Customer Reviews:
 Just awesome July 16, 2007
Raymond Chalouhe (Sydney Australia)
This CD is brilliant. Its the original hardcore rap with no censors or edits. The lyrics say it like it is over bomb dropping drum beats. If you're looking for an old school rap cd, forget all that other toy hip hop stuff, get this. Its excellent.
Classic Ice-T at it's best November 7, 2006
M. Cryer (Denver, CO United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Power is Classic Ice-T at it's best. The rhymes and beats may seem simplistic to some, but let's take it in context people. This was released in 1988. In those days gangsta rap was in it's infancy still. This is definitely an example of the best from that period. This album won't appeal to hardcore fans I suspect, but will for true Ice-T fans. Turn on, tune in and enjoy.
Classic Power December 28, 2005
R. Williams (Neptune, NJ)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the one that made me fall in "love" with Ice T. What a powerful CD. Can't touch this!
 Average for old-school. December 12, 2005
David Foskin (Waterford, Ireland)
1 out of 11 found this review helpful
While I am generally lenient and sympathetic to the older rap music, this record doesn't do a lot for me. The simple beats and elementary rapping style are simply too much for this album to overcome.
The album doesn't say as much as one would expect it to. Ice-T is basically educating us about the street hustling game which by now has been thoroughly explored by most everyone in much more grit than this record. To Ice-T's credit though, this is most certainly close to (if not) groundbreaking. At this time it was definitely controversial to put out a record like this, and for paving the way we definitely have to give Ice-T the nod.
Nonetheless, the only really memorable song on this record for me was "High Rollers". It serves as a portrait of the ghetto criminal. The beat is really smooth and Ice-T definitely picks up the rap on this. However, the real strength of the song lies in its message. Ice-T simply states the facts about being a criminal. He mentions all the benefits and the drawbacks. He craftily avoids taking any strong stand, and lets the song serve as a manual of sorts. The last verse of the song is definitely it's high point when Ice-T offers that "you're smarter than those crooks on Miami Vice? Right?".
The beats on Power are definitely dated. While it's not fair to criticize what was probably revolutionary 14 years later, the fact remains that they are not too enjoyable to the modern rap listener. It's not that they aren't interesting, or bumping, but they are just way too simple and include very few layers.
The lyrcis are pretty much a disappointment for me. I was really expecting some political type stuff here. However, Ice-T uses this record to trump himself up for not being played on the radio. The sad thing is, that I can't really even see why they weren't playing a lot of these songs. Ice-T includes a lot of bravado on this record, but it really comes up flimsy and paper thin in comparison to what would come a few years later. This record almost seems cartoony in comparison to Pac or even DMX. Again, this isn't entirely fair, but those are the hard facts.
The rapping style is really bad. It weighs in somewhere between true old school and modern rap. Sadly enough Ice-T comes off sounding a lot like Vanilla Ice. While of course Ice-T was first (and this was the style of the day) it serves to remove legitimacy from the album. With a style like this, it comes clear why Ice-T made the jump to acting and moved out of the rap game.
I want to make it clear that I don't want it to seem like I am taking cheap shots at Ice-T. I respect his pioneering influence and his early West Coast style, however, that's not worth you spending $12 on this album. After all the dust clears and the nods of respect have been given, this album will not be one that you enjoy for years to come. So, take my advice, if you want old rap pick up Amerikkka's Most Wanted, or some Furious Five.
ICE IS THE COLDEST RAPPER September 17, 2005
SOUNDWAVE (Decepticon Headquarters)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There aren't many people that haven't heard the name Ice-T, but to me it means lyrical genius. The raps on any Ice-T album are intelligent with topics that are like lessons. The nice thing about his songs is that you can listen to it anyway you like, either from a criminal's perspective or from a teacher teaching others what it's like in the street or on living a life of crime.
There is no such thing as a crap Ice-T album, if he's on it, it's hot, or should I say cold.
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