Spice 1 is the self-titled debut album by the “East Bay Gangsta” Spice 1, released on April 14, 1992, under Jive Records and Triad Records, pressed on both cassette tape and CD. The album has a notably nihilistic tone and includes some of Spice 1’s most iconic tracks, such as “187 Proof,” “Welcome to the Ghetto,” and “In My Neighborhood.” The latter two were officially released as singles. In addition to these singles, Spice also dropped music videos for four tracks: “In My Neighborhood,” “187 Proof,” “East Bay Gangster,” and “Welcome to the Ghetto.” The video for “Welcome to the Ghetto” features a guest appearance by Richie Rich. Spice 1 achieved commercial success, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 82 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers. One of the singles, “Welcome to the Ghetto,” reached number 39 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number 5 on the Billboard Rap Songs. On November 30, 1993, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA. The Source Magazine awarded the album a solid 4-star rating and included it in their list of 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums. The album’s sample credits feature a unique disclaimer from George Clinton, who criticized the lyrical content of a song but approved the sample due to his belief in the power of music as a free agent of change, as reflected in “Mothership Connection.” Such a statement was highly uncommon among artists being sampled at the time.