"Guerillas in tha Mist" Released: August 19, 1992[1]
"Freedom Got an A.K." Released: 1993
Guerillas in tha Mist is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Da Lench Mob, who originally appeared on Ice Cube's debut solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. The titular "Guerillas in tha Mist" was a hit at the release of the album. The album was produced by Ice Cube, who is also featured throughout the album though uncredited. The album peaked at number 24 on the Billboard 200,[2] number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums,[3] and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on December 18, 1992, indicating US sales of over 500,000 units.[4] The single "Freedom Got an A.K." peaked at number 7 on the Hot Rap Songs.[5]
The album title is a pun on the popular movie title Gorillas in the Mist and guerrilla warfare. In the post-Los Angeles riot atmosphere of the album's release, the title was also perceived as a clever reference to a comment made by one of the police officers who had arrested Rodney King. Laurence Michael Powell, one of King's arresting officers, had described through radio message a domestic disturbance involving two blacks as something straight from Gorillas in the Mist. Powell's comment was considered highly racist, comparing black people to gorillas, and was used against the officer during the Rodney King trial.[6]
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