To the Bomb Squad's Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, the Ice Cube of AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was an intense, thoughtful, personable guy with a heavy Southern accent and a relentless work ethic. To the rest of the world, the ex-N.W.A. frontman was the n!gg@ they loved to hate. With N.W.A., Cube's formidable storytelling ability enjoyed a sonic backdrop as incendiary as his rhymes. After an acrimonious split from the "world's most dangerous group," Cube hooked up with Public Enemy's legendary production team. "Dre had changed the game as far as the rugged street sort of vibe," says Sadler. "So we had to one-up them, and do the best work we had ever done." The Bomb Squad and Cube's crew, Da Lench Mob, worked 20 hours a day for 26 days straight, trying to make sure Cube not only came with it, but came with it before N.W.A. released their next single. The internal and external pressure produced a roiling, thunderous work that hits all the glandular response buttons--repulsing with violent misogyny ("You Can't Fade Me") and seducing with super-literary tales from the 'hood ("Once Upon a Time in the Projects"). "I know we're all addicted to sex and violence," Cube said in 1993, "but you've got to put some knowledge on top of that, so you can get the medicine you need to fight this beast we've got to fight." AmeriKKKa's "knowledge" is ugly--but combined with the Bomb Squad's unparalleled production, it was frighteningly undeniable." - Spin (September, 1999). Revisit Ice Cube's debut (solo) studio album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, below...
Arguably the strongest solo run and one of the best albums PERIOD...
