Classic Albums: Amerikkka's Most Wanted

In the late 80's rapper Ice Cube was a frontline member of the biggest group in Hip Hop at the time, NWA. After a business feud with the group's founder Eazy-E and the group's manager, Jerry Heller, Ice Cube embarked on a solo career. Many people had doubts that Cube would succeed being that he had just left the baddest crew in the land, but others were hopeful that Ice Cube's star would shine brighter than ever before. That star would come in the form of his solo debut, Amerikkka's Most Wanted.

In 1989 Ice Cube parted ways with his band mates in NWA due to a business feud. After his departure many were skeptical as to whether or not Cube could hold his own without his band mates and he was determine to show he could make it without the rest of NWA. Immediately after leaving NWA Ice Cube approached Priority Records Label head, Brian Turner about embarking on a solo career. Understanding Cube’s potential, Turner gave him the green light to make a solo album. It was here that Cube began laying the groundwork for the album that would become Amerikkka’s Most Wanted.

In planting the seeds for his solo debut, Ice Cube took material that he had originally written for future NWA works and decided to use them on his own upcoming solo project. He also had plans to work with former NWA bandmate Dr. Dre and wanted him to help with the upcoming album's production, but NWA founder and former bandmate Eazy-E put a cease to this plan in light of mounting tensions between the two parties. Ice Cube then figured if he could not get the best producer on the west coast to produce his album then linking up with the best producers on the east coast may be exactly what he needed.

This idea could not have had better results. Ice Cube would eventually connect with Chuck D of Public Enemy, one of the biggest and most revolutionary Hip Hop pioneering acts to come out of New York in the 1980's. Ice Cube and NWA were heavily inspired by Public Enemy and Chuck D really admired Ice Cube as a rising young Hip Hop artist who was following in his revolutionary footsteps. When Ice Cube informed Chuck D that he was going solo and was looking for a new sound to kick off his solo debut, Chuck D was more than willing to help and would team Ice Cube with Public Enemy's production team known as The Bomb Squad.

With The Bomb Squad as his production team, his South Central, Los Angeles proteges known as Da Lench Mob as his supporting team, and a whole new book of songs with abrasive lyrics that were sure to be a shock to the system, Ice Cube's development of Amerikkka's Most Wanted was now under way.

To give you an idea of how controversial this album was getting ready to be all you had to do was look at it's title. Cube deliberately took out to the C in America and spelled it with three K's in reference to the Ku Klux Klan, commentating on the history of America's racial discord. While writing and recording this album Ice Cube's subject matter would focus on the plight of dysfunction in America's inner city, especially in Los Angeles. On the first official song on the album titled "The N*gga Ya Love To Hate" Ice Cube sheds light on how his continued addressing of the issue that plague America's inner city that he first talked about with NWA have made him a marked man of criticism and in the process he has also become the person that everyone loves to hate because of how he addresses the uncomfortable truths as he raps: "You wanna sweep a n*gga like me up under the rug. Kickin' Sh*t called street knowledge, why more n*ggas in the pen than in college. Because of that line I might be your cellmate, that's from the n*gga ya love to hate."

In the song "Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)" which features Chuck D of Public Enemy. Ice Cube gives vicious upbeat and angry commentary on the fragility of Black males living in the United States. From Black on Black crime, to the ignorant attitude towards Black victims in the inner city, Cube's point is made clear with lyrics "It's a shame that n*ggas die young, but to the light side it don't matter none. It'll be a drive-by homicide, but to me it's just another tale from the dark side."

In the title track "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" Cube raps a funky lyrical cadence about being the most sought after in the crime filled streets of America. In the song "Turn Off The Radio" Cube takes shots at mainstream radio for trying to silence the abrasiveness of socio-political rap like Cube's in favor of R&B and crossover pop hits. As gritty as it's tone seemed, Amerikkka's Most Wanted was not all aggression and seriousness. Ice Cube manages to throw a very humorous tone into the album with songs like "Gangsta's Fairytale" and "Once Upon A Time In The Projects." With these songs Cube brings a humor-filled nursery rhyme style of storytelling to the album by using famous children's story themes as metaphors for the ongoings of the inner city. For example, in "Gangsta's Fairytale" he refers to the Bloods street gang as "Red Riding Hood" and refers to the Crips street gang as "Little Boy Blue". Cube keeps up the humor on the album with the sexually charged record "Only Out For One Thang" featuring the energetic Flava Flav of Public enemy as well as the song "You Can't Fade Me" a record in which he raps about a one night stand with a neighborhood girl that nearly leads to him being a father, all the while being picked on by his friends.

With the song titled "Who's The Mack" Ice Cube talks about the pimps and players who use their sexual prowess and conniving demeanors to woo women out of money and in the song "Rollin' With The Lench Mob" he introduces the world to his closest friends from South Central, Los Angeles who exemplify the new sound and direction that he is headed in as a breakout solo artist.

I think it is important to note that Ice Cube faced a lot of criticism for his attitude towards women who act a certain way. In the midst of all this he debuts West Coast Hip Hop female royalty, Yo-Yo on the song on the album titled "It's A Man's World". The song is basically a battle between Cube and Yo-Yo about women getting the respect they deserve, particularly in Hip Hop and as Yo-Yo clearly states, women can bring rapping chops just as much as men, if not better. With songs like "It's A Man's World" and the final track on the album titled "The Bomb", Ice Cube shows off his lyrical ability and skills as a great emcee that make it clear why he is hailed as one of the greatest Hip Hop pioneers of all time.

When Amerikkka's Most Wanted hit the shelves of record stores across the country in 1990 it went gold in just two weeks and platinum in just four months. The album was a smash hit, critically and commercially thanks to Cube's social commentary regarding life in the inner city. Not only was the album a hit, but it also set the bar for what most Hip Hop artist were aiming to be in the 90's. Many Hip Hop artist who would come later such as Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. would draw a lot of inspiration from this album when they would make their future debuts in the world of music. Many Rock acts such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Korn also were heavily inspired by what Ice Cube brought to the table in his debut. Amerikkka's Most Wanted would be so impactful that Cube was later invited on the Lollapalooza Tour in 1992, becoming the second Hip Hop act to ever do so in the tour's history.

The success and impact of Amerikkka's Most Wanted is what led to the success of the Ice Cube we know today. I can honestly say this album has had a tremendous impact on me as an aspiring musician and writer. Like so many other Hip Hop heads I found a lot of my groove from this album and I learned what it meant to be dedicated to hard work and great storyteller and emcee from this album. Hip Hop and music overall will forever appreciate the incredible and impactful body of work that Ice Cube left on the table with Amerikkka's Most Wanted.

"Still never hesitate to stutter step or bust a repitition on the mic still dissin' all the hype. From left to right how many left to fight...so what that Lench Mob like” -Ice Cube (The Bomb).