Consumer Guide Album

Ice-T: The 7th Deadly Sin [Coroner/Atomic Pop, 1999]
On "God Forgive Me," the finale until the wittily grandiose Zionist-baiter "Exodus" was tacked on, comes a belated hint of the sardonic persona-mongering that once terrified a republic: Ice begs absolution for inventing the "gangsta rap" that "changed the course of the world." Maybe that's not as ridiculous as it seems. But certainly no such claim can be made for this clipped collection of pimp-dope-biz boasts/tales, which transcend genre hackwork only when anabused 16-year-old coos the title hook of "Always Wanted To Be a Hoe" like she can't wait to get the next dick in her mouth. Watching the O.G.'s back is a jaw-dropping procession of old-timers you hoped had gone into management, including Brother Marquis, Ant Banks, King Tee, Onyx, Kam, and, always last and always least, wee little Too Short. Proving mainly, I guess, that you can never find a cop killer when you need one. C+