Death Certificate
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- This is the article about Ice Cube's album. For the document concerning a person's death, see Death certificate.
Death Certificate was the second solo album from rapper Ice Cube, released on November 5, 1991. He released the album after joining the Nation of Islam. 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 such powerful and evocative songs as "Horny Lil Devil," a savage attack of sexual harassment by White Male employers against African-American females, and "Black Korea," an indictment of the growing trend of Korean and Asian store owners in Black neighborhoods. Perhaps the album's most insightful track, "Us," explains Ice Cube's stance on what the African-American race must do to reach the "Life Side."
The album is also famous for the bonus track "No Vaseline," a vicious "diss track" aimed at Ice Cube's former N.W.A bandmates. This track was considered so vitriolic at the time that it was removed from the original European release of the album. In 2003, Priority Records re-released Death Certificate with one bonus track, "How to Survive in South Central", originally appearing on the Boyz N the Hood soundtrack. The album spawned the chart single and music video Steady Mobbin'.
Track listing
The Death Side
- The Funeral
- The Wrong Nigga To Fuck Wit
- My Summer Vacation
- Steady Mobbin'
- Robin Lench
- Givin' Up The Nappy Dug Out
- Look Who Burnin'
- A Bird In The Hand
- Man's Best Friend
- Alive On Arrival
- Death
13. I Wanna Kill Sam
14. Horny Lil' Devil
15. Black Korea
16 True To The Game
17. Color Blind
18 Doing Dumb Shit
19. Us
20. No Vaseline
21. How to Survive in South Central (2003 Bonus Track)
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.
- The word "Jew" was censored out on the album in certain versions including the explicit versions of the album itself.
- 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.
External links
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