Albums That Inspired Me To Rap: Lethal Injection

By 1993 Hip Hop heavyweight Ice Cube was one of the biggest stars in music. His first three solo albums had become certified hits that had only gotten more successful with time. After his fellow NWA counterpart Dr. Dre dropped his spell binding solo debut The Chronic in early 93’ the future of Hip Hop and pop music was paved in the sound of the newly crafted G-funk era. Hip Hop was changing from the aggressive sounds of Ice Cube’s albums Amerikkkas Most Wanted, Death Certificate and The Predator and had transcended into the newly laid back G-funk grooves of The Chronic from Dr. Dre and Doggy Style from Snoop Doggy Dogg thanks to the new empire that was Death Row Records. Ice Cube appreciated the changes in motion and decided to add his own contribution to the G-funk era with his fourth album Lethal Injection.

Ice Cube was known for sampling the classic sound of Parliament Funkadelic in all of his music, but for Lethal Injection Cube wouldn’t just be sampling the funk, he would be creating his own G-funk sound to contribute to the ongoing G-funk movement. Graced by the new gangsta funk backdrop this album’s subject matter would be very similar to its predecessors with a laid back feel.

🎶Now it's Judgement Day, and Allah'll never play

"freedom got an AK," them Guerilla say

Bobby Seale said, "please make it rough, bro"

When God give the word, me herd like the buffalo

Through your neighborhood, watch me blast

Tribe of Shabazz, get in that ass

You shoulda took heed of my word and became a friend of me

Now you're just a enemy🎶 - Ice Cube (Enemy).

Ice Cube continues to highlight the toxicity of race relations and religious corruption with the album tracks “Cave Bitch”, “Enemy” and “When I Get To Heaven”. Cube’s well known and controversial affiliation with the Nation of Islam is well reiterated with these scathing tracks as they both contain commentary from fiery Nation of Islam leaders minister Louis Farrakhan and Khalid Abdul Muhammad.

🎶To G or not to G, is the question

And like Smith told Wesson

I'm shady with the .380 old school diploma

I'll leave that ass in a coma, so

If you got a herringbone, Welcome to the Terrordome

Two-eleven, sorry Reverend

Oh my god, gettin' robbed

Reach for the smog, "Atomic Dog"

Hard to swallow, janky as Rollo

Count to ten, and don't try to follow

'Cause just like Waco, I can take fo'

ATF, to they death

Bust a left on Western, go and get a room

Don't want to be a felon like Stacey Koon

Get the right bitch, hit the light switch, here we go

Tap that ass like this really doe🎶 - Ice Cube (Really Doe).

Of course Cube keeps his gangsta rap, storytelling street edge with songs like the album’s first single “Really Doe”, the “Funky Worm” sampled “Ghetto Bird” produced by Quincy “QDIII” Jones III, “Lil Ass Gee” and “What Can I Do” . Through these songs Ice Cube chronicles the journey of a criminal stuck in the hardships of the prison system, a thug on the run trying to evade a helicopter which is nicknamed a “ghetto bird” in the inner city, the chronicles of a young kid in the ghetto who embraces the street gangster lifestyle with no reservations and a long time criminal who struggles to adjust to the civil life after prison time. Cube even manages to throw humor into the mix with the song “Down For Whatever” which is a Blues rap-like melody highlighting the activities of a petty thug.

My favorite song from Lethal Injection is hands down “Make it Ruff, Make it Smooth” featuring K-Dee. What makes this song so great is it is basically an in-song battle between Ice Cube’s rough style versus K-Dee’s smoothness and it’s basically showing how Cube has managed to adapt to the smooth vibes of the G-funk era with his latest album and still managed to be himself.

🎶Ain't nothin' goin on but the bomb ass rap song

Hittin' all night long

Just like me on the black and white ivory

Gettin' six on artillery, you don't wanna see a G

Break yo' ass like dishes

Buster ass tricks sleep with the fishes

Runnin' from Lennox up at Venice

They want to have me in stripes, like Dennis the Menace

But that ain't poppin', ain't no stoppin'

Fo' hoppin, ass droppin', Coupe DeVille

My troupe can, ill, fool I got skills

So, back on up 'fore I check that chin

Down as fuck and I'm full off Henn'

You gets no love and I thought you knew it

Fool, you know how we do it🎶 - Ice Cube (You Know How We Do It).

Lethal Injection’s second single “You Know How We Do It” is hands down one of the best Ice Cube songs ever. This song is single-handedly the best and most defining song of the album. Having the perfect mix of samples including: "The Show Is Over" by Evelyn "Champagne" King, "Summer Madness" by Kool & the Gang, and "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, this song is considered by many to be the sequel to Ice Cube’s biggest song to date “Today Was A Good Day” with its lay back tone and ease of a good time vibe.

🎶1993, much more ba-e-ya-e-younce

Ice Cube comin' with the half ounce

Not Just Knee Deep, jeep fulla smog

A, To, mic, Dog

Like ya behind, heard it through the grapevine

How much longer will you be mine?

And I'ma tell ya, I don't like drama

So do I have to put my handcuffs on your mama

'Cause Bertha Butt did her fuckin' boogie with her crew

But I'd rather fuck you, boo

And make you say humdrum, tweedee dum

Humdrum don't succumb when I'm done, buckin' shit

One nation under a groove gettin down for the fuck of it

Tear the roof of this motherfucker like we did last night, son

And hit you with the bop gun🎶 - Ice Cube (Bop Gun(One Nation)).

The album’s final single “Bop Gun (One Nation)” is Ice Cube’s house party cover version of the Parliament- Funkadelic classic “One Nation Under A Groove” featuring the P-Funk master himself, George Clinton. The song became one of Cube’s biggest and best party anthems ever and stayed in constant heavy rotation on MTV.

Upon its initial release, Lethal Injection was a mega commercial success, instantly becoming one of Ice Cube’s most successful albums to date. It’s critical reception however, was heavily mixed initially with many critics and fans feeling like it’s laidback tone was an unexpected step down from his previous albums and that some of the album’s content seemed to pander to the more mainstream gangsta rap. The standing of the album managed to grow overtime. This is due to the love for the album’s signature track “You Know How We Do It” and other tracks like “Ghetto Bird” and “Down For Whatever” being used in films like “Menace 2 Society” and “Office Space”, respectively. The album would later be reappraised with positive reviews from both critics and fans alike who appreciate its G-funk tone, with most regarding it as one of Cube’s best albums ever.

With Cube being my top favorite rapper ever, this album is without a doubt one of my top four Cube albums. Lethal Injection holds a special place for me as being my victory music in college after I completed every semester and to this day the album sets the tone for me whenever I’m getting into writing mode. Being that I also rap, Cube’s flow on this album has inspired my own. It is pretty much my top favorite contribution to the G-funk era as it always takes me on a trip down memory lane of the times I would spend with my family when I would go visit them in California as a kid. Lethal Injection is truly another West Coast Hip Hop classic and on this day that is Ice Cube’s 57th birthday I’m glad he gave us this classic

🎶(Don’t let the smooth shit fool ya, 'cause I can get it on, 'cause I be

Breakin' bones like dragonfly Jones, quick to put em on ya.)

Don't make me act a fool! nigga, make it ruff!

(make it smooth!)🎶 - Ice Cube (Make it Ruff, Make it Smooth)