April 29, 1992 (Miami)

Sublime recorded April 29, 1992 (Miami) in 1996, but the lyrics mention a day earlier: "April 26, 1992". The error remained because the take sounded good and the band decided to keep it. The song addresses the Los Angeles riots in 1992, following the acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King, but it goes beyond that. The lyrics blend real crimes — such as robberies and vandalism — with a critique of how the press and police oversimplified the conflict. There is a line that shouts "1-8-7" (California penal code for homicide) and a mention of the National Guard, which took control of the streets. The track also nods to songs like 187 (It's On) by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, and Burn, Hollywood, Burn by Public Enemy, blending hip hop, punk, and reggae into a sound that never stays still.

The album Sublime was recorded in Austin, Texas, in three chaotic months. Bradley Nowell, the lead singer, was battling his heroin addiction, and the sessions were marked by parties and excess. Producer David Kahne managed to capture that chaos in the studio, blending fast rhythms with raw lyrics. The song was released on July 30, 1996, months after Nowell's death, and became a track many associated with his life and art. An alternate version, titled April 29, 1992 (Leary), appeared in 1997 on the album Second-hand Smoke, with changes in the mix and some adjustments to the arrangements.