100 Miles and Runnin'
Encyclopedia
100 Miles and Runnin' is the title of an EP
by hip hop group N.W.A, released in 1990 on Ruthless Records.
Prior to recording the EP, all five of the group members had signed a long-term contract with the Ruthless Records label. However, member and lead vocalist Ice Cube
refused the contract's terms and consequently separated himself from the group.
" was the group's first track to gain radio airtime and appear on TV with its music video. Dr. Dre
, who had just finished working with The D.O.C.
and Above the Law, added atypical funky beats and the slow synth
groove on "Just Don't Bite It". A sadistic parody of the police on a skit featuring The D.O.C. from the group's 1-900 hotline introduces "Sa Prize, Pt. 2", a sequel to the controversial "Fuck tha Police
," originally from the Straight Outta Compton
album. MC Ren and The D.O.C. wrote the lyrics for Eazy-E and Dr. Dre.
100 Miles and Runnin' was the first N.W.A album after Ice Cube had left the group in December 1989, and the group makes numerous sardonic references to its former member. On the title track, Dre states:
"It started with five but yo, one couldn't take it / So now there's four 'cause the fifth couldn't make it".
Therefore dismissing Ice Cube as a coward, and on the song "Real Niggaz" MC Ren states "Only reason niggaz pick up your record is cause they thought it was us", referring to the success of Ice Cube's first solo album AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted which had been released earlier that year. Ice Cube would respond to these attacks on his 1991 album Death Certificate
.
Three songs from this EP, "100 Miles and Runnin'", "Just Don't Bite It", and "Real Niggaz", were later released on N.W.A's Greatest Hits
. "Real Niggaz" would also appear on N.W.A's final studio album, Efil4zaggin
, a year later; the 2003 remastered edition of the album would append the rest of the EP to the track listing. The name of the follow-up album Niggaz4life is announced as a backward message
in the final track "Kamurshol" (i.e., "commercial"); the album title would, in fact, appear written back-to-front on the album cover.
"100 Miles and Runnin'" is also notable for being producer Dr. Dre's final uptempo recording, as well as the only appearance of his revised, more aggressive rapping style, a change allegedly made to fill the void left by Ice Cube.
on November 16, 1990 before reaching platinum certification on September 16, 1992 for over 1 million copies sold.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by hip hop group N.W.A, released in 1990 on Ruthless Records.
Prior to recording the EP, all five of the group members had signed a long-term contract with the Ruthless Records label. However, member and lead vocalist Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
refused the contract's terms and consequently separated himself from the group.
Background
The title track "100 Miles and Runnin'100 Miles and Runnin' (song)
"100 Miles and Runnin" was a single by N.W.A from their 1990 EP of the same name. The song also appeared on the N.W.A's Greatest Hits and The Best of N.W.A. - The Strength of Street Knowledge compilation.-Background:...
" was the group's first track to gain radio airtime and appear on TV with its music video. Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
, who had just finished working with The D.O.C.
The D.O.C.
Tracy Lynn Curry , primarily known by his stage name The D.O.C., is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. In addition to a solo career, he was a member of the hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and a creative force behind the gangsta rap group N.W.A, where he co-wrote many of their releases. He has...
and Above the Law, added atypical funky beats and the slow synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
groove on "Just Don't Bite It". A sadistic parody of the police on a skit featuring The D.O.C. from the group's 1-900 hotline introduces "Sa Prize, Pt. 2", a sequel to the controversial "Fuck tha Police
Fuck tha Police
"Fuck tha Police" is a protest song by the gangsta rap group N.W.A that appears on the album Straight Outta Compton. Despite not being a single, it ranked #425 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....
," originally from the Straight Outta Compton
Straight Outta Compton
The lyrics on the album were mainly written by Ice Cube and MC Ren. Critics of the album expressed their view that the record glamorized Black-on-Black crime, but the emcees stated that the group was simply showing the reality of living in the areas of Compton, California, and South Central Los...
album. MC Ren and The D.O.C. wrote the lyrics for Eazy-E and Dr. Dre.
100 Miles and Runnin
"It started with five but yo, one couldn't take it / So now there's four 'cause the fifth couldn't make it".
Therefore dismissing Ice Cube as a coward, and on the song "Real Niggaz" MC Ren states "Only reason niggaz pick up your record is cause they thought it was us", referring to the success of Ice Cube's first solo album AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted which had been released earlier that year. Ice Cube would respond to these attacks on his 1991 album Death Certificate
Death Certificate (album)
Death Certificate is the second studio album by American rapper Ice Cube, released October 29, 1991 on Priority Records. Highly anticipated with over one million advanced orders, the album was certified platinum in sales on December 20, 1991...
.
Three songs from this EP, "100 Miles and Runnin'", "Just Don't Bite It", and "Real Niggaz", were later released on N.W.A's Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (N.W.A)
N.W.A's Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album originally released on July 2, 1996. The re-released version contains two bonus tracks by the reunited group. The track "Chin Check" was recorded by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren and Snoop Dogg under the N.W.A name for the soundtrack of Next Friday...
. "Real Niggaz" would also appear on N.W.A's final studio album, Efil4zaggin
Efil4zaggin
- Samples :Prelude* "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" by Isaac HayesReal Niggaz Don't Die* "UFO" by ESG* "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson* "Die Nigger!!!" by The Last Poets* "Rise Above" by Black Flag* "Long Red" by Mountain...
, a year later; the 2003 remastered edition of the album would append the rest of the EP to the track listing. The name of the follow-up album Niggaz4life is announced as a backward message
Backmasking
Backmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
in the final track "Kamurshol" (i.e., "commercial"); the album title would, in fact, appear written back-to-front on the album cover.
"100 Miles and Runnin'" is also notable for being producer Dr. Dre's final uptempo recording, as well as the only appearance of his revised, more aggressive rapping style, a change allegedly made to fill the void left by Ice Cube.
Reception
Although the album was released as an EP, it nevertheless hit the charts and sold over 500,000 copies, reaching gold statusRIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
on November 16, 1990 before reaching platinum certification on September 16, 1992 for over 1 million copies sold.
Charts
| Chart (1990) |
Chart position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
#27 |
| R&B Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
#10 |
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart | ||
| 1990 | "100 Miles and Runnin' 100 Miles and Runnin' (song) "100 Miles and Runnin" was a single by N.W.A from their 1990 EP of the same name. The song also appeared on the N.W.A's Greatest Hits and The Best of N.W.A. - The Strength of Street Knowledge compilation.-Background:... " |
- | #51 |
Track listing
- "100 Miles and Runnin'100 Miles and Runnin'100 Miles and Runnin' is the title of an EP by hip hop group N.W.A, released in 1990 on Ruthless Records.Prior to recording the EP, all five of the group members had signed a long-term contract with the Ruthless Records label...
" – 4:32 writers The D.O.C, MC RenMC RenLorenzo Jerald Patterson , better known by his stage name MC Ren, is a rapper who formed part of the group N.W.A. His moniker is derived from his first name .-Early life:... - "Just Don't Bite It" – 5:28 writers MC RenMC RenLorenzo Jerald Patterson , better known by his stage name MC Ren, is a rapper who formed part of the group N.W.A. His moniker is derived from his first name .-Early life:...
- "Sa Prize, Pt. 2" – 5:58 writers The D.O.C, Eazy-EEazy-EEric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
, MC RenMC RenLorenzo Jerald Patterson , better known by his stage name MC Ren, is a rapper who formed part of the group N.W.A. His moniker is derived from his first name .-Early life:... - "Real Niggaz" – 5:25 writers The D.O.C, MC RenMC RenLorenzo Jerald Patterson , better known by his stage name MC Ren, is a rapper who formed part of the group N.W.A. His moniker is derived from his first name .-Early life:...
- "Kamurshol" – 1:55
Personnel
- Eazy-E – Executive Producer
- Dr. Dre – Producer
- Brian Kilgore – Tambourine
- Mike Sims – Bass, Guitar
- Donovan Sound – Engineer
- Yella – Producer/DJ
- Steve Huston – Artwork
- Kevin Hosmann – Art Direction
- David Provost – Photography
Later Samples
- "100 Miles and Runnin"
- "Open Fire" by 2Pac from the album R U Still Down? (Remember Me)R U Still Down? (Remember Me)R U Still Down? is the second posthumous album by 2Pac, released in 1997. Although it is the second album release after his death, it is the first to be finished without the creative input of 2Pac...
- "Open Fire" by 2Pac from the album R U Still Down? (Remember Me)