O.G. Original Gangster

Last updated
O.G. Original Gangster
Ice-T-O.G. Original Gangster (album cover with matt).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 14, 1991 (1991-05-14)
RecordedJuly 1990 – January 1991
Studio
  • Syndicate Studios West (Los Angeles)
  • Widetracks (Los Angeles)
  • Dodge City Sound (Los Angeles)
  • Fox Run Studios (Los Angeles)
Genre Gangsta rap
Length72:17
Label Sire
Producer
Ice-T chronology
The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say!
(1989)
O.G. Original Gangster
(1991)
Home Invasion
(1993)
Singles from O.G. Original Gangster

O.G. Original Gangster is the fourth studio album by American rapper Ice-T, released May 14, 1991, by Sire Records. Recording took place from July 1990 to January 1991 in Los Angeles. Its production was handled by seven producers: Afrika Islam, Beatmaster V, Bilal Bashir, DJ Aladdin, Nat the Cat, SLJ and Ice-T himself, who also served as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Body Count, Prince Whipper Whip and various Rhyme Syndicate artists, such as Donald D, Evil E and Randy Mac.

Contents

The album peaked at number 15 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. On July 24, 1991, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, indicating U.S. sales of more than 500,000 units. [1] O.G. Original Gangster was ranked at #25 in Melody Maker's list of the top 30 albums of 1991, [2] and was featured in The Source 's 100 Best Rap Albums [3] and the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [4] The album was praised by many as his best. [5] [6]

Release

On the album's release, the vinyl version only contained 16 of the compact disc's 24 tracks. [7] The NME stated to "forget the format's limitations" and promoted the compact disc version with 24 tracks over the lp. [7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [8]
Chicago Sun-Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [9]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Christgau's Consumer Guide A [11]
Daily News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [12]
Entertainment Weekly A [13]
NME 9/10 [7]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Select 2/5 [16]

From contemporary reviews, NME critic Dele Fadele praised O.G. Original Gangster as Ice-T's "best shot yet; riotous vignettes from a decaying America full of devious humour and striking pathos – all those things NWA profess to be but clearly aren't." [7] Fadele found that the music "is always restlessly inventive in catering for your solar plexus (even on the hardcore/Heavy Metal crossover token track)" and "complements highlights like the sad, droning 'The Tower', the optimistic 'Escape from the Killing Fields' (a scathing re-write of Public Enemy's 'Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos' that explains the original metaphor) and the out-of-character bad-tempered 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous'". [7]

In a negative review for Select , Adam Higginbotham wrote that only three tracks – "Mind Over Matter", "The Tower" and "The House" – are "outstanding", while "much of the rest relies on a well-tested recipe of looped breakbeats and linear drums"; he concluded that the album "often functions better as manifesto than as music." [16]

Commercial performance

The album was certified gold on July 24, 1991, selling over 500,000 copies.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tracy Marrow, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Featured artist(s)Length
1."Home of the Bodybag"  2:12
2."First Impression"  0:45
3."Ziplock"  1:19
4."Mic Contract"  Donald D 4:23
5."Mind Over Matter"  4:12
6."New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)" DJ Aladdin 4:43
7."Ed"  1:10
8."Bitches 2"Charlie Jam5:24
9."Straight Up Nigga" DJ Aladdin 3:43
10."O.G. Original Gangster"  4:43
11."The House"  0:57
12."Evil E - What About Sex?"  Evil E 0:45
13."Fly By" 
3:28
14."Midnight" Randy Mac5:48
15."Fried Chicken"  Prince Whipper Whip 1:00
16."M.V.P.s"  4:19
17."Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous" Sean E. Sean3:51
18."Body Count" 6:07
19."Prepared to Die"  0:38
20."Escape from the Killing Fields"  2:35
21."Street Killer" Special K0:41
22."Pulse of the Rhyme"  4:16
23."The Tower"
  • Marrow
  • Bilal Bashir
  • Sean E. Sean
  • Al Patrome
  • Mello
3:57
24."Ya Shoulda Killed Me Last Year"  1:41

Notes

Sample Credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [18]

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [24] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [25] Silver60,000^
United States (RIAA) [26] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

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O.G. Original Gangster at Discogs (list of releases)