100 Miles and Runnin'
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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100 Miles and Runnin'
- Artist: N.W.A
- Rating:
- Release Date: 1990 08
- Type: Extended Play (EP), Contains explicit content
- Genre: Rap
Review
Following a round of Ruthless Records releases (Eazy-E's Eazy-Duz-It, 1988; the D.O.C.'s No One Can Do It Better, 1989; Above the Law's Livin' Like Hustlers, 1990) and the departure of group member Ice Cube (who released a very successful debut, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, 1990), Dr. Dre went about producing new N.W.A music for a follow-up to Straight Outta Compton (1988). 100 Miles and Runnin', a five-track EP, was the first material to surface from the recording sessions, released in summer 1990 partly as a response to Ice Cube's departure (both Dr. Dre and MC Ren take verbal shots at him), a preview of what fans could expect on the group's forthcoming album (promoted on the two-minute, EP-closing "Kamurshol"), and a stopgap measure for a marketplace hungry for cutting-edge gangsta rap. The EP's title track is a clear highlight and is among N.W.A's all-time greatest efforts. Driven by a densely layered, fast-paced production, "100 Miles and Runnin'" is perhaps most noteworthy for its second verse, where Dr. Dre uncharacteristically delivers a fierce verse that stylistically resembles Ice Cube's classic opening verse from "Straight Outta Compton." The second song, "Just Don't Bite It," is another highlight, an alarming porno rap that at the time of its release was as explicit as anything out there, including 2 Live Crew. The third song, "Sa Prize, Pt. 2," is a passable "Fuck tha Police" rehash that suffers for the absence of Ice Cube, while next and final song on the EP, "Real Niggaz," is a fairly uneventful hardcore rap purposefully laden with the N-word. In little over 20 minutes, 100 Miles and Runnin' manages to broach the key gangsta rap points of controversy -- fleeing and/or killing the police, pornographic sex, obscenity, and extreme aggression -- as well as diss Ice Cube and promote the upcoming album. Years later, the controversial aspects of 100 Miles and Runnin' may seem ho-hum -- at least to anyone conditioned to expect such rhetoric from hardcore rap music -- but it's important to put this EP into its proper context, for the boundary-pushing showcased here was alarming for its time and a major reason why N.W.A earned such renown. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi| 100 Miles an Hour! (2007 Album by Lefty Loosie) | |
| 100 Miles and Runnin' [Cassette Single] (1990 Album by N.W.A) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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100 Miles and Runnin'
For the Wale mixtape, see 100 Miles & Running.
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010) |
| 100 Miles and Runnin' | ||||
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| EP by N.W.A | ||||
| Released | August 14, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1989–1990 | |||
| Genre | Gangsta rap | |||
| Length | 23:17 | |||
| Label | Ruthless/Priority | |||
| Producer | Dr. Dre, Yella |
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| N.W.A chronology | ||||
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100 Miles and Runnin' is the title of an EP by hip hop group N.W.A, released in 1990 on Ruthless Records.
Prior to recording the EP, all five of the group members had signed a long-term contract with the Ruthless Records label. However, member and lead vocalist Ice Cube refused the contract's terms and consequently separated himself from the group.
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Contents
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Background
The title track "100 Miles and Runnin'" was the group's first track to gain radio airtime and appear on TV with its music video. Dr. Dre, who had just finished working with The D.O.C. and Above the Law, added atypical funky beats and the slow synth groove on "Just Don't Bite It". A sadistic parody of the police on a skit featuring The D.O.C. from the group's 1-900 hotline introduces "Sa Prize, Pt. 2", a sequel to the controversial "Fuck tha Police," originally from the Straight Outta Compton album. MC Ren and The D.O.C. wrote the lyrics for Eazy-E and Dr. Dre.
100 Miles and Runnin' was the first N.W.A album after Ice Cube had left the group in December 1989, and the group makes numerous sardonic references to its former member. On the title track, Dre states:
"It started with five but yo, one couldn't take it / So now there's four 'cause the fifth couldn't make it".
Therefore dismissing Ice Cube as a coward, and on the song "Real Niggaz" MC Ren states "Only reason niggaz pick up your record is cause they thought it was us", referring to the success of Ice Cube's first solo album AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted which had been released earlier that year. Ice Cube would respond to these attacks on his 1991 album Death Certificate.
Three songs from this EP, "100 Miles and Runnin'", "Just Don't Bite It", and "Real Niggaz", were later released on N.W.A's Greatest Hits. "Real Niggaz" would also appear on N.W.A's final studio album, Efil4zaggin, a year later; the 2003 remastered edition of the album would append the rest of the EP to the track listing. The name of the follow-up album Niggaz4life is announced as a backward message in the final track "Kamurshol" (i.e., "commercial"); the album title would, in fact, appear written back-to-front on the album cover.
"100 Miles and Runnin'" is also notable for being producer Dr. Dre's final uptempo recording, as well as the only appearance of his revised, more aggressive rapping style, a change allegedly made to fill the void left by Ice Cube.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (C+)[2] |
| RapReviews | (6.5/10)[3] |
| Robert Christgau | (C-)[4] |
Although the album was released as an EP, it nevertheless hit the charts and sold over 500,000 copies, reaching gold status on November 16, 1990 before reaching platinum certification on September 16, 1992 for over 1 million copies sold.[5]
Charts
| Chart (1990) |
Chart position[6] |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | #27 |
| R&B Albums | #10 |
| Year | Song | Chart positions[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart | ||
| 1990 | "100 Miles and Runnin'" | - | #51 |
Track listing
- "100 Miles and Runnin'" – 4:32 writers The D.O.C, MC Ren
- "Just Don't Bite It" – 5:28 writers MC Ren
- "Sa Prize, Pt. 2" – 5:58 writers The D.O.C, Eazy-E, MC Ren
- "Real Niggaz" – 5:25 writers The D.O.C, MC Ren
- "Kamurshol" – 1:55
Personnel
- Eazy-E – Executive Producer
- Dr. Dre – Producer
- Brian Kilgore – Tambourine
- Mike Sims – Bass, Guitar
- Donovan Sound – Engineer
- Yella – Producer/DJ
- Steve Huston – Artwork
- Kevin Hosmann – Art Direction
- David Provost – Photography
Later Samples
- "100 Miles and Runnin"
- "Open Fire" by 2Pac from the album R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
References
- ^ Jason Birchmeier. "Allmusic review". Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r28140. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
- ^ Sandow, Greg (August 31, 1990). "100 Miles and Runnin':Music Review:Entertainment Weekly". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318059,00.html. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
- ^ "rapreviews.com review". http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_NWAsEPs.html. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
- ^ "Robert Christgau review". http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1020&name=N.W.A. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
- ^ "RIAA searchable certification database". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=100%20miles&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
- ^ "100 Miles and Runnin' chart positions". Rovi Corporation/Billboard. http://www.allmusic.com/album/100-miles-and-runnin-r28140/charts-awards. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
- ^ "100 Miles and Runnin' song chart positions". Rovi Corporation/Billboard. http://www.allmusic.com/album/100-miles-and-runnin-r28140/charts-awards/billboard-single. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums
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