Rhyme Pays, IceT - Yellow Vinyl

Limited Edition. Yellow Transparent Vinyl

Ice-T – Rhyme Pays

Artist: Ice-T

Title: Rhyme Pays

Album Type: Debut Studio Album

Original Release Date: July 28, 1987

Label: Sire Records / Warner Bros. Records

Genre: West Coast Hip Hop / Gangsta Rap

Background & Production Rhyme Pays is a historical landmark in Hip Hop, widely regarded as the first West Coast "Gangsta Rap" album to be released on a major label. Produced primarily by Afrika Islam and Ice-T, the album was recorded at Synergy Studios and Chung King House of Metal. It was a pivotal release for Sire Records, a label previously known for New Wave and Punk acts like The Ramones and Madonna. Ice-T brought the gritty, street-level narratives of Los Angeles to the mainstream, blending his experience in the "hustler" lifestyle with the DJ techniques he learned from the Bronx-born Afrika Islam.

Musical Composition & Style The album is defined by its heavy use of samples—ranging from Black Sabbath to James Brown—and its rhythmic, cinematic storytelling.

• The Defining Track: "6 'N the Mornin'" (originally released as a B-side in 1986) is the centerpiece of the album. It is often cited as the blueprint for the Gangsta Rap genre, featuring a steady, Roland TR-808-driven beat and a long, narrative verse about street life and police evasion.

• The Title Track: "Rhyme Pays" famously samples the heavy guitar riff from Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," showcasing the aggressive, cross-genre fusion that would later lead Ice-T to form the metal band Body Count.

• Lyrical Content: While the album contains party-oriented tracks like "Make It Funky," it is best known for its "Reality Rap" elements, documenting the violence and social issues of South Central Los Angeles with a documentary-like precision.

Legacy & Collector Notes Rhyme Pays was the first Hip Hop album to feature the newly introduced Parental Advisory warning sticker (originally "Explicit Lyrics - Parental Advisory"), making it a collector's item for those interested in the history of music censorship. It reached #93 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified Gold. For vinyl collectors, the original Sire/Warner pressings are highly sought after for their iconic cover art—featuring Ice-T in front of a white Porsche—and their punchy, early-digital-meets-analog production. It is an essential title for any store focusing on the foundations of West Coast Hip Hop or 1980s street culture

• Keywords: Ice-T, Rhyme Pays, 6 'N the Mornin', Gangsta Rap, West Coast Hip Hop, Sire Records, 1987 Vinyl, Afrika Islam, Reality Rap.

• Collection Ideas: Hip Hop Pioneers, West Coast Classics, 80s Rap Essentials, The Roots of Gangsta Rap.

• Related Artists: N.W.A, Schoolly D, Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Body Count.

MINT - sealed

NM - likely never played - almost perfect

VG+ - light scuffs, light scratches wont effect play

VG -  signs of wear, light scratches you can feel

GOOD -  surface noise, visible groove wear

POOR / FAIR- some damage, causing issues like skipping & distorted audio

OIS - original inner sleeve