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Godfather of Gangster Rap and front man for the cop killing Body Count, Ice-T courts controversy with an unfiltered, unapologetic rawness. A subversive force of intellect, Ice masks deeper realities trough his gritty portrayal of street life in LA. Original Gangster affirms his authority on the matter whilst ringing off a long list of social portrayals and systemic grievances. Direct yet difficult, his lyricism runs crude and humorous, blurring lines between tongue in cheek and reality. At times he flows firm and plain yet in a moment can delve into wordplay. Wherever his cadence leads, Ice rarely deviates, sticking to his themes, which each track delivers with focused intent.
Clocking in at a lengthy seventy two minutes, the twenty four tracks chop by with snarky interludes between softened noisy Bomb Squad style sampling. It banging beats rock with late 80s drum loops, keeping energy high. Overall the aesthetic style sounds a year or two behind the cutting edge but its substance triumphs in the face of an ever changing scene. Midnight marks a shift in tone, sampling Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath a dark, grizzly, eerie Rap horror show emerges. This lays foundations for Ice-T to show his metallic edge, as the record also houses a Body Count track to cross pollinate his audience, something completely unheard of for the time.
These tone shifts shake up the second half another, The Tower, reusing John Carpenter's Halloween theme to chilling, haunting effect. It does blemish the flow considering how tight these upgraded, authentic post-N.W.A gangster raps are. It's been decades since I last spun this classic. It holds up well. A powerful listen by a master rhymer who can hold your attention with his direct penmanship. Classic!
Rating: 8/10