''Kill at Will'' (titled ''At Will'' in its censored version) is an

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

by American rapper

Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...

, released on December 19, 1990, via

Priority Records Priority Records is an American distribution company and record label known for artists including N.W.A, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, Master P, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Silkk the Shocker, Jay-Z, Paris, Mack 10, 504 Boyz, Brotha Lynch Hung, ...

. It was released soon after ''

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted ''AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Ice Cube, released on May 16, 1990, by Priority Records. It was his first solo album, after an acrimonious split from his former group N.W.A. Primarily produced by Public ...

'' and capitalized on Cube's newfound solo success.

Critical reception

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' praised "the lighthearted 'Jackin’ for Beats' (which bites EPMD, PE, Digital Underground, LL Cool J and others) and the devastating 'Dead Homiez', in which ubesolemnly contemplates the murder of a friend over an evocative mix of horn, guitar and piano."

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

stated: "I don't want to claim the criticism is getting to him--still talking tough on this interim EP, he remixes 'Get Off My Dick and Tell Your Bitch To Come Here.' But he's keeping his woman problem to himself and putting the gangsta shit in perspective: 'The Product' tells a young black con's story from his pops's nut, 'Dead Homiez' cops to a sadness a lesser outlaw might consider unmanly. With Sir Jinx running the board, the beats never work up to carpet-bomb density. And if Ice Cube keeps rhyming like this, you won't care."

Track listing

Partial list of samples

"Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) (Remix)" * "

The Payback ''The Payback'' is the 37th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in December 1973, by Polydor Records. It was originally scheduled to become the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film ''Hell Up in Harlem'', but ...

" by

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

* "

Funky Drummer "Funky Drummer" is a song by James Brown recorded in 1969 and released as a single in 1970. Its drum break, Musical improvisation, improvised by Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampling (music), sampled music recordings. Recor ...

" by

* "Standin' on the Verge of Gettin' It On" by

Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. As one of the two flagship groups of George Clinton's P-Funk collective, they helped pioneer the funk music culture of the 1970s.John, ...

* "

Bop Gun (Endangered Species) "Bop Gun (Endangered Species)" is a song by the funk band Parliament, the lead track on their 1977 album '' Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome''. It was released as the album's first single. The song's lead vocal is performed by Glenn Goins, h ...

" by

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

* "

Straight Outta Compton ''Straight Outta Compton'' is the debut studio album by American hip-hop group N.W.A, released on January 25, 1989, through Priority Records, Priority and Ruthless Records. It was Record producer, produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, a ...

(Extended Mix)" by

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...

* "

Bring the Noise "Bring the Noise" is a song by the American hip hop group Public Enemy. It was included on the soundtrack of the 1987 film '' Less than Zero;'' the song was also released as a single that year. It later became the first song on the group's 198 ...

" by

Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...

"The Product" * "Good Times" by

Kool and the Gang Kool may refer to: People * Kool (surname), surname of Dutch origin * Robert "Kool" Bell (born 1950), American bassist and founder of Kool and the Gang * Roger Kool (1954–2005), Singaporean DJ (Roger Kiew) * Kool DJ Herc (born 1955), Jamaica ...

* "Rated X" by

* "

Jungle Boogie "Jungle Boogie" is a funk record by Kool & the Gang from their 1973 album '' Wild and Peaceful''. It reached number four as a single, and became very popular in nightclubs. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the number 12 single for 1974, despite as many ...

" by

* "

You Can Make It If You Try "You Can Make It If You Try" is a song written by Ted Jarrett and recorded by Gene Allison in 1957. In 1958, Allison's recording peaked at No. 3 on the U.S. R&B singles chart, and at No. 36 or at No. 37 (sources differ) on the U.S. pop singl ...

" by

Sly & the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1966 and active until 1983. Their work, which blended elements of funk, soul, psychedelic rock, gospel, and R&B, became a pivotal influence on subsequent Amer ...

* "Train Sequence", narrated by

Geoffrey Sumner Geoffrey Sumner (20 November 1908 – 29 September 1989) was a British actor. As well as appearing in a number of films, he was also a commentator for British Movietone News., His parents were Edmund and Kathleen Marion (Brook). He married Gwen ...

* "Funky Drummer" by

* "The Nigga Ya Love to Hate" by Ice Cube * "Illegal Search" by

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...

"I Gotta Say What Up!!!" * "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" by

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...

* "

Synthetic Substitution "Synthetic Substitution" is a 1973 song by Melvin Bliss. Originally starting life as a throwaway B-side, with "Reward" as the A-Side, the song failed to chart anywhere on its initial release because of the collapse of Opal Productions, the parent c ...

" by

Melvin Bliss Melvin McClelland (June 1, 1945-July 26, 2010) was a rhythm and blues singer known for his 1973 song " Reward/Synthetic Substitution", the B-side of which was heavily sampled

* "Who Stole the Soul?" by

"Dead Homiez" * "Rollin' wit the Lench Mob" by Ice Cube * "Do Like I Do" by

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...

"Jackin' for Beats" * "

It's a Man's Man's Man's World "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" is a song written by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome. Brown recorded it on February 16, 1966, in a New York City studio and released it as a single later that year. It reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' R&B c ...

" by

* "

" by

* "

Funky President Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the mi ...

" by

* "

" by

* " I Know You Got Soul" by

Bobby Byrd Bobby Howard Byrd (August 15, 1934 – September 12, 2007) was an American rhythm and blues, soul and funk singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, bandleader, and talent dedicated. He played a part in the development of soul and funk m ...

* "Hot Pants - I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming" by

* "

" by

* "

Sing a Simple Song "Sing a Simple Song" is a 1968 song by the soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone, the B-side to their #1 hit "Everyday People". The song is sung in turn by Sly Stone, Freddie Stone, Rose Stone, and Larry Graham, with shouted spoken word section ...

" by

* "

Big Ole Butt "Big Ole Butt" is the third single from LL Cool J's third album, '' Walking with a Panther''. It was released in 1989 by Def Jam Recordings and was produced by Dwayne Simon and LL Cool J. "Big Ole Butt" reached No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rap ...

" by

* "

So Wat Cha Sayin' "So Wat Cha Sayin'" is the first single released from, EPMD's second album, '' Unfinished Business''. Produced by EPMD with scratches provided by DJ Scratch, "So Wat Cha Sayin'" made it to three Billboard charts, peaking at #5 on the Hot Rap Singl ...

" by

EPMD EPMD is an American hip hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo's name is an initialism for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon ("E" a.k.a. E Double) and Parrish Smith ("PMD" a.k.a. Parrish Mi ...

* "Heed the Word of the Brother" by

X-Clan X Clan (formerly stylized as XCLAN and often incorrectly spelled X-Clan) is a hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York, originally consisting of Brother J, Professor X, Paradise and Sugar Shaft. The current incarnation of the group features Brother ...

* "They Call Me D-Nice" by

D-Nice Derrick T. Jones (born June 19, 1970), better known by his stage name D-Nice, is an American DJ, record producer, and rapper who began his career in the mid-1980s with the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions. He discovered Kid Rock in 1988, l ...

* "

Ashley's Roachclip "Ashley's Roachclip" is an instrumental by funk group the Soul Searchers from the 1974 album ''Salt of the Earth'' on Sussex Records. A portion of the track from 3:30 to 3:50 contains a widely recognized drum break performed by Kenneth Scoggins, t ...

" by

the Soul Searchers Charles Louis Brown (August 22, 1936 – May 16, 2012) was an American guitarist, bandleader, and singer known as " The Godfather of Go-Go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed around the Washington, D.C., area in the mid-1970s. While ...

* "Bon Bon Vie" by T.S. Monk * "

Tramp A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round. Etymology Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English '' ...

" by

Lowell Fulsom Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921March 7, 1999) was an American blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. He also recorded for contractual reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, he was the most im ...

* "Psychedelic Shack" by

the Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

* "Hector" by Village Callers * "The Big Beat" by

Billy Squier William Haislip Squier (, born May 12, 1950) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who had a string of arena rock and crossover hits in the early 1980s. His best-known songs include " The Stroke", " Lonely Is the Night", " My Kinda Love ...

* "The Haunted House", narrated by Laura Olsher * "Welcome to the Terrordome" by

* "

The Humpty Dance "The Humpty Dance" is a song by the American hip-hop group Digital Underground from their debut album ''Sex Packets''. Released as the second single from the album in January 1990, it reached No. 11 on the pop chart, No. 7 on the R&B chart, and N ...

" by

Digital Underground Digital Underground is an American alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California. Its lineup grows with each album and tour. Digital Underground's leader and mainstay was Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs (also known as Humpty Hump). Shock G forme ...

* "

Rebel Without a Pause "Rebel Without a Pause" is a song by hip hop group Public Enemy and the first single from their 1988 album, ''It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back''. The title is a reference to the 1955 film '' Rebel Without a Cause''. History "Rebel Wi ...

" by

* "

100 Miles and Runnin' ''100 Miles and Runnin'' is the only extended play by American hip-hop group N.W.A. Released on August 14, 1990, this EP of five tracks reflects an evolution of N.W.A's sound and centers on the single " 100 Miles and Runnin'.Jason Birchmeier"N. ...

" by

* "Buzzsaw" by

The Turtles The Turtles are an America, American Band (rock and pop), rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The band achieved several Top 40 hits throughout the latter half of the 1960s, including "It Ain't Me Babe" (1965), "You Baby (song), ...

Later samples

* "Dead Homiez" ** "Young Black Male" by

2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

from the album ''

2Pacalypse Now ''2Pacalypse Now'' is the debut solo studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on November 12, 1991, through TNT Recordings and Interscope Records, while EastWest Records America, a division of Atlantic distributed the album. The recor ...

'' * "The Product" ** "Young Black Male" by

from the album ''

Album singles

" Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)" * Released: 1990 * B-side: "Dead Homiez"

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kill At Will 1990 EPs Ice Cube albums Priority Records EPs Albums produced by Ice Cube