Ice-T: 7th Deadly Sin

One thing that sets great rappers apart from mediocre ones is a willingness and ability to convey something meaningful and true rather than merely wallowing in cliches. Consequently, while albums by Mos Def and The Coup paint vivid portraits of their authors' life and times, ones like Ice-T's 7th Deadly Sin could be the work of literally dozens of interchangeable journeymen. T's importance as one of the creators of gangsta rap is undeniable, and his work as a B-movie actor, author, lecturer, and pop-culture gadfly should at least provide him with interesting source material. But 7th Deadly Sin is just another foray into the gats-women-power-money gangsta-rap formula T has been working for more than a decade. Competently if unremarkably produced by DJ Ace, the album's few bright moments come largely courtesy of guests Ras Kass and Tash of Tha Alkaholiks, who deliver performances on "The 7th" that are as distinctive and quick-witted as Ice-T's is bland and humorless. Like many hip-hop icons, T hasn't been a rapper first and foremost in a long time. That may be why an air of desperation hangs heavy over 7th Deadly Sin, a vibe not at all diminished by the album's inclusion of encouraging answering-machine messages by a veritable who's-who of long-in-the-tooth hip-hop also-rans, including Mack 10 flunkie CJ Mac, rapper and porn star Sondoobiest, and Brother Marquis of 2 Live Crew.