Lyrks
Lyrks
Sign In
Cover Art

When Will They Shoot? Lyrics by Ice Cube

The Essentials

1992

[Intro: Brother J]
"Stalkin', walkin' in my big black boots"
"Stalkin', walkin' in my big black boots"

[Verse 1: Ice Cube]
God damn, another fuckin' payback with a twist
The motherfuckers shot but the punks missed
Ice Cube is outgunned, what is the outcome?
Will they do me like Malcolm?
'Cause I bust styles, new styles
Standin' strong, while others run a hundred miles
But I never run, never will
Deal with the devil with my motherfuckin' steel - Boom!
Media tried to do me
But I was a boy in the hood before the movie, yeah
Call me nigga, bigot, and a spook
But you the one that voted for Duke, motherfucker
White man is somethin' I tried to study
But I got my hands bloody, yeah
They said I could sing like a jaybird
But nigga, don't say the J-word
I thought they was buggin'
'Cause to us, Uncle Sam is Hitler without an oven
Burnin' our black skin
Buy my neighborhood, then push the crack in
Doin' us wrong from the first day
And don't understand why a nigga got an AK
Callin' me an African-American
Like everything is fair again, shit
Devil, you got to get the shit right
I'm black, blacker than a trillion midnights
"Don't Believe The Hype" was said in '88 by the great Chuck D
Now they're tryin' to fuck me!

[Segue: Ice Cube]
"With no Vaseline
Just a match and a little bit of gasoline" (Huh!)

[Verse 2: Ice Cube]
It's a great day for genocide (What's that?)
That's the day all the niggas died
They killed JFK in '63
So what the fuck you think they'll do to me?
But I'm the OG and I bust back (Boom, boom!)
Bust back (Boom, boom!), peel a cap (Boom, boom!)
Gimme room in the fire of the sun
Here the Mack come, here the Black come, watch Jack run!
Motherfuckers can't gank me
Fuck a devil, fuck a rebel, and a Yankee
Overrun and punk the Presidency
If it means that I'm down with O.P.P., yeah!
I met Farrakhan and had dinner
Now you ask if I'm a Five Percenter? Well
No, but I go where the brothers go
Down with Compton Mosque, Number 54
Made a little dough, still got a sister on my elbow
Did Ice Cube sell out? You say, "Hell no!"
A black woman is my manager, not in the kitchen
So could you please stop bitchin'?

[Chorus: Ice Cube & Brother J]
"Stalkin', walkin' in my big black boots"
Yeah, yeah
"But when will they shoot?"
"Stalkin', walkin' in my big black boots"
Yeah, yeah
"But when will they shoot?"
(*Gunshots*)

[Verse 3: Ice Cube]
You missed, and didn't hit Da Lench Mob, either
Guerrillas in tha Mist without jungle fever
But I got the fever for the flavor of a cracker, not a Pringle
Bust the single, here's my new jingle:
"Stalkin', walkin' in my big black boots"
The KKK has got three-piece suits
Usin' niggas like turkey shoots
My motto is, "Treat 'em like a prostitute!"
Now if I say no violence, devil, you won't respect mine
Fuck the dumb shit and get my TEC-9 (Yeah!)
And if they approach us
I, I - I bury those cockroaches
And if you can't deal with my Kill at Will
Here's a new gift to get, try my Death Certificate
AmeriKKKa's Most, America's burnt, it's like toast
Like Jordan, I'm goin' coast to coast
Dribblin' the funk, here comes the nigga with the motherfuckin' monster dunk
Get off me, punk!

[Segue]
"Jordan..."
"Watch Jordan!
Ayo, Cube, watch Jordan..."
"Yes!"
You better eat your Wheaties"

[Chorus: Ice Cube & Brother J]
"Stalkin', walkin' in my big black boots"
Yeah, yeah
"But when will they shoot?"
"Stalkin', walkin' in my big black boots"
Yeah, yeah
"But when will they shoot?"

[Verse 4: Ice Cube]
Daryl Gates got the studio surrounded
'Cause he don't like the niggas that I'm down with
Motherfucker wanna do us
'Cause I like Nat, Huey, Malcolm, and Louis
Most got done by a black man's bullet
Give a trigger to a nigga and watch him pull it
Negro assassin
I'ma dig a ditch, bitch, and throw yo' ass in
When they shoot, no, it won't be a cracker
They use somebody much blacker
What I do? I called up the Geto Boy crew
'Cause my mind's playin' tricks on me, too (Yeah)
Never died, surround my crib
And FOI makin' sure nobody creep when I sleep
Keep a nine millimeter in my Jeep (What?)
Peep when I roll, I gots to roll deep
Ain't goin out cheap
Met the MADD Circle on Cypress Hill 'cause it's so steep
They'll never get me, they'll never hit me
Motherfuck that shit, J-Dee
Now I'm relaxed
Grab the St. Ides brew so I can max
Sittin' by the window 'cause it's so fuckin' hot
And then I heard a shot (Boom!)
Credits

About “When Will They Shoot?” by Ice Cube

Read the complete lyrics to "When Will They Shoot?" by Ice Cube from the album "The Essentials " in 1992. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under In English, USA, Hip-Hop.

"When Will They Shoot?" is performed by Ice Cube. from the album "The Essentials " in 1992 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "When Will They Shoot?", explore more songs by Ice Cube using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Ice Cube · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"When Will They Shoot?" is credited to Ice Cube. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"When Will They Shoot?" appears on "The Essentials " in 1992.

Visit the Ice Cube artist page at /artist/ice-cube for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


Lyrks
Lyrks

Your gateway to the world of music lyrics.

Product

Features


© 2026 Lyrks. All rights reserved.