Ice Cube (AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted)

[Slim Zaddy]

Released May 16, 1990
Recorded 1989-1990
Greene Street Studios
(New York, New York)
Genre Gangsta rap
West Coast rap
Golden age hip hop
Political hip hop
Length 49:36
Label Priority
Producer Chuck D, Eric Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Ice Cube, Sir Jinx, Yo-Yo


Overview:
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is rapper Ice Cube's influential debut solo album, released after his acrimonious split from his former group N.W.A. It was originally released on May 16, 1990. Primarily produced by The Bomb Squad (Public Enemy's production team), the album was an unexpectedly large critical and commercial success, and remains one of the defining hip hop albums of the 1990s era. Ice Cube's social, and political commentary, which was delivered in an incisive manner, has influenced numerous rappers since, particularly in the gangsta rap and political rap subgenres. The album cemented Cube's reputation as a gifted lyricist, and introduced him as a highly literate scribe on the hardships of life in South Central, Los Angeles, as well as an outspoken critic of the American Justice System, and race relations in the United States. The album was certified platinum for sales of over 1 million units in the United States.

Background
In an interview with Cooleh Magazine, producer Hank Shocklee had this to say in regards to Ice Cube's approach to creating the album:Cube contacted me wanting to know if we could do a few tracks for his solo album after the whole NWA thing came to what it was and I was like, I’ll do it if I can do the whole album. And he said, "that’s what I was hoping you would say." And when we were in the studio he showed up with notebooks and notebooks full of new rhymes, a bag full of rhymebooks. The reason why I liked Ice Cube was Ice Cube’s viewpoint was a lot more dangerous, even more than what I was used to with Chuck and P.E.. He came from the school of "tell a nigga like it is and not give a fuck" and his "not give a fuck" was so ecstatic, so real, so concentrated that it was like wow!

Album title
The title of the album is an allusion to a television show called America's Most Wanted, wherein real-life crimes are reenacted and viewers are asked to call in with any information about the alleged perpetrators. The show has taken criticism for its reenactments. They are believed to perpetuate stereotypes regarding the criminality of African-American men and other minorities, such as Latinos. The intentional misspelling of "America" with three K's equates the show and status quo society with the Ku Klux Klan.


Lyrics
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is mostly a socio-political conscious and gangsta rap album. The songs delve into the issues of ghetto life, drug addiction, racism and poverty. Throughout the album, Ice Cube incessantly attacks racist institutions and social norms which directly or indirectly allow the oppression of those living in the ghettos of Los Angeles to continue. Predating the Rodney King incident, "Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)" can be seen as prophetic in its assessment of police brutality and the inadequate justice handed to police officers who use excessive force against ethnics. Throughout the album, Cube takes some controversial stands, referring to certain types of African-Americans as "oreo cookies"; an epithet implying that they appear to be black on the outside, but are white inside. Arsenio Hall is specifically mentioned as being a "sell-out." Cube also heavily criticizes R&B and hip hop radio stations for watered-down broadcasting. The titular song on the album directly parodies the television show, America's Most Wanted, exposing the bias and glee with which the program displays in arresting Afro-American men.

A later song ("Get Off My Dick, and Tell Yo Bitch to Come Here") returns to the same theme at the end, with newscaster Tom Brokaw reporting on rioting: "Outside the south central area, few cared about the violence because it didn't affect them." Also of interest is "It's a Man's World", a duet between Cube and female rapper Yo-Yo, in a similar fashion to such famous "battle of the sexes" songs as "Hit the Road Jack" and "Tramp" by Otis Redding. Cube and Yo-Yo verbally spar and trade sexist barbs back and forth in an expose of sexism between men and women. However, within the song concessions are made as Yo-Yo retorts to Cube "it's a man's world, but it wouldn't be a damn thing without a woman's touch."

In a review of a live show at the Apollo in September, 1991, Peter Watrous of the The New York Times wrote:the high point of the show was the arrival of the female rapper Yo-Yo, who fought a fierce battle of putdowns with Ice Cube on their tune "It's a Man's World"; Yo-Yo did not agree. Judging from the audience's equally vociferous response, no one came out ahead; any new sense of cultural violence or sexism promoted by the record had dissolved into a traditional battle of the sexes, no better or no worse.Nevertheless, the album received criticism for alleged sexism, particularly for "You Can't Fade Me," a track, in which Cube fantasizes about kicking a pregnant, former one-night stand in the stomach in order to cause a miscarriage, and avoid having to pay child support.


Reception
The release of AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, and its subsequent success were wholly unexpected, as Cube had only recently split from his former group, N.W.A. His former bandmates, in the meantime had resorted to taunting him in interviews. The album initially charted without the support of a lead single or video, although the title song would later receive a pressing, and a rare video for "Who's the Mack?" did eventually surface. Regardless of the drawbacks, the album shipped half a million copies in its first week out, and was certified Platinum two months later.

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted received The Source's highly-coveted (at the time) 'five mics' award; a 'classic' rating. It was the second album to be awarded this, and up until Outkast's Aquemini in 1998, one of only ten albums to be approved for five mics by The Source. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums. In 2005, comedian Chris Rock ranked it 17th on his list of the Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums ever.[5]

Ratings and excerpts from editorials:[6]

"…Beautiful anarchy, a mercilessly funky record…" - Rolling Stone (3/20/03, p.69)
Included in Rolling Stone's Essential Recordings of the 90's - Rolling Stone (5/13/99, p.70)
Ranked #80 in Spin Magazine's 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s (Spin (9/99, p.160) and #33 in the 100 Greatest Albums 1985-2005[7]
"…An indelible ghetto-storytelling smart bomb…" - Spin (5/03, p.113)
Recommended as one of the Five Best Rap Albums of 1990 - "…a lurid account of life in the projects. Ice Cube played the 'Nigga Ya Love To Hate' with theatrical fire and considerable skill in an album that gives a whole new meaning to the phrase `black comedy'…" - Q (2/91)
"…A brilliantly wound-up, pissed-off album…" - Uncut (6/03, p.113)
"…A visceral classic…" - Vibe (6/02, p.108)
Ranked #2 in Vibe's "Top 10 rap albums"
"A riotous, feverish rant about life in black Amerikkka that separates itself from his old partners' exploitation… One of the most powerful hip hop records ever." - Peter Shapiro (The Rough Guide to Hip-hop, 2001, p.172)

Single
The title track was the first official single from the album. The song contains samples from "Humpin'" by the Bar-Kays, "There It Is" by James Brown, "Let the Music Take Your Mind" by Kool and the Gang and "Advice" by Sly and the Family Stone. The B-side for the song was "Once Upon a Time in the Projects".


Legacy
Produced entirely by the Bomb Squad (during the height of Public Enemy's success) and Da Lench Mob, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted received accolades for innovation in production upon release. Since this time, West Coast rap has largely taken a separate direction from the sound present on AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, and headed more towards the glossy beats, and smooth drawls popularised by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

Although Ice Cube's popularity among mainstream listeners has lessened since the 2000s, and his sound may be considered distinctively old school to modern ears, many rappers themselves have been influenced by his innovative lyrical techniques. His style of rap, drenched in real life sentiment, and socio-political awareness, influenced the music of West Coast rappers, including that of Tupac, Ras Kass, and Xzibit, as well as East Coast rappers Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., and more recently, Saigon. While Ice Cube's early albums often described true circumstances in outlandish fashion, for example using fairytale characters to tell a violent and tragic story in "A Gangsta's Fairytale", later rappers would take this to the extreme, often describing physically impossible acts of violence in an outrageously exaggerated manner.

East Coast rapper, Redman, covered "Once Upon a Time in the Projects" on his album, Doc's Da Name 2000, with the song "Jersey Yo!."

Track listing
1 Better off Dead Holt, Ice Cube 1:03
2 The Nigga Ya Love to Hate Ice Cube, Sadler 3:13
3 AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted Ice Cube, Sadler, Shocklee 4:08
4 What They Hittin' Foe? Average White Band ... 1:22
5 You Can't Fade Me/JD's Gaffilin' Ice Cube, Sadler 5:12
6 Once Upon a Time in the Projects Ice Cube, Sir Jinx 3:41
7 Turn Off the Radio D., Ice Cube, Sadler, Shabazz 2:37
8 Endangered Species (Tales From the Darkside) D., Ice Cube, Sadler, Sir Jinx 3:21
9 A Gangsta's Fairytale Ice Cube, Sadler 3:16
10 I'm Only Out for One Thang Flavor Flav, Ice Cube ... 2:10
11 Get off My *** and Tell Yo ***** to Come Here Ice Cube, Sadler :56
12 The Drive-By Shocklee, Sir Jinx 1:01
13 Rollin' Wit the Lench Mob Ice Cube, Sadler 3:43
14 Who's the Mack? Ice Cube, JBs 4:35
15 It's a Man's World Ice Cube, Sir Jinx, Yo Yo 5:26
16 The Bomb Ice Cube, Sir Jinx 3:25

Credits:
The Bomb Squad Producer
Mario Castellanos Photography
Chris Champion Assistant Engineer
Chuck D Performer
J. Dee Vocals (bckgr)
(Ex) Cat Heads Vocals (bckgr)
Flavor Flav Vocals, Performer
Ricky Harris Vocals (bckgr)
Al "Purple" Hayes Bass, Guitar
Vincent Henry Flute, Saxophone
Brian Holt Vocals
Kevin Hosmann Art Direction
Ice Cube Vocals, Producer
Da Lench Mob Vocals (bckgr), Producer
Tim Rollins Piano
E. Sadler Producer
Nick Sansano Engineer
Shannon Vocals (bckgr)
Christopher Shaw Engineer
Keith Shocklee Scratching
Sir Jinx Vocals (bckgr), Producer
Howie Weinberg Mastering
Dan Wood Vocals (bckgr), Engineer
Yo-Yo Vocals, Performer

Charts & Awards
Album
U.S. Billboard 200 19
U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 6

Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions
U.S. Hot 100 U.S. R&B U.S. Rap
1990 "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" — — 1

My Review:
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is intense. The Bomb Squad lay down some serious, intense beats in the style of what they were doing for Public Enemy at the time w/ perhaps a little bit more of a funk influence added. Make no mistakes though, the name on the front of the record is the star of the show. Ice Cube is relentless, skillfully weaving stories of the urban darkside though the Bomb Squad's production. His persona is so well defined at times you feel like he's standing behind you and yelling directly in your ear. While at times there's some lyrical elements get to be a bit much, Ice Cube seems to keep his humor here unlike on his later efforts. There's perhaps a hair of hip-hop album bloat but despite this, it comes across as tight and there's very few dull moments.