 |  | Great talent ruined by questionable lyrics |  |
The title says it all. Ice Cube's undeniable talent was definitely misguided by his Afrocentrist and racist lyrics.
June 18, 2008The rhythm of the jinx or hoodoo music is ok. I use to listen to the album quite a bit when I was younger but as I get older I think this guy is just subliminal. I did not know you could jinx when you actually advertise yourself to the public or when responding to others comments not directed at them? the power of the jinx has gone too far. The beats are none other than subliminal it is what to be expected. Like all rap albums like this though when ice cube is 60 or 65 you will listen to probably Marvin Gaye or the Supremes, or anything Motown or Chess.
March 22, 2008 | | Crazy, Heated Album by Ice Cube | |
In late 1993, Ice Cube releases his 4th full length album (5th if you count Kill At Will EP). He still has some heat in his often angry social and political lyrics. But, he does chill a litle more, as do the beats. Beatwise, this is my favorite Cube album. Sir Jinx, Laylaw (Above the Law), QD III, Madness 4 Real, 88X Unit, and Brian G lace cube up with some smokin' G-Funk beats. His previous albums had some funky beats that were more pre g-funk and more raw, while these are more polished. QD III laced "You Know How We Do It" is one of my favorite g-funk songs of all time. The beat is sunny and laidback with a touch of soul, and there is a piercing whiny synth making the joint a great one to roll to. Cube's rhymes add to the relaxed effect of this classic. "Ghetto Bird" is a pulsating joint where Cube flees the cops, ducks the police chopper, jacks someone's ride, and goes to his woman's house and digs her out. The beat is bouncy with another whiny synth. "Make It Ruff, Make It Smooth" (f/ K-Dee) is a raucous good time. Cube is the ruff loc, and K-Dee is the smooth mack over a bouncy, twangy lowrider beat. "When I Get To Heaven" is a little more controversial. He discusses the corruptness and emptiness of the church declaring it "nuthin' but a fashion show." He knocks on religion. Take it how you want you to. The beat is chill and twangy and has a cool vibe with a flute in the hook. "Lil A-- Gee" is a tale of a younster growin' up fast and causin' trouble and panic mad young. "Cave B----" is an angry, controversial, and somewhat humorous knock on white women and how Ice Cube wants nothing to do with them. The beat has a little more East Coast bump to it and sounds dope in the system. Then we have the full album version of "Bop Gun(One Nation)," a p-funk meets g-funk classic with George Clinton adding his gruff vocals and Ice Cube gettin' it crunk, a dope g-party jam. This version is 11 minutes long! The beat "Enemy" has the early Ice Cube vibe to it with angry lyrics and an old-school beat sounding circa Death Certificate. Ice Cube still uses the c-word towards white folks like on the older albums here. Now, if you have the 2003 rerelease, there are 4 bonus joints- mixes for "What Can I Do" (Westside Mix, and Eastside Mix), the former a lowrider ready bouncer, and the latter a jazzy a-la-Tribe Called Quest, QD III's awesome remix for "You Know How We Do It," and N.O. Joe's Eerie Gumbo Funk mix for "Lil' A-- Gee," and his version has that Texas Mobb style he is known for and a sick whiny synth. As for the album, I feel it's a classic for anyone lovin' gangsta rap, G-Funk, controversial and social aware rap because it caters to all those milieu.
December 9, 2007I wish Cube did more CDs with this G-Funk style
Favorite song : Ghetto Bird classic
Must get CD
September 11, 2007 | | Ice Cube Hitting You With Some P-Funk Rhymes For The Nine-Tre (4 Stars) | |
Ice Cube's 4th full album Lethal Injection would produce more great results comming off his most commercial LP (back in the early 90's) The Preditor. Compared to albums such as Amerikka's Most Wanted/Kill At Will and Death Certificate, a more older Ice Cube would come on this album with less gang related topics and less pro-black rhyme structure. Hooking up with a producer named q d III most parts throughout the album come off sucessful, and at the same time, more laid back (I guess Cube's production skills wern't in full swing yet back in '93). "Really Doe", "Cave B***h" (despite how racial you think that song is), "Lil A** Gee" would be the only few songs that will take you back to the early days of Ice Cube. The latter would be a song on the effect on little kids getting caught up in gangbanging. "Ghetto Bird" is an ode to those high speed chases that often occur in Los Angeles. The soft atmosphere occurs on most tracks as songs like "You Know How We Do It", "Make It Ruff, Make It Smooth" and "When I Get To Heaven" would play off well, but at the same time, might have left old Cube fans scratching their heads ("Down For Whatever" couldn't have been any slower). Despite the eleven minute long song "Bop Gun", that will make you nod your head to the uplifting p funk tune of George Clinton's (who ironically appears on this track) "One Nation Under A Groove".
If you purchased this after 2003, you would get four extra tracks (mostly taken from his Bootlegs & B Sides album) of remixes of the hits. ATCQ's Ali Shaheed Muhummad would remix "What Can i Do" with a beat that doesn't sound like Cube would be confortable with but pulls it off anyway. Cube himself would remix "You Know How We Do It" making it sound better than the origonal.
Overall, this album is solid release from Cube that I enjoyed at most parts. No he doesn't carry the same tone as he did back in his NWA days, but hits us with something more relaxing. People say that this is Cube's worst album that he released between 1990 and 1993, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad album (personally I believe The Preditor was his worst), and has been sucessful in many points, reading that it was his second most selling album behind The Preditor. This one I recommend picking up, it carries its weight for the majority.
Lyrics: B+
Production: A-
Musical Vibes: B
Overall: B+
Favorite Tracks: Really Doe, Ghetto Bird, You Know How We Do It (both origonal and remix), Cave B***h, (Bop Gun) One Nation, When I Get To Heaven, What Can I Do (Remix), Lil A** Gee (Remix)
June 20, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
