The following is the lyrics to Ice Cube's song "We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up." This album came off of his 1992 album, The Predator, which was released on November 17, within months from the Los Angeles riots. It contains songs that direct tensions within the context of the uprising such as "Who Got the Camera?"
This song, in particular, is directed at the LAPD officers acquitted for the beating of Rodney King. It begins with a sample of Benjamin West, a former mayor of Nashville, TN, who was one of the first to speak out against segregation and sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in 1961. This glimmer of hope is then interrupted by the voice of Tom Brokaw, announcing the acquittal of the four LAPD officers at the Rodney King Trial. This is followed by news reports during the riots, noting the violence around the city. After this intro, the first verse jumps straight into descriptions of violence and anger aimed directly at each individual officer acquitted. He dedicates parts of his verse to call each officer by name, stating specific things they've done to King and there whereabouts after the trial. He talks about how he predicted this uprising from different tensions before the riots happened on his previous album and no one listened. He talks about how violence should be directed at the white corporations, not black-owned business. He directs some of his anger towards Darryl Gates, with a shotgun threat.
This album is important in showing the complexity in tension and emotion going through the black community at the time of the riots. This song, in particular, shows specifically, the initial outrage and anger demonstrated by the black community at the aftermath of the trial.
-Jose Domingo
("Peace, quiet and good order will be maintained in our city
To the best of our ability. Riots, melees and disturbances
Of the peace are against the interests of all our people; and
Therefore cannot be permitted.")
("The jury found that they were all not guilty, not guilty...")
("We've been told that all along Crenshaw Boulevard, that there's a series of fires. A lot of looting is going on. A disaster area, obviously.")
("The jury found that they were all not guilty, not guilty...")
[Cube] Make it rough
("A lot of activity continues here at this command post.")
[Cube] Make it rough!!
("We have sporadic fires, throughout the city of Los Angeles.")
[Verse 1]
Not guilty, the filthy, devils tried to kill me
When the news get to the hood the niggas will be
Hotter than cayenne pepper, cuss, bust
Kickin up dust is a must
I can't trust, a cracker in a blue uniform
Stick a nigga like a unicorn
Born, wicked, Laurence, Powell, foul
Cut his fuckin throat and I smile
Go to Simi Valley and surely
Somebody knows the address of the jury
Pay a little visit, "Who is it?" (Ohh it's Ice Cube)
"Can I talk to the grand wizard," then boom!!
Make him eat the barrel, modern day feral
Now he's zipped up like Leather Tuscadero
Pretty soon we'll catch Sergeant Koon
Shoot him in the face, run up in him with a broom-
-stick, prick, devils ain't shit
Introduce his ass to the AK-40 dick
Two days niggas layed in the cut
To get some respect we had to tear this muthafucka up
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
[Cube] Make it rough
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
[Verse 2]
I gotta mac-10 for Officer Wind
Damn his devil ass need to be shipped back to Kansas
In a casket, crew cut faggot
Now he ain't nothin but food for the maggots
Lunch, punch, Hawaiin, lyin
Niggas ain't buyin, ya story, bore me
Tearin up shit with fire, shooters, looters
Now I got a laptop computer
I told you it would happened and you heard it, read it
But all you can call me was anti-semitic
Regret it? Nope, said it? Yep
Listen to my big black boots as I step
Niggas had to break you off somethin, give Bush a push
But your National Guard ain't hard
You had to get Rodney to stop me, cause you know what?
We woulda to' this muthafucka up
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
[Cube] Make it rough
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
[Cube] Ay Muggs, make it rough!
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
[Verse 3]
It's on, "Gone With the Wind"
And I know white men can't dunk, now I'm stealin blunts
And a cake from Betty Crocker, Orville Reddenbacher
Don't fuck with the black-owned stores but hit the Foot Lockers
Steal, motherfuck Fire Marshall Bill
Oh what the hell, throw the cocktail, I smell smoke
Got the fuck out, Ice Cube lucked out
My nigga had his truck out, didn't get stuck out
In front of that store with the Nikes and Adidas
Oh Jesus, Western Surplus got the heaters
Meet us, so we can get the 9's and the what-nots
Got the Mossberg with the double-eyed buckshot
Ready for Darryl, and like Baretta would say
Keep your eye on the barrel, a sparrow
"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time"
But I'm rollin, so that's a fucked-up slogan
The Hogan's, Heroes, spotted the guerilla
By the Sizzler, hittin up police killer
The super-duper nigga that'll buck
We had to tear this muthafucka up, so what the fuck!?!
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
[Cube] Huh, make it rough!
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
[Cube] Yo Muggs, make it rough
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
[Cube] Huh, make it rough
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
[Cube] Enough!
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
{"Wroooooooooong nigga to FUCK WITH!"}
("Not guilty verdicts for Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy
Wind, and Theodore Briseno. The four officers accused of beating
Motorist Rodney King.")
-Jose Domingo
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