I Must Stand

Ice-T

About I Must Stand

"I Must Stand" is a song by American recording artist Ice-T. It was released on April 9, 1996 as a single from the rapper's sixth studio album Ice-T VI: Return of the Real through Rhyme $yndicate Records/Priority Records/Virgin Records. The song was written and produced by Ice-T and Santiago "San Man" Sanguillen. The single peaked at #83 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #23 on the Hot Rap Songs charts in the United States, and also reached #23 and #43 in the UK and Switzerland respectively. "I Must Stand" was later included in the rapper's greatest hits album Greatest Hits: The Evidence. 


Year:
1996
3:58
94 

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Nobody ever said life was gon' be easy
But damn..

[ VERSE 1 ]
Just a kid, moms died when I was seven
Pops died, eleven, what's up with heaven?
It's hell when you're an orphan at a early age
This impressionable stage, no love breeds rage
In the heart of a child who never knew his roots
Looked up to pimps and to hustlers in the eel-skin boots
Parkin Caddies on the sidewalk, gangsta talk
Truckin diamonds and gold
Rubberbands around the bankrolls
Fly girls to make your head spin
Seemed they partied all night long
I was like, "Put me on"
But they said, "Little fellow, run and go play
Take your butt to school or else you'll have to be like us one day"
I didn't understand, but I tried to get a job
While all the players got the girls cause they'd hustle and rob
I was like makin 'bout 1-50 a week
And after taxes, you know what that is - lunch meat

And I know I can be better than this
I gotta get me a car, man
I gotta get a girl

I know I can do it out there, man
I'm finna go for it, man
I gotta get some money
Word

[ VERSE 2 ]
Streets of anger, trouble and crime
I had it hard, had to sleep in my car sometime
But I never let another player see me down
I kept my front up, my gear clean
Even when checkin minor green
Brothers knew my game was true
So I hooked up with the real crew
That knew excactly what to do
Bank jobs and jewels, quick to flex with tools
Pimpin hoes on the block
Checkin cash non-stop
Crack spots, armor with interior bars
No lie, I used to own 'bout 15 cars
Every piece Fila made
Drape my women in suede
Pavet Piaget, Cesar's Palace holidays
It was on, crazy out of control
We made up the word 'ballin', that was how we rolled
But the FBI had a-whole-nother idea
It's called multiple indictments for hundreds of years

What
Daff is dead?
Carter got 25 years?
Nah..
Spike 35 to life?
Nah, don't tell me B.O.'s dead, man
I don't want to hear that, man
I was just with him

[ VERSE 3 ]
The game is vicious, no retirement, you die young
Listen to a fake, he might tell you to grab a gun
I get phone calls from condemned row
Brothers I ran with, brothers I really know
They tell me, "Ice you got much love in the pen
You're the one that got away, don't want to see you in"
They tell me, "Tell the little homies the deal
Don't let em come up in this hellish habitat of shanks and steel"
I marched two million strong in D.C.
Lookin eye to eye with brothers that I used to think below me
Damn, my mind was twisted in my hustlin days
But God spared me, I got a baby son to raise
And bein black ain't easy, prejudice is real
But health and liberty is all we need for us to build
We gotta come together, unseparated
Check yourself like I did, blackman, because we're all related

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Ice-T

Tracy Marrow (born February 16, 1958), better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American rapper and actor. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, and moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school, he served in the United States Army for four years. He began his career as a rapper in the 1980s and was signed to Sire Records in 1987, when he released his debut album Rhyme Pays, the first hip-hop album to carry an explicit content sticker. The next year, he founded the record label Rhyme Syndicate Records (named after his collective of fellow hip-hop artists called the Rhyme Syndicate) and released another album, Power. more »

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Written by: ADRIAN FRANCIS UTLEY, BETH GIBBONS, GEOFF BARROW, SANDY SANGUILLEN SANTIAGO, TRACY LAUREN MARROW

Lyrics © COHEN AND COHEN, BMG Rights Management, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Release Year
"I Must Stand" was released in 1996 as part of Ice-T's sixth studio album titled "VI: Return of the Real".
Genre classification
This song falls under the genre of Gangsta Rap, characterized by themes and lyrics based on the violent lifestyles and tough attitudes of urban street gangs.
Video Game Appearance
"I Must Stand" was featured in the video game called Scarface: The World is Yours which was released in 2006.
Chart Performance
Although not a top charting song, "I Must Stand" helped solidify Ice-T's status as one of the pioneering voices in gangsta rap.
Controversial Career
Ice-T, well-known for controversy, released "I Must Stand" during a time when he was increasingly facing criticism from political figures and law enforcement due to his explicit lyrics and themes.
Song Theme
The song is seen as a response to his critics, with Ice-T asserting his right to express his views and experiences in his music. Its title, "I Must Stand" underscores Ice-T's unyielding stance amid controversy.
Album Sales
The album "VI: Return of the Real" featuring "I Must Stand" peaked at number 89 on Billboard 200 and number 16 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Collaboration
Ice-T's backing group, Rhyme $yndicate also featured on the song.
Relevant Lines
Some of the most known lines from "I Must Stand" are, "So long as the streets breed death certain individuals will feel the need to protect and serve themselves."
Artist Influence
Ice-T is considered an influential figure in gangsta rap and "I Must Stand" is one of his songs that reflects his impact on the genre.

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