▁were ▁not ▁meant ▁to ▁be ▁hom oph ob ic , ▁but ▁simply ▁a ▁statement ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁prefer ences . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁ ▁Rol ling ▁Stone ▁gave ▁the ▁album ▁three ▁stars . ▁In ▁a ▁contemporary ▁review ▁for ▁The ▁Village ▁Vo ice , ▁Robert ▁Christ g au ▁gave ▁Rh yme ▁Pays ▁a ▁" B " ▁and ▁cred ited ▁DJ ▁A frika ▁Islam ▁for ▁helping ▁flesh ▁out ▁Ice ▁T ' s ▁crime - th emed ▁ra ps : ▁" Can ' t ▁know ▁whether ▁his ▁street wise ▁j abs ▁at ▁Re agan ▁and ▁rec id iv ism ▁will ▁make ▁a ▁permanent ▁impression ▁on ▁his ▁core ▁audience , ▁but ▁his ▁sex p lo itations ▁and ▁true ▁crime ▁tales ▁are ▁detailed ▁and ▁h arrow ing ▁enough ▁to ▁conv ince ▁anybody ▁he ▁was ▁there ." ▁According ▁to ▁All Music ' s ▁Alex ▁Hend erson , ▁who ▁later ▁gave ▁the ▁record ▁three - and - a - half ▁out ▁of ▁five ▁stars , ▁" the ▁West ▁Coast ▁was ▁well ▁on ▁its ▁way ▁to ▁becom ining ▁a ▁cru cial ▁part ▁of ▁hip - h op " ▁when ▁Rh yme ▁Pays ▁was ▁released . ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁writer ▁Dennis ▁H unt ▁said ▁the ▁album ▁helped ▁popular ize ▁gang sta ▁rap . ▁ ▁Com mer cial ▁performance ▁ ▁Rh yme ▁Pays ▁deb uted ▁at ▁number ▁ 9 3 ▁on ▁the ▁US ▁Billboard ▁ 2 0 0 ▁and ▁number ▁ 2 6 ▁on ▁the ▁Billboard ▁Top ▁R & B / H ip ▁Hop ▁Albums ▁charts . ▁It ▁also ▁became ▁the ▁first