Kill at Will

Infobox Album |
Name = Kill at Will
Type = EP
Artist = Ice Cube


Released = December, 1990
Recorded = 1990
Genre = Conscious rap, gangsta rap, political hip hop
Length = 21:55
Label = Priority
Producer = Ice Cube, The Bomb Squad
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:7jdsa9ygb23s link]
* Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Ice+Cube link]
Last album = "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted"
(1990)
This album = "Kill at Will"
(1990)
Next album = "Death Certificate"
(1991)

"Kill at Will" is a seven track EP, released by Ice Cube in 1990. It was released soon after "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted", and capitalized off Cube's newfound solo success. The EP quickly shipped Gold in sales, a first for a hip hop EP, and a year later, had sold over a million copies. 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.

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 ghettos 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 MCrapping over the various instrumentals of popular beats, which rotateduring the course of one song. The song and its sentiment isan excellent example of plunderphonics.

The EP was remastered and added to the re-release of the "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" album in 2003.

Track listing

#"Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) (Remix)"
#"Jackin' for Beats"
#"Get off My Dick and Tell Yo Bitch to Come Here (Remix)"
#"The Product"
#"Dead Homiez"
#"JD’s Gaffilin’ (Part 2)"
#"I Gotta Say What Up!!!"

Partial list of samples

Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) (Remix)
*"The Payback" by James Brown
*"Funky Drummer" by James Brown
*"Standin' On The Verge of Gettin' It On" by Funkadelic
*"Bop Gun (Endangered Species)" by ParliamentJackin' For Beats
*"If it Don't Turn You on (You Outta Leave it Alone)" by B.T. Express
*"It's a Man's Man's Man's World", "The Payback", "Funky President" & "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
*"I Know You Got Soul" & "Hot Pants. . . I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming" by Bobby Byrd
*"Bop Gun (Endangered Species)" by Parliament
*"Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & The Family Stone
*"Big Ole Butt" by LL Cool J
*"So Wat Cha Sayin'" by EPMD
*"Heed the Word of the Brother" by X-Clan
*"Call Me D-Nice" by D-Nice
*"Ashley's Roachclip" by The Soul Searchers
*"Bon Bon Vie" by T.S. Monk
*"Psychedelic Shack" by The Temptations
*"Hector" by Village Callers
*"More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp
*"Big Beat" by Billy Squier
*"Buzzsaw" by The Turtles
*"The Haunted House" by Disney
*"Welcome to the Terrordome" by Public Enemy
*"The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground
*"100 Miles and Runnin" by N.W.A.The Product
*"Good Times", "Rated X" & "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & The Gang
*"You Can Make It if You Try" by Sly & The Family Stone
*"Train Sequence" by Geoffery Sumner
*"Funky Drummer" by James BrownI Gotta Say What Up!!!
*"Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" by Isaac Hayes
*"Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss

Album singles

"Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)""
*Released: 1990
*B-side: Dead Homiez

Album Chart Positions

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"