Ice-T ‘The Iceberg / Freedom of Speech’ 30th Anniversary
Release date: 10th October 1989
Label: Sire
Producers: Ice-T, Afrika Islam
Profile (courtesy of Wikipedia):
“The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech… Just Watch What You Say! is the third studio album by American rapper Ice-T, released on October 10, 1989 by Sire Records. The album has an uncharacteristically gritty sound, featuring some of the darkest tracks that Ice-T ever released. The album was released after Ice-T was encountering censorship problems on tour. In The Ice Opinion: Who Gives a Fuck? the rapper states that “People had already told me what I could not say onstage in Columbus, Georgia. You couldn’t say anything they called a ‘swear’ word. You couldn’t touch yourself. They were using the same tactics they used on everyone from Elvis and Jim Morrison to 2 Live Crew”. The album’s cover, featuring a B-boy with a shotgun shoved in his mouth, and two pistols pressed against each side of his head, reflected Ice-T’s experiences with the concept of freedom of speech. “The concept of that picture is, ‘Go ahead and say what you want. But here comes the government and here come the parents, and they are ready to destroy you when you open your mouth’”.”
Additional info:
- The album comes in at #21 on Ego Trip’s Top 25 Rap Albums of 1989.
- The single ‘You Played Yourself’ comes in at #30 on Ego Trip’s Top 40 Rap Singles of 1989.
- The track ‘You Played Yourself (DJ Alladin Remix) appears on our Classic Material 1989 mixtape.
- Listen to samples used in the making of the album on WhoSampled.
Purchase: Discogs