ice-T has a 49-year-old child with his teenage sweetheart, Adrienne. The ex-pair dated while attending Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. Ice and Adrienne’s daughter, LeTesha Marrow, was born in March 1976.
