Natural Born Killaz
Encyclopedia
"Natural Born Killaz" is a single from the reunited duo of Dr. Dre
and Ice Cube
originally intended for the scrapped album 'Heltah Skeltah'. It is the first time the two had been on a single together since their rap group N.W.A had split up. The single was released in 1994 in the US and 1995 in the UK. The production credits features Soopafly
on the keyboards and Jewell
on the vocals. The intro (approx. 30 seconds addition to the original length) portrays a couple walking down the street in a bad neigborhood, until, from a distance, they are yelled at and verbally insulted by a local thug. Though the intro is different in the video and audio versions both of them involve murder and end with the sound of a gunshot. The final shot of the video features a cameo from rapper and actor Tupac Shakur
, prior to his association with Death Row Records
, who poses as a SWAT team sniper who takes out Ice Cube's character. Although the song and video were highly popular, and debuted a short time after release of the Oliver Stone
film Natural Born Killers
, the song did not appear in the film or its soundtrack. It did, however, appear in the 2011 film Bridesmaids
starring Kristen Wiig
.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
tag team
, The Gangstas
–and, after they split, the solo New Jack
–used this song for entrance music
. Uniquely the song nearly always played, on repeat, for the duration of their matches.
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...
and 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,...
originally intended for the scrapped album 'Heltah Skeltah'. It is the first time the two had been on a single together since their rap group N.W.A had split up. The single was released in 1994 in the US and 1995 in the UK. The production credits features Soopafly
Soopafly
Priest Joseph Brooks, better known by his stage name Soopafly, is a hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the DPGC.- Early life:The oldest of three children, Brooks grew up in Long Beach...
on the keyboards and Jewell
Jewell (singer)
Jewell is a female R&B singer who was signed to Death Row Records from 1992-1996. She was working part-time - though still unsigned - for IV Life Records. She had a video and charting hit "Woman to Woman", that reached 72nd on the Billboard Hot 100...
on the vocals. The intro (approx. 30 seconds addition to the original length) portrays a couple walking down the street in a bad neigborhood, until, from a distance, they are yelled at and verbally insulted by a local thug. Though the intro is different in the video and audio versions both of them involve murder and end with the sound of a gunshot. The final shot of the video features a cameo from rapper and actor Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, prior to his association with Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
, who poses as a SWAT team sniper who takes out Ice Cube's character. Although the song and video were highly popular, and debuted a short time after release of the Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
film Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers is a 1994 crime/black comedy film directed by Oliver Stone about two victims of traumatic childhoods who became lovers and psychopathic serial killers, and are irresponsibly glorified by the mass media...
, the song did not appear in the film or its soundtrack. It did, however, appear in the 2011 film Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids (2011 film)
Bridesmaids is a 2011 American romantic comedy film written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, and Clayton Townsend. The plot centers on Annie ....
starring Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
, The Gangstas
The Gangstas
The Gangstas was a professional wrestling tag team and stable, most notably consisting of New Jack and Mustafa Saed in Extreme Championship Wrestling...
–and, after they split, the solo New Jack
New Jack
Jerome Young is an American professional wrestler, better known by his stage name New Jack in ECW.He is known for his willingness to take dangerous bumps and his stiff hardcore wrestling style, often taking high risks and "shooting" on opponents, though he is only known to shoot on opponents who...
–used this song for entrance music
Music in professional wrestling
Music in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
. Uniquely the song nearly always played, on repeat, for the duration of their matches.
UK Version EP
- Ice Cube and Dr. Dre - Natural Born Killaz (Radio Edit) (4:16)
- Ice Cube and Dr. Dre - Natural Born Killaz (Video Edit) (6:33)
- Ice Cube and Dr. Dre - Natural Born Killaz (LP Version) (4:52)
- Tha Dogg Pound - What Would You DoWhat Would You Do (Tha Dogg Pound song)"What Would You Do" is the debut single from Death Row Records duo Tha Dogg Pound, released in 1994 as the B-side to the Dr. Dre and Sam Sneed single "U Better Recognize", along with DJ Quik's "Dollaz + Sense." It had appeared on the soundtrack to Murder Was the Case the year before, alongside...
? (LP Version) (5:09)
US Version EP
- Dr. Dre & Ice Cube - Natural Born Killaz (Radio Version) (4:15)
- Dr. Dre & Ice Cube - Natural Born Killaz (LP Version) (4:50)
- Sam Sneed feat. Dr. Dre - U Better Recognize (LP Version) (3:55); #16 Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart, #18 Hot Rap Singles chart.
Albums with the song
- Murder Was The Case soundtrack, by Snoop DoggSnoop DoggCalvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
and friends - Featuring...Ice Cube, by Ice Cube
- The N.W.A. Legacy, Vol. 1: 1988-1999 , compilation
- Chronicle: Best of the WorkChronicle: Best of the WorkThe Chronicle: Best of the Works is a Dr. Dre greatest hits album released by Death Row UK/Ron Winters Productions, the UK branch of Death Row Records, on May 26, 2002. It contains most of Dre's hit singles from that era as well as those he produced for other artists on Death Row. A U.S. version...
, by Dr. Dre - Death Row Greatest HitsDeath Row Greatest HitsDeath Row Greatest Hits is a 33-track compilation released by Death Row Records, and contains singles by artists such as 2Pac, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. The CD also includes previously unreleased remix tracks. The album was re-released in 2001 and digitally re-mastered.-Track listing:Disc One#...
, compilation - 15 Years on Death Row15 Years on Death Row15 Years on Death Row is a double album compilation released in 2006 by CEO of Death Row Recordings, Suge Knight. The release features several notable Death Row artists such as Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Nate Dogg, Daz Dillinger, and The Lady Of Rage. A music video DVD is included.-Disc One:-Disc...
, compilation - In the MoviesIn the MoviesIn the Movies is a 2007 album by Ice Cube. It is a compilation of tracks that have appeared in movies from 1991 with Boyz n the Hood to 2005 with xXx: State of the Union. It was released on September 4, 2007 and in Australia on September 24, 2007. The album was confused for a studio album prior to...
by Ice Cube