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.

This article is about the album by Ice-T. For the song, see O.G. Original Gangster (song). For the 1996 movie, see Original Gangstas.
O.G. Original Gangster
Studio album by
Ice-T
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)
GenreGangsta rap
Length72:17
LabelSire
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

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[8]
Chicago Sun-Times[9]
Chicago Tribune[10]
Christgau's Consumer GuideA[11]
Daily News[12]
Entertainment WeeklyA[13]
NME9/10[7]
Rolling Stone[14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[15]
Select2/5[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 D4:23
5."Mind Over Matter"  4:12
6."New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)"
DJ Aladdin4:43
7."Ed"  1:10
8."Bitches 2"
Charlie Jam5:24
9."Straight Up Nigga"
DJ Aladdin3:43
10."O.G. Original Gangster"  4:43
11."The House"  0:57
12."Evil E - What About Sex?" Evil E0:45
13."Fly By" 
3:28
14."Midnight" Randy Mac5:48
15."Fried Chicken" Prince Whipper Whip1:00
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
  • ^[a] signifies a songwriter that is only listed on music streaming services.[17]

Sample Credits

Personnel

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

  • Tracy Lauren Marrow – main artist, producer (tracks: 1-13, 16-24), executive producer, arranging
  • Alphonso Henderson – featured performer (tracks: 6, 9), producer (tracks: 1, 4-6, 8-11, 14-15, 21-22), project supervisor
  • Donald Lamont – featured performer (tracks: 4, 13)
  • Sean E. Sean – featured performer (tracks: 17, 23)
  • Victor Ray Wilson – featured performer (track 18), producer (track 7)
  • Nat the Cat – featured performer (track 13), producer (track 7)
  • Lloyd "Mooseman" Roberts III – featured performer (track 18)
  • Ernie Cunnigan – featured performer (track 18)
  • Dennis Miles – featured performer (track 18)
  • Charlie Jam – featured performer (track 8)
  • Randy Mac – featured performer (track 14)
  • James Whipper – featured performer (track 15)
  • K. Alexander – featured performer (track 21)
  • Eric Garcia – scratches
  • Shafiq "SLJ" Husayn – producer (tracks: 1, 4, 8-10, 14, 15, 21)
  • Charles Andre Glenn – producer (tracks: 3, 13, 16, 17, 20)
  • Bilal Bashir – producer (track 23)
  • Vachik Aghaniantz – recording & mixing
  • Dennis "Def-Pea" Parker – recording
  • Steve Battman – recording
  • Tim Stedman – design
  • Glen E. Friedman – photography
  • "King James" Cassimus – photography
  • Jorge Hinojosa – management

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[24] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[26] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. July 24, 1991. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  2. "The Top 30 Albums of 1991". Melody Maker. December 1, 1991.
  3. "100 Best Rap Albums". The Source #100. January 1998. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  4. Dimery, Robert, ed. (2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
  5. Gates, Henry Louis; Appiah, KwameAnthony (2005). Africana: An A-To-Z Reference of Writers, Musicians, and Artists of the African American Experience. Running Press. p. 297. ISBN 0-7624-2042-1.
  6. Taylor, Steve (2004). The A to X of Alternative Music. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 126–127. ISBN 0-8264-8217-1.
  7. Fadele, Dele (May 25, 1991). "Ice T – O G Original Gangster". NME. p. 52. Archived from the original on October 13, 2000. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  8. Huey, Steve. "O.G. Original Gangster – Ice-T". AllMusic. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  9. Corcoran, Michael (May 26, 1991). "Ice-T speaks to rhythm of the street". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  10. Kot, Greg (May 23, 1991). "Ice-T: O.G. Original Gangster (Sire)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
  11. Christgau, Robert (2000). "Ice-T: O.G. Original Gangster". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 142. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
  12. Farber, Jim (May 19, 1991). "Ice-T: 'O.G. Original Gangster' (Warner Brothers)". Daily News.
  13. Bernard, James (May 24, 1991). "O.G. Original Gangster". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
  14. Coleman, Mark (June 13, 1991). "Ice-T: O.G. Original Gangster". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  15. Relic, Peter (2004). "Ice-T". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 401. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  16. Higginbotham, Adam (July 1991). "Ice-T: O.G.". Select. No. 13. pp. 68–69.
  17. "O.G. Original Gangster". Tidal. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  18. O.G. Original Gangster (booklet). Ice-T. Sire. 1991. CD 26492.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 134.
  20. "Ice-T Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  21. "Ice-T Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  22. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  23. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  24. "Canadian album certifications – Ice-T – O.G. Original Gangster". Music Canada.
  25. "British album certifications – Ice T – Original Gangster". British Phonographic Industry.
  26. "American album certifications – Ice-T – O.G. Original Gangster". Recording Industry Association of America.

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

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