One of the best efforts of the year, released a few months after the release of the debut album by Ice Cube, in order to capitalize on the hype: despite being an EP, it goes strong in the rankings reaching fifth place into hip hop chart and top records 40 in the pop chart, gold in 1991 and the following year is the first platinum EP certified by the RIAA.
Ice Cube rips this record consisting of two remixes, three fillers and two new classic tracks ("The Product", "Dead Homiez") with his usual tough gangsta bars, coloring them with a bit of socio-conscious and political. The remixes are tight and up to the originals, the fillers are acceptable — among others, there's the final cut, at the same time paying homage to the other rappers and dissing N.W.A — and the other two tracks are among the best of Cube: "The Product" is an autobiographical cut on a skinny, tight and heavy rhythm, regular, lean and pounding drum machine on which the rapper delivers powerfully, hardcore and fluently. "Dead Homiez" has a more accessible, somewhat frenetic, minimal, light, jazzy-funky rhythm: he delivers calm and smoothness, a dramatic socio-conscious track in which he faces the violence of the ghetto, which is easily one of his best songs of all time.
Solid EP gangsta hardcore produced by Cube himself, by Dr. Dre's cousin Sir Jinx (good job, even if not too close to the Bomb Squad) and by Chilly Chill and performed by the one who at the time is considered the best rapper alive: listening only to this product, you understand the motivations of whoever supports this thesis, is a good follow-up to his classic debut, but not a must-have (it's included in the 2003 deluxe version of "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted", if you have to take two birds with one stone, buy that). Recommended for gangsta fans. 9/10.
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