Album: Death Certificate (1991)

License This Song 

• Every time I wanna go get a fuckin' brew
  I gotta go down to the store with the two
  Oriental one penny countin' motherfuckers
  That make a nigga mad enough to cause a little ruckus
  Thinkin' every brother in the world's out to take
  So they watch every damn move that I make
  They hope I don't pull out a gat and try to rob
  They funky little store, but, bitch, I got a job
  "Look, you little Chinese motherfucker
  I ain't tryin' to steal none of yo' shit, leave me alone!"
  "Mother fuck you!"
  Yo, yo, check it out
  So don't follow me up and down your market
  Or your little chop suey ass'll be a target
  Of the nationwide boycott
  Juice with the people, that's what the boy got
  So pay respect to the black fist
  Or we'll burn your store right down to a crisp
  And then we'll see ya
  Cause you can't turn the ghetto into black Korea
  
  "Mother fuck you!" Writer/s: O'SHEA JACKSON
  Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 3

• Alexander from London, United KingdomIf you really want to understand why Korean shopkeepers and so many white people regard law-abiding black as potential muggers or worse I suggest you ask women why when they travel alone at night they regard all men as potential rapists. Or you might check out Chris Rock's "Black People v Ni--ers" routine.
  Re police brutality, you are WAY off-beam. Never heard of Liddle Towers? Check out the songfacts. Check out too the many videos on Youtube of white people, some elderly or under-age, being tasered, beaten up or simply abused by uniformed thugs? Or the black police officer who assaulted Nicola Fischer at the 2009 London protests. Police brutality is not and never has been about "racism", a disease that doesn't exist anyway, and I would refer you to my researches on this chimera to enlighten your darkness.
  A Baron
• Hugh from Liverpool, United KingdomOnce again Ice-Cube has recorded a racist song.
• Matthew from Atlanta, GaI have to diagree with Mr. Baron on many points. The riots following the Rodney King assailant trial were inevitable well before the cops' eventual acquittal. Police brutality was/is a fact of life in Los Angeles, and much of Ice Cube's body of work deals with that issue.
  "Black Korea" gives voice to the daily frustration that some blacks experienced in the 1990s when they spend what little money they have in poor neighborhoods in shops where the owners treat you like a criminal as soon as you walk in the door. When even law abiding black citizens are wary of the wrath of white cops and Asian disdain daily - it becomes even harder to avoid looking at life through a racial prism.
  As for the $75K contract... had Ice Cube accepted it, he would have had to forfeit any rights to the songs he performed or wrote with NWA. Jerry Heller, who wrote the contract, figured some teenagers from the hood would never turn down that kind of money. Of course, Ice Cube saw that situation through a racial prism as well that he discussed in "No Vaseline" on the same album.

More Songfacts:

BlackbirdThe Beatles

Paul McCartney wrote "Blackbird" in Scotland after reading about race riots in the US, triggered when federal courts forced the racial desegregation of the Arkansas capital's school system.

RehabAmy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse really did refuse "Rehab." She said she drank because she was lovesick, and "you can't go into rehab for that."

TeardropMassive Attack

"Teardrop" by Massive Attack has vocals by Elizabeth Fraser of The Cocteau Twins, who wrote the lyric after learning that Jeff Buckley had died.

Cult of PersonalityLiving Colour

"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour incorporates speeches by John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Light My FireThe Doors

"Light My Fire" was the first song Doors guitarist Robby Krieger wrote. Looking for a universal theme, he decided to write about one of the four elements (air, earth, water, fire).

Pretty HurtsBeyoncé

Sia Furler originally sent "Pretty Hurts" to Katy Perry, but she didn't see the email, so Beyonce ended up recording it instead.

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.