Hello,
Today's Artists initially gained recognition in 1986 as a member of the hip hop group C.I.A., which gained limited commercial success prior to disbanding around the time N.W.A formed.[1] Ice Cube, alongside Dr. Dre and Eazy E, formed the group N.W.A, where he gained extreme notoriety as the group's primary songwriter and performer, noted for becoming one of the founding artists of gangsta rap, and pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music, as well as visual imagery in music videos....... N Joy
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Ice Cube is one of the most crucial artists in rap history. A razor-sharp lyricist, alternately furious and humorous MC, and accomplished producer, Cube laid the foundation for the legacy of pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A by writing "Boyz-N-the-Hood" for partner Eazy-E and making his first big splash as an MC with the subsequent "Dope Man." After N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton (1988) infiltrated suburban America and attracted the scrutiny of the FBI with "Fuck tha Police," Ice Cube launched a solo career that has entailed five platinum albums and one platinum EP, including AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992). A month before Cube released the first LP in that series, he appeared on Public Enemy's critical "Burn Hollywood Burn" and within a year aided in the disruption of the track's target with a co-starring role in John Singleton's Boyz N the Hood. While Cube added to his filmography with projects such as the Friday franchise, directorial debut The Players Club, and Barbershop, he devoted less time to music. He continued to record occasionally as a solo artist and member of Westside Connection, and extended a streak of RIAA-certified releases that lasted through Laugh Now, Cry Later (2006). The next decade, Cube and Dr. Dre co-produced the acclaimed Straight Outta Compton (2015), a biographical film about N.W.A, whose resurgence culminated with an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cube soon returned with his first solo album in eight years, Everythangs Corrupt (2018).
Raised in South Central Los Angeles, California by working class parents, Ice Cube, born O'Shea Jackson, became involved with b-boy culture in his early teens and in high school began writing rhymes. Cube rapped at parties hosted by Dr. Dre, who soon produced his first recordings: Stereo Crew's "She's a Skag," released on major-label Epic in 1986, and an EP by C.I.A., issued in 1987 on the small independent Kru-Cut. Stereo Crew and C.I.A. also featured K-Dee, while the latter added Sir Jinx. Along the line, Cube met Eazy-E through Dre, and that trio, along with Arabian Prince, formed the first lineup of N.W.A., bolstered soon thereafter by MC Ren and DJ Yella. Eazy and music industry veteran Jerry Heller set up Ruthless Records, launched later in 1987 with a pair of 12" releases: Eazy's "Boyz-N-the-Hood," and an EP from N.W.A. containing "8 Ball" and "Dope Man." Cube was the MC only on "Dope Man," but he was credited as sole lyricist on the three tracks, all of which demonstrated the writer's flair for pointed narratives illustrated with irreverent humor.
By the time the Macola label expanded the Ruthless tracks for the compilation N.W.A. and the Posse, Cube had headed to Arizona to study architectural drafting at Phoenix Institute of Technology. After he obtained a one-year degree, he returned to work on N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton and Eazy-E's Eazy-Duz-It. Released by Ruthless in August and September, respectively, 1988, the albums gradually crept into the mainstream, thanks in significant part to word of mouth and eventual support from Yo! MTV Raps. Nine months after its release, Straight Outta Compton peaked at number nine on Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart (trumping Eazy-Duz-It, which in March topped out at number 12). The extreme lyrical content of "Fuck Tha Police," courtesy of Cube and MC Ren, attracted scrutiny from the Los Angeles Police Department and eventually the assistant director of the FBI office of public affairs, who sent the group a strongly worded letter.
Deep conflicts with Jerry Heller prompted Cube to leave N.W.A in late 1989. He went to New York with fellow producer Sir Jinx and recorded his first solo album, heralded by an appearance on Public Enemy's "Burn Hollywood Burn," with the Bomb Squad. Released on Priority in May 1990, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was an instant Top 20 Billboard 200 hit and went gold within four months. While the album's production and Cube's mike skills were praised, the often violent, homophobic, and misogynist lyrics were criticized, particularly by the rock press and moral watchdogs. Even amid such controversy, the album was hailed as a groundbreaking classic -- led by the title track, a number one hit on Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart -- and established Cube as a recognized individual force. He began his own corporation, which was run by a woman, and by the end of 1990 co-produced a 12" for Yo-Yo and released the platinum Kill at Will EP. Yo-Yo's Make Way for the Motherlode, produced entirely by Ice Cube and Sir Jinx, arrived the following year, as did another Cube-related project, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, the debut from cousin Del the Funky Homosapien. Moreover, Cube made his widely praised acting debut in John Singleton's groundbreaking urban drama Boyz N the Hood, titled after the song he wrote, filmed in his native South Central Los Angeles.
Cube's first album may have been controversial, but its reception paled compared to that of his follow-up, Death Certificate. Released in October 1991, just after the debut went platinum, Death Certificate was more political, antagonistic, and vulgar than its predecessor, causing more scrutiny and outrage. In particular, "No Vaseline," a vicious attack on N.W.A and Jerry Heller, was perceived as anti-Semitic, and "Black Korea" was taken as an instruction to burn down Korean-owned grocery stores. The songs provoked a condemnation from the trade publication Billboard -- the first time an artist had been singled out by the magazine. None of this prevented the album from reaching number two and going platinum with momentum maintained well into 1992 by "Steady Mobbin'," a Top Ten rap hit. During 1992, Cube also performed in the second Lollapalooza tour to consolidate his white rock audience, executive-produced Da Lench Mob's radical Guerillas in tha Mist, and that December appeared in Trespass and released The Predator. Cube's third album, The Predator, became the first to debut at number one on both the pop and R&B/hip-hop charts. Promoted with three Top Ten rap singles -- the ferocious Los Angeles riots response "Wicked," the steady-rolling "It Was a Good Day," and the Das EFX collaboration "Check Yo Self" -- the album eventually went double platinum.
Lethal Injection, Cube's fourth album, was released in December 1993 and became the rapper's third straight LP to debut within the Top Ten of the pop and R&B/hip-hop charts. Its biggest single, "Bop Gun (One Nation)," paid tribute to the enduring influence of Parliament-Funkadelic and featured leader George Clinton. By the end of that year, Cube's production discography included more material from Yo-Yo, as well as Kam's Neva Again. Having released four albums in four years, Cube took a break from making solo LPs, but during 1994 reunited with Dr. Dre for "Natural Born Killaz," recorded for the Murder Was the Case soundtrack. Also that year, the November release Bootlegs & B-Sides bundled stray cuts. Cube was visible as ever throughout 1995. He acted in Singleton's film Higher Learning, wrote and starred in the cult classic stoner comedy Friday, and appeared on tracks by Westside Connection partners Mack 10 and WC. Bow Down, Westside Connection's first album, followed in 1996, narrowly missed the top of the pop chart, and went platinum on the strength of the hits "Bow Down" and "Gangstas Make the World Go Round." In 1997, Cube starred in the action thriller Dangerous Ground and in the surprise hit horror film Anaconda, and contributed music to the soundtrack of the former, including "The World Is Mine," joined by K-Dee and Mack 10. Another anthology, Featuring...Ice Cube, was out that December.
The Players Club, Cube's directorial debut -- which he also wrote -- premiered in 1998, promoted with a Top Ten soundtrack featuring his own "We Be Clubbin'." That November, just after he made a featured appearance on nu metal leaders Korn's "Children of the Korn," Cube's solo LP dry spell was broken with War & Peace, Vol. 1, the source of another rap number one, "Pushin' Weight," and an additional Korn collaboration, "Fuck Dying." Like all his previous LPs, it went platinum. Film work resumed with Next Friday, written and produced by Cube, who also reprised his starring role from the original and was present on the soundtrack. War & Peace, Vol. 2, containing a collaboration with Dr. Dre and MC Ren on "Hello," followed in March 2000 and completed his prosperous phase with Priority Records, swiftly summarized with Greatest Hits in 2001. Between studio albums, Cube devoted most of his creative energy to films. David O'Russell's Three Kings, John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars, and Tim Story's Barbershop, as well as a third Cube-written Friday film, Friday After Next -- among several other titles -- all appeared in theaters before he returned to music with Westside Connection's second album, Terrorist Threats, in December 2003.
Signed to EMI, Cube lengthened his solo discography in June 2006 with Laugh Now, Cry Later. In the Movies, a compilation of soundtrack cuts, was put together by Priority for a 2007 release. The following August, Cube returned with Raw Footage, his seventh consecutive solo studio album to enter the Billboard 200 and R&B/hip-hop charts within the Top Ten. Yet another catalog title from Priority, The Essentials, appeared in 2008. Cube's September 2010 effort I Am the West was a family affair, with sons Darrell Jackson (aka Doughboy, named after Cube's Boyz N the Hood character) and O'Shea Jackson, Jr. (aka OMG) among the guests, who also included longtime associate WC. By the end of 2011, Cube had also acted in and/or produced a multitude of projects for the large and small screens, including Are We There Yet?, Beauty Shop, Friday: The Animated Series, and The Longshots.
In 2012, Cube announced the imminence of a tenth solo album, Everythangs Corrupt. Despite several singles issued across 2013 and 2014, its release was delayed as Cube focused on film and television pursuits, as well as the legacy of N.W.A. Along with Dr. Dre, Cube worked on a biopic about the origin and rise of the trailblazing group, with son O'Shea Jackson, Jr. cast to portray him. Named after their breakthrough album, Straight Outta Compton was released in 2015 to critical acclaim. The film made over $200 million worldwide, and was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Screenplay. The film inspired Dr. Dre's solo album Compton, which included Cube on the track "Issues." A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction followed for N.W.A in 2016. A 25th anniversary reissue of Death Certificate was released the next year by Interscope, Cube's new home. The week of the 2018 midterm elections, Cube issued the single "Arrest the President," a prelude to the characteristically scathing, humorous, and funky Everythangs Corrupt, which finally arrived the next month.
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Considering that he hadn't delivered a full-fledged solo album since 1993's disappointing Lethal Injection, maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise that Ice Cube returned hard in 1998 with War & Peace, Vol. 1 (The War Disc), since five years is a long, long time to stay quiet. What was a surprise was how ambitious the album was. The first installment in a proposed double-disc set, The War Disc is a cacophonous, cluttered, impassioned record that nearly qualifies as a return to form. Designed as a hard-hitting record, it certainly takes no prisoners, as it moves from intense street-oriented jams to rap-metal fusions, such as the Korn-blessed "Fuck Dying," with its seething, distorted guitars. It's a head-spinning listen and, at first, it seems to be a forceful comeback. Upon closer inspection, The War Disc falters a bit. Not only does the relentless nature of the music wear a little thin, but Cube spends too much time trying to beat newcomers at their own game. His lyrical skills are still intact, but he spends way too much time boasting, particularly about material possessions, and his attempt to rechristen himself Don Mega, in a Wu-like move, simply seems awkward. Even so, the quality of the music -- and the moments when he pulls it all together, such as "3 Strikes You In" -- sustains War and makes it feel more cohesive than it actually is. The key is purpose -- even if Cube doesn't always say exactly what he wants, he does have something to say. That alone makes War & Peace, with just one album completed, a more successful and rewarding listen than the typical double-disc hip-hop set of the late '90s.
Ice Cube - War & Peace, Volume 1 (The War Disc) (flac 454mb)
1 Ask About Me 3:06
2 Pushin' Weight 4:35
3 Dr. Frankenstein 4:54
4 Fuck Dying 4:03
5 War & Peace 3:18
6 Ghetto Vet 5:05
7 Greed 4:29
8 MP 0:49
9 Cash Over Ass 4:21
10 The Curse of Money 3:39
11 The Peckin' Order 3:21
12 Limos, Demos & Bimbos 3:51
13 Once Upon A Time in the Projects 2 3:05
14 If I Was Fuckin' You 3:28
15 X-Bitches 4:59
16 Extradition 4:38
17 3 Strikes You In 4:34
18 Penitentiary 4:12
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The second volume of Ice Cube's War & Peace album finds the multi-talented veteran MC evolving beyond a mere gangsta rap artist. Of course, Ice Cube doesn't admit his maturity, starting the album off with an excellent song titled "Hello" featuring MC Ren and Dr. Dre. The Dre-produced song has the ex-NWA members rapping "I started this gangsta ****/and this is the ************ thanks I get?" and reinstating their thug stance. Besides this opening song, Cube also is heard later on the album rapping to "keep in gangsta," yet for as much as Cube flexes about being hard, he has actually evolved into a wiser, more composed artist than the hate-fueled gangsta found on his early albums. Some of the songs on War & Peace, Vol. 2 such as "Record Company Pimpin'" reflect the deep insight he is easily capable of injecting into his lyrics. Unfortunately, for every contemplative moment on this album, there are also plenty of songs such as "Can You Bounce?" and "Hello" that reduce themselves to simple, lucid attempts at hit singles. These songs -- along with the slightly more thought-out, radio-friendly "Until We Rich" -- are wonderful songs, rich in hooks and full of strong beats, but they don't really fit in with the rest of the album. The fact that Ice Cube churned out two albums of content during his lengthy absence from the rap world in the late '90s makes the two volumes of War & Peace overly eclectic. What made albums such as Straight Outta Compton and AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted such strong albums were consistency; Dr. Dre and the Bomb Squad, respectively, were able to map out an overall musical feel for these albums with their signature styles and unique motifs. Instead of having a fully realized sound such as the aforementioned albums, the revolving door of production on War & Peace that includes Dr. Dre, Puff Daddy, and One Eye for One Eye among others makes this album sound very undeceive in terms of style. Cube's rapping sounds great with plenty of ideas that extend outside of simple gangsta motifs and slick rhymes full of wit; however, the constant changes in the album from hook-laden hits to denser, message-filled songs and from stark, minimal beats to up-tempo dance-rap make this a sometimes brilliant yet ultimately spotty, multi-dimensional album that needs more focus.
Ice Cube - War & Peace, Volume 2 (The Peace Disc) (flac 404mb)
01 Hello (feat. Dr. Dre, MC Ren) 3:52
02 Pimp Homeo (Insert) 0:39
03 You Ain't Gotta Lie (Ta Kick It) 4:06
04 The Gutter Shit ( feat. Gangsta, Jayo Felony, Squeak Ru) 4:30
05 Supreme Hustle 4:22
06 Mental Warfare (Insert) 1:02
07 24 Mo' Hours 3:28
08 Until We Rich (feat. Krayzie Bone) (4:15
09 You Can Do It 4:19
10 Mackin' & Driving (Insert) 0:28
11 Gotta Be Insanity 4:00
12 Roll All Day 3:16
13 Can You Bounce? 3:54
14 Dinner With the CEO (Insert) 0:50
15 Record Company Pimpin' 4:46
16 Waitin' Ta Hate 3:38
17 Nigga of the Century 4:15
18 You Can Do It (Instrumental) 4:20
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As Ice Cube's 2006 Laugh Now, Cry Later was landing in stores, all the chatter was about whether or not Cube was back, and whether or not he could recover from a couple of lackluster solo albums that came out years ago. Did his major contribution to Westside Connection's satisfying 2003 album Terrorist Threats slip everybody's mind and do we have to consider that release "slept on"? Laugh Now picks up right where Terrorist Threats left off, and while Cube does a little "this is why I'm important" posturing on the excellent "Child Support," this isn't a forced "I'm back" effort in the least. After a short intro, Cube goes right for the upper classes' throats with "Guns and Drugs," a track that acknowledges that there was a George Bush in office when he began his solo career, there's a George Bush in office as he returns to it, and he doesn't much care for either. Switching gears, the following club track "Smoke Some Weed" gives everyone the finger in a much less socially conscious manner. The track's rain stick and East Indian vocal loops constructed by producer Budda give the album its most riveting beat, the competition supplied by various upstarts and, surprisingly, Lil Jon, who upstages the heralded Scott Storch and his underwhelming contributions. Lil Jon tweaks his usual crunk juice and blends some West into his South for the low-riding "Go to Church" and "You Gotta Lotta That," both with Snoop. Just as satisfying, "Doin' What It 'Pose 2 Do" is a modern banger that's well aware of the 2006 success of folks like Bun B and Z-Ro. It's only when Cube jumps on the "Stop Snitchin'" bandwagon that he sounds the least bit unnatural. He also scores a lyrical triumph with the title track, but unlike his early classics, Laugh Now stumbles occasionally and fails to keep the momentum going through the whole fourth quarter. This is his first effort on his own independent label, so if the album lacks a little final product-minded polish, it trades it for a homegrown feel that's distinctively direct. Strip a couple redundant tracks and you've got that bitter, edgy, and sharp Cube album you hoped for.
Ice Cube - Laugh Now, Cry Later (flac 487mb)
01 Definition Of A West Coast G' (Intro) 0:14
02 Why We Thugs 3:44
03 Smoke Some Weed 3:46
04 Dimes & Nicks (A Call From Mike Epps) 1:06
05 Child Support 4:01
06 2 Decades Ago (Insert) 0:14
07 Doin' What It 'Pose 2Do 4:08
08 Laugh Now, Cry Later 3:37
09 Stop Snitchin' 3:15
10 Go To Church 4:00
11 The Nigga Trap 3:49
12 A History Of Violence (Insert) 1:09
13 Growin' Up 3:55
14 Click, Clack - Get Back! 3:10
15 The Game Lord 4:10
16 Chrome & Paint 3:27
17 Steal The Show 4:12
18 You Gotta Lotta That 4:06
19 Spittin' Pollaseeds 5:04
20 Holla @ Cha' Boy 3:31
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Dealing with the good, the bad, and especially the ugly, Raw Footage is an appropriate title for Ice Cube's eighth album. Some kind of subtitle that mentioned the yin and yang of life would have made it perfect because the tracks here are as inclined to paradoxes as the man himself and offer just as few excuses. If you want insight into how a man justifies making family fun movies by day and hardcore rap by night, the only answer offered is that you grow up in this cruel world and you deal any way you know how, something that drives the great "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It." This key track may not be "fair and balanced," but it's honest and revealing as Cube embraces what he wants from the good -- a literate life that damns those who "read your first book in the penitentiary" -- and the commonly accepted bad as he attacks Oprah and everyone else who has a problem with hardcore rap using the "N" word. The 187 in "Why Me?" could be a metaphor for the attacks from Cube's detractors ("You want to take the life God handed to me/Send it back to him 'cuz you ain't a fan of me") while "Jack in the Box" suggests he's already won the war with "Fool, I'm the greatest/You just the latest/I'm loved by your grandmamma/And your babies." The album's guiding principle, "only thing I expect is self-check," is dropped in "Get Money, Spend Money, No Money," but the great news is that all these standoffish and self-serving rhymes are written with that whipsmart wit and sit on a bed of wonderfully minimal beats from lesser knowns like Young Fokus and Emile. The only time things sound slick are when an Eddie Kendricks sample meets Angie Stone's vocals on "Hood Mentality," or when the so-big-in-2008 Young Jeezy shows up for the disappointing and out of place "I Got My Locs On." The bombastic intro and interludes with Keith David could go too, but otherwise this no-answers, gritty ego trip will satisfy his fans while pushing everyone else away even further.
Ice Cube - Raw Footage (flac 475mb)
01 What Is A Pyroclastic Flow ? 0:54
02 I Got My Locs On 3:43
03 It Takes A Nation 3:26
04 Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It 4:41
05 Hood Mentality 5:11
06 Why Me ? 4:00
07 Cold Places 4:12
08 Jack N The Box 4:22
09 Do Ya Thang 4:04
10 Thank God 5:28
11 Here He Come 4:32
12 Get Money, Spend Money, No Money 4:07
13 Get Use To It 4:25
14 Tomorrow 3:40
15 Stand Tall 3:46
16 Take Me Away 4:03
Bonus
17 Believe It Or Not 3:11
18 Don't Make Me Hurt Ya Feelings 2:45
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While his 2008 effort Raw Footage brought aggression and bitterness, I Am the West leans back a bit, assured in its status and wisdom, showing hip-hop how to grow old both gracefully and gangsta. Ice Cube’s first album since turning 40 masterfully lays it all out on key track “No Country for Young Men.” This witty, rapid-fire damnation of the ringtone rapper generation and their foolishness declares them “bitches” with “Rappers go to jail like Oprah go to Gayle/Stedman’s policy: Don’t ask don’t tell," along with a laugh-out-loud Redd Foxx line that shouldn’t be spoiled. Making the case that his generation fought the power while the 2010 crew was just fighting itself happens elsewhere, and when you combine this with the “we’ve got a bigger problem now” attitude of “Hood Robbin’” -- high-tech and high-finance corporations are widening the gap between the classes -- and the sage advice of “Your Money or Your Life” -- “This world, so trife/Your money or your life/Keep your kids, keep your wife/Your money or your life” -- you’ve got a layered argument against misdirected priorities and their devastating consequences. Cube suggests there are more choices than burning out and fading away when he dedicates a song to his wife of 21 years and explains how she’s enriched his life on “Nothing Like L.A.,” but the real proof is in all the vital yet lighter cuts that keep the message-filled album from being ponderous. Flashy production drives the infectious "She Couldn't Make It on Her Own," featuring fine contributions from Cube’s sons Doughboy and OMG, while big daddy himself has put an entertaining, Kool Keith-like spin on his punch lines this time out, dropping odd stingers like “Internationally known/You about to smell my cologne” (“Soul on Ice”) and “You about as lethal as a mojito/Be my amigo, eat my burrito” (“Too West Coast”). Add the usual Keith David narrations and the hard-hitting, full-bodied production the West Coast favors and the album is anchored by tradition, becoming an unassailable cocktail of talent, experience, and growth. Most won’t have the skills to follow his playbook, either on or off the field, but Cube’s utterly unique I Am the West shows the younger generation how to cross 40 while retaining their freedom and baller status. Middle age hip-hop is born here, and if the game follows his lead, it will be one monster of a genre.
Ice Cube - I Am The West (flac 346mb)
01 A Boy Was Conceived (Intro) 0:26
02 Soul On Ice 3:39
03 Life In California 4:02
04 She Couldn't Make It On Her Own 2:59
05 Urbanian 2:25
06 Y'all Know How I Am 2:18
07 Too West Coast 2:58
08 I Rep That West 4:32
09 Drink The Kool-Aid 3:10
10 No Country For Young Men 4:14
11 It Is What It Is 3:21
12 Hood Robbin' 3:45
13 Your Money Or Your Life 3:24
14 Nothing Like L.A. 3:20
15 All Day, Every Day 2:21
16 Fat Cat 2:54
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Today's Artists initially gained recognition in 1986 as a member of the hip hop group C.I.A., which gained limited commercial success prior to disbanding around the time N.W.A formed.[1] Ice Cube, alongside Dr. Dre and Eazy E, formed the group N.W.A, where he gained extreme notoriety as the group's primary songwriter and performer, noted for becoming one of the founding artists of gangsta rap, and pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music, as well as visual imagery in music videos....... N Joy
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Ice Cube is one of the most crucial artists in rap history. A razor-sharp lyricist, alternately furious and humorous MC, and accomplished producer, Cube laid the foundation for the legacy of pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A by writing "Boyz-N-the-Hood" for partner Eazy-E and making his first big splash as an MC with the subsequent "Dope Man." After N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton (1988) infiltrated suburban America and attracted the scrutiny of the FBI with "Fuck tha Police," Ice Cube launched a solo career that has entailed five platinum albums and one platinum EP, including AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992). A month before Cube released the first LP in that series, he appeared on Public Enemy's critical "Burn Hollywood Burn" and within a year aided in the disruption of the track's target with a co-starring role in John Singleton's Boyz N the Hood. While Cube added to his filmography with projects such as the Friday franchise, directorial debut The Players Club, and Barbershop, he devoted less time to music. He continued to record occasionally as a solo artist and member of Westside Connection, and extended a streak of RIAA-certified releases that lasted through Laugh Now, Cry Later (2006). The next decade, Cube and Dr. Dre co-produced the acclaimed Straight Outta Compton (2015), a biographical film about N.W.A, whose resurgence culminated with an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cube soon returned with his first solo album in eight years, Everythangs Corrupt (2018).
Raised in South Central Los Angeles, California by working class parents, Ice Cube, born O'Shea Jackson, became involved with b-boy culture in his early teens and in high school began writing rhymes. Cube rapped at parties hosted by Dr. Dre, who soon produced his first recordings: Stereo Crew's "She's a Skag," released on major-label Epic in 1986, and an EP by C.I.A., issued in 1987 on the small independent Kru-Cut. Stereo Crew and C.I.A. also featured K-Dee, while the latter added Sir Jinx. Along the line, Cube met Eazy-E through Dre, and that trio, along with Arabian Prince, formed the first lineup of N.W.A., bolstered soon thereafter by MC Ren and DJ Yella. Eazy and music industry veteran Jerry Heller set up Ruthless Records, launched later in 1987 with a pair of 12" releases: Eazy's "Boyz-N-the-Hood," and an EP from N.W.A. containing "8 Ball" and "Dope Man." Cube was the MC only on "Dope Man," but he was credited as sole lyricist on the three tracks, all of which demonstrated the writer's flair for pointed narratives illustrated with irreverent humor.
By the time the Macola label expanded the Ruthless tracks for the compilation N.W.A. and the Posse, Cube had headed to Arizona to study architectural drafting at Phoenix Institute of Technology. After he obtained a one-year degree, he returned to work on N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton and Eazy-E's Eazy-Duz-It. Released by Ruthless in August and September, respectively, 1988, the albums gradually crept into the mainstream, thanks in significant part to word of mouth and eventual support from Yo! MTV Raps. Nine months after its release, Straight Outta Compton peaked at number nine on Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart (trumping Eazy-Duz-It, which in March topped out at number 12). The extreme lyrical content of "Fuck Tha Police," courtesy of Cube and MC Ren, attracted scrutiny from the Los Angeles Police Department and eventually the assistant director of the FBI office of public affairs, who sent the group a strongly worded letter.
Deep conflicts with Jerry Heller prompted Cube to leave N.W.A in late 1989. He went to New York with fellow producer Sir Jinx and recorded his first solo album, heralded by an appearance on Public Enemy's "Burn Hollywood Burn," with the Bomb Squad. Released on Priority in May 1990, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was an instant Top 20 Billboard 200 hit and went gold within four months. While the album's production and Cube's mike skills were praised, the often violent, homophobic, and misogynist lyrics were criticized, particularly by the rock press and moral watchdogs. Even amid such controversy, the album was hailed as a groundbreaking classic -- led by the title track, a number one hit on Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart -- and established Cube as a recognized individual force. He began his own corporation, which was run by a woman, and by the end of 1990 co-produced a 12" for Yo-Yo and released the platinum Kill at Will EP. Yo-Yo's Make Way for the Motherlode, produced entirely by Ice Cube and Sir Jinx, arrived the following year, as did another Cube-related project, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, the debut from cousin Del the Funky Homosapien. Moreover, Cube made his widely praised acting debut in John Singleton's groundbreaking urban drama Boyz N the Hood, titled after the song he wrote, filmed in his native South Central Los Angeles.
Cube's first album may have been controversial, but its reception paled compared to that of his follow-up, Death Certificate. Released in October 1991, just after the debut went platinum, Death Certificate was more political, antagonistic, and vulgar than its predecessor, causing more scrutiny and outrage. In particular, "No Vaseline," a vicious attack on N.W.A and Jerry Heller, was perceived as anti-Semitic, and "Black Korea" was taken as an instruction to burn down Korean-owned grocery stores. The songs provoked a condemnation from the trade publication Billboard -- the first time an artist had been singled out by the magazine. None of this prevented the album from reaching number two and going platinum with momentum maintained well into 1992 by "Steady Mobbin'," a Top Ten rap hit. During 1992, Cube also performed in the second Lollapalooza tour to consolidate his white rock audience, executive-produced Da Lench Mob's radical Guerillas in tha Mist, and that December appeared in Trespass and released The Predator. Cube's third album, The Predator, became the first to debut at number one on both the pop and R&B/hip-hop charts. Promoted with three Top Ten rap singles -- the ferocious Los Angeles riots response "Wicked," the steady-rolling "It Was a Good Day," and the Das EFX collaboration "Check Yo Self" -- the album eventually went double platinum.
Lethal Injection, Cube's fourth album, was released in December 1993 and became the rapper's third straight LP to debut within the Top Ten of the pop and R&B/hip-hop charts. Its biggest single, "Bop Gun (One Nation)," paid tribute to the enduring influence of Parliament-Funkadelic and featured leader George Clinton. By the end of that year, Cube's production discography included more material from Yo-Yo, as well as Kam's Neva Again. Having released four albums in four years, Cube took a break from making solo LPs, but during 1994 reunited with Dr. Dre for "Natural Born Killaz," recorded for the Murder Was the Case soundtrack. Also that year, the November release Bootlegs & B-Sides bundled stray cuts. Cube was visible as ever throughout 1995. He acted in Singleton's film Higher Learning, wrote and starred in the cult classic stoner comedy Friday, and appeared on tracks by Westside Connection partners Mack 10 and WC. Bow Down, Westside Connection's first album, followed in 1996, narrowly missed the top of the pop chart, and went platinum on the strength of the hits "Bow Down" and "Gangstas Make the World Go Round." In 1997, Cube starred in the action thriller Dangerous Ground and in the surprise hit horror film Anaconda, and contributed music to the soundtrack of the former, including "The World Is Mine," joined by K-Dee and Mack 10. Another anthology, Featuring...Ice Cube, was out that December.
The Players Club, Cube's directorial debut -- which he also wrote -- premiered in 1998, promoted with a Top Ten soundtrack featuring his own "We Be Clubbin'." That November, just after he made a featured appearance on nu metal leaders Korn's "Children of the Korn," Cube's solo LP dry spell was broken with War & Peace, Vol. 1, the source of another rap number one, "Pushin' Weight," and an additional Korn collaboration, "Fuck Dying." Like all his previous LPs, it went platinum. Film work resumed with Next Friday, written and produced by Cube, who also reprised his starring role from the original and was present on the soundtrack. War & Peace, Vol. 2, containing a collaboration with Dr. Dre and MC Ren on "Hello," followed in March 2000 and completed his prosperous phase with Priority Records, swiftly summarized with Greatest Hits in 2001. Between studio albums, Cube devoted most of his creative energy to films. David O'Russell's Three Kings, John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars, and Tim Story's Barbershop, as well as a third Cube-written Friday film, Friday After Next -- among several other titles -- all appeared in theaters before he returned to music with Westside Connection's second album, Terrorist Threats, in December 2003.
Signed to EMI, Cube lengthened his solo discography in June 2006 with Laugh Now, Cry Later. In the Movies, a compilation of soundtrack cuts, was put together by Priority for a 2007 release. The following August, Cube returned with Raw Footage, his seventh consecutive solo studio album to enter the Billboard 200 and R&B/hip-hop charts within the Top Ten. Yet another catalog title from Priority, The Essentials, appeared in 2008. Cube's September 2010 effort I Am the West was a family affair, with sons Darrell Jackson (aka Doughboy, named after Cube's Boyz N the Hood character) and O'Shea Jackson, Jr. (aka OMG) among the guests, who also included longtime associate WC. By the end of 2011, Cube had also acted in and/or produced a multitude of projects for the large and small screens, including Are We There Yet?, Beauty Shop, Friday: The Animated Series, and The Longshots.
In 2012, Cube announced the imminence of a tenth solo album, Everythangs Corrupt. Despite several singles issued across 2013 and 2014, its release was delayed as Cube focused on film and television pursuits, as well as the legacy of N.W.A. Along with Dr. Dre, Cube worked on a biopic about the origin and rise of the trailblazing group, with son O'Shea Jackson, Jr. cast to portray him. Named after their breakthrough album, Straight Outta Compton was released in 2015 to critical acclaim. The film made over $200 million worldwide, and was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Screenplay. The film inspired Dr. Dre's solo album Compton, which included Cube on the track "Issues." A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction followed for N.W.A in 2016. A 25th anniversary reissue of Death Certificate was released the next year by Interscope, Cube's new home. The week of the 2018 midterm elections, Cube issued the single "Arrest the President," a prelude to the characteristically scathing, humorous, and funky Everythangs Corrupt, which finally arrived the next month.
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Considering that he hadn't delivered a full-fledged solo album since 1993's disappointing Lethal Injection, maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise that Ice Cube returned hard in 1998 with War & Peace, Vol. 1 (The War Disc), since five years is a long, long time to stay quiet. What was a surprise was how ambitious the album was. The first installment in a proposed double-disc set, The War Disc is a cacophonous, cluttered, impassioned record that nearly qualifies as a return to form. Designed as a hard-hitting record, it certainly takes no prisoners, as it moves from intense street-oriented jams to rap-metal fusions, such as the Korn-blessed "Fuck Dying," with its seething, distorted guitars. It's a head-spinning listen and, at first, it seems to be a forceful comeback. Upon closer inspection, The War Disc falters a bit. Not only does the relentless nature of the music wear a little thin, but Cube spends too much time trying to beat newcomers at their own game. His lyrical skills are still intact, but he spends way too much time boasting, particularly about material possessions, and his attempt to rechristen himself Don Mega, in a Wu-like move, simply seems awkward. Even so, the quality of the music -- and the moments when he pulls it all together, such as "3 Strikes You In" -- sustains War and makes it feel more cohesive than it actually is. The key is purpose -- even if Cube doesn't always say exactly what he wants, he does have something to say. That alone makes War & Peace, with just one album completed, a more successful and rewarding listen than the typical double-disc hip-hop set of the late '90s.
Ice Cube - War & Peace, Volume 1 (The War Disc) (flac 454mb)
1 Ask About Me 3:06
2 Pushin' Weight 4:35
3 Dr. Frankenstein 4:54
4 Fuck Dying 4:03
5 War & Peace 3:18
6 Ghetto Vet 5:05
7 Greed 4:29
8 MP 0:49
9 Cash Over Ass 4:21
10 The Curse of Money 3:39
11 The Peckin' Order 3:21
12 Limos, Demos & Bimbos 3:51
13 Once Upon A Time in the Projects 2 3:05
14 If I Was Fuckin' You 3:28
15 X-Bitches 4:59
16 Extradition 4:38
17 3 Strikes You In 4:34
18 Penitentiary 4:12
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The second volume of Ice Cube's War & Peace album finds the multi-talented veteran MC evolving beyond a mere gangsta rap artist. Of course, Ice Cube doesn't admit his maturity, starting the album off with an excellent song titled "Hello" featuring MC Ren and Dr. Dre. The Dre-produced song has the ex-NWA members rapping "I started this gangsta ****/and this is the ************ thanks I get?" and reinstating their thug stance. Besides this opening song, Cube also is heard later on the album rapping to "keep in gangsta," yet for as much as Cube flexes about being hard, he has actually evolved into a wiser, more composed artist than the hate-fueled gangsta found on his early albums. Some of the songs on War & Peace, Vol. 2 such as "Record Company Pimpin'" reflect the deep insight he is easily capable of injecting into his lyrics. Unfortunately, for every contemplative moment on this album, there are also plenty of songs such as "Can You Bounce?" and "Hello" that reduce themselves to simple, lucid attempts at hit singles. These songs -- along with the slightly more thought-out, radio-friendly "Until We Rich" -- are wonderful songs, rich in hooks and full of strong beats, but they don't really fit in with the rest of the album. The fact that Ice Cube churned out two albums of content during his lengthy absence from the rap world in the late '90s makes the two volumes of War & Peace overly eclectic. What made albums such as Straight Outta Compton and AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted such strong albums were consistency; Dr. Dre and the Bomb Squad, respectively, were able to map out an overall musical feel for these albums with their signature styles and unique motifs. Instead of having a fully realized sound such as the aforementioned albums, the revolving door of production on War & Peace that includes Dr. Dre, Puff Daddy, and One Eye for One Eye among others makes this album sound very undeceive in terms of style. Cube's rapping sounds great with plenty of ideas that extend outside of simple gangsta motifs and slick rhymes full of wit; however, the constant changes in the album from hook-laden hits to denser, message-filled songs and from stark, minimal beats to up-tempo dance-rap make this a sometimes brilliant yet ultimately spotty, multi-dimensional album that needs more focus.
Ice Cube - War & Peace, Volume 2 (The Peace Disc) (flac 404mb)
01 Hello (feat. Dr. Dre, MC Ren) 3:52
02 Pimp Homeo (Insert) 0:39
03 You Ain't Gotta Lie (Ta Kick It) 4:06
04 The Gutter Shit ( feat. Gangsta, Jayo Felony, Squeak Ru) 4:30
05 Supreme Hustle 4:22
06 Mental Warfare (Insert) 1:02
07 24 Mo' Hours 3:28
08 Until We Rich (feat. Krayzie Bone) (4:15
09 You Can Do It 4:19
10 Mackin' & Driving (Insert) 0:28
11 Gotta Be Insanity 4:00
12 Roll All Day 3:16
13 Can You Bounce? 3:54
14 Dinner With the CEO (Insert) 0:50
15 Record Company Pimpin' 4:46
16 Waitin' Ta Hate 3:38
17 Nigga of the Century 4:15
18 You Can Do It (Instrumental) 4:20
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As Ice Cube's 2006 Laugh Now, Cry Later was landing in stores, all the chatter was about whether or not Cube was back, and whether or not he could recover from a couple of lackluster solo albums that came out years ago. Did his major contribution to Westside Connection's satisfying 2003 album Terrorist Threats slip everybody's mind and do we have to consider that release "slept on"? Laugh Now picks up right where Terrorist Threats left off, and while Cube does a little "this is why I'm important" posturing on the excellent "Child Support," this isn't a forced "I'm back" effort in the least. After a short intro, Cube goes right for the upper classes' throats with "Guns and Drugs," a track that acknowledges that there was a George Bush in office when he began his solo career, there's a George Bush in office as he returns to it, and he doesn't much care for either. Switching gears, the following club track "Smoke Some Weed" gives everyone the finger in a much less socially conscious manner. The track's rain stick and East Indian vocal loops constructed by producer Budda give the album its most riveting beat, the competition supplied by various upstarts and, surprisingly, Lil Jon, who upstages the heralded Scott Storch and his underwhelming contributions. Lil Jon tweaks his usual crunk juice and blends some West into his South for the low-riding "Go to Church" and "You Gotta Lotta That," both with Snoop. Just as satisfying, "Doin' What It 'Pose 2 Do" is a modern banger that's well aware of the 2006 success of folks like Bun B and Z-Ro. It's only when Cube jumps on the "Stop Snitchin'" bandwagon that he sounds the least bit unnatural. He also scores a lyrical triumph with the title track, but unlike his early classics, Laugh Now stumbles occasionally and fails to keep the momentum going through the whole fourth quarter. This is his first effort on his own independent label, so if the album lacks a little final product-minded polish, it trades it for a homegrown feel that's distinctively direct. Strip a couple redundant tracks and you've got that bitter, edgy, and sharp Cube album you hoped for.
Ice Cube - Laugh Now, Cry Later (flac 487mb)
01 Definition Of A West Coast G' (Intro) 0:14
02 Why We Thugs 3:44
03 Smoke Some Weed 3:46
04 Dimes & Nicks (A Call From Mike Epps) 1:06
05 Child Support 4:01
06 2 Decades Ago (Insert) 0:14
07 Doin' What It 'Pose 2Do 4:08
08 Laugh Now, Cry Later 3:37
09 Stop Snitchin' 3:15
10 Go To Church 4:00
11 The Nigga Trap 3:49
12 A History Of Violence (Insert) 1:09
13 Growin' Up 3:55
14 Click, Clack - Get Back! 3:10
15 The Game Lord 4:10
16 Chrome & Paint 3:27
17 Steal The Show 4:12
18 You Gotta Lotta That 4:06
19 Spittin' Pollaseeds 5:04
20 Holla @ Cha' Boy 3:31
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Dealing with the good, the bad, and especially the ugly, Raw Footage is an appropriate title for Ice Cube's eighth album. Some kind of subtitle that mentioned the yin and yang of life would have made it perfect because the tracks here are as inclined to paradoxes as the man himself and offer just as few excuses. If you want insight into how a man justifies making family fun movies by day and hardcore rap by night, the only answer offered is that you grow up in this cruel world and you deal any way you know how, something that drives the great "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It." This key track may not be "fair and balanced," but it's honest and revealing as Cube embraces what he wants from the good -- a literate life that damns those who "read your first book in the penitentiary" -- and the commonly accepted bad as he attacks Oprah and everyone else who has a problem with hardcore rap using the "N" word. The 187 in "Why Me?" could be a metaphor for the attacks from Cube's detractors ("You want to take the life God handed to me/Send it back to him 'cuz you ain't a fan of me") while "Jack in the Box" suggests he's already won the war with "Fool, I'm the greatest/You just the latest/I'm loved by your grandmamma/And your babies." The album's guiding principle, "only thing I expect is self-check," is dropped in "Get Money, Spend Money, No Money," but the great news is that all these standoffish and self-serving rhymes are written with that whipsmart wit and sit on a bed of wonderfully minimal beats from lesser knowns like Young Fokus and Emile. The only time things sound slick are when an Eddie Kendricks sample meets Angie Stone's vocals on "Hood Mentality," or when the so-big-in-2008 Young Jeezy shows up for the disappointing and out of place "I Got My Locs On." The bombastic intro and interludes with Keith David could go too, but otherwise this no-answers, gritty ego trip will satisfy his fans while pushing everyone else away even further.
Ice Cube - Raw Footage (flac 475mb)
01 What Is A Pyroclastic Flow ? 0:54
02 I Got My Locs On 3:43
03 It Takes A Nation 3:26
04 Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It 4:41
05 Hood Mentality 5:11
06 Why Me ? 4:00
07 Cold Places 4:12
08 Jack N The Box 4:22
09 Do Ya Thang 4:04
10 Thank God 5:28
11 Here He Come 4:32
12 Get Money, Spend Money, No Money 4:07
13 Get Use To It 4:25
14 Tomorrow 3:40
15 Stand Tall 3:46
16 Take Me Away 4:03
Bonus
17 Believe It Or Not 3:11
18 Don't Make Me Hurt Ya Feelings 2:45
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While his 2008 effort Raw Footage brought aggression and bitterness, I Am the West leans back a bit, assured in its status and wisdom, showing hip-hop how to grow old both gracefully and gangsta. Ice Cube’s first album since turning 40 masterfully lays it all out on key track “No Country for Young Men.” This witty, rapid-fire damnation of the ringtone rapper generation and their foolishness declares them “bitches” with “Rappers go to jail like Oprah go to Gayle/Stedman’s policy: Don’t ask don’t tell," along with a laugh-out-loud Redd Foxx line that shouldn’t be spoiled. Making the case that his generation fought the power while the 2010 crew was just fighting itself happens elsewhere, and when you combine this with the “we’ve got a bigger problem now” attitude of “Hood Robbin’” -- high-tech and high-finance corporations are widening the gap between the classes -- and the sage advice of “Your Money or Your Life” -- “This world, so trife/Your money or your life/Keep your kids, keep your wife/Your money or your life” -- you’ve got a layered argument against misdirected priorities and their devastating consequences. Cube suggests there are more choices than burning out and fading away when he dedicates a song to his wife of 21 years and explains how she’s enriched his life on “Nothing Like L.A.,” but the real proof is in all the vital yet lighter cuts that keep the message-filled album from being ponderous. Flashy production drives the infectious "She Couldn't Make It on Her Own," featuring fine contributions from Cube’s sons Doughboy and OMG, while big daddy himself has put an entertaining, Kool Keith-like spin on his punch lines this time out, dropping odd stingers like “Internationally known/You about to smell my cologne” (“Soul on Ice”) and “You about as lethal as a mojito/Be my amigo, eat my burrito” (“Too West Coast”). Add the usual Keith David narrations and the hard-hitting, full-bodied production the West Coast favors and the album is anchored by tradition, becoming an unassailable cocktail of talent, experience, and growth. Most won’t have the skills to follow his playbook, either on or off the field, but Cube’s utterly unique I Am the West shows the younger generation how to cross 40 while retaining their freedom and baller status. Middle age hip-hop is born here, and if the game follows his lead, it will be one monster of a genre.
Ice Cube - I Am The West (flac 346mb)
01 A Boy Was Conceived (Intro) 0:26
02 Soul On Ice 3:39
03 Life In California 4:02
04 She Couldn't Make It On Her Own 2:59
05 Urbanian 2:25
06 Y'all Know How I Am 2:18
07 Too West Coast 2:58
08 I Rep That West 4:32
09 Drink The Kool-Aid 3:10
10 No Country For Young Men 4:14
11 It Is What It Is 3:21
12 Hood Robbin' 3:45
13 Your Money Or Your Life 3:24
14 Nothing Like L.A. 3:20
15 All Day, Every Day 2:21
16 Fat Cat 2:54
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