The Predator

by Ice Cube

Overview

Released in the aftermath of the 1991 L.A. riots, The Predator radiates tension. Ice Cube infuses nearly every song, and certainly every interlude, with the hostile mood of the era. Even the album's most laid-back moment, "It Was a Good Day," emits a quiet sense of violent anxiety. Granted, Ice Cube's previous albums had been far from gentle, but they were filled with a different kind of rage. On both AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990) and Death Certificate (1991), he took aim at society in general: women, whites, Koreans, even his former group members in N.W.A. Here, Ice Cube is more focused. He found a relevant episode to magnify with the riots, and he doesn't hold back, beginning with the absolutely crushing "When Will They Shoot?" The song's wall of stomping sound sets the dire tone of The Predator and is immediately followed by "I'm Scared," one of the many disturbing interludes comprised of news commentary related to the riots. It's only during the aforementioned "It Was a Good Day" that Ice Cube somewhat alleviates this album's smothering tension. It's a truly beautiful moment, a career highlight for sure. However, the next song, "We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up," eclipses the relief with yet more calamity. By the time you get to the album-concluding "Say Hi to the Bad Guy" and its mockery of policeman, hopelessness prevails. The Predator is a grim album, for sure, more so than anything Ice Cube would ever again record. In fact, the darkness is so pervasive that the wit of previous albums is absolutely gone. Besides the halfhearted wit of "Gangsta's Fairytale, Pt. 2," you won't find any humor here, just tension. Given this, it's not one of Ice Cube's more accessible albums despite boasting a few of his biggest hits. It is his most serious album, though, as well as his last important album of the '90s. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Product Details

Release Date:	05/19/2023
Label:	Universal
UPC:	0602547851680

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ice Cube   Primary Artist
Das EFX   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Max   Guest Artist
Bob Morse   Guest Artist,Bass

Technical Credits

Ralph Middlebrooks   Composer
Melvin Glover   Composer
O'Kelly Isley   Composer
George Clinton   Composer
Harry Ray   Composer
Anthony Kiedis   Composer
Mr. Woody   Producer
DJ Pooh   Producer
Andre Weston   Composer
Sylvester Stewart   Composer
Chris Jasper   Composer
Garry Shider   Composer
DJ Muggs   Composer,Producer
Allen Toussaint   Composer
Hank Shocklee   Composer
Torcha Chamba   Producer
Stanley Jones   Composer
Carlton Ridenhour   Composer
Andrew Noland   Composer
Anna Goodman   Composer
Gregory Webster   Composer
Clifton Chase   Composer
Lawrence Muggerud   Composer
Derek Lynch   Composer
Janice Marie Johnson   Composer
Perry L. Kibble   Composer
Edward Fletcher   Composer
O'Shea Jackson   Composer
Marshall Jones   Composer
Gary Rinaldo   Composer
Leroy Bonner   Composer
Christopher Charity   Composer
David Lynch   Composer
Willie Hines   Composer
Anthony Holmes   Composer
Brian May   Composer
Sir Jinx   Composer,Producer
Sylvia Robinson   Composer
Bernie Worrell   Composer
Keith Shocklee   Composer
Bobcat   Producer
Ice Cube   Composer,Producer
Bootsy Collins   Composer
Duke Jordan   Composer
Donald Fagen   Composer
Don Jaguar   Composer
Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins   Composer
Ernie Isley   Composer
Walter Becker   Composer
Johnny "Guitar" Watson   Composer
Ronald Isley   Composer
Junie Morrison   Composer
Rashad   Producer
Roy Hammond   Composer
Rudolph Isley   Composer
Marvin Isley   Composer
Ralph Middlebrook   Composer