Home Invasion (album)

Home Invasion
Studio album by Ice-T
Released	March 23, 1993
Recorded	1992
Genre	Gangsta rap
Length	73:55
Label	Rhyme $yndicate/Priority/EMI Records
Producer	Donald D DJ Aladdin Hen-Gee Evil-E Ice-T
Ice-T chronology
O.G. Original Gangster (1991) Home Invasion (1993) VI - Return of the Real (1996)

Home Invasion is the fifth solo album by Ice-T. Released in 1993, the album (which was originally set to be released in 1992 as part of his deal with Sire/Warner Bros. Records) was Ice-T's first official release as an artist on his own label Rhyme Syndicate Records, now in full control of the content of the release, as part of his new distribution deal with Priority Records.

History

Home Invasion was the first album that Ice-T released following the controversy over the Body Count song "Cop Killer." Sire/Warner Bros. Records had stood by freedom of expression during the controversy, although some within the Time Warner conglomerate now favored a more pragmatic policy. Home Invasion was originally set for a November 15, 1992, release, but the Rodney King riots were still fresh in people's minds, an election was in process, and political releases by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre were causing controversy, so Ice T agreed to postpone Home Invasion's release, in addition to removing the song "Ricochet," which had already appeared on the soundtrack to the film of the same name.

With the album's release postponed to February 14, 1993, Sire/Warner Bros. told Ice-T that it would not release the album with its current artwork, painted by Dave Halili (cover artist for Body Count), which depicted a white child who is seemingly engrossed in black culture surrounded by images of violence, mayhem and disorder. Although the catalog number 45119 was already assigned to it and the single “Gotta Lotta Love” was released, the album was still deferred. Ice-T initially agreed, opting for an all-black cover and a name change to The Black Album. He later realized that his future output was going to be continuously monitored and censored, so he left the label amicably, signing a distribution deal with Priority Records, which released the album with the originally intended artwork.^[1] Due to the postponed release of the album, tracks were altered to keep the topics up-to-date.

In 2004 Jay-Z released a song called 99 Problems using the same title and chorus as the Home Invasion track.

Lyrical themes

"It's On" begins with the phrase "Turn up the mike, dog, so I can get off/Find me Charlton Heston and I might cut his head off." Charlton Heston had pushed for Ice T's contract with Sire/Warner Bros. to be dissolved. The title track explored the concept of a white supremacist home being invaded by political emcees who were seeking to rescue the children from racist indoctrination. "Gotta Lotta Love" pays tribute to the gang truce in L.A and discusses the benefits of Blacks and Latinos living in harmony. "That's How I'm Living" is autobiographical, describing Ice T's early life. "Race War" is a reflection on the riots and a warning against such events repeating themselves. "Message to the Soldier" offers advice to those involved in political hip hop. After abstaining from sex rhymes on O.G. Original Gangster, Ice-T made a point of including two such tracks on this album with "Hit the Fan" and "99 Problems."

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Robert Christgau	B+[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
Yahoo! Music	(mixed)[5]

The album peaked at #9 on Billboard magazine's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at #14 on the Billboard 200.^[6] Home Invasion was the last hip hop release of Ice T that had significant political content. His later releases were more in tune with the rest of gangsta rap. This is reflected in how this album featured the end of the accumulated pleas that had appeared inside the pamphlets of his albums since Power. Home Invasion is also often seen as the release with which Ice T's career began to take a downturn. Reviews were generally less impressed than they had been with his earlier work. The hip hop audience was moving away from political artists at the time. The rivalry between the West and East Coast was also at its peak. Ice-T had always stayed out of the dispute. He also didn't seem to fit neatly into either camp; he hailed from the West Coast, but his raps were more in the style of the East Coast.

Track listing

The Last Temptation of Ice

The Last Temptation of Ice
Studio album by Ice-T
Released	March 23, 1994
Recorded	1991-93
Genre	Gangsta rap
Length	35:02
Label	Rhyme Syndicate
Producer	Donald D DJ Aladdin

The album was re-released with a bonus disc titled The Last Temptation of Ice.^[8] Its track listing follows.

1. That's How I'm Livin' (On The Rox Remix)
2. Gotta Lotta Love (Tubular Bells Mix)
3. I Ain't New Ta This (Radio Version)
4. Ricochet
5. Addicted To Danger (Nut Shop Mix)
6. G Style (Remix)
7. Race War (Full Muthafuckin' Assassin Remix)

References