CULTURE CLASSICS – Ice Cube “It Was A Good Day”

#RunTheCulture

On this edition of #CultureClassics we proudly present to you a laid back summertime jam with a gangsta twist, “It Was A Good Day” from legendary West Coast MC, Ice Cube.

“It Was a Good Day” dropped in February of 1993 as the second single from his third solo album, The Predator. The song (and it’s classic music video) tell the story of Cube well…having a good day in South Central Los Angeles. The day includes playing basketball and watching Yo! MTV Raps with the homies, having a long awaited rendezvous with a lady friend, enjoying a Fatburger in the early morning and cruising the streets of South Central undisturbed. He even sees the lights on the Goodyear blimp, which he says reads “Ice Cube’s a Pimp”.

“The inspiration was my life at the time … I was at the top of the rap game. It was the summer of ’92 and I was in a hotel room, really in a state of euphoria. I had all the money I had dreamed of. I was in a good frame of mind. And I remember thinking, ‘Okay, there’s been the riots, people know I will deal with that. That’s a given. But I rap all this gangsta stuff—what about all the good days I had?”

The song peaked at #15 in the Billboard Hot 100, and is Ice Cube’s highest-charting single on the chart of his career. The song samples multiple songs, including the Isley Brothers’ “Footsteps in the Dark” and “Sexy Mama” by The Moments. It was produced by long time Cube collaborator and future co-creator of the Friday movie franchise, DJ Pooh. The remix (also a classic) samples “Let’s Do It Again” by The Staple Singers.

Considered by many to be the quintessential Ice Cube song, “It Was A Good Day” showed both a different side of this talented creator for The Culture and the City of Angeles. And this jam is a must for any BBQ or relaxed ride through your hood.

#FunFact: Ice Cube actually created two wedding remixes of the song. One with Jason Derulo in 2011 and the second with Bruno Mars in 2014.