IT Was A Good Day - Music and Reception

Music and Reception

This is perhaps Ice Cube's most well-known song and his most successful. The song's music video and the lyrics itself tell the story of how Ice Cube has a good day in South Central Los Angeles. Throughout the song he enjoys playing basketball, having sex, smoking marijuana (significantly, the song is 4:20 in length), getting drunk, going to his friend Short Dog's house to watch Yo! MTV Raps and later win at Craps and Bones, eating fast food at 2 am, and cruising the streets of South Central undisturbed. He even sees the lights on the Goodyear blimp, which Ice Cube says reads "Ice Cube's a Pimp". The song samples multiple songs, including the Isley Brothers' "Footsteps in the Dark" and "Come on Sexy Mama" by The Moments.

The song received generally very positive reviews from critics. Blender magazine writer, Michael Odel, stated it contained a "chilled-out, feel-good vibe" Allmusic's Jason Birchmeier noted that even though it was The Predator's "most laid-back moment, emits a quiet sense of violent anxiety." and went on to say "It's a truly beautiful moment, a career highlight for sure" Entertainment Weekly mention that he rapped over a "partly melancholy, partly swaggering beat glories in good luck, South Central style". Vibe magazine described DJ Pooh's beat as a "smoothed-out production". It reached number 77 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's. It was included in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs, at number 81. In 2008, it was ranked number 8 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.