AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted cover art

  Studio Album · No. 1

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted Songwriting Credits by Ice Cube

1990 Priority Records 16 tracks 50 min

Produced by The Bomb Squad, Sir Jinx, Ice Cube  ·  Engineered by Nick Sansano, Christopher Shaw

Priority Records Gangsta RapHardcore Hip HopPolitical Hip HopWest Coast Hip Hop
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 16 of 16 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 16 / 16 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 16 tracks with documented writers, by whether Ice Cube carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
16 trackswritten by Ice Cube 0 tracksoutside writers
Ice Cube's roles on this album

Share of the 16 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer75%
Producer75%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

16
Tracks
3
Lyricists
3
Producers
1990
Released
Data Insight

Ice Cube wrote all his own lyrics for his solo debut after leaving N.W.A, traveling to New York to record with Public Enemy's production team The Bomb Squad, with Sir Jinx and Cube himself co-producing. The dense, sample-heavy East Coast production paired with Cube's West Coast street narratives gave the record a confrontational political edge. Public Enemy's Chuck D and Flavor Flav appear, and Cube's protege Yo-Yo trades verses on 'It's a Man's World.' The album was recorded at Greene Street studio in Manhattan over early 1990.

Ice Cube's debut solo album, released May 16, 1990, recorded in New York in the three months following his split from N.W.A. Public Enemy's production team the Bomb Squad handled the bulk of the production, working alongside Ice Cube's longtime collaborator Sir Jinx. The album's dense, sample-heavy sound contrasted sharply with the looser West Coast style of his former group, giving the record a harder, more confrontational feel. It debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum within months of release. Critics initially offered mixed assessments but retrospective reviews have positioned AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted as a hip-hop landmark, with Ice Cube addressing racism, police brutality, and ghetto life across sixteen tracks.

Track Listing & Credits 16 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Better Off Dead
Ice Cube O'Shea JacksonSir Jinx Ice CubeSir Jinx Ice Cube
2
The Nigga Ya Love to Hate
Ice Cube The Bomb SquadO'Shea JacksonSir Jinx The Bomb SquadIce CubeSir Jinx Ice Cube
3
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube The Bomb SquadO'Shea JacksonSir Jinx The Bomb SquadIce CubeSir Jinx Ice Cube
4
What They Hittin' Foe?
Ice Cube The Bomb SquadO'Shea JacksonSir Jinx The Bomb SquadIce CubeSir Jinx Ice Cube
5
You Can't Fade Me / JD's Gaffilin'
Ice Cube The Bomb SquadO'Shea JacksonSir Jinx The Bomb SquadIce CubeSir Jinx Ice Cube
6
Once Upon a Time in the Projects
Ice Cube Sir JinxThe Bomb Squad Sir JinxThe Bomb Squad Ice Cube
7
Turn Off the Radio
Ice Cube The Bomb SquadO'Shea JacksonSir Jinx The Bomb SquadIce CubeSir Jinx Ice Cube
8
Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)
Ice CubeChuck D The Bomb SquadO'Shea JacksonSir Jinx The Bomb SquadIce CubeSir Jinx Ice CubeChuck D
9
A Gangsta's Fairytale
Ice Cube O'Shea JacksonSir JinxThe Bomb Squad Ice CubeSir JinxThe Bomb Squad Ice Cube
10
I'm Only Out for One Thang
Ice Cube O'Shea JacksonSir JinxThe Bomb Squad Ice CubeSir JinxThe Bomb Squad Ice CubeFlavor Flav
11
Get Off My Dick and Tell Yo Bitch to Come Here
Ice Cube The Bomb SquadO'Shea JacksonSir Jinx The Bomb SquadIce CubeSir Jinx Ice Cube
12
The Drive-By
Ice Cube Sir Jinx Sir Jinx Ice Cube
13
Rollin' wit the Lench Mob
Ice Cube The Bomb SquadO'Shea JacksonSir Jinx The Bomb SquadIce CubeSir Jinx Ice Cube
14
Who's the Mack?
Ice Cube Sir JinxThe Bomb Squad Sir JinxThe Bomb Squad Ice Cube
15
It's a Man's World
Ice CubeYo-Yo Sir JinxO'Shea Jackson Sir JinxIce Cube Ice CubeYo-Yo
16
The Bomb
Ice Cube Sir JinxThe Bomb Squad Sir JinxThe Bomb Squad Ice Cube

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 7 contributors

SJ
Sir Jinx
Writer · Producer
On this album16 written
IC
Ice Cube
Writer · Producer
On this album16 written
TB
The Bomb Squad
Writer · Producer
On this album13 written
OJ
O'Shea Jackson
Writer
On this album12 written
CD
Chuck D
Writer
On this album1 written
Y
Yo-Yo
Writer
On this album1 written
FF
Flavor Flav
Performer
On this albumGuest

More from Ice Cube

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1992 100%
The Predator
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1998 94%
War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc)
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2000 94%
War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc)
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18 tracksProd. Chucky Thompson
2006 100%
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2008 94%
Raw Footage
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2010 94%
I Am the West
Lench Mob Records
16 tracksProd. Tha Bizness
2018 100%
Everythang's Corrupt
Lench Mob Records / Interscope Records
16 tracksProd. Hallway Productionz

Frequently Asked Questions AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

Did Ice Cube write AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted?
Yes. Ice Cube wrote all of his own raps on AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, his 1990 solo debut. The music was produced by Public Enemy's Bomb Squad along with Sir Jinx, with Cube co-producing, but the lyrics and street narratives are entirely his own.
Who produced AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted?
The album was produced primarily by The Bomb Squad, Public Enemy's production team, along with Sir Jinx, with Ice Cube serving as co-producer. Cube recorded it in New York to work directly with the Bomb Squad's dense sampling style.
Why did Ice Cube record his debut in New York?
After leaving N.W.A, Ice Cube wanted to work with The Bomb Squad, the East Coast team behind Public Enemy. He recorded the album at Greene Street studio in Manhattan between January and March 1990, fusing East Coast production with West Coast subject matter.
Who guests on AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted?
Public Enemy's Chuck D and Flavor Flav appear on the record, and rapper Yo-Yo, Ice Cube's protege, features on the song 'It's a Man's World,' answering Cube's verses with her own.
Is AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted certified platinum?
Yes. The album was certified Platinum in the United States by the RIAA and Silver in the United Kingdom, a strong commercial showing for a debut released without major radio support.
What is the song Endangered Species by Ice Cube about?
'Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)' addresses police brutality and the dangers facing young Black men in America. It features Chuck D and is one of the album's most pointed political statements.

Sources

Wikipedia: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted MusicBrainz release group Cover Art Archive front cover Cover Art Archive: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted by Ice Cube