Customer Reviews

Rhyme Pays

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's funny how some of the reviews of this album weren't even made by people who have listened to the CD. Base the rating you give the CD on musical merit, not on your personal right-wing political beliefs and your objections to a song which wasn't on this album in the first place... ie: Cop-Killa

This CD put Ice T on the map. Squeeze the Trigger was a personal favorite of mine, this CD doesn't have any fillers. And thats saying something given Ice-T's limited artistic capability.

Note that this CD is an analog to digital recording, given the time frame in which it was produced. Still, the dynamic transfer is very good with very little background noise.

This CD should be in every Ice-T fan collection, and in the collection of a classic West Coast rap fan as well.

If you like Ice T, you gotta get this one. One of the few artists that started out great and only got better as time passed. This was released 14 years ago and it does not sound dated in any way. Just sounds like Ice T rippin it as he always has.

You wonder how Ice-T became famous? You wanna know why enough people listened to "Cop-Killer" to make a fuss in the first place? Well Rhyme Pays and Power were the reasons. On this album, Rhyme Pays, anyone who appreciates skill and style will find plenty. "Pain" is what describes Ice-T's philosophy. "Rhyme Pays" shows his skill. Put simply, you can't claim to be old-school and not have this album. It is just too darn good to never have heard. I burned out two tapes of it back before cds...

Need I say more???.....

This was s christmeas gift. The recipeint of this gift appeared to be happy with this item. I will continue to purchase items here

Not only a solid debut album, but a Classic throw back that was phenominal when it was released. Not only did Ice-T have the gift for rap, but he intelligently wove coherent stories with his lyrics, while simultaneously delivering a message to others that a life of crime isn't the life to lead (see, Rhyme Pays and Pain). Other mc's (i.e. KRS-One of Boogie Down Productions) used a similar format to intrigue listeners with the excitement crime to gain a fan base, but simultaneously deliver a message for betterment of one's self and community with hip-hop as the backdrop - a theme that a lot of rappers in the late 80's rapped about. The beats aren't overly complicated or heavily layered (unlike the later production works of Public Enemy), indicative of other rap of the time, but each song hits hard, whether it's about partying, ladies, bragging rights or tales from the street, and does a great job of entertaining. A definite must have for any hip-hop fan and/or collector. Plus, the Power album Intro was a great segway from the Rhyme Pays album to his second masterpiece. You will not be disappointed!

Side note - Although Rhyme Pays and Power are definite hip-hop classics, my vote on Ice-T's best work is the OG album.

It's Ice-T.
Buy it.

Hot beats, smooth flow and the delivery that only the Iceman can do.

this was the first ice t album i heard and for the sheer power, and skill i think it was for its time and even now, way ahead of its time. this was when it was stripped dow, raw, and just awesome. sure there were many before and after this but this was the one album that i will always have. the first time i put the cassette in i was a fan... this is a classic album that you play today and people still remember it...

I'm not a huge fan of rap, but Ice-T deserves a lot of credit - or infamy - for creating a new genre of music: "Gangsta Rap". Sure, this album sounds dated by today's standards, and subsequent Ice-T albums are better, but this is a classic album that opened the floodgates for this new form of music. Ice-T is a genius, whether or not you agree with his views on the world, and this is a must have album for fans - and even non-fans - of the genre.