Lethal Injection (album)

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Lethal Injection
LethalInjectionCoverArt.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 7, 1993
Recorded1992–1993
Studio
  • Echo Sound
  • Skip Saylor Recordings
  • Westlake Studios
  • (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length56:21
Label
Producer
Ice Cube chronology
The Predator
(1992)
Lethal Injection
(1993)
War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc)
(1998)
Singles from Lethal Injection
  1. "Really Doe"
    Released: October 12, 1993
  2. "You Know How We Do It"
    Released: February 2, 1994
  3. "Bop Gun (One Nation)"
    Released: July 12, 1994
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic2/5 stars[1]
The Austin Chronicle3.5/5 stars[2]
Robert Christgau(dud)[5]
Entertainment WeeklyB[3]
Los Angeles Times3/4 stars[4]
Rolling Stone(unfavorable)[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide3.5/5 stars[7]
The Source3.5/5 stars[8]

Lethal Injection is the fourth studio album by American rapper Ice Cube. It was released on December 7, 1993, through Lench Mob Records and Priority Records. The production on the album was handled by QDIII, Madness 4 Real, Sir Jinx, Laylaw, D'Mag, and Ice Cube himself.

Lethal Injection was supported by two singles: "You Know How We Do It", and the Funkadelic-sampling "Bop Gun (One Nation)", which became a staple on MTV. The track "Down for Whatever" also gained popularity after featuring in the 1999 film Office Space. The album received generally positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success similar to the rapper's previous albums. The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 215,000 copies in its first week.[9]

Criticism[]

The album was heavily criticized for what many saw as Cube's pandering to gangsta rap, particularly its anti-police and misogynistic lyrics, as well as the toning down of socio-political content found on his earlier efforts. The album's standing has increased over time.

Commercial performance[]

Lethal Injection debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 215,000 copies in its first week.[10] This became Ice Cube's third US top-ten album.[10] The album also debuted at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[11] On February 1, 1994, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million copies in the United States.[12]

Track listing[]

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."The Shot (Intro)"Sir Jinx0:55
2."Really Doe"
  • Derrick McDowell
  • Laylaw
4:28
3."Ghetto Bird"QDIII3:50
4."You Know How We Do It"QDIII3:52
5."Cave Bitch"Brian G4:18
6."Bop Gun (One Nation)" (featuring George Clinton)
11:17
7."What Can I Do?"88 X Unit4:39
8."Lil Ass Gee"Sir Jinx4:04
9."Make It Ruff, Make It Smooth" (featuring K-Dee)QDIII4:23
10."Down for Whatever"Madness 4 Real4:40
11."Enemy"Madness 4 Real4:50
12."When I Get to Heaven"Brian G5:04
2003 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
13."What Can I Do? (Westside remix)" (featuring Mack 10)
  • D'Maq
  • Lay Law
4:27
14."What Can I Do? (Eastside remix)"Ali Shaheed Muhammad4:46
15."You Know How We Do It (remix)"Ice Cube4:23
16."Lil Ass Gee (Eerie Gumbo remix)"N.O. Joe5:21

Singles[]

"Really Doe"

  • Released: 1993
  • B-side: "My Skin Is My Sin"

"You Know How We Do It"

  • Released: February 1994
  • B-side: "2 'N The Morning"

"Bop Gun (One Nation)"

  • Released: August 1994
  • B-side: "Down For Whatever"

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[12] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also[]

  • List of number-one albums of 1993 (U.S.)

References[]

  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ The Austin Chronicle review
  3. ^ Entertainment Weekly review
  4. ^ Los Angeles review
  5. ^ Robert Christgau review
  6. ^ "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on March 28, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-22.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, p. 281, at Google Books
  8. ^ The Source review
  9. ^ Billboard 5 dec. 1998, p. RA1-PA128, at Google Books
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Billboard 5 dec. 1998, p. RA1-PA128, at Google Books
  11. ^ "TRBHH - 1993-12-25". Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b "American album certifications – Ice Cube – Lethal Injection". Recording Industry Association of America.
  13. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Ice Cube – Lethal Injection". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  14. ^ "Ice Cube Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  15. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ice Cube – Lethal Injection" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  16. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  17. ^ "Ice Cube Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  18. ^ "Ice Cube Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  19. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  20. ^ "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
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