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.
Peel Their Caps Back
Ice-T Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
FBI wanted? Huh, don't mean nuttin
They call that shit a crime? Yo that shit's a joke
Hit record on my dope remote
I heard my phone ringin, I wonder who could it be
It was the E, the V, yes the I-L E
He said, "We got static - word, I just got out
Punks tried to move at the club and we shot out
"Ink got popped, he's dead as a doorknob."
You bullshittin! "I ain't fuckin around.
The posse's rollin tonight, nigga are you down?"
I grabbed my AK, my 16, and my baby Mac
Strapped on my vest, and threw the 9 in the small of my back
I said - Chill, don't let nobody move without me
Say you know where they are?
He said, "I know where they be"
Let's peel their caps back
Let's peel their caps back
Twelve o'clock midnight, posse was airtight
Twenty-five cars, under the streetlights
Some people talked, while others cried
Ink was a brother, who shouldn't have died
Then the silence broke, Ice what's it gonna be?
38 hard brothers stood and stared at me
There were only two words that I had to say
P-A-Y, B-A-C-K
The car's loaded with a silence that could rape the dead
Pistols clipped as the chamber's loaded full of lead
Everyone in the crew knew what I said
would mean by morning, somebody else soon would be dead
Let's peel their caps back
The cars at the corner like a long black snake
Nightprowlin for a life to take
Ya see down in the ghetto it's an eye for an eye
That's the answer to the question why
In my throat, there's a lump, then I swallow it, I ain't no chump
Face of Death, then I cocked my pump
I'm a nigga on the trigger, madder than a pitbull
Just layin for a reason to pull
on you, any duck motherfucker that gets in my way
I'm insane, and my homeboy's death made me this way
But then we spot him, Evil E shot him
Dead in the face, made sure that he got him
Others ran, but no mercy to the posse's wrath
Automatic Uzi motherfuckin bloodbath
Let's peel their caps back
Let's peel their caps back
Let's peel their caps back
Then all of a sudden, a bullet came through my eye
My dome exploded and I felt my other brothers die
I drink my blood as I fell like shit into the street
My corpse stunk like a burnt out rotten piece of meat
Ten brothers died in this stupid homicidal binge
Cause whenever someone dies, nobody wins
But this drama, you'll never hear a word of
cause all the paper's gonna read is a gang murder
Gang murder
Ice-T's song "Peel Their Caps Back" talks about the cold-blooded revenge taken by the artist and his gang on those who had wronged them. In the first verse, he receives the call from his peer informing him of the death of their friend Ink, prompting them to avenge his death. Ice-T grabs his arms and travels with his gang to hunt down those responsible for Ink's killing. The song narrates how the group chases down and eliminates the murderers of their friend until they become victims of gang violence.
Through the lyrics, Ice-T sheds light on the brutal culture of gang violence with its consequences for individuals and society as a whole. The adjectives used in the song like "mad," "insane," and "madder than a pitbull" are indicative of the hyper-masculine culture of gang violence, which glorifies violence and disrespect for authority. The song describes how gang vendetta becomes the driving force for its members to take any measures required to avenge death and protect their community.
Overall, Ice-T's "Peel Their Caps Back" is a vivid account of the devastating consequences of gang culture and how it leads to the destruction of not just individuals but entire communities.
Line by Line Meaning
Coolin in my crib, cold video dubbin
I am relaxing at home, copying some videos
FBI wanted? Huh, don't mean nuttin
I'm not afraid of the FBI. Being wanted doesn't scare me
They call that shit a crime? Yo that shit's a joke
I think that what they call a crime is ridiculous and funny
Hit record on my dope remote
I am recording something with my cool remote control
I heard my phone ringin, I wonder who could it be
I am curious about who's calling me on my phone
It was the E, the V, yes the I-L E
It was my friend, Evil E, who called me
He said, "We got static - word, I just got out
My friend tells me that there's trouble, and he just got out of jail
Punks tried to move at the club and we shot out
Some guys tried to start something at the club, so we left quickly
Bullets everywhere," Okay what's the prob?
There were gunshots, and my friend tells me what happened
"Ink got popped, he's dead as a doorknob."
My friend informs me that Ink was killed
You bullshittin! "I ain't fuckin around.
I don't believe it's true, but my friend is serious
The posse's rollin tonight, nigga are you down?
My friend asks if I'm ready to join him and the rest of the crew on a mission
I grabbed my AK, my 16, and my baby Mac
I'm getting ready for the mission by taking my weapons
Strapped on my vest, and threw the 9 in the small of my back
I wear a bulletproof vest and put a gun in the back of my pants
I said - Chill, don't let nobody move without me
I tell my friend to wait for me before anyone takes action
Say you know where they are?
I ask my friend if he knows where the enemies are
He said, "I know where they be"
My friend knows where to find the enemies
Let's peel their caps back
Let's kill them all
Twelve o'clock midnight, posse was airtight
It's midnight, and our group is ready to go
Twenty-five cars, under the streetlights
We have 25 cars and are ready to move
Some people talked, while others cried
Some people talked, while others were upset
Ink was a brother, who shouldn't have died
Ink was a friend who didn't deserve to die
Then the silence broke, Ice what's it gonna be?
After a moment of silence, my friends ask me what we should do
There were only two words that I had to say
I only needed to say two words
P-A-Y, B-A-C-K
We are going to get revenge
The car's loaded with a silence that could rape the dead
The car is quiet, and everyone is serious
Pistols clipped as the chamber's loaded full of lead
We load our guns
Everyone in the crew knew what I said
My friends understood what we were going to do
would mean by morning, somebody else soon would be dead
We know that someone will die soon
Let's peel their caps back
Let's kill them all
The cars at the corner like a long black snake
Our cars are lined up like a long snake
Nightprowlin for a life to take
We are driving around looking for someone to kill
Ya see down in the ghetto it's an eye for an eye
In the ghetto, people believe in revenge
That's the answer to the question why
That's why we are seeking revenge
In my throat, there's a lump, then I swallow it, I ain't no chump
I feel nervous, but I hide it because I'm not weak
Face of Death, then I cocked my pump
I am ready to kill with my gun
I'm a nigga on the trigger, madder than a pitbull
I am ready to shoot someone
Just layin for a reason to pull
I am waiting for an opportunity to shoot
on you, any duck motherfucker that gets in my way
I will shoot anyone who tries to stop me
I'm insane, and my homeboy's death made me this way
I'm crazy because my friend's death changed me
But then we spot him, Evil E shot him
We find our target, and Evil E shoots him
Dead in the face, made sure that he got him
We shoot him multiple times to make sure he's dead
Others ran, but no mercy to the posse's wrath
The rest of the enemies try to run, but we don't show mercy
Automatic Uzi motherfuckin bloodbath
Everyone starts shooting, and it's a huge massacre
Let's peel their caps back
Let's kill them all
Then all of a sudden, a bullet came through my eye
Suddenly, I get shot in the eye
My dome exploded and I felt my other brothers die
I feel pain as I see my friends dying around me
I drink my blood as I fell like shit into the street
I bleed and fall down on the street
My corpse stunk like a burnt out rotten piece of meat
My dead body smells horrible
Ten brothers died in this stupid homicidal binge
Ten of my friends died because of this stupid killing spree
Cause whenever someone dies, nobody wins
No one ever wins when someone dies
But this drama, you'll never hear a word of
This story won't make it to the news
cause all the paper's gonna read is a gang murder
The newspaper will only say it was a gang-related murder
Gang murder
This was a murder committed by a gang
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AFRIKA ISLAM, TRACY LAUREN MARROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marcus Dumond
My dad introduced me to this on cassette. Classic. Ice doesn't get enough credit.
JohnJohn Essex
Yo Pops Got Good taste in Music. Today's Bullshit Sucks
Derrick Powell
Your dad has good taste
bangaway
I had this on cassette, grade 10 .... i wonder if i still have it
Sam Sneed
Still sends chills down my spine in 2020. Absolutely homicidal
Tee M
this beat is incredible....... to this day seriously
Japjongetje
Storytellin'... That's what rap was and should be again..
Zachariah Lloyd
M does still kick out a lot of story telling in his cranks, but maybe he isn't really current enough!!
Sir Mahkdi
Ice T is the voice of the streets especially the Los Angeles California lifestyle 💯💯💯💪🏿
YFLOInternational
One of the coldest raps ever invented and crafted in the history of the world