Published on Oct 8, 2000
It’s kind of hard to believe, but we’re coming up on ten years
since rapper Ice-T unleashed
O.G. Original Gangster on the public. The album that helped
to introduce Ice-T’s rap-metal band Body Count, it also solidified
his reputation as one of the godfathers of gangsta rap.
Yet nowadays,
O.G. Original Gangster sounds a little disjointed at times,
possibly because the rapper jumps from idea to idea as if he’s
playing a musical game of hopscotch. In the end, everything comes
together, but it is a bumpy ride at the start.
The opening to the album, “Home Of The Bodybag,” is reminiscent
of the way Public Enemy opened
Apocalypse ’91: The Enemy Strikes Black. (Not surprisingly,
both albums came out the same time… though I seem to recall
Ice-T’s was out first.) Unfortunately for Ice-T, things really
don’t get going until well into the first half of the album; tracks
like “Ziplock,” “Mind Over Matter” and the segue track “First
Impression” – well, let’s say the first impression of
O.G. Original Gangster is not the greatest.
Of course, anyone who has followed Ice-T’s career knows that he
eventually snaps back into a solid groove with powerful rhymes, and
“New Jack Hustler” marks that switch on this album. From then on,
Ice-T does almost no wrong.
From the pimp-slam of “Bitches 2” (relax, it’s really not what
the paranoid right-wing may think it’s about) to the powerfully
illustrated tales on “The House” and “Midnight”, even to reaching
out to fellow artists on the spoken-word track “M.V.P.,” Ice-T hits
a creative stride that doesn’t let go. Most interesting to me was
“Lifestyles Of The Rich And Infamous,” a tale of just how glamorous
fame can be. Even though I’ve had the privilege of being
side-by-side to many musical stars for various purposes, even I was
wondering just how much of a pain it can be for someone to do just
one more interview with someone like me. (No apologies from Ice-T,
though, as he admits this is the path he chose in life, and he’s
living out his dream.)
If
O.G. Original Gangster was a wake-up call to blacks and
whites alike, “Body Count” was the snooze alarm at full volume and
stuck in the “on” position. The birth cry of the band which would
cause controversy by the boatload with “Cop Killer,” this track
features a band still in its growing pains, but gaining in
confidence. (This track would be included on Body Count’s
self-titled debut as well.)
Admittedly, rap can be somewhat of an acquired taste for some
people, and
O.G. Original Gangster isn’t the easiest album to get
through at times. But Ice-T makes sure to build the power up as the
album continues – in the end, turning out to be quite a wise move,
despite the rocky start. This album may be closing in on its tenth
birthday, but
O.G. Original Gangster is still very much worth your time to
check out.