Verified archive entry

We Had To Tear This Mothafucka Up

By Ice Cube · Targeting Los Angeles Police Department

We Had To Tear This Mothafucka Up is a diss track by Ice Cube targeting Los Angeles Police Department. Ice Cube directs the song's anger at the Los Angeles police and justice system after the officers charged in Rodney King's beating were acquitted in 1992.

Released1992

Annotated1

ExplicitYes

Addressable transcript

Lyrics & breakdown

Demo lines only. Select a line number to copy a stable deep link.

01
[Intro: Ice Cube & Sample]
02
"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."
03
("The jury found that they were all not guilty, not guilty...")
04
"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."
05
("The jury found that they were all not guilty, not guilty...")
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Make it rough!
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("A lot of activity continues here at this command post.")
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[Cube] Make it rough!
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("We have sporadic fires, throughout the city of Los Angeles.")
10
[Verse 1: Ice Cube]
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Not guilty, the filthy, devils tried to kill me
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When the news get to the hood the niggas will be
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Hotter than cayenne pepper, cuss, bust
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Kickin up dust is a must
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I can't trust, a cracker in a blue uniform
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Stick a nigga like a unicorn
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Born, wicked, Laurence Powell, foul
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Cut his fuckin throat and I smile
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Go to Simi Valley and surely
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Somebody knows the address of the jury
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Pay a little visit, "Who is it?" (Ohh it's Ice Cube)
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"Can I talk to the grand wizard," then boom!!
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Make him eat the barrel, modern day feral
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Now he's zipped up like Leather Tuscadero
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Pretty soon we'll catch Sergeant Koon
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Shoot him in the face, run up in him with a broom-
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-stick, prick, devils ain't shit
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Introduce his ass to the AK-40 dick
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Two days niggas layed in the cut
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To get some respect, we had to tear this muthafucka up!
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[Hook: Ice Cube & Sample]
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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Make it rough!
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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[Verse 2: Ice Cube]
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I got a Mac-10 for Officer Wind
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Damn, his devil ass need to be shipped back to Kansas
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In a casket, crew cut faggot
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Now he ain't nothing but food for the maggots
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Lunch, punch, Hawaiian, lying
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Niggas ain't buying, ya story, bore me
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Tearing shit up with fire, shooters, looters
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Now I got a laptop computer
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I told you it would happen, and you heard it, read it
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But all you can call me was anti-Semitic
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Regret it? Nope, said it? Yep
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Listen to my big black boots as I step
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Niggas had to break you off something, give Bush a push
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But your National Guard ain't hard
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You had to get Rodney to stop me, 'cause you know what?
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We woulda to' this muthafucka up!
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[Hook: Ice Cube & Sample]
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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Make it rough!
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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Ayy Muggs, make it rough!
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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[Verse 3: Ice Cube]
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It's on, "Gone With the Wind"
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And I know white men can't dunk
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Now I'm stealing blunts and a cake from Betty Crocker
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Orville Reddenbacher
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Don't fuck with the black-owned stores
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But hit the Foot Lockers
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Steal, motherfuck Fire Marshall Bill
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Oh, what the hell? Throw the cocktail, I smell smoke
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Got the fuck out, Ice Cube lucked out
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My nigga had his truck out, didn't get stuck out
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In front of that store with the Nikes and Adidas
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Oh Jesus, Western Surplus got the heaters
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Meet us, so we can get the 9's and the what-nots
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Got the Mossberg with the double-eyed buckshot
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Ready for Daryl, and like Baretta would say
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Keep your eye on the barrel, a sparrow
76
"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time"
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But I'm rolling, so that's a fucked-up slogan
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The Hogan's, Heroes, spotted the guerilla by the Sizzler
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Hitting up police killer
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The super-duper nigga that'll buck
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We had to tear this muthafucka up, so what the fuck?!
82
[Hook: Ice Cube & Sample]
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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Huh, make it rough!
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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Yo Muggs, make it rough
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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Huh, make it rough
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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Enough!
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
92
"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
94
"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
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"Wrong nigga to fuck with!"
98
[Outro: Sample]
Multi-line diss block
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"Not guilty verdicts for Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy
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Wind and Theodore Briseno: the four officers accused of beating
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Motorist Rodney King."
Block noteMakes the confrontation explicit
TargetLos Angeles Police Department
MeaningWhat it means: In “Wind and Theodore Briseno: the four officers accused of beating,” Ice Cube addresses Los Angeles Police Department directly and makes the situation described in the quoted line the point of confrontation. Why it was said: Ice Cube directs the song's anger at the Los Angeles police and justice system after the officers charged in Rodney King's beating were acquitted in 1992. Naming or plainly addressing Los Angeles Police Department removes the safety of a subliminal and makes the quoted claim something the target can either answer or leave standing.
ContextIce Cube directs the song's anger at the Los Angeles police and justice system after the officers charged in Rodney King's beating were acquitted in 1992.