The Predator

The Predator
Studio album by Ice Cube
Released	November 17, 1992
Recorded	1991-1992
Genre	West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap, conscious hip hop
Length	56:27
Label	Priority/EMI
Producer	Ice Cube, DJ Pooh, Sir Jinx, Torcha Chamba, DJ Muggs
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Entertainment Weekly (A-) link Robert Christgau link Rolling Stone link
Ice Cube chronology
Death Certificate (1991) The Predator (1992) Lethal Injection (1993) Singles from The Predator "Wicked" Released: October 1992 "It Was a Good Day" Released: February 1993 "Check Yo Self" Released: July 1993

The Predator is the third solo album by Ice Cube. Released within months of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, many songs comment on the racial tensions. The title is in part reference to the movie Predator 2, and the album itself includes samples from the film.^[1] Ice Cube's most successful album, "The Predator" has sold five million copies and is certified triple platinum in the United States.

Overview

In the opening song, "When Will They Shoot", Ice Cube addresses criticisms of antisemitism he received for his last effort, Death Certificate:

White man is something I tried to study

But I got my hands bloody, yeah.

They say I can sing like a jaybird

But nigga, don’t say the j-word

Elsewhere "We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up" is directed at the LA Police officers acquitted in the Rodney King trial; an event which ignited the 1992 LA Riots. The similarly-themed "Who Got the Camera?" imagines a scenario where a black man is subjected to police brutality. The songs are broken up by interludes involving interviews with Ice Cube, and what appears to be a debate between members of a congregation or talk show audience.

Although it is sometimes mistakenly classified as a G-Funk album, the album derives its sound from the Public Enemy/Bomb Squad production template, in contrast to Dr. Dre's definitive G-Funk album The Chronic which is largely based upon Parliament/Funkadelic-derived rhythms, slow-rolling basslines, and layers of whiny synthesizers, mixed with snips of live guitar and flutes.

Reception

Although not as lauded as his previous efforts, The Predator was well-received. Entertainment Weekly called it "Ice Cube's strongest, most cohesive work yet" (11/20/92, p.88)^[2]. Q Magazine included it in their "90 Best Albums Of The 1990s" (12/99, p.74)^[2]. Spin Magazine called it a record that "demands to be heard" (1/93, p.61)^[2].

It spawned three hit singles: "It Was A Good Day", which was a hit in March 1993, "Check Yo Self" and "Wicked" (which was later covered by the band Korn). Both the album and single version of "Check Yo Self" include an appearance from Das EFX, with the latter utilising a sample of Grandmaster Flash's "The Message". "Check Yo Self" received continuous radio and MTV play.

Track listing

Original release

1. "The First Day of School (Intro)" – 1:20 (produced by Ice Cube)
2. "When Will They Shoot?" – 4:36 (produced by Ice Cube)
3. "I'm Scared (Insert)" – 1:32 (produced by Ice Cube)
4. "Wicked" – 3:55 (produced by Torcha Chamba & Ice Cube)
5. "Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha" – 4:03 (produced by DJ Muggs)
6. "The Predator" – 4:03 (produced by DJ Pooh)
7. "It Was a Good Day" – 4:20 (produced by DJ Pooh)
8. "We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up" – 4:23 (produced by DJ Muggs)
9. "Fuck 'Em [Insert]" – 2:02 (produced by Sir Jinx)
10. "Dirty Mack" – 4:34 (produced by Mr. Woody)
11. "Don't Trust 'Em" – 4:06 (produced by Rashad, Ice Cube & DJ Pooh)
12. "Gangsta's Fairytale (Part 2)" – 3:19 (produced by Pockets & Ice Cube)
13. "Check Yo Self" (feat. Das EFX) – 3:42 (produced by DJ Muggs & Ice Cube)
14. "Who Got the Camera?" – 4:37 (produced by Sir Jinx)
15. "Integration (Insert)" – 2:31 (produced by Ice Cube)
16. "Say Hi to the Bad Guy" – 3:19 (produced by Sir Jinx)

2003 Re-release with bonus tracks(*)

1. "The First Day of School (Intro)" – 1:20
2. "When Will They Shoot?" – 4:36
3. "I'm Scared (Insert)" – 1:32
4. "Wicked" – 3:55
5. "Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha" – 4:03
6. "The Predator" – 4:03
7. "It Was A Good Day" – 4:20
8. "We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up" – 4:23
9. "Fuck 'Em [Insert]" – 2:02
10. "Dirty Mack" – 4:34
11. "Don't Trust 'Em" – 4:06
12. "Gangsta's Fairytale, Pt. 2" – 3:19
13. "Check Yo Self" (feat. Das EFX) – 3:42
14. "Who Got the Camera?" – 4:37
15. "Integration (Insert)" – 2:31
16. "Say Hi to the Bad Guy" – 3:22
17. "Check Yo Self (The Message Remix)" - 3:54*
18. "It Was A Good Day (Remix)" - 4:28*
19. "24 Wit An L" - 3:25*
20. "U Ain't Gonna Take My Life" - 4:09*

Partial list of samples

This lists some of the songs and sounds sampled on The Predator.

The First Day of School (Intro)

• Contains a sample from the motion picture American Me

When Will They Shoot?

• "Oh Honey" by Delegation
• "No Vaseline" by Ice Cube
• "We Will Rock You" by Queen
• "Treat Her Like a Prostitute" by Slick Rick
• "Take Me to the Mardis Gras" by Bob James
• "Grand Verbalizer, What Time is It" by X-Clan
• "Giggin' Down 103rd" by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band

Wicked

• "Looseys" by Das EFX
• "Funky Worm" by The Ohio Players
• "You Can Make It If You Try" by Sly & The Family Stone
• "Can't Truss It", & "Welcome to the Terrordome" by Public Enemy

Now I Gotta Wet'Cha

• "Get Out of My Life, Woman" by Solomon Burke
• "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" by Parliament
• Song playing during the intro is "Guerillas in tha Mist" by Da Lench Mob

The Predator

• "East Coast" by Das EFX
• "Superman Lover" by Johnny "Guitar" Watson
• Dialogue from Predator 2

It Was a Good Day

• "Let's Do It Again" by Staple Singers
• "Come On Sexy Mama" by The Moments
• "Footsteps In the Dark" by The Isley Brothers
• "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention- B3M)" by Parliament

We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up

• "The Funeral" by Ice Cube
• "Get Down" by Gene Russel
• "Subway Inn" by Duke Jordan
• "Blind Alley" by The Emotions

Dirty Mack

• "Aqua Boogie", "P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" & "Unfunky UFO" by Parliament

Don't Trust 'Em"

• Excerpt from the film Scarface
• "Poison" by Bel Biv Devoe
• "A Bitch Iz A Bitch" by N.W.A
• "Green Earrings" by Steely Dan
• "Don't Believe the Hype" by Public Enemy

Gangsta's Fairytale Pt. 2

• "Distant" by A Taste of Honey
• "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk" by Parliament
• "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers
• "Sing A Simple Song" by Sly & The Family Stone

Check Yo Self

• "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett
• "The New Style" by The Beastie Boys
• "Memphis Underground" by Herbie Mann
• Excerpt from the film Juice

Who Got the Camera?

• Excerpt from the film Die Hard
• "All We Need is Another Chance" by The Escorts
• "Just a Friendly Game of Baseball" by Main Source
• "I Gotta Thang, You Gotta Thang, Everybody Gotta Thang" by Funkadelic
• "Good Ole Music" by Funkadelic

Check Yo Self (The Message Remix)

• The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

Say Hi to the Bad Guy

• "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)" by Parliament
• "I Ain't Got Nobody" by Sly Stone

24 Wit An L

• "We Write The Songs" by Marley Marl

U Ain't Gonna Take My Life

• "Sir Psycho Sexy" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
• "I Gotcha" by Joe Tex

Album singles

"Wicked"

• Released: October 21, 1992
• B-side: "U Ain't Gonna Take My Life"

"It Was A Good Day"

• Released: February 23, 1993
• B-side: "We Had To Tear This Dirty Motha Up" (12") or "It Was A Good Day" (Instrumental) (Promo Single)

"Check Yo Self" ["The Message" Remix Version]

• Released: July 20, 1993
• B-side: "It Was A Good Day (Remix)", "24 With A L"

Chart positions

Album

Singles

References

1. ^ Chillin' with Cube | | Guardian Unlimited Film
2. ^ ^{a b c} Tower.com: The Planet's Entertainment Destination for Music, CDs, Movies, DVDs, Books & more