Ice-T - O.G. Original Gangster
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Free Music Notes for O.G. Original Gangster
Free Music Review: Should feature in top 100 albums of all time.
Hit: 5 Stars
Ice-T's OG is like Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. This is where everything fell in place to create perfection. His earlier albums were first drafts, everything since has been in its shadow. That could also be said for all rap albums since.
This album is the type specimen for gangsta rap. After this, rap got lazy.
Free Music Review: Ice T's Mainstream Smash LP
Hit: 4 Stars
In March of 1991, well over a year before the Los Angeles riots of 1992, Ice T released his fourth studio LP, "OG: Original Gangster." Propelled by first single "New Jack Hustler", from the movie "New Jack City", Ice provides a then-staggering 24 tracks of beats, rhymes and social commentary.
As an unquestioned pioneer for West Coast rap and for the gangsta-rap lyrical stance, Ice delivers. His producers include longtime collaborator Afrika Islam, DJ Evil E, and a few west coast homies from his Rhyme Syndicate camp.
Some of the best songs here include the title track, "Lifestyles of the Rich & Infamous", "The Tower" (sampling John Carpenter's "Halloween" music), "The House" (about child abuse), and "Midnight".
Despite his righteous anger at police brutality, politicians, and the economics of the prison system, Ice can't help but to veer into some self-indulgent territory now and then; a tirade about getting locked up unfairly might be bookended by some lewd "Yo Momma" jokes, for example.
Also, Ice gives a preview of his Body Count project with a straight-ahead heavy metal track of the same name. Little did he know...
This is a great album with just a handful of filler (at 24 cuts, it's almost inevitable). It's also Ice T at the peak of his creative powers; future albums would find himself overshadowed by the increasingly crowded gangsta-rap-driven hip-hop business, and arguably hardcore artists who somehow found themselves on pop & urban radio a lot more frequently.
Free Music Review: Ice T, The Original Gangster (Rating: 10 out of 10- -5.0 stars)
Hit: 5 Stars
People say this is Ice T's best album, and I have to agree. I can see a lot of high school teenagers playing this back in '91, because if I was old enough, I would have been blasting this as well. Spinning this here in '07, I find it to still hold it's classic status. On this album, Ice T is full of energy on every song. Every song on here has a meaning and a message that he gets across. A lot of the songs here are serious like "Lifesyles Of The Rich And Infamous" and "Mic Contract". The latter song talking about his mic skills. Some of the songs here are funny, like "******* 2" (my mom heard this CD and thought the song was funny as well). Some of the songs have a real deep meaning that Ice T gets across, like "Straight Up *****" on why he uses the "N" word, and the song "Ed" on what happens when you do stupid things. He introduces is band Body Count on the song "Body Count", as well. Production is energetic, done by Ice himself, along with DJ Aladdin, Africa Islam, and the Rhyme Syndicate.
Only one song I didn't like on this LP was "Midnight". Personally I wasn't feeling Ice's slow rhyming over the slow beat, but the song is still nice, so thats my honorable mention track.
To Me, "OG: Original Gangster" is a 1991 masterpiece. This LP full of meaningful lyrics and shows Ice T at his best. Not too many albums have this kind of energy back in the early 90's like this does. At less than 10 bucks, this would be a perfect addition to you collection, and at a very cheap price. More than likely, you will enjoy it. Peace & Much Love.
Lyrics: A+
Production: A+
Guest Appearances: A
Musical Vibes: A
Top 5 Favorite Tracks:
1. New Jack Hustler
2. Lifestyles Of The Rich And Infamous
3. ******* 2
4. The Tower
5. Straight Up *****
Honorable Mention Track:
1. Midnight
2. O.G. Original Gangster
Free Music Review: A Real OG
Hit: 5 Stars
This is gangsta rap before it transformed in to hip-hop/pop. I owned this on tape years ago and forgot just how great of an album this was until I recently purchased the CD. A must have for the true ol' school, gangsta rap fan.Free Music Review: Groundbreaking...Ice-T's greatest work
Hit: 5 Stars
By the time Ice-T released his fourth album, 1991's "O.G. Original Gangster," he had already established himself as possibly the west coast's most relevant, angriest, and even most talented rap lyricist. But "O.G. Original Gangster" is still an amazing album even in comparison to his previous classic material. This album is his best full album. Ice-T covers a broad range of socially relevant topics from racism, sexism, crime, impressions, prison, and tons of others. Every song basically has a message, and Ice-T comes across as more of a philosophical genius than he ever did before. Musically, this album is also very diverse. His producers and DJ Evil E provide great beats that really match the lyrics he creates, whether it be through sampling or even live instrumentation. "O.G. Original Gangster" set the stage for the west coast to become a hip hop powerhouse, spawning countless imitators but no duplicators. "O.G. Original Gangster" is a hip hop classic, an album that could be appreciated twenty years from now that I recommend to all fans of any hip hop.
Following a cool intro and a skit, the first real song is the short "Ziplock," a tough song where Ice Cube just starts to get into the album. "Mic Contract" is a horn-heavy, funky musical song where Ice lets loose on the mic, speaking of his skills. He uses a sort of growled, low delivery over another funky beat on the excellent "Mind Over Matter," and on the classic "New Jack Hustler," he introduces himself as a new breed of gangster. The short "Ed" tells the story of a deceased friend, there are a number of short tracks on this CD that are like this, getting to the point quickly and telling a message. "B...." is one of my favorite songs on the album, using a great trombone sample and a great hook. Ice-T talks about how the term does not just apply to women, but to men as well. "Straight Up N...." is a song where the rapper speaks proudly of being a black man in America. The legendary title track is an exercise in great production and lyricism, and it spawned a term that would be used for decades to come. Following the very relevant "The House" is "Fly By," a fast, lyrical track. My favorite song on the album is "Midnight," which uses a hard rock sample for an angry Ice-T to recall the story of a night gone wrong and escape from the police. On "MVPs," he gives props to the MCs that he thinks are real and promote good hip hop. Another highlight is "Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous," where he tells the story of just another hectic day on tour. He introduces his soon-to-be controversial metal band Body Count on the monumental track of the same name, one of the first to fuse hard rock with rap. "Escape From the Killing Fields" advocates getting out of the ghetto, challenging those who think people born in the ghetto have to stay there. The hard "Pulse of the Rhyme" precedes the last full song, "The Tower," a genius song that I absolutely love. Using a creepy sample from the "Halloween" movie theme, Ice-T paints a disturbing picture of daily life in the penitentiary.
"O.G. Original Gangster" is easily one of the west coast's best and most important albums from the late 80s/early 90s period. I often compare this album to Ice Cube's similarly concepted album "Death Certificate" from the same year, but this album is very much its own. "O.G. Original Gangster" should be part of any fan's hip hop collection, it's a pioneering album that is amazing to listen to and enjoy.