Editing Ice-T (section)

====Early career (1980–1981)====
After leaving the Army, Marrow wanted to stay away from gang life and violence and instead make a name for himself as a DJ.{{sfn|Marrow|Century|2011|pages=49–56}} As a tribute to Iceberg Slim, Marrow adopted the stage name Ice-T. While performing as a DJ at parties, he received more attention for his rapping, which led Ice-T to pursue a career as a rapper.{{sfn|Marrow|Century|2011|pages=49–56}} After breaking up with his girlfriend Caitlin Boyd, he returned to a life of crime and robbed jewelry stores with his high school friends. Ice-T's raps later described how he and his friends pretended to be customers to gain access before smashing the display glass with small sledgehammers.{{sfn|Marrow|Century|2011|pages=49–56}}{{sfn|Marrow|Century|2011|pages=57–69}}

Ice-T's friends Al P. and [[Body Count (band)|Sean E. Sean]] went to prison. Al P. was caught in 1982 and sent to prison for robbing a high-end jewelry store in [[Laguna Niguel, California|Laguna Niguel]] for $2.5 million in jewelry. Sean was arrested for possession of not only cannabis, which Sean sold, but also material stolen by Ice-T. Sean took the blame and served two years in prison. Ice-T stated that he owed a debt of gratitude to Sean because his prison time allowed him to pursue a career as a rapper.{{sfn|Marrow|Century|2011|pages=70–77}} Concurrently, he wound up in a car accident and was hospitalized as a [[John Doe]] because he did not carry any form of identification due to his criminal activities.{{sfn|Marrow|Century|2011|pages=78–83}} After being discharged from the hospital, he decided to abandon the criminal lifestyle and pursue a professional career rapping.{{sfn|Marrow|Century|2011|pages=78–83}} Two weeks after being released from the hospital, he won an open mic competition judged by [[Kurtis Blow]] at the Carolina West nightclub.{{sfn|Marrow|Century|2011|pages=89–112}} According to Michael Khalfani known as Disco Daddy, Ice-T won the first week of the competition under the name of DJ Tracy, but got beaten by Disco Daddy the second week, which led to the name change of Ice-T (Khalfani got signed to Rappers Rapp Records).