The Predator

This article is about the album by rapper Ice Cube. For other uses, see Predator (disambiguation).

The Predator
Studio album by Ice Cube
Released	November 17, 1992 March 11, 2003 (2003 remaster) July 20, 2010 (2010 remaster)
Recorded	1991-1992
Genre	Hardcore Hip Hop, West Coast hip hop, Gangsta Rap, G-Funk
Length	56:27
Label	Priority/EMI Records 0499 2 57155 2 1 P2-57155 (original release) 7243 5 43339 2 7 P2-43339 (2003 remaster)
Producer	Ice Cube, DJ Pooh, Sir Jinx, Torcha Chamba, DJ Muggs
Ice Cube chronology
Death Certificate (1991) The Predator (1992) Lethal Injection (1993)
Singles from The Predator
"Wicked" Released: October 21, 1992 "It Was a Good Day" Released: February 23, 1993 "Check Yo Self" Released: July 20, 1993

The Predator is the third studio album by Ice Cube. Released within months of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, many songs comment on the racial tensions. The title is in part reference to the movie Predator 2, and the album itself includes samples from the film.^[1] Though not his most critically successful album, commercially The Predator is Ice Cube's most successful album, reaching double platinum status in the United States, and it contains his most well-known single, "It Was a Good Day." The Predator is his only number one album on the Billboard 200 to date, selling 193,000 copies in its first week.^[2] It has sold 2,210,283 to date, according to Nielsen Soundscan.^[3]

Overview

In the opening song, "When Will They Shoot," Ice Cube addressed criticisms of anti-Semitism he received for his last effort, Death Certificate:

White man is something I tried to study,

But I got my hands bloody, yeah.

They say I can sing like a jaybird

But, nigga, don’t say the j-word

Elsewhere "We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up" is directed at the LA Police officers acquitted in the Rodney King trial; an event that ignited the 1992 LA Riots. The similarly themed "Who Got the Camera?" imagines a scenario in which a Black man is subjected to police brutality. The songs are broken up by interludes involving interviews with Ice Cube and what appears to be a debate between members of a congregation or talk-show audience.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	(A-) link
Q Magazine	link
Rolling Stone	1992
Rolling Stone	2004
Spin	(favorable) link
Washington Post	(favorable) link

Although not as lauded as his previous efforts, The Predator was well-received. Entertainment Weekly called it "Ice Cube's strongest, most cohesive work yet" (11/20/92, p. 88).^[5] Q Magazine included it in its "90 Best Albums Of The 1990s" (12/99, p. 74).^[5] Spin Magazine called it a record that "demands to be heard" (1/93, p. 61).^[5]

It spawned three hit singles: "It Was A Good Day," which was a hit in March 1993; "Check Yo Self"; and "Wicked" (which was later covered by the band Korn). Both the album and single version of "Check Yo Self" include an appearance from Das EFX, with the latter's single featuring a remix utilizing a sample of Grandmaster Flash's "The Message". The song also received continuous radio and MTV play.

Track listing

• "Check Yo Self (the Message Remix)", "It Was A Good Day (Remix)", "24 Wit An L", and "U Aint Gonna Take My Life" are included as bonus material on later remastered pressings.

#	Title	Performer(s)	Producer(s)	Samples	Time
1	"The First Day of School (Intro)"	*Intro*	Ice Cube	Excerpt from the motion picture American Me	1:20
2	"When Will They Shoot?"	Ice Cube	DJ Pooh, Bob Cat, Ice Cube	"Oh Honey" by Delegation "No Vaseline" by Ice Cube "We Will Rock You" by Queen "Treat Her Like a Prostitute" by Slick Rick "Take Me to the Mardis Gras" by Bob James "Grand Verbalizer, What Time is It" by X-Clan "Giggin' Down 103rd" by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band	4:36
3	"I'm Scared (Insert)"	*Interlude*	Ice Cube	Excerpt from the film A Rage In Harlem Excerpt from The Phil Donahue Show featuring Louis Farrakhan	1:32
4	"Wicked"	Ice Cube	Torcha Chamba, Ice Cube	"Looseys" by Das EFX "Funky Worm" by The Ohio Players "You Can Make It If You Try" by Sly & The Family Stone "Can't Truss It" by Public Enemy "Welcome to the Terrordome" by Public Enemy *"Hip-Hip-Hug" by Booker T & The MG'S	3:55
5	"Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha"	Ice Cube	DJ Muggs	"Get Out of My Life, Woman" by Solomon Burke "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" by Parliament Song playing during the intro is "Guerillas in tha Mist" by Da Lench Mob	4:03
6	"The Predator"	Ice Cube	DJ Pooh	"East Coast" by Das EFX "Superman Lover" by Johnny "Guitar" Watson Dialogue from Predator 2	4:03
7	"It Was a Good Day"	Ice Cube	DJ Pooh	"Let's Do It Again" by Staple Singers "Come On Sexy Mama" by The Moments "Footsteps In the Dark" by The Isley Brothers "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention- B3M)" by Parliament	4:19
8	"We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up"	Ice Cube	DJ Muggs	"The Funeral" by Ice Cube "Get Down" by Gene Russel "Subway Inn" by Duke Jordan "Blind Alley" by The Emotions	4:23
9	"Fuck 'Em (Insert)"	*Interlude*	Sir Jinx	Excerpt from the film Scarface	2:02
10	"Dirty Mack"	Ice Cube	Mr. Woody	"Aqua Boogie", "P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" & "Unfunky UFO" by Parliament	4:34
11	"Don't Trust 'Em"	Ice Cube	Rashad, Ice Cube, DJ Pooh	Excerpt from the film Scarface "Poison" by Bel Biv Devoe "A Bitch Iz A Bitch" by N.W.A "Hold On" by En Vogue "Green Earrings" by Steely Dan "Don't Believe the Hype" by Public Enemy	4:06
12	"Gangsta's Fairytale 2"	Ice Cube, Lil Russ	Pocketts, Ice Cube	"Distant" by A Taste of Honey "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk" by Parliament "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers "Sing A Simple Song" by Sly & The Family Stone	3:19
13	"Check Yo Self"	Ice Cube, Das EFX	DJ Muggs, Ice Cube	"Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett "The New Style" by Beastie Boys "Memphis Underground" by Herbie Mann Excerpt from the film Juice	3:42
14	"Who Got the Camera?"	Ice Cube	Sir Jinx	Excerpt from the film Die Hard "All We Need is Another Chance" by The Escorts "Just a Friendly Game of Baseball" by Main Source "I Gotta Thang, You Gotta Thang, Everybody Gotta Thang" by Funkadelic "Good Ole Music" by Funkadelic "It Aint Whatcha Got" by Jimmy McGriff & Junior Parker	4:37
15	"Integration (Insert)"	*Interlude*	Ice Cube	Excerpt from the Malcolm X the Oxford Union Debate (December 3, 1964) Excerpt from The Phil Donahue Show featuring Louis Farrakhan	2:31
16	"Say Hi to the Bad Guy"	Ice Cube	Sir Jinx	"I Aint Got Nobody" by Sly and the Family Stone "P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up) by Parliament	3:19

Chart positions

Album

Year	Album	Chart positions
		Billboard 200	Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
1992	The Predator	1	1

Singles

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Billboard Hot 100	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles	Rhythmic Top 40	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
1992	"Wicked"	55	31	1	—	31
1993	"Check Yo Self"	20	1	1	18	1
	"It Was a Good Day"	15	7	1	13	—

References

1. ^ Chillin' with Cube | | Guardian Unlimited Film
2. ^ http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=756926526
3. ^ http://homerecording.com/bbs/general-discussions/dj-hip-hop-production/soundscan-album-sales-10-12-2005-a-173006/
4. ^ Christgau, Robert. "The Predator". Robert Christgau. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=10490. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Tower.com: The Planet's Entertainment Destination for Music, CDs, Movies, DVDs, Books & more

Preceded by The Chase by Garth Brooks

Billboard 200 number-one album December 5–11, 1992

Succeeded by The Bodyguard (soundtrack) by Various artists

See also

• List of number-one albums of 1992 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1992 (U.S.)