jackin’ for beats
Kill at Will is a seven track EP, released by Ice Cube in 1990. It was released soon after AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, and capitalized off Cube’s newfound solo success. The EP quickly shipped Gold in sales, a first for a hip hop EP, and a year later, had sold over a million copies. It featured a remix of “Endangered Species”, featuring a brand new verse from Public Enemy’s Chuck D. Kill at Will is considered by Ice Cube fans to be among his best works, and original vinyl pressings are still highly sought after.
Kill at Will contains two of Ice Cube’s most famous tracks, the rambunctious “Jackin’ for Beats”, and the soulful ode “Dead Homiez”. “Dead Homiez” was Cube’s second solo single/music video. The song deals with the violence, death, and social problems of the inner city ghettos and is essentially a dedication to all those killed through urban violence. The song was praised later on by countless rap artists and critics, and is one of the first hip hop songs to deal with the pain and loss suffered specifically by the families of black men lost to black on black violence.
“Jackin’ for Beats”, likewise, began the popular trend of an MC rapping over the various instrumentals of popular beats, which rotate during the course of one song. The song and its sentiment is an excellent example of plunderphonics.
The EP was remastered and added to the re-release of the AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted album in 2003.
Jackin’ For Beats – lyrics:
[Intro:]
Wait a minute, hold on, get your ass up
Whassup nigga?
Get over there… shit
Ya lil punk ass nigga
C’mere, c’mere, c’mere boy
God damnit you stop that shit now
Take him to jail and get him the hell from in front of this house
Now wait a minute, wait a minute, hey man
Whassup?
Wait a minute?
There are police, go![Verse One:]
Give me that beat fool, it’s a full time jack move
Chilly Chill, yo homie mack the track move
And I’ll jack any Tom, Dick and Hank
That’s the name of the SUCKERS I done ganked
I get away from a copper
Drop a dime, I’ll break you off somethin proper
With the L-E-N-C-H-M-O-B
T-Bone and that’s J.D.
And here’s how we’ll greet ya
Stop fool, come off that beat ya
feel dumb cause you’re caught in the dark
(ya lil nuttin ass mark)
Raise up, cause you cant’ have it back
You said – “I ain’t never got gaffled like that”
Off the end of the gat you choke
Short Dog’s in the house – “Whattup loc?”
Nuttin but a come up
Gimme that bass, and don’t try to run up
Cause you’ll get banked somethin sweet
Ice Cube and the Lench Mob, is jackin for beats[Verse Two:]
Huh, and even if you’re down with my crew
(Yo Chuck man, i dodn’t understand this man
You got to slow down)
I jack them too
And then we’ll freak it
Kick that bass, and look what we did
Fade the grade, played, and made a few mil
and I keep stealin
Ice Cube’ll make it funky
But right about now – *let’s get up in the hump*
But I don’t party and shake my butt
I leave that to the brothers with the funny haircurs
And it’ll drive you nuts
Steal your beat, and give it that gangsta touch
Like jackin at night
Say hi to the three fifty-seven I’m packin
And it sounds so sweet
Ice Cube and the Lench Mob, is jackin for beats[Verse Three:]
Ice Cube, will take a funky beat and reshape it
Locate a dope break, and then I break it
And give it that gangsta lean
Dead in your face as I turn up the bass
I make punk suckers run and duck because
I don’t try to hide cause you know that I love to
jack a fool for his beat and then I’m Audi
So when I come to your town don’t crowd me
Cause I know, you’re gonna wanna kick it with me
But I know, none of y’all can get with me
So you think you’re protected
Well you are til you put a funky beat on a record
Then I have to show and prove and use your groove
Cause suckers can’t fade the Cube
And if I jack you and you keep comin
I’ll have you marks a 100 Miles and Running!(stop stop stop stop stop!
sa-prize, niggaz)