Kill at Will
| Kill at Will | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by Ice Cube | ||||
| Released | July 1, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1990 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 20:38 | |||
| Label | Priority | |||
| Producer | Ice Cube, Sir Jinx, Chilly Chill | |||
| Ice Cube chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+[3] |
| NME | (7/10)[4] |
| The Source |  [5] |
| The Washington Post | (favorable)[6] |
Kill at Will is a seven track EP released by Ice Cube on July 1, 1990, on Priority Records.[7] It was released soon after AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and capitalized off Cube's newfound solo success. The EP quickly shipped Gold in sales, and a year later, had been certified Platinum, with both certifications being a first for a Hip hop EP. It featured a remix of "Endangered Species", featuring a brand new verse from Public Enemy's Chuck D. Kill at Will is considered by Ice Cube fans to be among his best works, and original vinyl pressings are still highly sought after. The album has sold over 1 million copies to date according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Overview
Kill at Will contains two of Ice Cube's most famous tracks, the rambunctious "Jackin' for Beats", and the soulful ode "Dead Homiez". "Dead Homiez" was Cube's second solo single/music video. The song deals with the violence, death, and social problems of the inner city neighborhoods and is essentially a dedication to all those killed through urban violence. The song was praised later on by countless rap artists and critics, and is one of the first hip hop songs to deal with the pain and loss suffered specifically by the families of black men lost to black on black violence.
"Jackin' for Beats", likewise, began the popular trend of an MC rapping over the various instrumentals of popular beats, which rotate during the course of one song. The song and its sentiment is an excellent example of plunderphonics. The EP was remastered and added to the reissue of the AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted album in 2003.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)" (Remix) (featuring Chuck D) | Sir Jinx | 4:11 | |
| 2. | "Jackin' for Beats" | Chilly Chill | 2:57 | |
| 3. | "Get off My Dick and Tell Yo Bitch to Come Here (Remix)" | Sir Jinx | 3:38 | |
| 4. | "The Product" | Sir Jinx | 3:35 | |
| 5. | "Dead Homiez" | Ice Cube | 3:55 | |
| 6. | "JD’s Gaffilin’ (Part II)" | 0:36 | ||
| 7. | "I Gotta Say What Up!!!" | Sir Jinx | 3:06 |
Partial list of samples
|
"Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) (Remix)"
"The Product"
"I Gotta Say What Up!!!"
"Dead Homiez"
|
"Jackin' for Beats"
|
Album singles
"Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)"
- Released: 1990
- B-side: Dead Homiez
Charts
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 34 |
| US Top R&B Albums | 5 |
Later samples
- "Dead Homiez"
- "Young Black Male" by 2Pac from the album 2Pacalypse Now
- "The Product"
- "Young Black Male" by 2Pac from the album 2Pacalypse Now
References
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