O.G. Original Gangster
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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.
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 SourceTemplate:'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
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."[8]
Commercial performance
The album was certified gold on July 24, 1991, selling over 500,000 copies.
Track listing
Notes
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Sample Credits
- "Bitches 2" contains a sample from "Dr. Funkenstein", written by George Clinton, George Worrell and William Collins, as performed by Parliament.
- "Midnight" contains a sample from “Black Sabbath”, written by Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward, and performed by Black Sabbath.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[10] Template:Div col
- 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
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
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References
External links
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