Ice-T
ListenThe Coldest Rap (Part 1) · 1983
Ice-T — “The Coldest Rap,” Part 1.
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1983 · Saturn Records
The Coldest Rap / Cold Wind-Madness
Ice-T’s first record began with rhymes he was already saying to people around him. At a Los Angeles hair salon, producer Willie Strong heard him and offered to take those words into a studio. “The Coldest Rap” followed on Saturn Records in 1983. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0040 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Ice-T |
| Release | 1983 · United States |
| Label | Saturn Records · Not documented |
| Format | 12-inch vinyl single · 33⅓ rpm |
| Issue | US commercial issue |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | NM |
Release history and significance
In a 2023 interview, Ice-T recalled entertaining women at Good Fred’s hair salon when Willie Strong approached him about making a record. At the studio, the musicians lowered an existing vocal track and asked him to rap. He drew on the verses he carried in his head. [1]
The backing connected the new Los Angeles rapper with accomplished funk musicians: the Saturn release credits Jimmy Jam on keyboards, Terry Lewis on bass and Daniel Sofer on OB-X8. Strong produced the session, with Tracy Marrow credited as writer. [2]
This is the electro-era beginning of Ice-T’s recording career, before the street narratives that made “6 ’N the Mornin’” his breakthrough. Looking back, he described those early records as a period of finding out which parts of his own experience he could bring into rap. [1]
Market context
For the four-track Saturn SAT-1001 edition, Discogs reports sales from US$5.81 to US$63.37, with a median of US$27.25, as recorded on 14 September 2026. [2]
Physical Description
A black-vinyl twelve-inch Saturn Records single pairing the vocal “The Coldest Rap” with “Cold Wind-Madness.”
Condition
The media and accompanying sleeve were recorded as M− at acquisition.
Provenance
Acquired through Discogs from seller ornettemonk on 23 August 2025.
Sources
- SPIN, The O.G.. 2023 interview: Ice-T recalls Good Fred’s hair salon, Willie Strong and his first session.
- Discogs, Ice-T — The Coldest Rap / Cold Wind-Madness, release 535822. Edition reference and sales statistics consulted 14 September 2026.
- Discogs, Ice-T — Cold Wind-Madness / The Coldest Rap, release 176973. Edition reference and sales statistics consulted 14 September 2026.
Catalogue text reviewed 14 September 2026.