Death Certificate

The album drew intense criticism for tracks like 'No Vaseline,' which contained antisemitic lyrics aimed at his former N.W.A manager Jerry Heller, and 'Black Korea,' which was viewed as racially inflammatory toward Korean store owners. Several retailers refused to carry the album, and it was condemned by organizations including the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Yes, 'No Vaseline' is one of the most famous diss tracks in hip-hop history, targeting Ice Cube's former N.W.A groupmates, especially Eazy-E and their manager Jerry Heller. It was Cube's response to shots N.W.A had taken at him on their '100 Miles and Runnin'' EP and the album 'Efil4zaggin.'

'Death Certificate' was Ice Cube's second solo album, following his 1990 debut 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted,' which was largely produced by Public Enemy's Bomb Squad. His next album was 1992's 'The Predator,' which became his highest-charting release.

The album is divided into two halves labeled 'The Death Side' and 'The Life Side,' with Ice Cube describing the Death Side as a 'statement of what's happening now' and the Life Side as 'a vision of where we need to go.' This conceptual framework was unusual for a hip-hop album in 1991.