For real. I was so unprepared for Cube’s foray into real emotional expression that I practically started bawling the first time I heard this from the Kill At Will e.p. Throughout the extended play and for most of the full-length, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, Cube barks, spits, and sounds like a complete menace.
But before Are We There Yet, the first glimpse that we had of Ice Cube’s real humanity was through this song. Besides, if you punch someone in the face enough times, you start thinking they are a bully. If you get a chance to ask “Why’d you punch me?” You may get a glimpse of what prompted the aggression.
“Dead Homiez” is a glimpse into a world that no one would want to be a part of, and an important cautionary tale for any white suburban kid who views life in South Central with a bit of romanticism. These were real people dying. For nothing. And “Dead Homiez” brings that loss in full view. From the “screams from his mother” to the symbolic “pour beer on the curb before we take a swig” to the angry “why’s that the only time black folks get to ride in a limo?” “Dead Homiez” encapsulates a bunch of emotions within four minutes.
I’ve hardened a bit since the time that Kill At Will was released, and a lot of that has to do with Ice Cube’s career path since then. I know that people have to eat and that Cube couldn’t survive by being hard all the time; he’s too bright for that. But lately, his career choices seem-how did the kids used to say it-“whack.” For example, did you know that you could check out Cube at the 10th annual Insane Clown Posse convention?
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