Rewind: Ice Cube 'Jackin' For Beats'

Within a year of the release of Ice Cube's debut album, 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted', the 'Kill at Will' EP dropped at the end of 1990. The Bomb Squad's production, similar to the out of control sample bombast of Public Enemy's albums, graced 'AmeriKKKA' and was in full gear of Ice Cube's classic cut-and-paste piece 'Jackin' For Beats'. In less than 3 minutes, Cube runs through an MPC full of breaks. There is no way I could cover everything, so I chose three choice samples.

The classic L.A. sound via Roger Troutman and brothers, Zapp's 'More Bounce to the Ounce' is an essential party track and sounds as fresh now as it did over 20 years ago. Troutman's talkbox sound was a staple of mid-90's West Coast hip-hop and is, undoubtedly, a big influence on the autotune vocal sound of T-Pain and others today. Parliament's 'Bop Gun (Endangered Species)' appears briefly on 'Jackin' For Beats', but is notable as it was reused by Ice Cube for his later single 'Bop Gun' from 1993's 'Leathal Injenction'. Also, 'Bop Gun' has a fantastic G-funk sound that is perfect for summer cook outs. The way Ice Cube gives 'The Humpty Dance' that 'gangster touch' in 'Jackin' For Beats' is one of the many great back-handed compliments. The Digital Underground are notably not one of Ice Cube's friends, who he will also jack.

'Jackin' For Beats' is an iconic sample track and is the Bomb Squad at the top of their game. Unfortunately, the Bomb Squad would not return for Ice Cube's sophomore album 'Death Certificate', would only have limited input to Public Enemy's (vastly underrated) 'Apocalypse 91', and would start producing for the Young Black Teenagers (why?). By 1995, they would dissolve altogether. 'Jackin' For Beats' is the swan song of one of the most genre-defining production teams in hip-hop history.

The Lowdown:
Ice Cube 'Jackin' For Beats'
from 'Kill at Will' EP (1990)
Zapp 'More Bounce to the Ounce'
from 'Zapp' (1979) (MP3/CD)
Parliament 'Bop Gun (Endangered Species)'
from 'Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Digital Underground 'The Humpty Dance'
from 'Sex Packets' (1990) (MP3/CD)

ADDENDUM (08.22.08):
Fantastic musician and collegiate Ice Cube archivist Preek hipped me to the 'Kill at Will' EP's final track titled 'I Gotta Say What Up!!!' that praises Digital Underground, countering my opinion that 'Jackin' for Beats' is dissing them ("But I don't party and shake my butt / I leave that to the brothers with the funny haircuts / And it'll drive you nuts / Steal your beat and give it that gangsta touch"). I see both sides and I honestly don't know who is correct, does anyone else want to chime in? The gospel of Ice Cube is, by nature, contradictory (RE: his verse on Public Enemy's 'Burn Hollywood Burn' vs. the last decade of his career).