Intro/Rhyme Pays
Ice-T Lyrics

A child was born in the East one day
A baby was born on the eastern side of the country

Moved to the West coast after his parents passed away
After his parents died, he relocated to the western coast

Never understood his fascination with rhymes or beats
He didn't comprehend why he was so captivated by rhymes and beats

In poetry he was considered elite
People regarded him as exceptionally skilled in poetry

Became a young gangster in the streets of L.A.
He turned into a young criminal in the streets of Los Angeles

Lost connections with his true roots far away
He became disconnected from his original origins that were distant

But no matter the job or crime
Regardless of the employment or illegal activities

He never lost his hardcore obsession to rhyme
He never let go of his intense obsession to rhyme

New York's hip hop movement broke loose
The hip hop movement in New York gained momentum

DJ's cut records, raps had the juice
Disc jockeys manipulated records, and raps gained popularity

Since busting rhymes was his natural thing
Because rhyming came naturally to him

He was crowned the west coast MC king
He was recognized as the MC king of the west coast

But after his inauguration there was a rush
After his coronation, there was a sudden influx

Of wack rappers with one intention to crush
Untalented rappers with the sole intention to destroy him

This master rapper and take his throne
They aimed to defeat the skilled rapper and take his position of power

A simple job,he had no crew, he stood all alone
It was a straightforward task, he had no team, and he faced it alone

Assassins came in groups of one through five
Attackers arrived in groups, ranging from one to five individuals

With raps no mortal MC could survive
They had rap performances that no ordinary MC could withstand

But he showed no mercy, he rapped blood thirsty
He displayed no mercy, his rap battle hungered for bloodshed

Battling from Friday on through to Thursday
Engaging in battles from Friday to Thursday consistently

Never losin a bout, never ending in doubt
He never lost a battle and was always confident

Every confrontation K.O. knock out
Each confrontation resulted in a knockout victory

On his never ending journey to the T.O.P.
On his ongoing quest to reach the top

The L.A. player M.C. ICE-T
The Los Angeles player MC known as ICE-T

Magnificent rhymer, I'm the ill beat designer
I am an exceptional rapper and a creator of great beats

If they ask you if I'm def, don't front and say kinda
If someone asks if I'm skilled, do not lie and say somewhat

Merciless, meticulous, so fresh it's ridiculous
I am unrelenting, detail-oriented, and incredibly impressive

I'm raised in the heart of Los A-N-G-E-L-E-S
I was brought up in the center of Los Angeles

King word connector, the vocal projector
I am the supreme connector of words, the projecting voice

Your girl tried to jock me, I had to reject her
Your girlfriend attempted to pursue me, and I had to turn her down

Always adventurous voice some say is sensuous
My voice is often considered daring and sensual by some

Now, I'm on the mic so I think I better mention this
Since I'm on the microphone, I believe it's important to bring up this point

I don't like Gucci, Fila, Louie or Fendi
I dislike luxury brands like Gucci, Fila, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi

Those are fads and I ain't trendy
Those are passing trends, and I refuse to follow them

But whether your name's Lucy, Terry, Laura or Cindy
Regardless of whether your name is Lucy, Terry, Laura, or Cindy

Ice got beef and this ain't Wendy's
I have a problem and it's not a fast-food chain like Wendy's

Bust a move while I'm talkin'
Dance while I am speaking

Sucker rappers I be stalkin'
I am relentlessly pursuing and targeting weak rappers

When they see me on the street with my homeboy walkin'
When they spot me on the street walking with my friend

They slow down, turn around and ask was that Ice?
They reduce their speed, turn back, and inquire if it was Ice they saw

Then they see me cold countin' my cash
Then they witness me calmly counting my money

Rhyme pays!!
Rapping brings financial success

Moves must be busted, girls can't be trusted
One must make strategic moves, and women cannot be relied on

I looked at your lady and I was disgusted
I glanced at your woman and felt revulsion

Came into the party just to rock the place
I entered the party solely to energize the atmosphere

And your big zombie lookin' freak still won't get out of my face
And your unattractive, zombie-like companion is persistently bothering me

I don't mean to diss her, but do you kiss her?
I don't intend to insult her, but do you actually kiss her?

Look at her lips, she got them crazy blisters
Observe her lips, they have noticeable blisters

Body that smells like the New York mets
She possesses a body odor similar to that of the New York Mets baseball team

Arm pits all nappy packed full of sweat
Her underarms are uncombed and filled with copious amounts of perspiration

I hope this something that you never forget
I hope this is something that you always remember

Tie that freak outside next time you come in the set
Restrain that strange individual outside before entering the venue

Because my jams be crazy, packed with all fly ladies
My music is wild and attracts numerous attractive women

I'm talkin' def girlies and I don't mean maybe
I am referring to incredible girls, and there is no doubt about it

The way I rhyme no one will ever slay me
No one will ever defeat me in rhyming

And I ain't lyin' rhyme do pay me !
And I am not lying, rapping brings me financial success!

I'm notorious, I'm infamous, like a snake I'm venomous
I am widely known, I have a bad reputation, and I am dangerous

For those who may diss I think you should consider this
For those who may disrespect, I believe you should reflect upon this

I can make a rhyme complicated as a puzzle
I am capable of creating complex rhymes similar to puzzles

Dangerous and as violent as a pit bull in a muzzle
My rhymes can be dangerous and as aggressive as a muzzled pit bull

But this record is for radio S-T-E-R-E-O
But this record is made for radio in stereo sound

It not to be banned or for some underground mix show
It is not meant to be prohibited or played only on underground mix shows

My hearts in my pen every time I begin
My emotions are invested in my writing every time I start

Sometimes my lyrics go crazy and I just can't control em my friend
Occasionally, my lyrics become uncontrollable and unpredictable, my friend

I try to edit what I'm rappin' about
I attempt to revise the content of my raps

But I can't write polite my anger just jumps out!!
However, I am unable to write with politeness, my anger inevitably surfaces!

Perpetrators in the business claim their hard as hell
People involved in the industry assert that they are tough and formidable

Talkin' that gangster shit, know'n they're soft as jell-
Speaking about gangster topics, despite the fact that they are soft and weak

Oh! I better chill out before I ill out
Oh! I should calm down before I become excessively angry

And my negative potential just might spill out
And my inclination for negativity might overflow

And then this record won't be gettin played
As a result, this record will no longer receive airplay

I'll save that rap for another day
I'll reserve that aggressive rap for a different occasion

The front stage area goes into hysteria
The area in front of the stage becomes filled with excitement and chaos

As I start to rhyme and unleash my criteria
When I begin to rap and reveal my standards

Of what is to come during the beat of the drum
Of what will happen as the drumbeat plays

And Evil agitates the records with the use of his thumb
And Evil manipulates the records skillfully using his thumb

Using his intricate moves, the record stays in the groove
With his complex techniques, he keeps the record in the rhythm

My boy cuts like Jason, it's easy to prove
My friend scratches records skillfully, and it's effortless to demonstrate

That Evil E is the great, his cuts are real not fake
Evil E is truly talented, his scratches are genuine and not artificial

Not emulated effects or a play back tape
His skills are not reproduced effects or recordings

So suckers witness your fate while Evil demonstrates
Weak individuals, observe your unfortunate destiny as Evil showcases his abilities

I'm bout to get off this mic, E., dog the break - Kick it!
I am about to relinquish the microphone, Evil E, unleash the instrumental break - Start it!

Like me if ya want'a, diss me if you're gonna
If you want to like me, go ahead, if you want to disrespect me, do it

But my jam will still be kickin' on your neighborhood corner
However, my music will continue to play loudly on the corner of your local neighborhood

As my bass is max'n out the V.U.S. on your box
As my bass is reaching maximum volume levels on your stereo system

There'll be no doubt within your mind whether this MC do rock
There will be no uncertainty in your mind regarding my ability to rock as an MC

Like granite, I planned it, So you could understand it
Like a solid rock, I carefully orchestrated it so you could comprehend it

If someone's talkin' when I'm rhymin'
If someone is talking while I am rapping

Then just say, 'Damn shut up!'
Then simply tell them, 'Shut up, damn it!'

While Ice is breakin' the boy don't be fakin'
While I am rapping, do not pretend or act falsely

Maybe they're just jealous of the dollars I'm makin'
Perhaps they are simply envious of the money I am earning

But you're down with me. You know god gifted me
But you're supportive of me. You know that God blessed me with talent

Black kids say I'm trech, white kids say I'm nifty
African American kids say I'm excellent, white kids say I'm cool

Spell out my name ya go I-C-E T
If you spell out my name, it's I-C-E T

But right now it's time for Evil E to hit me!
But at this moment, it's time for Evil E to provide me with the next beat!

Rhyme pays, buys my food every night and day
Rapping brings in the money to afford my meals every day

It pays my rent my bills I guess I'm doin' ok
It covers my rent and bills, so I suppose I'm doing alright

But when I say rhyme pays, I mean in different ways
However, when I say rhyme pays, I am referring to various aspects

Cause rappin' gets a lot of kids out of the streets each day
Because rapping helps many children escape the streets on a daily basis

It makes me feel real nice when someone likes the Ice
It brings me joy when someone appreciates and admires my rap

Or some young MC asks me for advice
Or when a young MC seeks guidance from me

But there will always be rappers who hate Ice T
However, there will always exist rappers who dislike Ice T

Maybe I dogged 'em in a battle or just jealousy
Perhaps I defeated them in a rap battle or it's pure jealousy

Inevitable situation, sucker rapper frustration
An unavoidable circumstance, the frustration of weak rappers

I rhyme too tough to bite, too intricate for notation
My rhyme style is too difficult to imitate, too complex to be written down

Syllables jumble, competitors crumble as they witness mic attack
Syllables become incoherent, opponents collapse in the face of my microphone assault

And the microphone rumbles like hurricane
And the microphone vibrates intensely like a hurricane

I maim, sometimes I go insane
I cause harm, occasionally I become mentally unstable

Step toward my rap and I inflict the pain!
Approach my rap, and I will cause you agony!

No shame Ice capital T's my name!!
No embarrassment, my name is Ice with a capital T!!

Damn there I go illin' out again!!!!
Damn it, I'm starting to act aggressively again!!!!