There isn’t much to be said about Ice Cube that hasn’t been said already. Yes, he’s more family guy than firecracker these days, but the days when he was quite literally considered the most frightening Black man in America have not left him.
Never was it more evident than in his sophomore album, Death Certificate. Recorded in 1991 and shortly after the brutal beating Rodney King received by the police, the album was known primarily for his commentary on the flammable relations between the Black and Asian communities in Los Angeles (“Black Korea”) and his harsh takedown of then-enemies N.W.A on “No Vaseline,” which won the DopeHouse’s tourney as the greatest diss song of all time.
While it turned 25 years old in October 2016, Cube is commemorating the album today (June 9th) with a commemorative edition, thanks to a new deal at Interscope Records. As well as the album’s original 20 tracks (yes, some classic albums were lengthy back in the day), the album now boasts three new tracks: “Only One Me”, “Good Cop Bad Cop” and “Dominate The Weak.”
Stream Death Certificate: 25th Anniversary Edition in its entirety below.
