| Rhyme Pays | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 28, 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1986–87 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:55 | |||
| Label | Sire | |||
| Producer | Afrika Islam | |||
| Ice-T chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Rhyme Pays | ||||
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Rhyme Pays is the debut studio album by American rapper Ice-T, released on July 28, 1987, by Sire Records. The album peaked at number 93 on the US Billboard 200 and number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The album, especially tracks like "6 'N the Morning", is considered to have defined the gangsta rap genre. Ice-T claims that this would be his first hip hop album to be carrying a parental advisory warning label, [2] although, it was years before the industry-standard explicit-lyrics sticker was developed and Too $hort's first album that also had to be carried with an "Explicit Lyrics" warning back in 1985[ citation needed ]. The 1988 CD release included four bonus tracks.
Ice-T stated on his autobiography that Seymour Stein took the exception to the song "409" for the line "Guys grab a girl, girls grab a guy/If a guy wants a guy, please take it outside", which he saw as homophobic. [3] Ice-T insisted that those lines were not meant to be homophobic, but simply a statement of his own preferences. [3] An article by Dennis Hunt noted that this lyric "may rub gays the wrong way" in an interview on the album's release. [4] Ice-T would later become one of the first hardcore rappers to condemn homophobia. [5]
Rolling Stone gave the album three stars. In a contemporary review for The Village Voice , Robert Christgau gave Rhyme Pays a "B" and credited DJ Afrika Islam for helping flesh out Ice T's crime-themed raps: "Can't know whether his streetwise jabs at Reagan and recidivism will make a permanent impression on his core audience, but his sexploitations and true crime tales are detailed and harrowing enough to convince anybody he was there." [6] According to AllMusic's Alex Henderson, who later gave the record three-and-a-half out of five stars, "the West Coast was well on its way to becomining a crucial part of hip-hop" when Rhyme Pays was released. [7] Los Angeles Times writer Dennis Hunt said the album helped popularize gangsta rap. [8]
Rhyme Pays debuted at number 93 on the US Billboard 200 and number 26 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts. It also became the first hip-hop album to be released on Sire and Warner Bros. Records. The album was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro/Rhyme Pays" (interpolates "Tubular Bells" and samples "War Pigs") | Ice-T, Dave Storrs | 6:30 |
| 2. | "6 'N The Mornin'" | Ice-T | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Make It Funky" (samples "Make It Funky") | Ice-T, James Brown, Charles Bobbitt, MC Shan | 5:10 |
| 4. | "Somebody Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy)" | Ice-T | 3:04 |
| 5. | "409" | Ice-T | 5:22 |
| 6. | "I Love Ladies" | Ice-T | 4:45 |
| 7. | "Sex" | Ice-T | 2:58 |
| 8. | "Pain" | Ice-T | 3:36 |
| 9. | "Squeeze the Trigger" | Ice-T | 6:14 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Make It Funky" (12" mix) | Ice-T | 5:57 |
| 11. | "Sex" ("bonus beat"; instrumental) | Ice-T | 3:52 |
| 12. | "Somebody Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy)" (12" mix) | Ice-T | 3:28 |
| 13. | "Our Most Requested Record" (long version; samples "Heartbreaker" and "Whole Lotta Love") | Ice-T | 6:43 |
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 93 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 26 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) [9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
The Chronic is the debut studio album by American record producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records along with Interscope Records and distributed by Priority Records. The recording sessions took place at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood.
Straight Outta Compton is the debut studio album by American gangsta rap group N.W.A, which, led by Eazy-E, formed in Los Angeles County's City of Compton in early 1987. Released by his label, Ruthless Records, on August 8, 1988, the album was produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince, with lyrics written by N.W.A members Ice Cube and MC Ren along with Ruthless rapper and unofficial member The D.O.C. Not merely depicting Compton's street violence, the lyrics repeatedly threaten to lead it by attacking peers and even police. The track "Fuck tha Police" drew an FBI agent's warning letter, which aided N.W.A's notoriety, with N.W.A calling itself "the world's most dangerous group."
Doggystyle is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop Doggy Dogg's appearances on Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic (1992), to which Snoop contributed significantly. The West Coast style in hip-hop that he developed from Dre's first album continued on Doggystyle. Critics have praised Snoop Dogg for the lyrical "realism" that he delivers on the album and for his distinctive vocal flow.
Lethal Injection is the fourth studio album by American rapper Ice Cube. It was released on December 7, 1993, through Lench Mob Records and Priority Records. The production on the album was handled by QDIII, Madness 4 Real, Sir Jinx, Laylaw, D'Mag, and Ice Cube himself.
How Ya Like Me Now is the second solo studio album by American rapper Kool Moe Dee from the Treacherous Three. It was recorded at Battery Studios in London, England and released on November 3, 1987, via Jive Records.
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Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is the debut studio album by the American hip hop duo Outkast, released on April 26, 1994, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. Having befriended each other two years prior, rappers André 3000 and Big Boi pursued recording music as a duo and worked with production team Organized Noize, leading to a record contract with LaFace. With the team producing, Outkast recorded the album at the Dungeon, D.A.R.P. Studios, Purple Dragon, Bosstown, and Doppler Studios, all in their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
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Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... is the second solo studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on February 16, 1993, via TNT Recordings and Interscope Records. The recording sessions took place at Starlight Sound Studio in Richmond, Echo Sound Studio in Los Angeles and Unique Recording Studios in New York. The album was produced by the Underground Railroad and D-Flow Production Squad, as well as Live Squad, DJ Bobcat, DJ Daryl, Akshun, Laylaw, Special Ed, and Truman Jefferson. It features contributions from Live Squad, Apache, Dave Hollister, Deadly Threat, Digital Underground, Ice Cube, Ice-T, Poppi, Treach, and 2Pac's stepbrother Wycked among others.
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