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Kill at Will

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Kill at Will
EP by
Ice Cube
ReleasedJuly 1, 1990
Recorded1990
Genre
Length21:53
LabelPriority
Producer
Ice Cube chronology
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
(1990) 		Kill at Will
(1990) 		Death Certificate
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Robert ChristgauA−[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Entertainment WeeklyC+[4]
NME(7/10)[5][better source needed]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]
The Source[7]
The Washington Post(favorable)[8]

Kill at Will (titled At Will in its censored version) is an extended play by American rapper Ice Cube, released on July 1st, 1990 via Priority Records.[3] It was released soon after AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and capitalized on Cube's newfound solo success.

Critical reception

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Trouser Press praised "the lighthearted 'Jackin’ for Beats' (which bites EPMD, PE, Digital Underground, LL Cool J and others) and the devastating 'Dead Homiez', in which [Cube] solemnly contemplates the murder of a friend over an evocative mix of horn, guitar and piano."[9]

Robert Christgau stated: "I don't want to claim the criticism is getting to him--still talking tough on this interim EP, he remixes 'Get Off My Dick and Tell Your Bitch To Come Here.' But he's keeping his woman problem to himself and putting the gangsta shit in perspective: 'The Product' tells a young black con's story from his pops's nut, 'Dead Homiez' cops to a sadness a lesser outlaw might consider unmanly. With Sir Jinx running the board, the beats never work up to carpet-bomb density. And if Ice Cube keeps rhyming like this, you won't care."[2]

Track listing

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No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) (Remix)" (featuring Chuck D)Sir Jinx4:11
2."Jackin' for Beats"Chilly Chill2:57
3."Get off My Dick and Tell Yo Bitch to Come Here (Remix)"Sir Jinx3:38
4."The Product"Sir Jinx3:35
5."Dead Homiez"Ice Cube3:55
6."JD’s Gaffilin’ (Part 2)" 0:36
7."I Gotta Say What Up!!!"Sir Jinx3:06

Partial list of samples

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Later samples

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Album singles

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"Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)"

  • Released: 1990
  • B-side: "Dead Homiez"

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[13] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ a b Robert Christgau review
  3. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 444.
  4. ^ "Entertainment Weekly review". Archived from the original on 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  5. ^ "NME review". Archived from the original on 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
  6. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 340.
  7. ^ The Source review
  8. ^ The Washington Post review
  9. ^ "Ice Cube". Trouser Press. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Ice Cube Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  11. ^ "Ice Cube Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  12. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  13. ^ "American album certifications – Ice Cube – Kill At Will". Recording Industry Association of America.
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