Customer Reviews

Power

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There aren't many people that haven't heard the name Ice-T, but to me it means lyrical genius. The raps on any Ice-T album are intelligent with topics that are like lessons. The nice thing about his songs is that you can listen to it anyway you like, either from a criminal's perspective or from a teacher teaching others what it's like in the street or on living a life of crime.
There is no such thing as a crap Ice-T album, if he's on it, it's hot, or should I say cold.
[...]

For me Ice-T is one of the best rappers ever and I've spent long hours listening to his hardcore gangster rap. Kind of odd for a middle-aged white guy but what can I say? His in your face, pro-freedom of speech attitude is one that I hold myself. He is one of the founding fathers of gangster rap and one of it's most innovative lyricists. I've seen Ice-T do his rap act only once but have seen him with his band Body Count four times and he puts on a tremendous show.

Power is worth the cost of the CD just for the front and BACK cover alone!! This is one of my favorite rap albums. As always Ice drops clever lyrics and in Power mixes ups the beats and pace to keep the entire album entertaining. You won't be hit the skip button to miss songs on this album.

Power gets an impressive four stars:

Drama *
I'm Your Pusher *
Personal *
High Rollers *

Girls LGBNAF just misses being a star.
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Ratings: CDs are rated simply by how many good songs are on the album. Great songs get two stars, and good songs get one star. Songs that get no stars are those that I might like but not enough to give it a star or ones I find boring or actively dislike. CDs are not penalized for songs that I don't like because they are easy enough to skip over. There is no maximum number of stars a CD can get, but of course the more stars it gets, the better the CD.

As with all reviews, these are my subjective opinions on the album.

Power is Classic Ice-T at it's best. The rhymes and beats may seem simplistic to some, but let's take it in context people. This was released in 1988. In those days gangsta rap was in it's infancy still. This is definitely an example of the best from that period. This album won't appeal to hardcore fans I suspect, but will for true Ice-T fans. Turn on, tune in and enjoy.

Power had some of the illest rap material that came out of the yr 88'. Ice had the message, one of the BEST album covers, and the swagger, a swagger that's still being used to this day by headz such as Snoop, Jigga, and many others. Ice T's Power took the listener for field trip through reality. His Lyrics were str8 to the point, His tracks were very soulful as most tracks were during that era. I rate Ice T's Power one of the best Rap records of all time. If you want to hear the real gritty tales about the High Roller grab Ice T's Power. It's been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If so, Then take a gander @ Ice's Album cover! 1000 words well said.

This CD is brilliant. Its the original hardcore rap with no censors or edits. The lyrics say it like it is over bomb dropping drum beats. If you're looking for an old school rap cd, forget all that other toy hip hop stuff, get this. Its excellent.

In retrospect, Ice-T's debut from 1987 "Rhyme Pays" is quite a bit more tame than it's follow-up "Power". Ice-T sounds more comfortable and free to speak his mind on inner-city violence and street crime. The difference between the two albums is phenomenal. The beats, lyrics and production is a breathtaking step-up from his debut. "Rhyme Pays" is a great album, although the beats and background music overpower his vocals. Needless to say, I was very pleased with "Power", in the fact that his vocals are the most prominent part of the music.

Ice-T always starts the album off right, with a sweet skit, something he's always excelled at, followed by hard hitting "Power". Ice-T raps with brutal honesty about the lives of gang members, thugs, players and hustlers on "Drama," "Soul on Ice," and "High Rollers". He also speaks out on first amendment issues, such as the freedom of speech, although not as much as his third album "The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say". Some of my favorites are "The Syndicate," "I'm Your Pusher", where LL Cool J gets dissed, "Personal" and "Girls L.G.B.N.A.F."

Overall, "Power" was Ice-T's breakthrough album in many respects. This is the album where he really found his footing, pioneering gangster rap into the mainstream. For 1988, this stuff is very groundbreaking.

I might be grandpa for saying this, but when I wanna be rocked afresh with swift/smart/smooth rhymes, I go back to the time when Rap was still strong and had no imitators or pretenders to the throne.

"Power" was recorded in two weeks, but it sure doesn't sound like it--some of Ice's classic tracks are right here: "I'm Your Pusher", "High Rollers", "Girls LGBNAF", "Power", "Radio Suckers"... not a weak link on the album with the exception of party number "The Syndicate".

Later albums "The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech..." and "O.G." would embody perfection, but this was the REAL Ice at his zenith.

Ice's 2nd album, Power, sets the boundry for hardcore hip hop. It's a fresh anthology, even though it's a little oldschool, it still sounds good. Ice introduces you to the black underworld, with crime stories of fiction but eventuality, such as police bust's and murder. Other topic's may Iclude ..., Battling LL Fool-J, and the like. It was Ice-t's step from the underground to the mainstream, even though it dosen't have his crossover hit "COLORS", but any Ice-T fan should ad this to his collection.

Before I got this album, I used to listen to a lot of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and other rappers like them. What can I say, When I first played this through, the raw, street-level beats and fiercly intelligent lyrics were a refreshing change from any other rap I'd ever listened to. Ice-T covers everything from cold hard street tales to political issues to songs with powerful messages and just plain party-type tracks with great rhymes. This is easily Rap's best example of powerful and articulate lyrics. So pick this up, you'll get much more out of it than anything by Nas or Jay-Z, and once you go the Ice-T route you never go back to the lesser brands.

"Power" comes from the glory days when rappers could hold down entire albums by themselves, Ice-T being no exception. His charisma (read intelligent cool, street smarts, delivery) and story telling (the man's real talent) make "Power" instantly engaging well after its 1988 release. The album is full of classics; the gritty crime tale, "Drama," the Iceberg Slim-esque "Soul on Ice," and one of the original playa manifestos, "High Rollers," are just a few. This is quintessential Ice-T and a definite hip-hop history lesson.