The Predator
Encyclopedia
The Predator is the third studio 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. Though not his most critically successful album, commercially The Predator is Ice Cube's most successful album, reaching double platinum
status in the United States, and it contains his most well-known single, "It Was a Good Day
." The Predator is his only number one album on the Billboard 200
to date, selling 193,000 copies in its first week. It has sold 2,210,283 to date, according to Nielsen Soundscan
.
he received for his last effort, Death Certificate
:
Elsewhere "We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up" is directed at the LA Police officers
acquitted in the Rodney King
trial; an event that ignited the 1992 LA Riots
. The similarly themed "Who Got the Camera?" imagines a scenario in which 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.
called it "Ice Cube's strongest, most cohesive work yet" (11/20/92, p. 88). Q Magazine included it in its "90 Best Albums Of The 1990s" (12/99, p. 74). Spin Magazine called it a record that "demands to be heard" (1/93, p. 61).
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's single featuring a remix utilizing a sample of Grandmaster Flash
's "The Message". The song also received continuous radio and MTV
play.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
. Released within months of the 1992 Los Angeles riots
1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
, many songs comment on the racial tensions. The title is in part reference to the movie Predator 2
Predator 2
Predator 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, María Conchita Alonso, Rubén Blades, and Bill Paxton. Written by Jim and John Thomas and directed by Stephen Hopkins, the film is a sequel to 1987's Predator, with Kevin Peter Hall again playing the role of the...
, and the album itself includes samples from the film. Though not his most critically successful album, commercially The Predator is Ice Cube's most successful album, reaching double platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
status in the United States, and it contains his most well-known single, "It Was a Good Day
It Was a Good Day
"It Was a Good Day" is a 1993 hit single by American gangsta rapper Ice Cube from his third solo album, The Predator. It is the second single from the album and it peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was also a hit in the UK Charts, peaking at number 27...
." The Predator is his only number one album on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
to date, selling 193,000 copies in its first week. It has sold 2,210,283 to date, according to Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
.
Overview
In the opening song, "When Will They Shoot," Ice Cube addressed criticisms of anti-SemitismAnti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
he received for his last effort, Death Certificate
Death Certificate (album)
Death Certificate is the second studio album by American rapper Ice Cube, released October 29, 1991 on Priority Records. Highly anticipated with over one million advanced orders, the album was certified platinum in sales on December 20, 1991...
:
- 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-wordJewsThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
Elsewhere "We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up" is directed at the LA Police officers
Los Angeles Police
Law enforcement in Los Angeles County is conducted by a variety of law enforcement agencies.-County agencies:*Los Angeles County Coroner's Office*Los Angeles County Probation Department*Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department...
acquitted in the Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
trial; an event that ignited the 1992 LA Riots
1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
. The similarly themed "Who Got the Camera?" imagines a scenario in which a Black man is subjected to police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
. 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.
Reception
Although not as lauded as his previous efforts, The Predator was well-received. Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called it "Ice Cube's strongest, most cohesive work yet" (11/20/92, p. 88). Q Magazine included it in its "90 Best Albums Of The 1990s" (12/99, p. 74). Spin Magazine called it a record that "demands to be heard" (1/93, p. 61).
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
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
). Both the album and single version of "Check Yo Self" include an appearance from Das EFX
Das EFX
Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray...
, with the latter's single featuring a remix utilizing a sample of Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
's "The Message". The song also received continuous radio and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
play.
Track listing
- "Check Yo Self (the Message Remix)", "It Was A Good Day (Remix)", "24 Wit An L", and "U Aint Gonna Take My Life" are included as bonus material on later remastered pressings.
| # | Title | Performer(s) | Producer(s) | Samples | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The First Day of School (Intro)" | *Intro* | Ice Cube |
|
1:20 |
| 2 | "When Will They Shoot?" | Ice Cube | DJ Pooh DJ Pooh DJ Pooh is an American record producer, rapper, screenwriter and film director.-Biography:... , Bob Cat, Ice Cube |
Delegation (band) Delegation was a British soul musical group with a lengthy career, and an amount of international success. They are generally viewed in the U.S. as a one-hit wonder, based on the crossover hit, "Oh Honey"... Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,... We Will Rock You "We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. Rolling Stone ranked it #330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA placed it at #146 on its list of Songs of the Century... " by Queen Queen (band) Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor... Slick Rick Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper... Bob James (musician) Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date... X-Clan X-Clan is a hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York, originally consisting of Grand Verbalizer Funkin' Lesson Brother J, Professor X The Overseer, Paradise the Architect, and Sugar Shaft the Rhythm Provider... Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band is a pioneering American soul and funk band. Formed in the early 1960s, they had the most visibility from 1967 to 1973 when the band had 9 singles reach Billboard's pop and/or rhythm and blues Hot 100 lists, such as "Do Your Thing" , "Till You Get... |
4:36 |
| 3 | "I'm Scared (Insert)" | *Interlude* | Ice Cube |
The Phil Donahue Show The Phil Donahue Show, also known as Donahue, is an American television talk show that ran for 26 years on national television. Its run was preceded by three years of local broadcast in Dayton, Ohio, and it was broadcast nationwide between 1967 and 1996.In 2002, Donahue was ranked #29 on TV Guide's... featuring Louis Farrakhan Louis Farrakhan Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of... |
1:32 |
| 4 | "Wicked Wicked (song) Wicked is the first single from rapper Ice Cube's third studio album The Predator. The song's music video was directed by Marcus Raboy and features the band Red Hot Chili Peppers.The song was covered by Korn for their 1996 album Life Is Peachy... " |
Ice Cube | Torcha Chamba, Ice Cube |
Das EFX Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray... Sly & the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music... |
3:55 |
| 5 | "Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha" | Ice Cube | DJ Muggs DJ Muggs Lawrence Muggerud , better known as DJ Muggs, is Cypress Hill's DJ and producer. He also produced tracks for Funkdoobiest on the albums Which Doobie U B? and Brothas Doobie.-Cypress Hill :... |
Solomon Burke Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most... Parliament (band) Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:... Da Lench Mob Da Lench Mob was a West Coast hip hop group associated with Ice Cube. The group consisted of rappers J-Dee, Shorty, T-Bone and Maulkie.-History:The group made its debut on Ice Cube's first solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted... |
4:03 |
| 6 | "The Predator" | Ice Cube | DJ Pooh |
Predator 2 Predator 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, María Conchita Alonso, Rubén Blades, and Bill Paxton. Written by Jim and John Thomas and directed by Stephen Hopkins, the film is a sequel to 1987's Predator, with Kevin Peter Hall again playing the role of the... |
4:03 |
| 7 | "It Was a Good Day It Was a Good Day "It Was a Good Day" is a 1993 hit single by American gangsta rapper Ice Cube from his third solo album, The Predator. It is the second single from the album and it peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was also a hit in the UK Charts, peaking at number 27... " |
Ice Cube | DJ Pooh |
The Moments The Moments may refer to:*The Moments, an American R&B vocal group later known as Ray, Goodman & Brown*The Moments , an English group of the early 1960s who featured Steve Marriott... The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper... |
4:19 |
| 8 | "We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up" | Ice Cube | DJ Muggs |
Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,... Duke Jordan Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan was an American jazz pianist.-Biography:An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regular member of Charlie Parker's so-called "classic quintet" , featuring Miles Davis... The Emotions The Emotions are an American all female soul and R&B singing group. The group was formed in its current hometown of Chicago, Illinois originally consisting of the three Hutchinson sisters, all the children of Joseph and Lillian Hutchinson.... |
4:23 |
| 9 | "Fuck 'Em (Insert)" | *Interlude* | Sir Jinx Sir Jinx Sir Jinx, born Anthony Wheaton, is an American hip-hop record producer and rapper from South Central Los Angeles, California.-Beginnings:... |
Scarface (1983 film) Scarface is a 1983 American epic crime drama movie directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, produced by Martin Bregman and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana... |
2:02 |
| 10 | "Dirty Mack" | Ice Cube | Mr. Woody |
Parliament A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which... |
4:34 |
| 11 | "Don't Trust 'Em" | Ice Cube | Rashad, Ice Cube, DJ Pooh |
Scarface (1983 film) Scarface is a 1983 American epic crime drama movie directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, produced by Martin Bregman and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana... Hold On (En Vogue song) "Hold On" was the debut single from En Vogue's debut album, Born to Sing. It reached number one on the Hot Black Singles chart. The single became one of 1990s' biggest hits in the US and also a major hit in the UK . It also reached #1 on the U.S. Dance chart... " by En Vogue En Vogue En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music... Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop... |
4:06 |
| 12 | "Gangsta's Fairytale 2" | Ice Cube, Lil Russ |
Pocketts, Ice Cube |
A Taste of Honey (band) A Taste of Honey was the name of an American recording act, formed in 1971 by associates Perry Kibble and Donald Ray Johnson. In 1978 they had one of the best known chart-toppers of the disco era, "Boogie Oogie Oogie"... The Honey Drippers The Honey Drippers might refer to*The Honeydrippers, 1980s British-American rock band.*The Honey Drippers , a 1960s and 1970s soul band that had the hit "Impeach the President."... |
3:19 |
| 13 | "Check Yo Self Check Yo Self "Check Yo Self" is the second hit single from Ice Cube's third solo album The Predator. It was released in July 1993 and features New York rappers Das EFX. It topped both the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap charts while also reaching number 20 on the Hot 100 chart... " |
Ice Cube, Das EFX Das EFX Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray... |
DJ Muggs, Ice Cube |
Mustang Sally (song) "Mustang Sally" is an R&B/straightforward blues first recorded by Mack Rice in 1965. It gained greater popularity when it was covered by Wilson Pickett on a single the following year. Pickett's version was also included on his 1967 album The Wicked Pickett.... " by Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100... Beastie Boys Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar.... Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music... Juice (film) Juice is a 1992 American crime drama film that stars rapper Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps. Additional cast members include Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L. Jackson, and features cameo appearances by Queen Latifah, EPMD, Special Ed, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Flex Alexander, Fab Five... |
3:42 |
| 14 | "Who Got the Camera?" | Ice Cube | Sir Jinx |
Die Hard Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which... Main Source Main Source was an innovative, acclaimed Toronto and New York-based hip hop group comprising Toronto natives Sir Scratch, K-Cut, and Queens native Large Professor... Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:... |
4:37 |
| 15 | "Integration (Insert)" | *Interlude* | Ice Cube |
The Phil Donahue Show The Phil Donahue Show, also known as Donahue, is an American television talk show that ran for 26 years on national television. Its run was preceded by three years of local broadcast in Dayton, Ohio, and it was broadcast nationwide between 1967 and 1996.In 2002, Donahue was ranked #29 on TV Guide's... featuring Louis Farrakhan Louis Farrakhan Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of... |
2:31 |
| 16 | "Say Hi to the Bad Guy" | Ice Cube | Sir Jinx |
Parliament A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which... |
3:19 |
Album
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 1992 | The Predator | 1 | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Rhythmic Top 40 | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||
| 1992 | "Wicked" | 55 | 31 | 1 | — | 31 |
| 1993 | "Check Yo Self" | 20 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 1 |
| "It Was a Good Day" | 15 | 7 | 1 | 13 | — |
See also
- List of number-one albums of 1992 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1992 (U.S.)