Tracy Lauren Marrow (born February 16, 1958 in Newark, New Jersey) better known by his stage name, Ice-T, is a rapper, actor, and author. He is credited with helping create gangsta rap in the late 1980s.

Personal background

Although one of West Coast hip hop's leading figures, Marrow, son of Solomon and Alice, was actually born in urban Newark, New Jersey, and christened Tracy by his father. When he was a child, he moved from his native Newark to the upscale community of Summit, New Jersey. His mother died of a heart attack when he was in third grade and his father died of a heart attack four years later. After his father died, he went to live with his paternal aunt in California and later attended Crenshaw High School in the district of the same name in South Central Los Angeles.Goldstein, Patrick. "The Hard Cold Rap of Ice-T." Los Angeles Times. April 24, 1988. Calendar Desk 89.Ice-T Biography. allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2008-07-08. After high school, he entered the 25th Infantry Division in the United States Army, an experience he has said he did not enjoy.