''Power'' is the second
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American rapper
Ice-T, released on September 13, 1988 by
Sire Records
Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records.
History Beginnings
The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer ...
. Recorded at Syndicate Studios West in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, the home studio of DJ Evil E, it was produced by Ice-T and
Afrika Islam
Charles Andre Glenn (born 1967), professionally known by his stage name Afrika Islam, is an American hip hop DJ and producer. He was one of the pioneers of hip hop culture and the hip hop radio station.
He began his musical career in 1977 as a ...
. The ''
Los Angeles Daily News
The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media.
The offices of the ''Dai ...
'' noted that its lyrical themes ranged from sex to gun violence, and that Ice-T "implicates everyone from radio programmers to the police as accomplices in the decline of western civilisation."
The album contains lyrics which began a feud between Ice-T and rapper
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...
. The album cover, which features Ice-T's then-girlfriend Darlene Ortiz, Ice-T, and DJ Evil E, was described as "perpetuating stereotypes" by the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' and "violence-glorifying" by both the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'' and ''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
''.
Two singles were released from the album: "
I'm Your Pusher" and "
High Rollers
''High Rollers'' is an American television game show that involved contestants trying to win prizes by rolling dice. The format was based on the dice game shut the box.
''High Rollers'' debuted on July 1, 1974, as part of NBC's daytime lineup ...
". The album was certified platinum by 2006. Music critic
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
commented that on its release, ''Power'' received "strong reviews" and continued to receive positive retrospective reviews from music guides such as
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, ''
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...
'' and the ''
Spin Alternative Record Guide
The ''Spin Alternative Record Guide'' is a music reference book compiled by the American music magazine '' Spin'' and published in 1995 by Vintage Books. It was edited by rock critic Eric Weisbard and Craig Marks, who was the magazine's editor-i ...
''.
Background and production
![E-mu SP-1200 front of machine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/E-mu_SP-1200_front_of_machine.jpg)
Following the success of Ice-T's album ''
Rhyme Pays
''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 b ...
'', which went gold in the United States, Ice-T was featured on the soundtrack to the film ''
Colors
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...
'' (1988). He felt by the time he started working on ''Power'' that he "was aware that people were listening" and that he "had to be more serious, and ... get some points across".
The beats for the album were written by
Afrika Islam
Charles Andre Glenn (born 1967), professionally known by his stage name Afrika Islam, is an American hip hop DJ and producer. He was one of the pioneers of hip hop culture and the hip hop radio station.
He began his musical career in 1977 as a ...
at his apartment with his
SP-1200
The E-mu SP-1200 is a sampler created by Dave Rossum that was released in August 1987 by E-mu Systems.
Like the product it was meant to replace, the SP-12, the SP-1200's intended use was as a drum machine and sequencer for dance music producer ...
sampler and a
Roland 909 drum machine. Tracks such as "Drama" had a
Roland TB-303
The Roland TB-303 Bass Line (also known as the 303) is a bass synthesizer released by Roland Corporation in 1981. Designed to simulate bass guitars, it was a commercial failure and was discontinued in 1984. However, cheap second-hand units were ...
bass synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
connected to an SP-1200. Islam stated that he felt that he was creating a different sound for hip hop with this track as the 303 was usually only heard in
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
music and that the 303 created a unique "shreiky sound". Others such as "Girls L.G.B.N.A.F." were made by connecting two
Roland TR-909
The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a drum machine introduced by Roland Corporation in 1983, succeeding the TR-808. It was the first Roland drum machine to use samples for some sounds, and the first with MIDI functionality, allowing it to sy ...
drum machines together.
''Power'' was recorded in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
at DJ Evil E's home, which was known as Syndicate Studios West. Ice-T described how Syndicate Studios West was set up with a board connected to speakers to resemble a car stereo system so they could test how tapes would sound. A closet in the home was converted into a booth to record the vocals. Afrika Islam noted that recording at his home meant the group had no time constraints while recording the album. Ice-T stated that recording it did not take a long time saying: "The recording was fast" and that he recorded every record he's made in "a matter of a month, maybe two at the most". ''Power'' was mixed at Entourage Studios in Los Angeles by Mark Wolfson.
Some tracks feature guest vocalists, such as Donald D and Hen-Gee on "The Syndicate". Donald D was a DJing partner of Afrika Islam in the 1970s while Hen-Gee is DJ Evil-E's brother. The vocals on "
I'm Your Pusher" are credited to Pimpin' Rex, who Ice-T mentioned was "one of my buddies, a real live pimp".
The ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' noted the controversy surrounding the album cover, stating that Ice-T had been charged with perpetuating stereotypes with an album cover featuring a scantily clad woman.
''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' described the cover as a "violence-glorifying, women-denigrating sleeve".
The woman on the cover was Darlene Ortiz, Ice-T's girlfriend at the time.
In 1989, the ''
Los Angeles Daily News
The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media.
The offices of the ''Dai ...
'' stated that: "Darlene has become as much a part of Ice-T's image as gangs, guns and boom boxes."
Ortiz originally met Ice-T when she was 17, stating she was "totally smitten and ready to settle down" and that she "would've done whatever he asked".
Of her appearance on the album cover she explained that it was "like nothing" for her.
To prepare for the cover, Ortiz bought five different bathing suits and went to the photo studio with
Glen E. Friedman
Glen Ellis Friedman (born March 3, 1962) is an American photographer and artist. He became known for his activities within rebellious skateboarding and music cultures. Photographing artists Fugazi, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, Minor ...
. Ortiz felt comfortable with the sawed-off shotgun, stating that she got her first gun when she was 11 years old and that she thought "it would be a powerful statement to see a woman holding a gun". Ice-T chose the bathing suit and the red high heel pumps and earrings for the cover. Clothing on the cover was shared between shots. Ortiz and DJ Evil E both shared the gold bracelet for the photo shoot and Ice-T and DJ Evil E wore the same
Rolex
Rolex SA () is a British-founded Swiss watch designer and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1905 as ''Wilsdorf and Davis'' by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London, the company registered ''Rolex'' as the brand name of ...
. Ortiz also appeared in music videos for the singles from ''Power'' – "I'm Your Pusher" and "
High Rollers
''High Rollers'' is an American television game show that involved contestants trying to win prizes by rolling dice. The format was based on the dice game shut the box.
''High Rollers'' debuted on July 1, 1974, as part of NBC's daytime lineup ...
".
Music and lyrics
The ''
Los Angeles Daily News
The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media.
The offices of the ''Dai ...
'' described ''Power''s themes: "Sex and guns are but two forms of power explored on Ice-T's ''Power'' album, a disc that implicates everyone from radio programmers to the police as accomplices in the decline of western civilization."
These tracks included "Radio Suckers", which Ice-T wrote to say he would not compromise his music to have it played on radio. He noted his albums still sold well without radio support. The final track on the album "Soul on Ice" was Ice-T's tribute to
Iceberg Slim
Robert Beck (born Robert Lee Maupin or Robert Moppins Jr.; August 4, 1918 – April 30, 1992), better known as Iceberg Slim, was a former American pimp who later became a writer. Beck's novels were adapted into films.
Early life
Robert Ma ...
, whose books he read in high school. Ice-T described Slim as "fascinating" and said his books "made me wanna be a pimp".
"I'm Your Pusher" sees Ice-T dissing fellow rapper
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...
. Ice-T explained later that he felt that LL Cool J was "at that time on his 'I'm the great rapper in the world' thing. Me being from L.A., I was trying to rep our entire city alone, so had to step to him". Ice-T also replied that he had no personal problem with him but just "thought I could beat him rapping anyways". Ice-T stated that he recorded "Girls L.G.B.N.A.F." as a humorous response to LL Cool J's song "
I Need Love
"I Need Love" is the second single from LL Cool J's second album, '' Bigger and Deffer''. The single reached number 1 on the Hot Black Singles and number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 while becoming one of the first rap songs to enjoy main ...
".
Ice-T stated that: "Girls came to me and asked, 'Ice, why don't you write a ballad'? Now can you imagine saying, 'I need loooove?' That's a wimp. So I wrote ('Girls') as a joke."
LL Cool J later retaliated dissing Ice-T in his song "
To da Break of Dawn
"To da Break of Dawn" is a single from both LL Cool J's fourth album, ''Mama Said Knock You Out'', and the soundtrack to the Kid 'n Play movie ''House Party''. The song was released on June 17, 1990 by Motown Records and Def Jam Recordings.
B ...
" from his album ''
Mama Said Knock You Out
''Mama Said Knock You Out'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was produced mostly by Marley Marl and recorded at his "House of Hits" home studio in Chestnut Ridge and at Chung King House of Metal in New York City. After ...
'' (1990). Afrika Islam said their feud ended when a group meeting involving
Flavor Flav
William Jonathan Drayton Jr. (born March 16, 1959), known by his stage name Flavor Flav (), is an American rapper and hype man. Known for his yells of "''Yeah, boyeeeeee!''" when performing, he rose to prominence as a founding member of the rap ...
,
DJ Red Alert
Frederick Crute (born November 27, 1956), known professionally as Kool DJ Red Alert, is an American disc jockey who rose to fame on WRKS 98.7 Kiss FM in New York City and is recognized as one of the founding fathers of hip hop music and cultur ...
,
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is cons ...
and
Afrika Bambaataa
Lance Taylor (born on April 17, 1957), also known as Afrika Bambaataa (), is an American DJ, rapper, and producer from the South Bronx, New York. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenc ...
persuaded them to stop fighting. Islam explained Tyson's role: "
e was
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plu ...
down with hip-hop and the
Zulus
Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal ...
and I've always considered rappers like boxers anyway". Ice-T commented on the feud in ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' magazine in 2012, stating: "You need a nemesis in hip hop. It's part of what fuels good rap. L was coming out of New York saying he was the best rapper in the world. I was trying to get my feet out of LA. You can't have someone saying they're the best if you're trying to. We had a little hip hop thing but it was never serious."
Release
''Power'' was released in the United States on September 13, 1988, through
Sire
Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French.
The words "sire" a ...
on
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...
,
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...
, and
cassette
Cassette may refer to:
Technology
* Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback
** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in the ...
.
The album debuted on the
''Billboard'' 200 on October 1, 1988, at number 102. ''Power'' stayed on this chart for 33 weeks and peaked at number 35 on November 12, 1988. While touring to support ''Power'', Ice-T visited schools as a mentor "telling the students of his shady past and profitable present".
By January 1989, ''Power'' had sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States and went gold.
A profanity-free version of the record was never released. Ice-T compared this to the release of
N.W.A.
N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...
's album, stating that he felt releasing a clean album was "selling out" and that "N.W.A. made more money because of it, but I had my integrity."
The single "
I'm Your Pusher" was released on August 23, 1988, by Sire. The follow-up single "
High Rollers
''High Rollers'' is an American television game show that involved contestants trying to win prizes by rolling dice. The format was based on the dice game shut the box.
''High Rollers'' debuted on July 1, 1974, as part of NBC's daytime lineup ...
" was released on January 20, 1989.
In the United Kingdom "High Rollers" charted on the UK Singles chart for two weeks, peaking at number 63 on the chart.
Reception
Erlewine commented that on its release, ''Power'' received "strong reviews".
In contemporary reviews, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described ''Power'' as "Constantly menacing, the album affords no breathing room." The review noted: "Ice-T makes the claustrophobia work by spinning ever denser rhymes and more concrete images, remaining as intense as his subject. ''Power'' has the oppressive detail of a novel. Though Ice-T indulges in gallows humor ... he allows no release. If this is the life of a gangster, it is also hell."
The review commented that along with
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred t ...
's album ''
Eazy-Duz-It
''Eazy-Duz-It'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Eazy-E. It was released on November 23, 1988, by Ruthless Records and Priority Records. The album charted on two different charts and went 2× Platinum in the United States despite ver ...
'', the rappers come off as "unenlightened when it comes to women. Whatever their rough spots, ''Power'' and ''Eazy-Duz-It'' represent the makings of a brutal new music scene."
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
, writing for the ''
Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the creat ...
'', gave the album a B+ rating, noting that Ice-T had "his own sound—flat, clipped, quick-lipped. And when he sticks to his subject, his narrative style is as gripping and understated as Islam's samples."
''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' opined that Ice-T's "odd attempts at making a moral point become lost amidst the nauseating imagery, though the music's malevolent power is impossible to deny".
From retrospective reviews, the ''
Spin Alternative Record Guide
The ''Spin Alternative Record Guide'' is a music reference book compiled by the American music magazine '' Spin'' and published in 1995 by Vintage Books. It was edited by rock critic Eric Weisbard and Craig Marks, who was the magazine's editor-i ...
'' compared ''Power'' to Ice-T's previous album ''
Rhyme Pays
''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 b ...
'' stating it was "richer, and much more clearly didactic". The review highlighted "I'm Your Pusher", opining that it "might still be Ice-T's most unforgettable song".
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
described the release as "outstanding", and noted that "in the next few years,
gangsta rap
Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappe ...
would degenerate into nothing more than cheap exploitation and empty clichés, but in Ice's hands, it was as informative as it was captivating".
''
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide
''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...
'' gave the album a four star rating, declaring that the messages on the album were still relevant but that found the drum programming had not dated well.
Track listing
All songs are composed and produced by Ice-T and Afrika Islam except where noted.
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the sleeve, sticker and back cover of ''Power''.
*
Ice-T – producer, writer, arrangements, executive producer
*
Afrika Islam
Charles Andre Glenn (born 1967), professionally known by his stage name Afrika Islam, is an American hip hop DJ and producer. He was one of the pioneers of hip hop culture and the hip hop radio station.
He began his musical career in 1977 as a ...
– producer, programming
* Mark (Full Moon) Wolfson – mix engineer
*
Glen E. Friedman
Glen Ellis Friedman (born March 3, 1962) is an American photographer and artist. He became known for his activities within rebellious skateboarding and music cultures. Photographing artists Fugazi, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, Minor ...
– photography
* Kav Deluxe – design
* Jorge Hinojosa – management
*
DJ Evil E – cutting
* Pimpin' Rex – performer (on "I'm Your Pusher")
* Microphone King Donald D and DJ Hen G – performer (on "The Syndicate")
* Amazing Many Styles Kid Jazz – performer (on "High Rollers")
* Bilal Bashir – programming (on "Personal")
Charts
Certifications
See also
*
1988 in hip hop music
*
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.
Specific locations
*1988 in British music
* 1988 in Norwegian music
Specific genres
* 1988 in country music
* 1988 in heavy metal music
* 1988 in hip hop music
*1988 ...
*
New school hip hop
The new school of hip hop was a movement in hip hop music, beginning in 1983–84 with the early records of Run–D.M.C. and LL Cool J. Predominantly from New York City, it was characterized by drum machine-led minimalism, often tinged with element ...
References
Footnotes
Sources
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Power (Ice-T Album)
1988 albums
Ice-T albums
Sire Records albums
Albums produced by Afrika Islam