How I Could Just Kill a Man
"How I Could Just Kill a Man" is the debut single by hip hop group Cypress Hill from their eponymous debut album, Cypress Hill, and was their first major hit in 1991. It was released as a double A-side to "The Phuncky Feel One". The song was also in the movie Juice (1992). It was re-released in 1999 with Spanish lyrics and a new video. It is featured as the first track on their greatest hits compilation Greatest Hits from the Bong. It was voted number 79 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs.[1]
| "How I Could Just Kill a Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Cypress Hill | ||||
| from the album Cypress Hill | ||||
| Released | June 29, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1990 | |||
| Studio | Image Recording (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:08 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | DJ Muggs | |||
| Cypress Hill singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "How I Could Just Kill a Man" on YouTube | ||||
Towards the end of the song (approximately the 3:48 point) someone is heard saying, "All I wanted was a Pepsi". This quote is taken from the well-known Suicidal Tendencies song, "Institutionalized".
In 2001, Cypress Hill included a sequel to the song on their album Stoned Raiders entitled "Here Is Something You Can't Understand", using the same chorus but with new verses from B-Real, Sen Dog and guest Kurupt.
Music video
The music video features cameos by A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip and Tim Dog, as well as Ice Cube, with whom the group would later feud.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "How I Could Just Kill a Man" (The Killer Mix) | 4:08 |
| 2. | "How I Could Just Kill a Man" (clean version) | 4:08 |
| 3. | "How I Could Just Kill a Man" (instrumental) | 4:08 |
- NOTE: "The Killer Mix" is the uncensored album version of the song.
Covers
Rage Against the Machine version
| "How I Could Just Kill a Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Rage Against the Machine | ||||
| from the album Renegades | ||||
| Released | October 20, 2001 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:04 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Rage Against the Machine singles chronology | ||||
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The song was covered by American rock band Rage Against the Machine on their cover album, Renegades, where the song was released as a single. Rage Against the Machine performed the song on their DVD, Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, accompanied by Cypress Hill.
Track listing
- "How I Could Just Kill a Man" – 4:04
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Other versions
Singer Charlotte Sometimes named the first single from her debut album Waves and the Both of Us "How I Can Just Kill a Man" in honor of Cypress Hill, though the songs have no other similarities. The song quickly became a staple on both VH1 and MTV during the summer of 2008 and closed her set on the Vans Warped Tour.
It is also covered by B-star on their album What We Do.
A cover version was released in 1994 by German Hamburger Schule band Cpt. Kirk &. on the album Round About Wyatt, but with the song's title changed to "How He Could Just Kill a Man".
The song appears in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in the radio station Radio Los Santos.
References
- Top 100 Rap Songs
- "Cypress Hill Album & Song Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- "Cypress Hill Album & Song Chart History: Rap Songs". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- "The Best Rap-Rock Songs". Complex.
- "Artist Chart History - Rage Against the Machine > Singles". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-10-29.
- "American single certifications – Cypress Hill – How I Could Just Kill a Man". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 10, 2021.