Rhyme Pays

Rhyme Pays is the debut studio album by American rapper Ice-T. The album was released on July 28, 1987, by Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album, especially tracks like "6 'N the Mornin'," is considered to have defined the gangsta genre, and was the first hip hop album to carry a Parental Advisory warning label, although it was years before the industry-standard explicit-lyrics sticker was developed. The 1988 CD release included four bonus tracks. Rhyme Pays peaked at number 93 on the Billboard 200 music chart and number 26 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums. Rolling Stone gave the album three stars. It was also the first hip-hop artist album released on the Sire and Warner Bros. labels.