In 1991, Ice-T released his iconic rap album, O.G. Original Gangster, which helped introduce a term that is now regularly used in our lexicon. And he is proud to be a part of that.
Appearing on the Allison Interviews podcast, the 67-year-old rapper and actor was asked by host Allison Kugel about where the popular term "O.G." originated from.
"O.G. is a term used by the L.A. gangs for the first generation of a particular set," Ice-T explained. "But also in L.A., the term just means ‘The Original.’ I brought it to the forefront when the press decided to name what we did ‘gangster rap,’ and they named it gangster rap because of Ice Cube."
Ice-T (real name Tracy Marrow) clarified that gangsta rap had a different name at first, and that with the emergence of N.W.A.'s breakout album, Straight Outta Compton, the tag became widely used for rap music that detailed gang-related narratives.
"They didn’t have a name for [the genre] when we first started," he admitted. "They were calling it ‘reality rap,’ but I was like, ‘Well, this is not everybody’s reality. This is just some particular kids’ reality.’ So, Ice Cube did Straight Outta Compton and he said ‘Straight Outta Compton; crazy motherf**ker named Ice Cube; from the gang called N****s With Attitude.’ And the press said, ‘Oh, he referred to his rap group as a gang. They’re gangster rappers.' "
Back then, Ice-T's music shared a similar vision as N.W.A. and he was quickly included in the gangsta rap game. But for him, he saw himself as the leader.
"That’s where the media gave us that name and I said, ‘Okay, if this is gangster rap, I’m the Original Gangster,'" he said. "I tagged myself on the tag they gave us, so I was, like, claiming my terrain.”
Merriam-Webster defines "O.G." as "someone or something that is an original or originator and especially one that is highly respected or regarded." Urban Dictionary, meanwhile, refers to it as "a classic style or stay with the older ways instead of newer."
Unfortunately for Ice-T, he never put in his bid to trademark the term, which no doubt would have earned him some serious coin in the 35 years since he released his album.
"I shoulda trademarked it. But Rakim says, ‘I’ll take a phrase that’s rarely heard, flip it; now it’s a daily word,' " he said laughing. "A lot of terms come from hip-hop, but yeah, I put ‘O.G.’ into the game.”
Watch the full interview below.