Ice-T - Rhyme Pays

Released in 1987

Ice-T was one of the fathers of gangster rap, responsible for inspiring hundreds of future rap artists and putting the West on the map as a hotbed for hardcore rap. While gangster rap eventually became so popular that everybody and his brother started spitting out unconvincing boasts and baseless tales of street violence, the early pioneers of the genre possessed a defiant sincerity that fueled their work. Ice-T was one of those pioneers with his 1987 debut album, Rhyme Pays.

This album, as with all of Ice-T's future albums, contained a blend of the typical macho and sexist posturing inherent in the sub-genre as well as truly insightful or absorbing tales of gang violence and the dreadful life in urban ghettos. Not all of Ice-T's attempts worked on Rhyme Pays; in fact more tracks miss the bullseye than actually hit it. But even the failures are solid enough examples of what would be to come that fans of classic gangster rap are likely to enjoy this album.

Some of the album highlights are:

• Rhyme Pays – Incorporating samples from Black Sabbath's War Pigs, this title track possesses a furious bite and intensity.
• Six 'N the Mornin' – One of Ice-T's better tales about criminals in the hopeless struggle to evade the inevitable.
• Squeeze the Trigger – A damning sociopolitical commentary about street life and the country's direction.

While the highlights above are classic Ice-T tracks that should be heard by any fan, the rest of the album is pretty average. Nonetheless, it's a generally satisfying look at the birth of a rap legend.

Rating: 6 stars

Track List Intro/Rhyme Pays 6 'N the Morn' Make It Funky Somebody's Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy!) 409 I Love Ladies Sex Pain Squeeze the Trigger Make It Funky (12 Mix) Sex (12 Mix) Somebody Gotta Do It (12 Mix) Our Most Requested Record

Additional Resources:

• Power Review
• The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say Review

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