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O.G. Original Gangster

 
Album Review: O.G. Original Gangster

  • Artist: Ice-T
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: May 14, 1991
  • Total Time: 72:17
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album, Contains explicit content
  • Genre: Rap

Review

One of gangsta rap's defining albums, O.G. Original Gangster is a sprawling masterpiece that stands far and away as Ice-T's finest hour. Taken track by track, O.G. might not seem at first like the product of a unified vision; perspective-wise, it's all over the map. There's perceptive social analysis, chilling violence, psychological storytelling, hair-trigger rage, pleas for solutions to ghetto misery, cautionary morality tales, and cheerfully crude humor in the depictions of sex and defenses of street language. But with a few listens, it's possible to assimilate everything into a complex, detailed portrait of Ice-T's South Central L.A. roots -- the album's contradictions reflect the complexities of real life. That's why the more intelligent, nuanced material isn't negated by the violence and sexism -- both of which, incidentally, are held relatively in check, with the former having been reshaped into a terrifying but inescapable fact of life. That isn't to say that O.G. Original Gangster is designed to appeal to delicate intellectual sensibilities; it's still full of raw, street-level aggression that makes no apologies or concessions. That goes for the music as well as the lyrics. The beats are a little too hard-driving and jittery to really breathe like funk, which only adds to the dark, claustrophobic feel of the production. Ice smoothly keeps up with the music's furious pace and also debuts his soon-to-be-notorious metal band Body Count on one track. That kind of artistic ambition is all over the album, whether in the lean musical attack or the urgent rhymes. O.G. Original Gangster is a certifiable gangsta rap classic, and arguably the most realistic, unvarnished representation of a world Ice-T was the first to chronicle on record. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Home of the Bodybag (Lyrics) Ice-T (2:12)
First Impression (Lyrics) Ice-T (:45)
Ziplock (Lyrics) Ice-T (1:20)
Mic Contract (Lyrics) Ice-T (4:24)
Mind over Matter (Lyrics) Ice-T (4:12)
New Jack Hustler (Lyrics) Ice-T, Tracy Marrow Ice-T (4:43)
Ed (Lyrics) Ice-T (1:10)
Bitches 2 (Lyrics) Ice-T (5:24)
Straight Up Nigga (Lyrics) Ice-T (3:43)
O.G. Original Gangster Tracy Marrow Ice-T (4:13)
The House Ice-T (:57)
Evil E-What About Sex? Ice-T (:46)
Fly By Ice-T (3:29)
Midnight (Lyrics) Ice-T (5:49)
Fried Chicken (Lyrics) Ice-T (1:00)
M.V.P.s Ice-T (4:20)
Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous (Lyrics) Ice-T (3:51)
Body Count (Lyrics) Ice-T Ice-T (6:07)
Prepared to Die (Lyrics) Ice-T (:39)
Escape from the Killing Fields (Lyrics) Ice-T Ice-T (2:36)
Street Killer (Lyrics) Ice-T (:41)
Pulse of the Rhyme (Lyrics) Ice-T (4:17)
The Tower Chris de Burgh, Tracy Marrow Ice-T (3:58)
Ya Shoulda Killed Me Last Year (Lyrics) Ice-T (1:41)

Credits

Donald D (?), DJ Aladdin (Producer), DJ Aladdin (Project Coordinator), Bilal Bashir (Producer), Steve Batte (Engineer), Ernie C. (?), D Rock (?), Glen E. Friedman (Photography), Ice-T (Arranger), Ice-T (Vocals), Ice-T (Producer), Ice-T (Main Performer), Ice-T (Executive Producer), Afrika Islam (Producer), Charlie Jam (?), Randy Mac (?), Sean Mac (?), Mooseman (?), Nat the Cat (?), Dennis Parker (Engineer), Prince Whip (?), Special K (?), Vachik (Engineer), Vachik (Mixing), DJ Su (Producer), Batte (Engineer), Tim Stedman (Design), King James Cassimus (Photography), Sli (Producer)
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Wikipedia: O.G. Original Gangster
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"Original Gangsta" redirects here. Not to be confused with the 1996 film Original Gangstas.
O.G. Original Gangster
Studio album by Ice-T
Released May 14, 1991 (1991-05-14)
Recorded Syndicate Studios West, Widetracks, Dodge City and Fox Studios L.A.
Genre Gangsta rap, hardcore hip hop, golden age hip hop
Length 72:17
Label Sire/Warner Bros. Records
26492
Producer Ice-T
DJ Aladdin
Afrika Islam
DJ SLJ
Bilal Bashir
Professional reviews
Ice-T chronology
The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say
(1989)
O.G. Original Gangster
(1991)
Home Invasion
(1993)

O.G. Original Gangster is the fourth album by Ice-T. Released in 1991, the album has been praised by many as the artist's best album.[2][3] The album introduces the band Body Count, whose heavy metal sound is in sharp contrast to the rest of the album's material.

Reception

O.G. Original Gangster peaked at #9 on Billboard magazine's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at #15 on the Billboard 200.[4] The album was ranked at #25 in Melody Maker's list of the top 30 albums of 1991,[5] and was featured in The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums [6] and the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. [7]

Allmusic - 5 Stars - "...a sprawling masterpiece that stands far and away as Ice-T's finest hour.

Rolling Stone (6/13/91) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "Ice-T has forged a flexible, hyperliterate style that sacrifices none of hiphop's rhythmic momentum...his slice-of-street-life stories and badass parables offer a fascinating glimpse into a half-hidden world."

Melody Maker (12/91) - "...tight, intelligent and matchless musically."

Track listing

# Title Time Producer(s) Performer(s) Samples
1 "Home of the Bodybag" 2:12 DJ Aladdin
SLJ
Ice-T
Ice-T
2 "First Impression" 0:45 Ice-T
3 "Ziplock" 1:20 Afrika Islam
Ice-T
Ice-T
4 "Mic Contract" 4:24 SLJ
DJ Aladdin
Ice-T
Ice-T
Donald D
5 "Mind over Matter" 4:12 DJ Aladdin
Ice-T
Ice-T
6 "New Jack Hustler" 4:43 DJ Aladdin Ice-T
DJ Aladdin
7 "Ed" 1:10 Beatmaster V
Nat the Cat
Ice-T
Ice-T
8 "Bitches 2" 5:24 DJ Aladdin
SLJ
Ice-T
Ice-T
Charlie Jam
9 "Straight up Nigga" 3:43 SLJ
DJ Aladdin
Ice-T
Ice-T
DJ Aladdin
10 "O.G. Original Gangster" 4:13 DJ Aladdin
SLJ
Ice-T
Ice-T
  • "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss[8]
  • "Funky Drummer" by James Brown[8]
11 "The House" 0:57 DJ Aladdin
Ice-T
Ice-T
12 "Evil E-What About Sex?" 0:46 Ice-T
13 "Fly By" 3:29 Afrika Islam
Ice-T
Ice-T
Nat the Cat
Donald D
  • "Hot Pants... I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming" by Bobby Byrd[8]
14 "Midnight" 5:49 DJ Aladdin
SLJ
Ice-T
Randy Mac
15 "Fried Chicken" 1:00 DJ Aladdin
SLJ
Ice-T
Prince Whipper Whip
16 "M.V.P.S." 4:20 Afrika Islam
Ice-T
Ice-T
  • "Blow Your Head" by The J.B.'s[8]
  • "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" by The J.B.'s[8]
17 "Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous" 3:51 Afrika Islam
Ice-T
Ice-T
Sean E Mac
18 "Body Count" 6:07 Ice-T Ice-T
Ernie C
Beatmaster V
Moose Man
D Rock
19 "Prepared to Die" 0:39 Ice-T Ice-T
20 "Escape from the Killing Fields" 2:36 Afrika Islam
Ice-T
Ice-T
  • "Get up Offa That Thing" by James Brown[8]
  • "What Do I Have to Do to Prove My Love to You" by Marva Whitney[8]
21 "Street Killer" 0:41 DJ Aladdin
SLJ
Ice-T
Ice-T
Special K
22 "Pulse of the Rhyme" 4:17 DJ Aladdin
Ice-T
Ice-T
  • "Off the Cuff" by Freddie Robinson[8]
23 "The Tower" 3:58 Bilal Bashir
Ice-T
Ice-T
Sean E Sean
Al Patrome
Mello
24 "Ya Shoulda Killed Me Last Year" 1:41 Ice-T Ice-T

References

  1. ^ Benard, James (May 24, 1991). "O.G. Original Gangster:Music Review:Entertainment Weekly". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,314429,00.html. Retrieved August 23, 2009. 
  2. ^ Gates, Henry Louis; Appiah, KwameAnthony (2005). Africana: An A-To-Z Reference of Writers, Musicians, and Artists of the African American Experience. Running Press. p. 297. ISBN 0762420421. 
  3. ^ Taylor, Steve (2004). The A to X of Alternative Music. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 126–127. ISBN 0826482171. 
  4. ^ "Charts and Awards for Ice-T". Allmusic. http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=ICE-T&sql=11:gnfyxq85ld6e~T5. Retrieved 2007-11-03. 
  5. ^ "The Top 30 Albums of 1991". Melody Maker. December 1, 1991. 
  6. ^ "100 Best Rap Albums". The Source #100. January, 1998. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/source.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-10. 
  7. ^ Dimery, Robert, ed (2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Universe. ISBN 0789313715. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/1001albums.htm. 
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "Ice-T entry at The-Breaks.com". http://www.the-breaks.com/search.php?term=Ice-T&type=6. Retrieved 2007-10-10. 
  9. ^ "Film samples at The-Breaks.com". http://www.the-breaks.com/film.html. Retrieved 2007-10-10. 

 
 
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