Wicked (Ice Cube song)

Last updated
"Wicked"
WickedIceCube.jpg
Single by Ice Cube featuring Don Jagwarr
from the album The Predator
ReleasedNovember 3, 1992 (1992-11-03)
Recorded1992
Studio Echo Sound (Glendale, CA)
Genre Hip-hop
Label Priority
Songwriters
Producers
Ice Cube featuring Don Jagwarr singles chronology
"True to the Game"
(1992)		"Wicked"
(1992)		"It Was a Good Day"
(1993)
Music video
"Wicked" on YouTube

"Wicked" is a song written and performed by American rappers Ice Cube and Don Jagwarr. It was released on October 16, 1992, via Priority Records as the lead single from the former's third solo studio album The Predator . [1] [2] Recorded at Echo Sound in Glendale, it was produced by Torcha Chamba and Ice Cube himself, who utilized samples from the Ohio Players' "Funky Worm", Public Enemy's "Welcome to the Terrordome" and "Can't Truss It", and Das EFX's "Looseys".

Contents

The song marks Ice Cube's first single to enter the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 55. On March 23, 1993, the single went certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 copies in the US alone.

An accompanying music video was directed by Marcus Raboy starring Anthony Kiedis and Michael "Flea" Balzary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. [3]

Cover versions

In 1996, the song was covered by Calla Destra for the electro-industrial various artists compilation Operation Beatbox . [4]

Limp Bizkit has also covered the song in concert, [5] while KoЯn have performed this song live on several occasions with Deftones frontman Chino Moreno, Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst and Ice Cube himself (along with "Children of the Korn").

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Wicked" (Radio)
 
2."Wicked" (Instrumental)Jackson
  • Torcha Chamba
  • Ice Cube
 
3."U Ain't Gonna Take My Life" (LP Version)JacksonMr. Woody 
4."U Ain't Gonna Take My Life" (Instrumental)JacksonMr. Woody 
5."Wicked" (LP Version)
  • Jackson
  • Earle
  • Torcha Chamba
  • Ice Cube
 

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1992–93)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [6] 62
US Billboard Hot 100 [7] 55
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [8] 31
US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay ( Billboard ) [9] 71
US Hot Rap Songs ( Billboard ) [10] 1

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [11] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Korn version

"Wicked"
Song by Korn featuring Chino Moreno
from the album Life Is Peachy
ReleasedOctober 15, 1996
Recorded1996
Studio Indigo Ranch (Malibu, California)
Genre
Length4:00
Label Immortal · Epic
Songwriter O'Shea Jackson

American nu metal band Korn recorded a cover of "Wicked" for their second album Life Is Peachy , featuring guest vocals by Chino Moreno of Deftones. Sources describe the recording as part of the 1990s rap-metal and nu-metal crossover movement. [12] [13]

The cover drew attention as one of the more notable tracks on Life Is Peachy and led to Korn's first proper collaboration with Ice Cube on "Children of the Korn", which came before his appearance on the band's 1998 Family Values Tour. [13]

Critical reception

In a 2025 Revolver article, Gregory Adams described the interplay between frontman Jonathan Davis and Moreno on "Wicked" as raw, loose, and unusually intimate. [14] Kerrang! highlighted the chorus of "Wicked" as one of Davis's most unrestrained early scatting performances, reflecting his developing nu-metal vocal style. [15] The cover has been cited as an example of nu-metal's blending of hip-hop and heavy music influences. [16]

References

  1. ↑ Watrous, Peter (March 1, 1993). "Review/Pop; At Ice Cube Rap Concert Everyone Goes to a Party". The New York Times .
  2. ↑ "The 100 Best L.A. Rap Songs". Complex . June 21, 2012.
  3. ↑ "The Nigga You Love to Love: Ice Cube Reissued, Amerikka's Most Wanted to Lethal Injection". Morphizm.com. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  4. ↑ Christian, Chris (August 1996). "Various Artists: Operation Beatbox". Sonic Boom. 4 (7). Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Limp Bizkit Wicked". YouTube. 2007-01-06. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  6. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 5/9/1993 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Ice Cube Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Ice Cube Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Ice Cube Chart History (R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)". Billboard . Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Ice Cube Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  11. ↑ "American single certifications – Ice Cube – Wicked". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  12. ↑ S. He, Kristen (May 25, 2018). "The Biggest Day in Nu-Metal History". Billboard . Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  13. 1 2 Hill, Stephen (October 31, 2025). "How One Rap Legend Helped Bring Hip-Hop to the Nu-Metal Generation". LouderSound . Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  14. ↑ Adams, Gregory (May 14, 2025). "Fan Poll: Top 5 Chino Moreno Songs Outside of Deftones". Revolver . Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  15. ↑ Krovatin, Chris (January 18, 2021). "The 6 Best Jonathan Davis Scat Performances – Ranked". Kerrang! . Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  16. ↑ Lambert, Molly (October 20, 2016). "Vintage Korn: 'Life Is Peachy' At 20". MTV . Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
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