AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

Female Lives Matter. Fuck you, Ice Cube.

Not bad, but the misogyny is... a bit much. I get that this is the 'brand', but in my opinion it's hypocritical and undermines the message of the rest of the album. How can you critique the oppression of black people and at the same time promote the oppression of women? (I feel the same when it's the other way around, which also happens way too often, but that's a different story). Still gets 2 stars for the political songs.

Not my thing personally. I can see why it's so influential, but probably agree with the original Rolling Stone review - "The relentless profanity grows wearisome, the Bomb Squad beats lose steam, and Cube's attitudes toward women are simply despicable."

It does what it does well, but my patience with that level of unashamed misogyny these days is pretty much non-existent. Good delivery, sickening content.

It's not my favorite flavor of hiphop but this album is solid. I mean, Ice Cube has always been ready to get up in faces and speak hard truths. That is very much on display here. Commentary on race, violence, inequality, culture, etc. is delivered with agressive poeticism. The biggest issue is that the beats are hella dated. SUPER dated. A related issue is that every track sounds so similar to the last that that my ears are worn out by track four.

One star for excessive language & disrespect to women. The music etc was just ok for me as well. Don't get me wrong I love rap, hip-hop etc, but only if it is good. This was NOT good.

When Ice Cube split from N.W.A after the group's seminal Straight Outta Compton album changed the world forever, expectations were high, too high to ever be met by anyone but the most talented of artists, and at his most inspired. At the time Cube was just that. With AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted the rapper expanded upon Compton, making a more full-bodied album that helped boost the role of the individual in hip-hop. Save the dramatic intro where a mythical Ice Cube is fried in the electric chair, his debut is filled with eye-level views of the inner city that are always vivid, generally frightening, generally personal, and sometimes humorous in the gallows style. Ripping it quickly over a loop from George Clinton's "Atomic Dog," Cube asks the question that would be central to his early career, "Why there more niggas in the pen than in college?," while sticking with the mutual distrust and scare tactics N.W.A used to wipe away any hopes of reconciliation ("They all scared of the Ice Cube/And what I say what I portray and all that/And ain't even seen the gat"). "What I'm kicking to you won't get rotation/Nowhere in the nation" he spits on the classic "Turn Off the Radio," which when coupled with the intoxicating Bomb Squad production and Cube's cocksure delivery that's just below a shout, makes one think he's the only radio the inner city needs. The Bomb Squad's amazing work on the album proves they've been overly associated with Public Enemy, since their ability to adapt to AmeriKKKa's more violent and quick revolution is underappreciated. Their high point is the intense "Endangered Species," a "live by the trigger" song that offers "It's a shame, that niggas die young/But to the light side it don't matter none." This street knowledge venom with ultra fast funk works splendidly throughout the album, with every track hitting home, although the joyless "You Can't Fade Me" has alienated many a listener since kicking a possibly pregnant woman in the stomach is a very hard one to take. Just to be as confusing as the world he lives in, the supposedly misogynistic Cube introduces female protégé Yo-Yo with "It's a Man's World" before exiting with "The Bomb," a perfectly unforgiving and visceral closer. Save a couple Arsenio Hall disses, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is a timeless, riveting exercise in anger, honesty, and the sociopolitical possibilities of hip-hop.

+1 stars for misogyny

“Amerikkka’s Most Wanted” by Ice Cube (1990) I’m marginally familiar with this artist and lyrics (Ice Cube: “political hip hop” [TAR, 416]), especially “The Nigga You Love to Hate” and “This Is a Man’s World”. Most people are not consistently aware of the fact that socio-political propaganda has two dimensions. First, obviously, propaganda includes the promotion of set of views, which may or may not involve deception. But there is a second, more hidden dimension in which propaganda seeks to employ devices of socio-political power to downplay, distort, demean, or deny a voice to the views of others. The first dimension can be simply recognized as free speech (or advertising). But it is the second dimension that should be the focus of our analysis. Ice Cube’s lyrics, to state the obvious, are intentionally and self consciously angry, shocking, and offensive—entertainingly so. For this dimension of Ice Cube’s propagated views he gets five stars. Without question this album is a well executed, innovative, influential, and well performed expression of socio-political sentiment. Good poetry, vocals, production values, which still, 30 years later, have a solid fundamental appeal. Excellent listening experience. On the other hand (second dimension), these lyrics scare white people. They should. They are intended to. And apart from the fact that some racially aware white people (I’d like to think I’m one of them) feel guilty about how white people treated black people for at least the past 400 years, artists like Ice Cube have, using the second dimension referred to above, learned how to effectively tell white people to STFU. Out of unironically serious respect to the artistic integrity of this artist and album, therefore, I will. 3/5

Has aged very poorly

Good flow, but I couldn't make it through the violent/sexist/explicit tracks. Big yikes!

Good continuity, solid beats, but gets monotonous, plus increasingly misogynist and trite.

Production and assembly is great, and it's a (rightly) angry album, but the shameless sexism is not a good look now.

J'ai trouvé le texte de l'album très riche, je vous le joins dans sa totalité ci-dessous : ♫ Boom, bap, boom, bap n-word, fuck, drugs, gang !! Boom bap bap boom, encore n-word, fuck, de nouveau le n-word !! Boom bap motherfuck et revoilà le fameux n-word accompagné du mot fuck... Encore !? Un n-word de plus mon gars et bah ouais, l'album dure une heure, fuck motherfuck bam boop, n-word comme par hasard et m-word maintenant pourquoi pas, gun, fuck ! Gang ! C'est tout pour moi je m'appelle Ice Cube !♫

I’m giving this one star because of the misogynistic lyrics and general tone which has dated really badly. If we are rightly holding TV from the 50s and 60s accountable for its obvious racism then we have to also hold early rap accountable for its horrendous sexism.

I love hip-hop, but I don't generally fuck with gangsta rubbish. NWA's Straight Outta Compton is one exception, so let's see if Ice Cube's solo stuff will click.... No. It's shit. Production is pretty catchy, but repetitive, and full of irritating skits with unfunny jokes. Ice Cube's flow and delivewry are alright. Lyrics are the usual misogynistic rubbish about kicking pregnant women in the stomach and so forth. Man, he really likes talking about his dick. What artistry. Yeah, we could say it's raw and aggressive because it's the art of the disenfranchised urban poor. But let's all remember that this style of hip-hop was successful throughout the 1990s because largely white audiences lapped up increasingly extreme stereotypes of the exoticised African-American man, like a modern and aggressive version of minstrelsy. I will defend hip-hop as a genre, but this is crap. "Endangered Species" featuring Chuck D is tolerable, though it's offset by a shitty Flavor Flav appearance later. To be clear, I don't need my hip-hop to be sanitised. But it needs to have something (anything) that lifts it above the level of hateful hyper-masculine posturing. 1/5 To end on a positive note, here's a great hip-hop album from 1990 that should be on the list: Master Ace - Take A Look Around (1990)

Love this album. Social commentary, great tracks from start to end, and one that deserves a listen straight through.

18. Nunca quis ser mais alto, maisrápidomaisFORTE. Vivo p'ra cair na merda, tipo Vítor Norte. MotA: Endangered Species "Was America willing to maintain order... No matter what the cost?"

One of my favorite rap albums of all time. Bangers from start to finish.

Ice cube at the height of his powers in terms of lyrical content. You can literally see the birthing pains of gangsta rap. His subject is the oppression of African Americans and the weight of the system. But is also outrageously misogynistic and a bit hung ho. Would probably be quite tame by later standards and still has some meangingful politics in there. He is a splendid rapper mind and the tunes are quality bass heavy hip hop from it's golden years.

This album is basically an opener of what the hip hop of the 1990s would be like. Groups like Public Enemy and N.W.A opened the way, in the late 1980s, for rappers to take the spotlight in the next decade. In this sense, this first Ice Cube effort goes everywhere, but finds things to say in every corner it touches. Great lyrics, beats and samples overall. Songs that are more political and have social commentary are the highlights, like "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" and "Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)", but the rawness of "The Nigga Ya Love to Hate" is also very interesting.

It's not my favourite genre in hip hop, but this album is solid. Ice Cube speaks hard truths. That's very evident here. Comments on race, violence, inequality, culture, etc. are delivered with aggressive poetry. (7/10) FT: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

Solid west coast rap. The rhythm section on this album really stands out with classic soul and funk lines. Overall this album is very well balanced. My biggest issue is the portrayal of women in this album though Yo-Yo’s inclusion is a good counterbalance to his misogyny. Ice Cube’s flow is good with moments that break out of contemporary patterns and anticipate the more creative rapping to come

Ice Cube is a talent. His career is a marvel. He's part of NWA and also a children's movie icon. He can do it all. The misogamy in this genre does not age well, not that it was ok then. What Cube does though is create a persona that allows him to dip in and out of otherwise increasingly wicked ideas and statements. Performance is the key. And he is able to build up commentary on race, society, culture, and the industry. This is an incredible debut for a Ice Cube as well. His role in NWA was huge and then he was able to jump out and put this together.

After NWA, Ice Cube showed he could still deliver with a strong debut solo album. There's no doubt that The Lench Mob brings a-game production for the album, but it's Ice Cube's attitude and lyricism that really cements this as a hardcore hiphop album for all time. NWA deserves praise on their own, of course, but Ice Cube clearly did well for himself after the group. I'll say that the first half of songs are better than second half, but the whole thing is still cool af.

A powerful and angry hip-hop album that established the genre's footing in the industry. Ice Cube's debut is for sure my favorite after Death Certificate and for a very good reason. He's let out his anger at injustice and top lyrical ideas into one compact album. Ice Cube is a lyrical genius, who's storytelling skills draws you into the setting and mood, while also conveying the underlying message. This is best demonstrated in "The Nigga Ya...", "AmeriKKKa's...", and "Once Upon a Time...". I also love how he incorporates humor and imagination, as in "You Can't Fade Me" and "A Gangsta's Fairytale." And then there's the Bomb Squad production which serves to reinforce and complement the power of Ice Cube's messages. It's reminiscent of what made Public Enemy so special. I did feel the second side was weaker than the first, but still amazing tracks one after the other.

A great hip-hop album. At times the songs feel like they can blend together and that might have to do with the beat, but I have no real complaints about that. Ice Cube has some important things to say, and they're still relevant to this day.

When you think of Ice Cube over the past few years, you think of movies like Ride Along, Barbershop and other somewhat wholesome offerings. This album, and specifically the lyrics, is a bit of a contrast to that. The beats are funky. More funky than I remembered, to be honest. Most "gansta rap" of this era was a bit more raw and gritty, but is a bit more polished and, well, funky. This album also wears it's Public Enemy ties and Parliament Funkadelic influence on it's sleeve, featuring Public Enemy's production teams, The Bomb Squad/Da Lench Mob, as well as appearances from Chuck D and Flava Flav. This is most definitely a west coast rap album, with skits between songs, racial and misogynistic lyrics in full effect and a slathering of political ranting. Some of the themes still ring true today, while others are definitely from a bygone era (this album actually turns 31 in 4 days, so...yeah.) One thing is for sure...this is still a damn good record, regardless.

After the first couple of tracks I worried this would feel samey. Wrong. Deep grooves in the samples, Cube's in-your-face delivery and a dollop of humour and self-awareness made for a very enjoyable listen.

Interesting to think that this album could have been produced by Dre. I think this album benefits a lot from the East Coast style production combined with Ice Cube's West Coast rap style. Every song is good, with Cube alternating between Cube attacking the beat and smoothly following behind it. The pervasive funk samples on this album really make it a breeze to listen to 4/5

This album is more historically important than actually musically enjoyable. Ice Cube is no Dr Dre.

Too much Ice, not enough to drink. Honestly, I appreciate this album more than I like it; it’s a landmark for sure, and songs like Once Upon a Time in the Projects and It’s a Man’s World bump so fucking hard. But Ice Cubes flow get old pretty fast without the rest of NWA to back him up. The mostly unremarkable beats certainly don’t help, either. It has some great stuff, but it is too bloated for his charisma to carry it alone.

It seems like both Ice Cube and the N.W.A had trouble evolving once the split happened. While N.W.A continued on and produced a second album, it had nowhere near the impact or quality their debut had; it was missing Ice Cube as an absolutely vital ingredient. His blunt lyrics and aggressive rap style were essential to their sound. Ice Cube's solo debut, in a similar situation, has all of the trademark style that makes him an intriguing figure yet lacks the exciting and inventive production featured on 'Straight Outta Compton'. It's a classic situation of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Regardless, the question here is "is 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted' a good album? It’s okay. It's not that much different from what he knew back in the late 80's. He's angry, he doesn't mince his words, and his overall theme of pointing out racial injustice is both self righteous and, quite frankly, much needed in pop culture; both back then and now. But the overall listening experience is tiring from a musical perspective. As I mentioned above it's missing the bells and whistles of early Dr. Dre production, which tended to compliment him perfectly. It results in an album that feels like it very much belongs in 1990 and hasn't aged all that well. There's also the question of some heavily outdated, and downright worrying, views on women; along with many, many instances of the glorification of the gangsta lifestyle (which ‘Straight Outta Compton’ was very much guilty of, too). Out of all the hip hop albums I have gotten on the list so far, this is by far the weakest. There's very little innovation - as if Ice Cube simply wanted to air his lyrical ability over basic beats, some callback samples, and uninventive instrumentation. The dude had talent, but I feel like rap music creatively succeeds or fails on the production table. Maybe it's a case of starting from what you know and evolving from there - because Ice Cube definitely has better material than this in his overall discography. His debut feels more like a rethread, rather than a true branching out moment. It’s a constant reminder of what came before, rather than moving forward. Maybe I’m wrong, seeing as this album was critically and commercially successful. But that’s the beauty of different opinions and tastes, I guess. 2/5

Wow. I guess I'm not a gangsta rap girl. I appreciate some diversity in the albums (finally!) but... Such profanity and tough talk mixed with some good ol' misogyny. He's angry, and probably justifiably so (there is literally a drive-by as one of the tracks) but I still did not like this.

Hooray, another dose of violent misogyny. This one goes straight in the trash next to Dr. Dre.

Good beats, but much weaker than The Predator. Lyrical content is just terrible, with the social messages overshadowed by one-note misogyny

Quite a fun album! I liked the production and really enjoyed Ice Cube's rapping. The content of the lyrics is controversial, but it felt raw and uncompromising. 'You Can't Fade Me/JD's Gaffilin'' was my fave.

i actually listened to The Predator album (1992) instead. which i loved.

The delivery is so sure of it self, and the beats are so smooth. A very angry dude, with opinions have maybe not aged all that well in all areas, but the album is an absolute classic, and for good reason.

The albums rules.

5/5. Hard to argue here, these songs flow so well and the scene by scene style creates a near perfect album. Each song talks about similar themes but has great beats, a little old school, but his anger and lines hit hard enough to make up for it. I understand that there is definitely misogyny that has not aged well here but to discredit the whole album is pretty confusing because you are paying attention to the problem that exists within the "projects" as a black man. Ice Cube, whether playing a character or as himself, this album has only aged well because Ice Cube is not someone to root for yet we just heard his trouble as living as a black man in America. He finds the need to have power over women because he has no power anywhere else, the irony of the title of "It's A Man's World." It is not an excuse to write or rap songs like that, I do not condone these morals, but as an album, it makes Ice Cube a confusing and complicated character, which shows that he views himself as the main character despite his many, many flaws. It's art honestly. Best Song: You Can't Fade Me, Endangered Species, Rollin' Wit The Lench Mob

An album that was probably great in its time, but the themes in the record have aged well. Aged in the sense that the issues Ice Cube discusses is so much more real to us as a society and a country.

Definitely of its time in the production and lyrics, but still a great album overall. 5 stars for me

30 years of awesome gangster rap

classic Ice Cube = 5*

It is still amazing. Great production and incredible rap that stands the time

Very powerful

Old sKKKool, five star.

Old-school rap, although chockoblock with language not suitable for tender ears. It packs a mighty punch, unrelenting. But it is fantastic.

So so

CRAZY MF CALLED ICE CUBE

Favourite songs: The Product, A Gangsta's Fairytale, The Bomb, The Nigga Ya Love To Hate, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Rollin' Wit The Lench Mob, Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside), I'm Only Out For One Thang, Get Off My Dick And Tell Yo Bitch To Come Here, What They Hittin' Foe?, Once Upon A Time In The Projects Least favourite songs: Better Off Dead, The Drive-By, JD's Gaffilin' (Part 2) (fuck skits) 5/5

Great album. The features are fantastic. I feel like Ice Cube doesn’t get enough credit.

I love ice cube

Ice Cube was the best rapper in N.W.A., and this album proves it. The lyrics are brutally honest, with emphasis on brutality, punctuated with brilliant observations and turns of phrase. What really sets off the album is the production by Public Enemy's Bomb Squad. The poet laureate of West Coast gangster rap paired with the Bomb Squad 's intense, clattering sample-scapes make for rich, rewarding, but not casual listening experience.

So much funk! What I love about the Wikipedia page is every(?) sample is listed by each song - absolute treasure trove of funk. Maybe there's 1001 albums to listen to on this album. I mean yeah, full of gangsta shit and far too close to the bone at times, I can't listen to much of this around my daughter for example because I'm not a cunt. But this is sheer quality. Just checked back my review of The Predator and I didn't mention that issue with the lyrics, there's more righteous anger in that (though it's far from absent here) whereas the focus here is stories of rolling around and being an absolute dickhead. That said, this is probably almost as good, just in a different way. The Public Enemy influence shines through on several tracks. Mind you, there's nothing here quite as absolutely shining genius as It was a Good Day, or When Will They Shoot? So yeah the predator is better, but this is very good. Early 90s rap is stuff I criminally ignored as a pre-teen (and since, aside from Public Enemy) so dead glad this project has forced me to check a lot out. Hardly any has disappointed. So much funk!

+1 star for rap album on this challenge +1 star for NWA member +1 star for album cover +1 star for KKK in title +1 star for mysogyny in lyrics summary - 5 stars ------------------- without jokes album is also cool. it have solid beats and hardcore flow. truly old school hiphop and gangsta rap classic. tracks added: 8 fav track: endangered species 9.5/10

ICE CUUUBE!

One of my fav rap albums, better than Straight Outta Compton. Awesome production, full of tasty early 90s sampling, great flow, just how I like it. Not too much else to say, just an outright classic. 5/5.

Thumping old school hip hop

Ice Cube leaves NWA and follows up with a great album and then influenced the genre again. I had not heard this full album before just a couple of songs. Not all the songs are Ice Cube rapping at a faster pace and being angry. A couple of the songs have a mellower beat. It is a different change of pace. Lyrically Ice Cube continues to address social and political issues in his unique way. Also the skits are unnecessary but those are on most rap albums. i enjoyed the album and I would listen to it again.

Another long overdue introduction to a hip hop legend. This album has aged beautifully. Ice Cube is not trying to be cute or too clever with the lyrics. It’s straight ahead hip hop that’s well produced with good lyrics. It’s really a wonderful album to listen to. It’s a man’s world is an interesting subversion and dismissal of the misogyny trope, I’m here for it.

it’s a legendary album for a reason. it does have some of the misogyny 90s hip hop is famous for, but it’s also the best album from one of the best artists of all time.

This album is such a great listen and can continually listen to over and over.

Wow. This is just pure energy. Everything I like about hip-hop and more. Ice Cube really was at the top of his game here and the soul funk beats are just sublime. A word on the album’s misogyny. It’s a bit of a commonplace to diagnose this symptom in hip hop, but interestingly while “You Can’t Fade Me” unquestionably leaves a bad taste in the mouth, it exists in this strange tension alongside “It’s a Man’s World” towards the end of the album. That is truly the kind of confrontational paradox that this genre often avoids. In a word: masterpiece.

Classic

This is my definition of perfect hip hop production. Punchy, funky to the point and very quick. Obligatory problematic content disclaimer that is common of (almost) all 90s releases.

Han har oändlig karisma på denna skiva... ett av de aggressivaste, smartaste och roliga hiphop-albumen någonsin.

A classic, perfect for riding with the top down. Public Enemy production with a Chronic feel. Ice Cube is a legend

Unreal how good this is

He's a badass, and so is this album

I loved this album. However, it was really disheartening to hear how little progress we've made in the country with the same issues from this album in '90 still being very prevalent today.

pretty damn good this is real rap

Love this era of hip hop. Feels oddly innocent and nostalgic looking back

some lines/songs have not aged too well, but pretty much all of them go soo hard, with the NWA type energy and beats which I like a lot. Favorite songs: pretty much all of them, especially at the start. Overall around 8/10

80/100. An aggressive, politically charged album with strong energy. While solid overall, it lacks major hits, and some lyrics haven’t aged well.

Fun listen. Really liked the samples here and Ice Cube spits some great lyrics. May be misogynistic but Bitch is just a really nice word to say.

Hard hitting lines... and some downright comical! Many wtf moments but fun tracks all the way through, and serious commentary at its core

Better listen than I expected.

Ice Cube is indeed in the motherfucking house. 4

It’s good, but the hate against women at times has not aged well at all, so I have to retract a star for that.

Idk I liked it enough

Wild, creative, and offensive as hell. Some of the lyrics are remarkably fucked up, but Ice Cube has such a flow and creative mind that the things he's saying are just incredible. The album is brought down by a fair bit of filler, which is a shame because it's really excellent otherwise. Top tracks: The Nigga Ya Love To Hate, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Once Upon A Time In The Projects

Not one while listening to this did I ask “Are We Done Yet?”. In fact, when it was done, I was like, “We’re Done Yet?!?”. FANTASTIC album

i love ice cube and his first four album - this album came out when he was 20 and believe it or not ... there is some immature shit on here! but it reminds me of being an angry teen which is a feeling ive been tapping into more and more as of late

Beats are sick, lyrics hard hitting. Ice cube’s flow is a bit outdated but what do you expect from one of the first in the game

This album is while Ice Cube still raps mostly like he’s attacking the microphone. Most of the album is hard and fast in terms of his rapping, but 30+ years later it doesn’t stand up for me like it once did. I personally prefer Ice Cube’s stuff on The Predator and later albums once he found more of a settled down groove for his flow. Still this album is super important in Gangsta Rap and the west coast scene for the time.

lo arriba que empieza, uf

It feels like Ice Cube was most of the way there. He clearly knows that the system of power is what is producing the awful outcomes in his community, but still chooses to denigrate the women suffering from the same systems of inequity. Loved the Flave feature. Didn't really care for the spittin'

Great rap album

Aww... basically all nostalgia for me. The stuff I listen to as a 13 year old. Not recommended for everyone. But it definitely showed me another world.

Liking the early hip hop albums

Ice Cube is another personality I recognize instantly, but I'd never actually heard his music. I knew him more from movies, honestly. The album is good. Smart, audacious (the title alone is so good), and frequently funny. Some of the rhymes will be living in my head rent free for awhile. “They asked me did I like Arsenio?, about as much as the bicentennial.” - I will continue to laugh at that. However, the misogyny and lyrics around women are hard for me to get over. Cant give it a full 5 stars because of them.

masterful storytelling by one of the originators of gangsta rap.

I has zero interest in this album when it was released. And listening now it’s fantastic.

Felt like I was listening in on exciting gossip for half of it which was fun, otherwise enjoyed more than I thought because not usually my fav genre

I don't enjoy Ice Cube's solowork anywhere near as much as his stuff in NWA. Some pretty questionable lyrics throughout. Some of his rapping and storytelling was great, but I couldn't find myself getting very into any of the songs. They all felt like they were missing a little something. Listening to it after Orbital however has made this feel like a 4* even if that might be a bit too generous

This was good fun

Sure like a lot of 90s rap it feels a bit dated at this point, and there's definitely a lot of stuff here that would be considered problematic today, but there's also a ton of social and political commentary that is absolutely ON POINT. Ice Cube's raps are intense and passionate, and the beats compliment them perfectly. Really killer debut for him.

I though about passing on this album, mainly because the genre has never been my cup of tea, but hey, nigga has rhythm! Glad to stand corrected. 7/10