Death Certificate
Studio album by Ice Cube
Released	October 29, 1991
Recorded	1991
Genre	Political, Gangsta Rap, hip hop, West Coast hip hop
Length	61:08
Label	Priority Records
Producer(s)	Sir Jinx Ice Cube Boogiemen
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (C+) link (review) Daily Vault (A-) link Rolling Stone link The Source
Ice Cube chronology
Kill at Will (1991) Death Certificate (1991) The Predator (1992)

Death Certificate is the second solo album from rapper Ice Cube, released by Priority Records on October 29, 1991. Highly anticipated (with over a million advance orders^[1]), the album was certified platinum on December 20, 1991, and to date has sold over two million copies.^{[citation needed]} It was also the source of much controversy due to some of its racially charged content, and Ice Cube's acerbic statements on drug dealing, racial profiling, and the right to bear arms. The album's two singles, "Steady Mobbin'" and "True to the Game," received music video treatment. Image File history File links Ice_Cube-Death_Certificate_(album_cover). ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Ice Cube (born OShea Jackson on June 15, 1969) is an American rapper, actor and film director. ... October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... West Coast hip hop, also known as West Coast rap or California hip hop, is a style of hip hop music that originated in California in the early 1980s. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Priority Records is an American based record label, owned and operated by EMI, and has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop music. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Sir Jinx (born Tony Wheatob) is an American hip-hop producer and rapper. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Robert Christgau (2007) Robert Christgau (sometimes abbreviated in print to Xgau), born April 18, 1942, is an American essayist, music journalist, and the self-declared Dean of American Rock Critics[1] His first reviews were published by Esquire in 1967. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... There have been a number of things known as The Source: The Source is a 1967 novel by James A. Michener. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Ice Cube (born OShea Jackson on June 15, 1969) is an American rapper, actor and film director. ... Kill At Will is a seven track EP, released by Ice Cube in 1991. ... The Predator is a 1992 album by Ice Cube. ... West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg performing for the US Navy For information on rap music, see hip hop music. ... Ice Cube (born OShea Jackson on June 15, 1969) is an American rapper, actor and film director. ... Priority Records is an American based record label, owned and operated by EMI, and has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop music. ... October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... 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. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events... Racial profiling, also known as ethnic profiling, is the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime (see Offender Profiling). ... This article refers to weapons or military service meanings of bear arms. For the rights of an individual to possess a coat of arms, see the articles on heraldry or Law of arms. ...

In 2003, Priority Records re-released Death Certificate with one bonus track, "How to Survive in South Central"; a track originally appearing on the Boyz N the Hood soundtrack. Boyz-n-the-Hood is a song by the late rapper Eazy-E as a part of N.W.A. Ice Cube originally intended the song to be for himself, but after he joined N.W.A., he wrote it for Eazy. ...

Conception

Death Certificate received a "meager" 18,000 dollar promotion budget, and neither of its singles received much airplay.^[2] The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

Music

Lyrical Content

Comprised of two sides, The "Death Side" was a critique on the current state of the black community in America, while The "Life Side" which followed it was an instruction on the direction needed to pull said community out of the mire of violence and economic ruin depicted on the Death side.

The album garnered critical acclaim and controversy in equal amounts for powerful and evocative songs. "Us," perhaps the album's most insightful track, explains Ice Cube's stance on what the African-American race must do to reach the "Life Side." The evocative "Bird in the Hand" is a track sympathetic with the plight of the minimum wage worker, teenage parent, and inner city drug pusher and critical of figureheads ranging from George H. W. Bush to Jesse Jackson. As Cube raps: George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... Jesse Louis Jackson (born October 8, 1941) is an American politician, professional civil rights activist and Baptist minister. ...

So now you want to put the FEDs against me

Cause I couldn't follow the plan of the presidency

I'll never get love again

But blacks are too fuckin' broke to be Republicans

"Horny Lil' Devil" is a fierce attack on white men who sexually harass and objectify black women, while "Black Korea" is a controversial track that attacks Korean store owners who are constantly suspicious of their black customers. The track was seen as a response to the Latasha Harlins shooting. Federal police agencies are responsible for the enforcement of federal laws in countries with a federal constitution. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... Sexual harassment is harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexual nature. ... Latasha Harlins (1976-1991) was an African-American teenager shot and killed by Soon Ja Du, a Korean-American liquor store worker. ...

The track "Look Who's Burnin'" tells of the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases in low income neighborhoods, while "Alive on Arrival" tells the story of a young man caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting who slowly bleeds to death while in a hospital waiting room. "Color Blind" preaches neutrality and brotherhood between gangs, such as the Bloods and Crips. The album is also famous for the bonus track "No Vaseline," a vicious "diss track" aimed at Ice Cube's former N.W.A band mates. Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), also known as sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), are diseases that are commonly transmitted between partners through some form of sexual activity, most commonly vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex. ... The Bloods are one of the Los Angeles, California street gangs. ... The blue bandanas worn by most Crip gangs. ... Dissing a slang term derived from the word, disrespect. ... This article is about the rap group. ...

Reception

Acclaim

All Music Guide calls Death Certificate "even harder and angrier than AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted... It continues the sharp insights and unflinching looks at contemporary urban lifestyles that his solo debut only hinted at; in short, it's hardcore without any gangsta posturing." They also call it "funkier, noisier, and more musically effective (than AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted)." The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ...

• Rating: A- "...20 tracks of the most visceral music ever allowed in public..." - Entertainment Weekly ^[3](11/15/91)^[4]
• Rating: Recommended "...adrenalin-drenched funk...integrates vitriolic politics with raw street knowledge...achieves an almost George Clinton-esque sense of celebratory freakiness..." - Spin (1/92, p.72)^[5]
• Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century. - Vibe (12/99, p.158)
• #8 on MTV's Greatest Hip Hop Albums Of All Time. ^[6]
• #17 on the Greatest R&B/Hip-Hop albums as voted by the British public. ^[7]
• Selected as one of The Source Magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums.

Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... Spin is a music magazine that reports on all the music that rocks. Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. ... For the Pontiac brand car Vibe, see Pontiac Vibe. ... MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network headquartered in New York City. ...

Controversy

Due to fear that laws against racial incitement in the United Kingdom could see the album banned, the United Kingdom release removed the tracks "Black Korea" and "No Vaseline." Island Records, the distributor of this version of the album, deleted these tracks with the consent of Priority Records, but not Ice Cube himself.^[2]

In the September 2006 issue of FHM, Ice Cube stated in an interview that he did not regret the controversial statements made on the album. Regarding the offense caused to Koreans, he said, "If there's still a problem, it's their problem."^{[citation needed]} The cover of an issue of FHM China, featuring Britney Spears, wearing a bathing suit & necktie The cover of the first issue of FHM in the United States, featuring Rachael Leigh Cook FHM is an international monthly lads mag. ...

Track listing

Tracks 1-11 are The Death Side, while tracks 12-20 are The Life Side.

Sir Jinx (born Tony Wheatob) is an American hip-hop producer and rapper. ... Kam on August 4, 1971) is an American political rapper known primarily among hip hop fans and music critics during the 1990s. ... King Tee, also spelled King T (born Roger McBride in Compton, California), is an American West Coast hip hop pioneer. ...

Partial List of Samples

The following lists some songs and sounds sampled for Death Certificate.

The Wrong Nigga to Fuck Wit

• Thief (motion picture)
• "Flash Light" by Parliament
• "The Payback" by James Brown
• "Good Ole Music" by Funkadelic

My Summer Vacation Thief is a 1981 noir crime drama written and directed by Michael Mann, based on the novel The Home Invaders by Frank Hohimer (the pen name of real-life jewel thief John Seybold). ... Flash Light is a song by funk band Parliament, released in 1977 on the album Funkentelechy Vs. ... Parliament was originally The Parliaments, a doo-wop group based out of George Clintons Plainfield, New Jersey barber shop. ... The Payback (sometimes known as just Payback) is a funk song by James Brown, the title track from his 1974 album of the same name. ... James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933[2] – December 25, 2006), commonly referred to as The Godfather of Soul and The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, was an American entertainer recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Parliament-Funkadelic. ...

• "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton
• "So Ruff, So Tuff" by Zapp & Roger

Steady Mobbin' Atomic Dog is a song performed by George Clinton on his album Computer Games The songs concept is about a party fever which makes you wild like a dog. ... It has been suggested that P-Funk Mothership be merged into this article or section. ... Roger Troutman released music as both Zapp and Roger in the 1980s, attaining success with both, the former being his band and the latter being his solo project. ...

• "Deep" by Parliament
• "Love Amnesia" by Parlet
• "After the Dance" by Marvin Gaye
• "Reach Out" by Average White Band
• "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention- B3M)" & "Theme from The Black Hole" by Parliament

Givin' Up the Nappy Dug Out Parlet was a female spinoff group from P-Funk formed by veteran background vocalists Mallia Franklin, Jeanette Washington and Debbie Wright. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... The Average White Band (also AWB) is a Scottish funk and R&B band. ...

• "Do it Roger" by Roger
• "Mr. Wiggles" by Parliament
• "Jimmy" by Boogie Down Productions
• "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson
• "Hip-Hug-Her" by Booker T. & the MG's
• "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Sisters
• "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers

Look Who's Burnin' Boogie Down Productions (1989) Boogie Down Productions was originally composed of KRS One, D Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. ... Audio sample Smooth Criminal is a song on Michael Jacksons Bad album (1987). ... Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958), commonly known as MJ as well as the King of Pop, is an American musician, entertainer, and pop icon whose successful career and controversial personal life have been a part of pop culture for the last three decades. ... Booker T. & the M.G.s is a soul band, most prominent in the 1960s and 1970s. ... The Honey Drippers consisted of ex-Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, plus ex-Yardbirds member Jeff Beck. ...

• "The Freeze" by Parliament
• "Lyin' Ass Bitch" by Fishbone
• "The Very Long Fuse" by Disney
• "Jimmy" by Boogie Down Productions
• "More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp
• "Go See the Doctor" by Kool Moe Dee
• "Sister Sanctified" by Stanley Turrentine
• "Claudine" by Gladys Knight and the Pips
• "Burning Love Breakdown" by Peter Brown

A Bird in the Hand This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... The word Zapp can refer to: Zapp Brannigan, a character from the television series Futurama. ... Mohandas Dewese (born 8 August 1962), better known as Kool Moe Dee, was an American old-school rapper prominent in the late 1980s and early 90s. ... Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. ... Gladys Knight (born May 28, 1944) is a legendary American pop and soul singer. ... There have been several people named Peter Brown. ...

• "Chains and Things" by B.B. King
• "Take Some. . . Leave Some" by James Brown
• "Bop Gun (Endangered Species)" by Parliament
• "Don't Change Your Love" by The Five Stairsteps

Man's Best Friend Riley B. King aka B. B. King (b. ... Bop Gun redirects here. ... The Five Stairsteps, known as The First Family of Soul, were an American Chicago soul group best known for the 1970 song O-o-h Child, listed #392 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. ...

• "Flash Light" by Parliament
• "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton

Alive on Arrival

• "The Big Bang Theory" by Parliament
• "Hot (I Need to Be Love, Love Loved)" by James Brown

The Death

• "A Funky Song" by Ripple

The Birth

• "Long Red" (Live) by Mountain
• "Mystique Blues" by The Crusaders

I Wanna Kill Sam Mountain is an American rock band, popular in the early 1970s. ... The Crusaders are also an Amiga demo scene music group. ...

• "Chocolate City" by Parliament
• "Funky President" by James Brown
• "Rock Creek Park" by The Blackbyrds
• "Cold Chillin' in the Spot" by Jazzy Jay
• "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" by Bob James
• "Hot Pants...I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming" by Bobby Byrd

Horny Lil' Devil Chocolate City is a song by the funk band Parliament, the lead track of their 1975 album of the same name. ... Funky President (People Its Bad) (commonly known as just Funky President) is a funk song by James Brown. ... The Blackbyrds were a 1970s rhythm & blues and jazz-funk fusion group, formed in Washington, D.C.. The group was led by trumpeter Donald Byrd and featured some of his Howard University students: Kevin Toney (keyboards), Keith Killgo (vocals, drums), Joe Hall (bass), Orville Saunders (guitar), and Jay Jones (flute... Jazzy Jay (born Jayson Byas, c. ... Bob James can refer to: An actor Bob James A jazz musician Bob James An historian Bob James This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Bobby Byrd (born Bobby Day on August 15, 1934) is an African American funk/soul/R&B/gospel musician, best known as James Browns longtime sideman and co-vocalist. ...

• "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey" by Sly & the Family Stone
• "Funky President", & "Please, Please, Please" by James Brown

True to the Game Sly & the Family Stone was an American rock band from San Francisco, California. ... Please, Please, Please is a 1956 single by James Brown & the Famous Flames. ...

• "Reach for It" by George Duke
• "Outstanding" by The Gap Band
• "You Can Make It if You Try" by Sly & the Family Stone

Color Blind George Duke (born 12 January 1946) is a piano and synthesizer pioneer. ... The Gap Band are an American R&B, funk and soul music group who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s with their heavily-charged dance anthems and their sentimental and ethereal love songs. ...

• "Pungee" by The Meters

Doing Dumb Shit The Meters were a band that performed and recorded from the late 1960s until 1977. ...

• "Cosmic Slop" by Funkadelic
• "Funkentelechy" by Parliament

Us Cosmic Slop is a 1973 album by Funkadelic, released on Westbound Records (also a later compilation--see Funkadelic compilations). ... Funkentelechy is a song by the funk band Parliament. ...

• "Gamin' on Ya!" by Parliament
• "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss

No Vaseline

• "Dazz" by Brick
• "Vapors" by Biz Markie
• "Atomic Dog" by Parliament
• "Hit by a Car" by Eddie Murphy
• "Turn off the Radio" by Ice Cube
• "It's My Thing" by Marva Whitney
• "To Da Break of Dawn" by LL Cool J
• "Dopeman," "8 Ball," "Message to B.A." and "Prelude" by N.W.A

How to Survive in South Central Brick was an Atlanta band that created a successful merger of funk and jazz in the 70s they called dazz. ... Biz Markie (born Marcel Hall April 8, 1964 in Harlem, New York) is an East Coast hip hop rapper and DJ, best known for humorous singles such as Just a Friend. He has been labeled The Clown Prince of Hip-Hop. ... For the article on the baseball player Eddie Murphy, see Eddie Murphy (baseball player). ... Ice Cube (born OShea Jackson on June 15, 1969) is an American rapper, actor and film director. ... Marva Whitney is a funk vocalist. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... This article is about the rap group. ...

• "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton
• So Ruff, so Tuff" by Zapp

Album singles

Single cover	Single information
	"Steady Mobbin'" Released: December 9, 1991 B-side: "No Vaseline"
	"True to the Game" Released: September 14, 1992 B-side:

Image File history File links Nocover. ... December 9 is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links TrueToTheGame. ... September 14 is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

Chart positions

Album

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ...

Singles

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, formerly known as Top Soul Singles, Top Black Singles, and Top R&B Singles (before the hip-hop term was added in the late 1990s), is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. ... The Hot Rap Tracks is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. ...

Trivia

• As a result of the controversy over Death Certificate, in 1992 the state of Oregon declared any display of Ice Cube's image in retail stores throughout the state illegal. This ban also included advertisements for St. Ides Malt Liquor, which Ice Cube endorsed at the time.

• On the hook of The Game's song "The Documentary", off his album of the same name, Game lists some of rap's most legendary albums, mentioning Death Certificate.

St. ... Jayceon Terell Taylor (born November 27, 1979 in Los Angeles,[1] California), better known by his stage name The Game, is a multi-platinum American rapper signed to Interscope Records. ... This is a song by The Game (rapper) of his debut album titled The Documentary. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.icecube.org/bio.php
2. ^ ^{a b} Rock & Rap Archives: Number 94/January 1992. Retrieved on June 8, 2007.
3. ^ http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2775494&title=Death+Certificate+%5BExplicit+Lyrics%5D&artist=Ice+Cube
4. ^ http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2775494&title=Death+Certificate+%5BExplicit+Lyrics%5D&artist=Ice+Cube
5. ^ http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2775494&title=Death+Certificate+%5BExplicit+Lyrics%5D&artist=Ice+Cube
6. ^ http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2005/greatest_albums_0505/index4.jhtml
7. ^ http://www.trevornelson.com/nonflash/top100.asp

June 8 is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

External links

• The Violent Racism of Ice Cube article
• Detailed look at Black Korea
• Christgau, Robert. Ice KKKube's Aesthetikkk Merit: Big Fukkking Deal. Archived from the original on 2002-03-22. Retrieved on 2007-06-07. A polemic.