Ice-T started in 1982 out with other West Coast rap pioneers such as Kid Frost, DJ Flash, and The Egyptian Lover with Electro recordings. Later on, he changed his style and was the first West Coast rapper to be accepted by the East Coast. 6 'n The Mornin is sometimes seen as the track that triggered the whole gangster rap movement. It was produced by The Unknown DJ, who produced electro funk tracks before and went on to produce Compton's Most Wanted. The song was inspired by Schoolly D's "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" and became itself the inspiration for Eazy-E and N.W.A's Boyz-N-The-Hood. Ice-T went on to work with Afrika Islam, the man behind the beats on 1987's Rhyme Pays, 1988's Power and 1989's The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say.
He also is a star in Law in Order: Special Victims Unit.
In 1992 he created the crossover band Body Count with 4 other black musicians.
Drama
Ice-T Lyrics
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Pipe bomb in my trunk, got a nine in my lap
I'm layin' for a sprayin', tonight there's no playin'
The posse's most strapped, tonight the crew's weighin'
Dust is burnin', the steering wheel's turnin'
I'm out a week, I'm already earnin'
Suckers crossed, tonight it's their loss
Payback time, boy, life's the cost
They all die if them suckers ain't bullet proof
I'm rollin' death tollin', of course the car's stolen
But I'm blind to what's wrong, all I want is what's golden
A fool in a fight, too dumb to know right
Fuckin' blue lights, read 'em their rights
Drama
Drama
Drama
Drama
I copped an alias bailed out in an hour or less
I keep a bank for that don't know about the rest
Copped another piece, hit the dark streets
Rollin' once again, fuck the damn police
Called up my boy Joe, a roof job pro, 459 on his mind car stereos
He said the spot was sleep, he cased the joint a week
3 a.m. on the dot, inside we creep
Got Alpines, Fishes, JVC's,
Motorola Phones, Sony Color TV's
Had the ride packed up 'til we heard "freeze"
Fuckin' blue lights, read 'em their rights
Drama
Drama
Drama
Drama
4 in the morning, lights in my face
That's the time, you know the place
Cuffed in the room with the two-way glass
Detects in effect, cold doggin' my ass
"What's your date of birth?", "What's your real name?"
I stuck to my alias, I know the game
If they don't know who you are, then they don't know what you've done
"You're just makin' this harder on yourself, son"
I know this shit by heart, I'm too clever
"Have you ever been arrested before?"
"Nope, never"
DA reject all over his face
You see, no confession, no case
Then my boy started illin', talkin' and tellin'
Son of a bitch, he was a snitch
Drama
Drama
Drama
Drama
Drama
Under I went, I caught a case and a half
He dropped the mallet, then the judge laughed
Now I'm in the penzo, chillin' like a real pro
I can't move until the man says go
A puppet of the big game, an institutional thing
I wouldn't be here if I fed my brain
Got knowledge from school books, instead of street crooks
Now all I get is penitentiary hard looks
The joint is like an oven of caged heat
You're just a number, another piece of tough meat
Killers and robbers are all you great
Act soft you will get beat
On death row they got their own hot seat
For those who feel that they are truly elite
The last thing you see's a priest
The lights dim, your life ends
Drama
The song "Drama" by Ice-T is an intense and raw depiction of the world of gang violence and crime. The lyrics are about a person who is cruising around with weapons, seeking revenge on his rivals. He talks about his pipe bomb in his trunk and a nine in his lap, ensuring that he is armed and dangerous. He goes on to describe his joy in the prospect of "payback time" to his enemies, even if it means risking his own life. The theme of the song is all about the drama and consequences that arise from living a life of crime.
The lyrics showcase the person's desperation to win the war between his gang and the opposition, regardless of the price they have to pay. The dramatic sequence of events escalates from having a plan to heist a store, getting caught by the police, and getting exposed as an informant by his friend. The song projects a disturbing reality of a person caught up in a world of violence and drugs. Ice-T's powerful delivery of the lines in this song is remarkable, making it a vital piece of work in the hip-hop world.
Line by Line Meaning
Cruisin' for a bruisin', I'm talkin' no crap
I am looking for trouble, and I'm not afraid to fight
Pipe bomb in my trunk, got a nine in my lap
I have dangerous weapons and I am ready to use them
I'm layin' for a sprayin', tonight there's no playin'
I plan to shoot and kill tonight, there's no time for playing around
The posse's most strapped, tonight the crew's weighin'
My gang is fully armed and we are ready to fight
Dust is burnin', the steering wheel's turnin'
I am driving fast and recklessly
I'm out a week, I'm already earnin'
I have been doing illegal activities for a week and have already made money
Suckers crossed, tonight it's their loss
My enemies made a wrong move and they will pay for it tonight
Payback time, boy, life's the cost
My enemies will pay for what they did with their own lives
Gauges out the window, one lay cross the roof
I am shooting out the window, and one person is lying dead on the roof of the car
They all die if them suckers ain't bullet proof
All of my enemies will die if they are not wearing bulletproof vests
I'm rollin' death tollin', of course the car's stolen
I am driving recklessly and causing deaths, and the car I am driving is stolen
But I'm blind to what's wrong, all I want is what's golden
I am unaware of the consequences of my actions, and I only want money
A fool in a fight, too dumb to know right
I am foolish to be in this line of work, and I am not smart enough to do the right thing
Fuckin' blue lights, read 'em their rights
The police are after me, and they are reading Miranda rights to my enemies
I copped an alias bailed out in an hour or less
I used a fake name and got bailed out of jail quickly
I keep a bank for that don't know about the rest
I have a secret bank account for my illegal activities
Copped another piece, hit the dark streets
I obtained another weapon and hit the streets at night
Rollin' once again, fuck the damn police
I am driving again, and I do not care about the police
Called up my boy Joe, a roof job pro, 459 on his mind car stereos
I called my friend Joe, who is an expert in breaking into roofs, we plan to rob car stereos
He said the spot was sleep, he cased the joint a week
Joe said that the place we plan to rob is not very active, and he has been checking it out for a week
3 a.m. on the dot, inside we creep
Exactly at 3 am, we entered the place quietly
Got Alpines, Fishes, JVC's,
We stole various brands of car stereos
Motorola Phones, Sony Color TV's
We also stole phones and televisions
Had the ride packed up 'til we heard "freeze"
We had all the stolen goods in the car, but then the police caught us
4 in the morning, lights in my face
The police caught us at 4 in the morning, and the lights were in my face
That's the time, you know the place
This is the exact time and place where I was caught by the police
Cuffed in the room with the two-way glass
I am handcuffed and in a room with a two-way mirror where the police are watching me
Detects in effect, cold doggin' my ass
The detectives are interrogating me aggressively
"What's your date of birth?", "What's your real name?"
The detectives are asking for my personal information
I stuck to my alias, I know the game
I gave my fake name because I know what to say during interrogations
If they don't know who you are, then they don't know what you've done
If they do not have information about your identity, they cannot link you to any crime
"You're just makin' this harder on yourself, son"
The detectives are telling me that I am making the situation worse for myself
I know this shit by heart, I'm too clever
I know how to handle interrogations very well because I am very smart
"Have you ever been arrested before?"
The detectives are asking if I have ever been arrested previously
"Nope, never"
I denied having been arrested before
DA reject all over his face
The district attorney has a look of disappointment on his face because my story does not match up
You see, no confession, no case
If I do not confess, there is no case against me
Then my boy started illin', talkin' and tellin'
My friend Joe started confessing, telling the police everything
Son of a bitch, he was a snitch
My friend Joe was a snitch, he betrayed us
Under I went, I caught a case and a half
I went to prison for a long time
He dropped the mallet, then the judge laughed
The judge sentenced me to a long prison term, and they found this funny
Now I'm in the penzo, chillin' like a real pro
I am currently in prison, and I am acting like I am tough and experienced
I can't move until the man says go
I have no freedom because I am in prison
A puppet of the big game, an institutional thing
I am a pawn in the system, trapped in the prison institution
I wouldn't be here if I fed my brain
If I had educated myself and made better choices, I would not be in prison
Got knowledge from school books, instead of street crooks
If I had learned in school instead of from criminals, I would not be in prison
Now all I get is penitentiary hard looks
In prison, people give me hard, intimidating looks
The joint is like an oven of caged heat
Prison is like an oven filled with hot, intense emotions
You're just a number, another piece of tough meat
In prison, you are just another person with no identity of your own
Killers and robbers are all you great
In prison, many people are killers and robbers, and they are seen as great people
Act soft you will get beat
If you are seen as weak in prison, others will harm you
On death row they got their own hot seat
On death row, people are awaiting their execution
For those who feel that they are truly elite
For those who think that they are better than anyone else
The last thing you see's a priest
The last thing you see before you die is a priest
The lights dim, your life ends
The lights go out when you die, and your life is over
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLES ANDRE GLENN, TRACY MARROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind