Remember the days before Ice-T and CoCo Austin; when the rapper-turned-actor was married to a beautiful woman named Darlene? Although Ice-T has been with CoCo for about 15 years, it was Darlene Ortiz that really helped put Ice T’s brand on the map back in the day. For the youngins who don’t know, before there was Beyonce’ and Jay Z, it was Ice-T and Darlene who were considered one of hip hop’s first power couples. The two were together for from the time they met in 1984 until 1999.
Darlene On Ice T’s Pimpin’ & Her Naive Ways Back In The Day
During an interview with Complex magazine, Darlene opened up about their relationship and how her childhood and upbringing played a part in the relationship:
“I didn’t have any guidance. He could’ve told me anything, I was so intrigued with him. He used to pimp when he was in the service for extra cash. That very well could’ve happened to me. I was that open when I met him.”
Darlene On Her Admiration For Ice
She admitted she looked up to Ice-T because of their age difference:
“There’s a 10-year age difference. I would say that. Although my father was right there, I really looked up to Ice. My mom, another story.”
The Infamous Thong Photo Album Cover
Throughout their relationship, it was obvious she had Ice-T’s undivided attention but she also turned the heads of damn near every hip hop fan in America. What’chall known about that infamous 1988 Power album cover?!! That was when Darlene had everybody in hip hop talking after she made the rare (at that time), bold move of standing next to Ice T rockin’ a thong swimsuit, while holding a powerful weapon…and she gave the world a back view on the back of the album cover long before Lil Kim, Kim Kardashian, and the rest of ’em were doing it. Good Lawd, those were the days! After that classic album, Darlene stirred up so much hype, that she went on to make many frequent appearances in Ice-T’s videos and at several other public events. That bangin’ photo and their power couple relationship changed the rap game and Darlene became known as ” The Syndicate Queen.”
What Darlene Does For A Living Now
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba9SLYwAGZ5/?hl=en&taken-by=darleneog_ortiz
That iconic album cover opened many doors for Darlene and she’s still reaping the harvest of her work and the relationship that ended many years ago. Now, she is a fitness instructor and works as a co-host on the Gary Holcomb internet radio show, 5150 (see above post).
However, her talents don’t stop there. As a woman who wears many hats, she’s also an author who’s also released a book titled, Definition of Down. Known as the first video vixen of hip-hop, she shared details about her relationship with Ice-T, her career, and life after their breakup. During an interview with Source magazine, she explained why she felt their story needed to be told:
“I’ve always wanted to write a book especially after Ice got signed and things took off for us in a big way,” Ortiz explains. “The things that happened to us was all so amazing. Then once he left, I really knew I had to share our story, but our son was way too young to do it then so I had to wait until he was an adult and could better understand what I was going to put in there. It’s really a great story.”
Does She Regret Dating Ice T Back Then?
Despite their relationship ending, Darlene admitted there isn’t much she’d change about the way things turned out:
“Are you kidding me? I definitely would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I’d make subtle changes, especially on how it ended or maybe even when, but it’s all good. We’ve got our health and everything. I put my heart and soul in it.”
Meet Their Son
When the two decided to go their separate ways, they were still left with one common interest – their now 26 year old son, Tracy Marrow Jr.. Darlene admitted she still remained loyal even after the breakup, but feels Ice-T didn’t exactly hold up his end of the bargain as she expected. Check out their son below (be sure to swipe left)…
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb1SwE1AFwI
Darlene On Ice T’s Involvement In Their Son’s Life
When asked if the rapper made “good on the promise that he’ll take care of her and her son forever,” she said:
“Not to the degree that I think we deserved when he initially left. I knew I was gonna be OK, but for our kid it could’ve been much better. But whatever, he chose to do that and sometimes I let higher powers take over and handle some things.”
Good thing is, they’re all clearly in a better space now and their son oftentimes steps on stage with his Pops at various concerts.
