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{{Infobox album <!-- See Misplaced Pages:WikiProject_Albums --> {{Infobox album
| Name = Rhyme Pays | name = Rhyme Pays
| Type = ] | type = studio
| Artist = ] | artist = ]
| Cover = Ice-TRhymePays.jpg | cover = Ice-TRhymePays.jpg
| Released = November 4, 1987 | alt =
| Recorded = Spring-Autumn, 1987 | released = July 28, 1987
| recorded = 1986–87
| Genre = ], ]
| Length = 64:43 | venue =
| studio =
| Label = ]/]<br /><small>25602</small>
| genre = {{hlist|]<ref name="allmusic.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/rhyme-pays-mw0000193869|title=Rhyme Pays - Ice-T &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits &#124; AllMusic|website=]}}</ref>|]<ref name="allmusic.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/rhyme-pays-mw0000193869|title=Rhyme Pays - Ice-T &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits &#124; AllMusic|website=]}}</ref>|]}}
⚫ | Producer = ]
| Last album = | length = 44:55
| label = ]
|This album = '''''Rhyme Pays'''''<br />(1987)
⚫ | producer = ]
⚫ |Next album = '']''<br />(1988) |
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
⚫ | next_title = ]
| next_year = 1988
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Rhyme Pays
| type = studio
| single1 = ]
| single1date = 1986
| single2 = Make It Funky
| single2date = 1987
| single3 = Somebody Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy)
| single3date = 1987
}}
}} }}
'''''Rhyme Pays''''' is the debut album of ], released in ].


'''''Rhyme Pays''''' is the debut ] by American rapper ], released on July 28, 1987, by ]. The album peaked at number 93 on the US ] and number 23 on the ] charts, and was certified ] by the ] (RIAA).
The album, especially tracks like "6 'N the Mornin'," is considered to have defined the ] genre, and was the first hip-hop album to carry a ] warning label, although it was years before the industry-standard explicit-lyrics sticker was developed.<ref>{{cite book |last= |first= |author=Ice T |coauthors=Sigmund, Heidi |editor= |others= |title=The Ice Opinion |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |edition= |series= |date= |year=1994 |month= |publisher=Pan/St. Martin's Press/Macmillan Books |location= |language= |isbn=0330336290 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=163 |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= }}</ref> The album was not released on CD until 1988. Four bonus tracks were added to the release on that format.


== Reception == == Music and lyrics ==
The album, especially tracks like "]", is considered to have defined the ] genre. Ice-T claims that this would be his first ] album to be carrying a ] warning label,<ref>{{cite book |author=Ice T |author2=Sigmund, Heidi |title=The Ice Opinion |url=https://archive.org/details/iceopinionwhogiv00icet|url-access=registration|year=1994 |publisher=Pan/St. Martin's Press/Macmillan Books |isbn=0-330-33629-0 |page= }}</ref> although, it was years before the industry-standard explicit-lyrics sticker was developed and ] first album that also had to be carried with an "Explicit Lyrics" warning back in 1985{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}. The 1988 CD release included four bonus tracks.


Ice-T stated on his autobiography that ] took the exception to the song "409" for the line "''Guys grab a girl, girls grab a guy/If a guy wants a guy, please take it outside''", which he saw as homophobic.<ref name="Ice">{{cite book |last1=Marrow |first1=Tracy |last2=Century |first2=Douglas |title=Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption—from South Central to Hollywood |year=2011 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-0-345-52328-0 |pages= |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/icememoirofgangs00icet/page/100 }}</ref> Ice-T insisted that those lines were not meant to be homophobic, but simply a statement of his own preferences.<ref name="Ice"/> An article by Dennis Hunt noted that this lyric "may rub gays the wrong way" in an interview on the album's release.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-08-02-ca-508-story.html|last=Hunt|first=Dennis|title=RHYME PAYS FOR ICE T|date=2 August 1987|access-date=11 February 2024|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Ice-T would later become one of the first hardcore rappers to condemn homophobia.<ref>{{cite book|page=102|title=Spectacular Vernaculars: Hip-hop and the Politics of Postmodernism|last=Potter|first=Russel A.|year=1995|isbn=9780791426258|publisher=State University of New York Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=49GKBNxqWowC}}</ref>
''Rhyme Pays'' peaked at #93 on the ] music chart and #26 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums. '']'' gave the album three stars. It was also the first hip-hop artist album released on the ] and ] labels.

== Critical reception ==
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = ]
|rev1score = {{rating|3.5|5}}<ref name=AM/>
|rev2 = '']''
|rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="RS">{{cite book |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=1992 |publisher=Random House |page=340}}</ref>
|rev3 = '']''
|rev3score = B<ref name=VV/>
}}
In a contemporary review for '']'', ] gave ''Rhyme Pays'' a "B" and credited ] for helping flesh out Ice T's crime-themed raps: "Can't know whether his streetwise jabs at ] and ] will make a permanent impression on his core audience, but his sexploitations and true crime tales are detailed and harrowing enough to convince anybody he was there."<ref name=VV>{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=February 23, 1988|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv2-88.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=]|location=New York|access-date=April 26, 2016}}</ref> According to ]'s Alex Henderson, "the West Coast was well on its way to becomining a crucial part of hip-hop" when ''Rhyme Pays'' was released.<ref name=AM>{{cite web|last=Henderson|first=Alex|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/rhyme-pays-mw0000193869|title=Rhyme Pays - Ice-T|publisher=]|access-date=April 26, 2016}}</ref> '']'' writer Dennis Hunt said the album helped popularize ].<ref>{{cite news|last=Hunt|first=Dennis|date=April 21, 1991|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-21-ca-572-story.html|title=POP MUSIC : Q & A : A Rapper Goes Hollywood : Can Ice-T, the pioneer of L.A.'s gangsta rap, keep his street edge now that he's moved far from the ghetto and into the movies?|newspaper=]|access-date=April 26, 2017}}</ref>

== Commercial performance ==
''Rhyme Pays'' debuted at number 93 on the US ] and number 26 on the ''Billboard'' ] charts. It also became the first hip-hop album to be released on ] and ]. The album was eventually certified ] by the ] (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States.


== Track listing == == Track listing ==
{{Track listing
{{tracklist
| writing_credits = yes
| title1 = Intro/Rhyme Pays | title1 = Intro/Rhyme Pays
| writer1 = Ice T/Storrs | writer1 = Ice-T, Dave Storrs
| length1 = 6:29 | length1 = 6:30
| note1 = interpolates "]" and samples "]" | note1 = interpolates "]" and samples "]"
| title2 = ] | title2 = ]
| writer2 = Ice T/] | writer2 = Ice-T
| length2 = 7:11 | length2 = 7:16
| title3 = Make It Funky | title3 = Make It Funky
| writer3 = Ice T/Islam | writer3 = Ice-T, ], Charles Bobbitt, ]
| length3 = 5:09 | length3 = 5:10
| note3 = samples "]" | note3 = samples "]"
| title4 = Somebody Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy!!!) | title4 = Somebody Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy)
| writer4 = Ice T/Islam | writer4 = Ice-T
| length4 = 3:03 | length4 = 3:04
| title5 = 409 | title5 = 409
| writer5 = Ice T/Islam | writer5 = Ice-T
| length5 = 5:20 | length5 = 5:22
| title6 = I Love Ladies | title6 = I Love Ladies
| writer6 = Ice T/Islam | writer6 = Ice-T
| length6 = 4:44 | length6 = 4:45
| title7 = Sex | title7 = Sex
| writer7 = Ice T/Islam | writer7 = Ice-T
| length7 = 2:57 | length7 = 2:58
| title8 = Pain | title8 = Pain
| writer8 = Ice T/Islam | writer8 = Ice-T
| length8 = 3:36 | length8 = 3:36
| title9 = Squeeze the Trigger | title9 = Squeeze the Trigger
| writer9 = Ice T/Islam | writer9 = Ice-T
| length9 = 6:12 | length9 = 6:14
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = CD bonus tracks
| title10 = Make It Funky | title10 = Make It Funky
| note10 = 12" mix | note10 = 12" mix
| writer10 = Ice T/Islam | writer10 = Ice-T
| length10 = 5:58 | length10 = 5:57
| title11 = Sex | title11 = Sex
| note11 = instrumental | note11 = "bonus beat"; instrumental
| writer11 = Ice T/Islam | writer11 = Ice-T
| length11 = 3:52 | length11 = 3:52
| title12 = Somebody Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy!!!) | title12 = Somebody Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy)
| note12 = 12" mix | note12 = 12" mix
| writer12 = Ice T/Islam | writer12 = Ice-T
| length12 = 3:27 | length12 = 3:28
| title13 = Our Most Requested Record | title13 = Our Most Requested Record
| note13 = long version, samples "]" | note13 = long version; samples "]" and "]"
| writer13 = Ice T/Islam | writer13 = Ice-T
| length13 = 6:45 | length13 = 6:43
}} }}

== Charts ==

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (1987)
! Peak<br />position
|-
|US ]
| style="text-align:center;"|93
|-
|US ] (''Billboard'')
| style="text-align:center;"|26
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Ice-T|title=Rhyme Pays|award=Gold|relyear=1987|certyear=1991}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}


== References == == References ==
{{Reflist}}
<references/>


{{IceT}} {{Ice-T}}


{{Authority control}}
⚫ {{hiphop-album-stub}}


⚫ ]
]
]
] ]
⚫ ]
] ]
]
]



⚫ {{1980s-hiphop-album-stub}}
]

Latest revision as of 02:18, 19 December 2024

1987 studio album by Ice-T
Rhyme Pays
Studio album by Ice-T
ReleasedJuly 28, 1987
Recorded1986–87
Genre
Length44:55
LabelSire
ProducerAfrika Islam
Ice-T chronology
Rhyme Pays
(1987) 		Power
(1988)
Singles from Rhyme Pays
  1. "6 'N The Mornin'"
    Released: 1986
  2. "Make It Funky"
    Released: 1987
  3. "Somebody Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy)"
    Released: 1987

Rhyme Pays is the debut studio album by American rapper Ice-T, released on July 28, 1987, by Sire Records. The album peaked at number 93 on the US Billboard 200 and number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Music and lyrics

The album, especially tracks like "6 'N the Morning", is considered to have defined the gangsta rap genre. Ice-T claims that this would be his first hip hop album to be carrying a parental advisory warning label, although, it was years before the industry-standard explicit-lyrics sticker was developed and Too $hort's first album that also had to be carried with an "Explicit Lyrics" warning back in 1985. The 1988 CD release included four bonus tracks.

Ice-T stated on his autobiography that Seymour Stein took the exception to the song "409" for the line "Guys grab a girl, girls grab a guy/If a guy wants a guy, please take it outside", which he saw as homophobic. Ice-T insisted that those lines were not meant to be homophobic, but simply a statement of his own preferences. An article by Dennis Hunt noted that this lyric "may rub gays the wrong way" in an interview on the album's release. Ice-T would later become one of the first hardcore rappers to condemn homophobia.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
The Village VoiceB

In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave Rhyme Pays a "B" and credited DJ Afrika Islam for helping flesh out Ice T's crime-themed raps: "Can't know whether his streetwise jabs at Reagan and recidivism will make a permanent impression on his core audience, but his sexploitations and true crime tales are detailed and harrowing enough to convince anybody he was there." According to AllMusic's Alex Henderson, "the West Coast was well on its way to becomining a crucial part of hip-hop" when Rhyme Pays was released. Los Angeles Times writer Dennis Hunt said the album helped popularize gangsta rap.

Commercial performance

Rhyme Pays debuted at number 93 on the US Billboard 200 and number 26 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts. It also became the first hip-hop album to be released on Sire and Warner Bros. Records. The album was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Intro/Rhyme Pays" (interpolates "Tubular Bells" and samples "War Pigs")Ice-T, Dave Storrs6:30
2."6 'n the Mornin'"Ice-T7:16
3."Make It Funky" (samples "Make It Funky")Ice-T, James Brown, Charles Bobbitt, MC Shan5:10
4."Somebody Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy)"Ice-T3:04
5."409"Ice-T5:22
6."I Love Ladies"Ice-T4:45
7."Sex"Ice-T2:58
8."Pain"Ice-T3:36
9."Squeeze the Trigger"Ice-T6:14
CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Make It Funky" (12" mix)Ice-T5:57
11."Sex" ("bonus beat"; instrumental)Ice-T3:52
12."Somebody Gotta Do It (Pimpin' Ain't Easy)" (12" mix)Ice-T3:28
13."Our Most Requested Record" (long version; samples "Heartbreaker" and "Whole Lotta Love")Ice-T6:43

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1987) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 93
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 26

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) Gold 500,000

Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Rhyme Pays - Ice-T | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  2. Ice T; Sigmund, Heidi (1994). The Ice Opinion. Pan/St. Martin's Press/Macmillan Books. p. 163. ISBN 0-330-33629-0.
  3. ^ Marrow, Tracy; Century, Douglas (2011). Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption—from South Central to Hollywood. Random House. pp. 100-101. ISBN 978-0-345-52328-0.
  4. Hunt, Dennis (2 August 1987). "RHYME PAYS FOR ICE T". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  5. Potter, Russel A. (1995). Spectacular Vernaculars: Hip-hop and the Politics of Postmodernism. State University of New York Press. p. 102. ISBN 9780791426258.
  6. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Rhyme Pays - Ice-T". AllMusic. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  7. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 340.
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert (February 23, 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  9. Hunt, Dennis (April 21, 1991). "POP MUSIC : Q & A : A Rapper Goes Hollywood : Can Ice-T, the pioneer of L.A.'s gangsta rap, keep his street edge now that he's moved far from the ghetto and into the movies?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  10. "American album certifications – Ice-T – Rhyme Pays". Recording Industry Association of America.
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