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.
| Kill at Will | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | July 1, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1990 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 21:53 | |||
| Label | Priority | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Ice Cube chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+[4] |
| NME | (7/10)[5][better source needed] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
| The Source |  [7] |
| The Washington Post | (favorable)[8] |
Critical reception
editTrouser 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
edit| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) (Remix)" (featuring Chuck D) | Sir Jinx | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Jackin' for Beats" | Chilly Chill | 2:57 |
| 3. | "Get off My Dick and Tell Yo Bitch to Come Here (Remix)" | Sir Jinx | 3:38 |
| 4. | "The Product" | Sir Jinx | 3:35 |
| 5. | "Dead Homiez" | Ice Cube | 3:55 |
| 6. | "JD’s Gaffilin’ (Part 2)" | 0:36 | |
| 7. | "I Gotta Say What Up!!!" | Sir Jinx | 3:06 |
Partial list of samples
edit|
"Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) (Remix)"
"The Product"
"I Gotta Say What Up!!!"
"Dead Homiez"
|
"Jackin' for Beats"
|
Later samples
edit- "Dead Homiez"
- "Young Black Male" by 2Pac from the album 2Pacalypse Now
- "The Product"
- "Young Black Male" by 2Pac from the album 2Pacalypse Now
Album singles
edit"Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)"
- Released: 1990
- B-side: "Dead Homiez"
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[13] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ a b Robert Christgau review
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 444.
- ^ "Entertainment Weekly review". Archived from the original on 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
- ^ "NME review". Archived from the original on 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 340.
- ^ The Source review
- ^ The Washington Post review
- ^ "Ice Cube". Trouser Press. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ "Ice Cube Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Ice Cube Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "American album certifications – Ice Cube – Kill At Will". Recording Industry Association of America.