Reviews (page 3 of 7)
I looked up the meaning of his lyrics and it really added to my enjoyment of the album. Way to much extreme language for my day to day taste but the album makes you think.
Classic 90s hip hop album. Somewhat long tho. Standout songs: The n ya love to hate, turn off the radio, a gangstas farytale, the product
This one is weird. The production is sooo good. A lot of these beats if they were spruced up could be fun throwback beats for today. But yeah ice cube isn’t flowing like THE BEST on here but he sounds very good. He says a lot of like, very overtly anti woman shit. Which yeah is like, that happens in hip hop. But this is very direct and vendetta ish. But then he brings on yoyo to almost dismiss the misogyny. So idk. Very good tho
8/10
I’ll never get use to coat hanger abortion lyrics, but this album is otherwise incredibly listenable from a music perspective and is an artifact of both music and social commentary of the time in a way that feels both past and present.
A classic that I haven't listened to in a while, nice to have played it again.
As an Australian this was an album that was hard to listen to. Was cool til it wasn’t
This one is hard to rate, as a kid this was my shit, Cube could do no wrong, straight outta NWA and right into the Bomb Squads universe! It was a perfect combination for me musically and Cube didn't disappoint! Listening now is a whole lot different, the beats are still dope but the lyrics are very suspect! It's hard to remove this from its place and time for me as this was an album of my youth that came out in that sweet spot where you're just developing your music taste, back then it's a 10/5 now it's much harder. I'm still giving this high marks but understand other people's ratings of this!
12/28/23. Ice Cube brings the energy in this one backed by some good beats and samples.
I love Ice Cube and this one did not disappoint!
Ice Cube’s “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted” is hard. Cube is self-described as a cop killing, child aborting, drive-by shooting gangsta. It’s pretty amazing to see his conversion to directing and voice acting in family movies. As for the album, Cube has flow and powerful rhyme game. While the lyrics are very controversial, this is, without doubt, a very strong album.
I appreciate the funkiness of West coast rap and hip hop more than the jazzy/bluesy feels of East coast, the rhythm suits me better I suppose. I enjoy Ice Cube’s flow and lyrics, even the juxtaposition of dark subject matter alongside danceable beats
The production is excellent, and overall, it's an incredibly cohesive album. I really hate sketches on rap albums, but these are brief enough to overlook. For me, it just lacks a personal appeal to relisten or become a regular listen.
Classic gangsta-rap album. Ice Cube was clearly the best rapper of NWA. I like the beats on this too
Incredible first solo outing after the breakup of N.W.A. I forget how hard the early west coast hip hop hits. Great record.
I forgot how good Ice Cube is. I reviewed before I finished the album, but I'm definitely going to listen to the album and likely favorite some songs.
Awesome beats, sick flow and the rhyme game is on point. The lyrical content isn't ok by todays standards. Still I can't deny that I like this album as it's very well made and it's really my type of hip hop. Production and rap game like this is hard to find today.
Some outrageous bars on this. Classic
Actually pretty good
Pretty good for old rap
4.5
A trailblazer in the gansta rap genre. Great album. Ice cube is great
with songs that are more spoken word poetry than the ice cube of no Vaseline, this album tells you stories about Los Angeles and Ice Cubes experiences. Glad I listened
4.0 + Still as fun as I remembered. Ice Cube is all crude and terribly misogynistic and I probably shouldn’t like these songs as much as I do. At least he was savvy enough to feature Yo Yo to rebut some of that sexism on “It’s A Man’s World.” I hereby revoke my woke card, I guess?
Actually way better than I had expected
Little dated but still solid fun
3.75
19th September 2023 Listened to all of these late due to Stu and Laura, mainly on the drive back from Norfolk but this was in Cheltenham on birthday day. Banging 90s rap and hip hop.
An old album that's actually good? Wow so shocking, never really listened to Ice Cube before this but after listening to this project I wanna go more into his discography Favorite Tracks: What They Hittin' Foe?, You Can't Fade Me/JD's Gaffilin', Once Upon A Time In The Projects, Turn Off The Radio, Endangered Species, A Gangsta's Fairytale, Who's The Mack?
Good old west coast 90s rap. I’ll never love the skits but I’ll never hate the albums. 7/10
Unexpectedly really enjoyed this: had me feeling like I was waking through the streets of New York in the last 90s respecting by all around. Before this I had only known one ice cube song but I’m very thankful for this album appearing and opening my eyes to a new style of music.
Language!
This is a certified hood classic. Really. With the cover and all. It's a statement if I've ever heard one.
Had no clue the guy from Are We The Yet had such impressive bars. Solid album
Me encantó. Desde que vi Quieren Volverme Loco he tenido unas ganas de escuchar Ice Cube que no son normales. Tenía las expectativas altas, pues llevo toda la lista esperando un álbum de Hip Hop que sea más que letra sobre música apenas disfrutable, por suerte, este cumple perfectamente con ambas. Aunque la gente diga que es misógino, sinceramente creo que eran cosas de otros tiempos, por lo que, personalmente, simplemente ignoraría esa parte. En general es super disfrutable, algo que llevo queriendo en un álbum de Hip Hop desde hace mucho tiempo, por lo que le daré las 4
J'ai bien aimé, on voit clairement l'impact que cet album a dû avoir. On est dans un son qui rapelle vraiment NWA. Les beats sont très solides, les paroles aussi, le flow de Ice Cube est très bon. L'album comme un tantinet à trainer vers la fin par contre. 8/10
Amazing lyrics and good ass beats. There’s still too many random before and after talking or skits that I hate. One of the best 90’s rap albums. The Nigga You Love To Hate, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, You Can’t Fade Me, Endangered Species and The Bomb. 9/10
This is the epitome of old school gansta rap. The lyrics and imagery here are very visceral and often violent, but it's how Ice was trying to get his message across. Very politically charged, many of the issues raised within are still a problem today (sadly, seems to be a common theme). The production is really cool, with tons of great samples and hidden gems. The inclusion of skits and little spoken bits do date the album a bit, but they're not so heavily leaned on that it is a major problem Fav Tracks: Once Upon a Time in the Projets, A Gansta's Fairytale, Who's the Mac?
Very very aggressive, but very 90's rap. I like this. Not my cup of tea, but I definitely enjoyed.
Comes in hard with a clear statement of banging beats and close to the street lyrics. begins to fade a little in the second half of the album but several all time greats here. It has both the negatives and positives of 90's hip hop, however still enjoyed this album right now. Mix of banging tunes and story telling, not quite at the heights Ice Cube reaches in his next few albums still fantastic though and even more hilarious seeing the hand-wringing over the lyrics here. 4
Can't believe they got this guy for a kids movie in the early 2000s
Thanks to this list, I've been exposed to more rap and hip-hop music than ever before. I can't begin to say I'm an expert or even understand a lot of it, but at least I can differentiate genuine badass rap from wanna-be bullshit crap and Ice Cube's first solo album is the real deal! The beats are great and he has lots to say, with the obvious misogyny aside, many of the issues are still relevant today. A solid record and a good listen.
so vile and profane, i know that’s why people like it, that’s why i would’ve liked it when i was 20, but it’s just gross, the beats & production are incredible though and he’s clearly a giant talent it’s just a sad commentary on just about everything
Hardcore beats and rhymes that still hold power 30 plus years on. You have to also consider that the main stream's idea of hip hop that year was saccharine garbage like MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice. One star off though because the braggadocio and overuse of the b-word bog that album down at times
Ice Cube is such an icon. This record f*cks.
Classic
Disco bem construído. Hip Hop anos 90 clássico. Muitas camadas e instrumentos orgânicos. Baixo e bateria são destaques.
Classic 90s rap solo album. Absolutely love it. I never listened to a full album from Ice Cube before but this is tasty. I can really tell how influential the album was and you can feel the genius of him breaking away from his old group and going solo for the first time. The track Endangered Species is excellent/harrowing. I love that 90s style of rap where you can understand all of the lyrics and I love the beats. It's super impressive. I also really enjoy the layers and how each track builds throughout.
Pretty good stuff. I like that you can understand all the words. And the beats are good.
4.0
It's difficult to offer a decent take on this album. On the one hand, it's absolutely piggin' great. On the other hand, it is tied to its time in a way that becomes rapidly uncomfortable. I was really pleased to hear Yo-Yo contributing to "it's a man's world", which goes a little way to showing that Cube knows his brand of misogynistic rap is "a bit much" but does it make up for the juvenile attitude of the rest of the album? Yeah, naw. I appreciate that Cube is a parody of himself and of the genre, but its not explicit enough to not be seen as genuine. He is bloody good though.
West Coast Hip Hop Gangsta Rap Favs: - The N Ya Love to Hate - A Gangsta’s Fairytale 7/10: This was a good West Coast album, but sounded just a little repetitive after a while.
Beats by the bomb squad are great, the skits add to the great flow Ice Cube has. Lyrically the stories are harsh and dark making it difficult for some to listen to but give the album its rawness
Big bounce, liked it a lot, pas mal old school and it does it well ! Also ça groove a max sur les prod
Very surprising hip hop album. Notably some funky(-ish) sonorities in the beats and overall good verses from Ice Cube. Its a bit old as an album and you can feel it. Strong strong 3.5/5
Tekstene er drøye og produksjonene høres veldig gammeldags/naive ut, men koste meg med denne.
Good
A great album but definitely a product of its time
hype. and kind scary at moments.
I can see why it’s a classic of it’s genre
Probably my favorite from Ice Cube, although Death Certificate is definitely a top tier contender
very good flow. great beats. some problematic lyrics by today's standards
he really didn't want to have a baby with that lady. very good listen, but the lyrical content isn't for me which makes me feel like a fraud for nodding along to ice cube banging on about murder and misogyny. if i don't listen to the words its great, but once i hear what they're talking about it starkly reminds me that my life couldn't be any further form that stuff even if i tried. i struggle with gangster rap in general as its songs about things that i either have no reference for or glamourising attitudes and behavior that i don't agree with.
Cut & paste text to be used to summarise most hip-hop albums on this list: Too long, too many songs, too many skit-bits. but when it's good, it's really good
I appreciate this for what it is, but I don't like it as much as other East Coast stuff from the same time
This is perfect timing. Just got done listening to a tribe called quest and now this. Just starting to get into 90s hip hop and this is definitely a banger!
Yeah, I very much like this sort of stuff
pretty fun rap 7/10
Cube’s got rhymes for days, with nice production from bomb squad - classic samples but less messy than Public Enemy stuff. His delivery is good but having Chuck D feature on there makes him sound a little tame by comparison. The flow is pretty basic, but hey it’s 1990. Decent album but not an all time classic for me.
I do have a soft spot for this hard gangsta rap lol but by the 17 song I started to get a little tired, it is good and goes hard all way long tho those beats and bars are fire
I am not familiar with ICE CUBE or his debut album AMERIKKKA’S MOST WANTED. I am not a fan of hip hop / rap. The only artist that I have listened to and liked is PUBLIC ENEMY. After listening to AMERIKKKA’S MOST WANTED, I enjoyed this style of hip hop. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, ICE CUBE - AMERIKKKA’S MOST WANTED Is joined by the subsequent album: THE PREDATOR (1992) Rate Artist: ICE CUBE (4.5) Rate Album (Year): AMERIKKKA’S MOST WANTED (US 1990 Original) (4.5) Rate Album (Year): AMERIKKKA’S MOST WANTED (US 20xx Reissue (xx Bonus)) (4.5) Ranking of ICE CUBE - AMERIKKKA’S MOST WANTED songs No. Title Length Ranking 01. Better Off Dead 1:03 09.0/10 02. The Nigga You Love To Hate 3:13 10.0/10 03. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted 4:08 09.0/10 04. What They Hittin' Foe? 1:22 08.0/10 05.1 You Can't Fade Me 4:43 08.0/10 05.2 JD's Gafflin' 0:29 05.0/10 06. Once Upon A Time In The Projects 3:41 10.0/10 07. Turn Off The Radio 2:37 09.0/10 08. Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside) 3:21 09.0/10 09. A Gangsta's Fairytale 3:16 10.0/10 10. I'm Only Out For One Thang 2:10 09.0/10 11. Get Off My Dick And Tell Yo Bitch To Come Here 0:56 08.0/10 12. The Drive-By 1:01 09.0/10 13. Rollin' Wit The Lench Mob 3:43 10.0/10 14. Who's The Mack? 4:35 10.0/10 15. It's A Man's World 5:26 10.0/10 16. The Bomb 3:25 09.0/10 US 1990 Original Release 152.0/170 = 8.94 / 2 = 4.47 Bonus EP: Kill At Will 17. Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside) (Remix) 4:10 10.0/10 18. Jackin' For Beats 2:57 10.0/10 19. Get Off My Dick And Tell Yo Bitch To Come Here (Remix) 3:38 09.0/10 20. The Product 3:35 10.0/10 21. Dead Homiez 3:55 10.0/10 22. JD's Gafflin' (Part 2) 0:32 08.0/10 23. I Gotta Say What Up!!! 3:08 08.0/10 US 2003 Reissue (7 Bonus) Release 217.0/240 = 9.04 / 2 = 4.52
Gooooooood
Setting aside the rampant misogyny, this is a great album. A fair amount of that credit must go to The Bomb Squad - the production is top notch and the beats infectious. Ice Cube's delivery is relentless and he carries on very much in the same vein as during his time in NWA - though perhaps even more extreme. Reckon I will be coming back to this one.
Fork, fork, forkity fork. Guns. Fork.
a great album if you don't actually listen to it
Bright me back to one of the hardest times in my life and reminded me of the music I listened to to express the rage.
Iconic sound that's making a comeback right now. Can't deny the cultural phenom that was and is Ice Cube.
Shit goes hard Prefs: The Nigga You Love To Hate, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Once Upon a Time in the Projects, I'm Only Out For One Thang, It's a Man's World, The Bomb Moins pref: You Can't Fade Me/JD's Gaffilin
I really liked Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A., but I am not a huge rap fan. I have to say I really liked this album. Hard to believe this man would go on to star in Disney family movies. Favorite song Gangsta's Fairytale.
Here for it
Really inventive, very of its time, very interesting
Iconic sound of the 90s.
Loved to hate Ice Cube before. This was the first time I ever actually listened to his music, surprisingly nice
Just don't really connect with the source material, but good execution of an older style of hip hop.
This album is definitely not for middle class mom's. Classic Ice Cube.
First time hearing this. Really liked it.
Really strong but gets kind of one-note towards the end for me
4.5 great production, bomb squad laced cube. such a crazy album for it to be a debut, even knowing his work with nwa. crazy to see how much cube has changed since this release musically and with his public persona. funny to think that this is the same guy who was in two (three if you ask me but...) of the best comedy movies of all time, one of the worst movies of all time, and a bunch of okay to mediocre shit in between. who's the mack & gangsta's fairytale are my faves. i won't return to the album as a whole but i really enjoyed it and is a important listen
Nije se morao dokazivati, ali opet za početak solo karijere je morao drito u meso. Nakon odjeba N. W. A., krenuo je u solo vode i to mu je bio najbolji potez, pogotovo što se tiče 90ih. Ovaj album mu je možda čak i najbolji, iako ima još 2 albuma koja su jako blizu kvaliteti kao što ovaj album donosi, a to su Death Certificate i The Predator, iako se lako može i Lethal Injection ubaciti. Ovdje je gladan kao ja nedjeljom kad se ručak pojede, pa moram ćevape naručit navečer.
Ice Cube is a legend, and proves that he is the key player in NWA with this album
יס
legend of the game
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: The nigga you love to hate,
A good listen to old school rap. A lot of the themes in the songs resonate to today's climate in the USA. Best: The N***a Ya Love to Hate, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, It's a Man's World Worst: Who's The Mack?, Get Off My D**k and Tell Yo B***h to Come Here
Cool hip-hop album. Cube went hard back in the day.
Much funkier than I expected. More interesting than NWA.
Heel cool! Kende 't eigenlijk niet echt, maar echt goed.
Dit is voor mij echt jeugdsentiment. Eerste gangstarap plaat die ik luisterde. Echt een goede flow die gast, vette groove en toffe samples. Vooral die 1e track is een van de beste raptracks die ik ken.
Loved all the beats and samples lyrics really not for me.
I’m basically hip-hop illiterate. But this was much better than I expected! Plus, I once saw Ice Cube shooting basketball at some corporate event on the Fox lot. That’s gotta count for at least a star.
Heat, anthems, BLM end of black history month iconic end 3.9
always liked cube, plus chuck d and flav are an awesome surprise - wasn't expecting to see them here
Really excellent. I had no preconceived relationship with Ice and this was a great surprise.
West coast is heavy in this one
Sadly, this is still relevant.
wish i had been into this at the time
Classic rap album.
I remember this being fire
Really have to be in the right mood.
Yeah this didn't age well very early 90s
Hits a lot of the normal gangsta-rap beats, if not helping invent some of them, but it's got some interesting variety and enough lyricism flow
I really didn't listen to the lyrics here closely but I thought the delivery and backing beats were solid enough.
Production is stellar, and the lyrics range from insightful to cringeworthy.
So, this isn’t one to blast in your car as a white guy in the suburbs… That said, Ice Cube puts together a debut that makes me want to nod my head and wish I could hit the switches in my minivan! 3.5⭐️
I now understand why my parents didn't want me listening to this when I was 10 years old...
First rap album on the list. I've heard of this album and heard about these songs but never listened to the album and to me all of these songs felt brand new. It was fascinating! Very violent and sexist. I loved the use of newcasts and laughed at the song about fairytale. Just when it's a man's world felt too sexist for me to enjoy femal rapper yo yo hopped on the track and saved the day. I'm still amazed how dated an album released in the year of my birth sound lol
This is like hardcore rap. Bit misogynistic, which is unfortunate. 3
Was fine I guess. Not my favorite hip hop album
also not for me but I guess slightly less for
Man I heard this was a hip-hop classic album and as a fan of 90’s hip-hop I was alittle disappointed. Not bad by any means but went in high expectations and they just weren’t met. Was alright overall
Many strong tracks here - including the title track , What They Hitting Foe, Who’s The Mack and Turn Off The Radio (yeah fuck that straight RnB shit) all great. Good storytelling delivery and rapping style and good Bomb Squad production echoing some PE type sounds. But can’t bypass the misogyny that runs through a fair number of songs. Ok he was 20 when this was recorded but… Easy 4.2 marked down to 3.
Pretty similar to other 90s hip hop- great but repetitive sound. But this particular album contains You Can’t Fade Me and the following lines: “she started moaning and gobbling like a turkey” and “I’m thinking to myself why did I bang her, now I’m in the closet looking for a hanger.” So we’ll bump it
I grunden bra hip hop. Ett skönt sound. Har inte tagit mig tid till att lyssna ordentligt på alla texter. Men gangstarap är ju vad gangstarap är. Det dynga på pågatågen å Plutten som fick gå om en klass. Tunga grejer. I längden kan det dock nästan kännas lite poserande, även om IC skildrar i grunden sin verklighet. Kvinnosynen ska vi inte tala om. Mörker. Nåväl, mer bra än dåligt. Klarar trean.
Det låter mycket public enemy, vilket inte är så konstigt med samma producentteam och Chuck D och Flavor Flav som gäster. Inte lika militäriskt hårt som It takes a nation of millions men ändå rätt bra. Lite för långt, men en hel del bra spår; The Nigga Ya Love to Hate, Endangered Species och inte minst It's a Man's World.
Interessante. Possui um ritmo bem incessante, consigo entender os comentários dizendo que Ice Cube estava faminto na época, faz sentido. O disco não te dá um segundo para respirar, é uma faixa depois da outra, um verso depois do outro, tudo sem pausas. As batidas são legais, gostei da produção no geral, mas sinceramente, não curti muito os versos do Ice Cube. A voz dele é legal, mas fora isso, nada me agradou totalmente. Disco bem mediano de Rap, mas ao menos escapa das clássicas armadilhas do gênero e do período. 3.5
Ich mag den Flow der Bomb Squad .. die Texte sind dann eher der Negativpunkt.
much better than expected tbh
I want to like it more than I do. Love Cube, but this mostly missed in growing up; a little out of place in 2026
No. 204 It's not my favorite flavor of hiphop but this album is solid. I mean, Ice Cube has always been ready to get up in faces and speak hard truths. That is very much on display here
Solid!
Expected to like this more than I did. Had much of that early 90’s hip hop sound that I expected but not much else. Too long and too much of the same thing. 2.5-3
Hey, it’s an album by the star of “Are We There Yet?” This must be some family friendly fun! All kidding aside, Ice Cube is clearly an amazing rapper. But his flow and the beats felt really repetitive to me by the end. If you took a 30 second snippet and asked me what track it was from, I think I’d have a hard time placing it. Still, his talent is undeniable, and it was solid overall.
It was alright.
It's interesting that this album still has that old school hip hop sound that would turn into the G-funk only a few years later. To my modern ears, it's quite dated and presents a funny contrast: politically conscious and aggressive lyricism mixed with funky, dance beats. Same for the delivery, I find myself trying to "correct" the cadence of the raps 😭.
Like the beats and production. Lyrics - meh.
This was a classic gangster rap album from the early 90s. Had his typical feel and flow, really good stuff. I am not typically a huge fan of it, but this one is great.
11/05/2026 This didn't stand out for me nor did any song. Little disappointed with this. Spotify listeners: 16.5 million
Hm, er hat bessere Alben
The lyrics were a bit much but I enjoyed the beats and his rapping style. 3.5
Pretty good, but it hasn’t aged well
I first was introduced to Ice Cube from the all-time classic film 'Are We There Yet'. Got a bit into NWA as I grew up and started discovering my music taste. Now as message for the kids. No matter what the old heads in your life think when they say music/life/everything was better 'back in my day'. Don't listen to them; they don't mean everything. And they don't mean this album. Now don't get me wrong this album wasn't terrible, but it definitely isn't must listen.
Hot & cold
Because I am An Old, this is what rap is supposed to sound like to me.
what i believe is a quintessential 90s rap album, however i just could not look past the rampant misogyny in the lyrics:(
Less focused than Predator, with the tough talk that seems to want it both ways. Sounds too much like too many rap albums of the time.
I have mixed feelings about this album. Some tracks are genius, exactly the kind of lyrical/political/social force for change that I have always hoped rap would become; others fall back on the same tired rap tropes about women and masculinity. I'm beginning to think that, with rap, you cannot have the political, musical dynamism without the bravado and misogyny; it's as if the genre requires that the two co-exist. But then again, isn't much of rock music the same way?
Some songs are so good, and yet the misogyny (and more specifically the misogynoir) is running rampant everywhere else.
I actually sort of enjoyed this, the music itself was good but as always the language and misogyny are a problem for me.
Love the simplicity of 90s rap beats, much more than I love the simplicity of 90s rap flow
Gangsta rap has a place, but it needs to be a sweet spot when to play it.
We’ve gotta be close to exhausting the supply of rap albums right? From a purely musical standpoint the albums pretty solid, there are some great beats and Ice Cube’s got one of the most iconic voices in hip hop history. There is some pretty cutting racial commentary which I thought was pretty well done, I always like the old white guy newscaster bit when it comes up in 90s rap. It’s just really hard to take this guy seriously sometimes though, those lyrics are so edgy for the dork who played the main character in classic 2025 Amazon film, The War of the Worlds, as well as countless other Hollywood pursuits. I keep forgetting how out of pocket west coast rap is compared to east coast, but man the amount of offensive and just gross lyrics is insane. Think it’s just a bit too long and the lack of variety really starts to rear its head towards the end If this one trimmed the fat and cut out all the garbage songs this would be an easy 4, but there’s definitely enough actively going against it to bring this one down a point. The bones are there at least
I feel like I've listened to enough rap albums doing this that I'm actually starting to get and enjoy it. Like, I can hear the lyrics and the flow a lot more clearly than with the earlier albums we did. Anyway, I'm glad that Ice Cube was able to get out of the hood and star in hit movies like War of the Worlds. Good for him.
An okay album, not really my style of music.
Tough one to rate - this is pretty revolutionary in terms of evolving the NWA sound, sociopolitical and racial commentary, unflinching looks at life in the projects, etc. Endangered Species is pretty awesome with the Chuck D collab, and some good Slick Rick-style storytelling. But man the misogyny is pretty rough in parts, and songs like You Can't Fade Me are a very tough listen in 2026. So I recognize the place this one has but still find it hard to rate too high.
Dug it. 3.5/5
You can’t pay me has to be one of the most ridiculously wild songs in my life To think I would grow up knowing ice cube as the guy from are you there yet talk about reinvention man solid three out of five album. This album is not for everyone don’t get it twisted you definitely have to know what you’re getting into.
3.5
This is solid 90s hip hop, but no individual track jumps out for me. Cube's best work is found elsewhere.
нормалек, вайбово.
2.5
Me gusta la furia y que vaya al grano, sin tonterías, aunque me siento un turista cada vez que escucho algo de este estilo de rap. No es mi cosa, ni creo que llegue a serlo.
Dont like rap that muxh, but still good
Another boom nap album, but this one was slightly better than the last one by every metric in my opinion. There was more character with some funny skits and ad Libs, the beats and sampling were a little more interesting, and most of all I like his style of wrapping because he's almost always telling a story, not just rhyming in an impressive manner. An abrasive, but enlightening look into the reality of living in the hood.
Great album. A little too raw for my tastes, but obviously excellent.
Very influential on the biggest genre of today. The worst part of hiphop from this age is the dumb skits. Really holding this album back, especially when all the skits are about women 3/5
Ten to ma potężną dykcję. Niestety pisze takie głupoty, że w sumie lepiej, gdyby jej nie miał. Kartka z pamiętnika - trochę bawi, trochę żenuje. 5/10.
This one hasn’t aged too well, production wise and in some case lyrically as well…
Love the production, the sexism has not aged well.
Solid beats, a bit dated flows, very dated lyrics.
Get over it. Old-school hip hop has misogyny, violence, and foul language ~>_<~ The sky is blue, I have to pay taxes, and this has a few bangers
i love being reminded how racist early gangsta was! and how badass cube was for it! (not really but kinda). ignorant music should be lstened 2 ignorantly
3.5
I do think some of the themes in the album are there for dramatic purposes but still pretty rough. Production is cool though
é top mas sei laarrrrr
The lyrics didn't do a lot for me, but musically I liked this better than a lot of other rap from this time period.
Pretty decent
I don’t have strong feelings one way or the other. Some parts were pretty funny.
Classic gansta rap. This album is oozing style and skill- Ice Cube is talented and has a strong point of view. And it isnt plagued with the same degree of skits that early rap albums have. Still it isnt without flaws- it has aged a little poorly with its view towards women. The songs also started to sounde a little samey toward the end. Overall- good album. 3.5/5
Favorite songs: The N***a Ya Love to Hate, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, Who's the Mack
Good hip hop album although too heavy on the expletives
I don't know if this is my favorite style of rap, but Ice Cube is so good with it. His style, his flow, his substance. He's so good at storytelling, and he mastered the art of interstitial skits. For as good as the album is, it feels dated.
dobar hiphop, šta znam, svidja mi se što mogu da ga razumem, sviđaju mi se instrumentali, i generalno je dobra priča albuma, sve se vrti oko tog nekog života u "hood-u" i tom doživalju doprinose svi isečci iz vesti koje čujemo ili svađe direktno sa ulice, plus pucnjave i tako. neverovatno je mizogen album, što nije iznenađujuće, ali samo zato što je to nekada bilo ''normalno'' ne znači da ću da to i zanemarim. mada mi se sviđa pesma its a mans world jer tu dobijamo žensku perspektivu od yo-yo, ali to ne poništava celu pesmu u kojoj priča o tome kako ga je žena prevarila da je njegovo dete pa će da je tuče ili šta već. priznajem da nisam pratila pažljivo tekst, moguće je da sam nešto propustila, ali da, to je moj utisak.
A solid album of gangsta rap from Ice Cube, somewhat undercut by his goofy acting career in the years that have followed. The beats are the highlight of the record, though Ice Cube's political commentary is interesting. As with NWA, it is rather unsavory in its misogyny and violence, and doesn't quite live up to the magnitude of "Straight Outta Compton." I found "It's a Man's World" to be an interesting counterbalance to the sexist themes that had permeated the album up to that point.
Good beats, typical lyrics about gangsta’s life. Not bad, but I don’t think I’m going to return to it …
Great energy but too long
Listenable gangsta rap, surprisingly!!
Felt just like another hip hop album, nothing special. Liked it’s a man’s world the best
Much like the Public Enemy album I got previously, this feels a lot like a transition album from old-school to new school. It has some of the more new-school, complex rhyming and flow (Although still some of the old-school, simplistic = staccato flows). The beats are definitely on the more old-school side as well. Overall, it's solid, but not what I really look for in hip hop. A little too old-school for me.
I'm not a massive fan of this, but it wasn't the worst thing. Low 3/5
Good beats, don’t love all the lyrics. Very long for a debut album. I will do points for the music though so we’ll give this a 3
Temp
É um álbum interessante nos Beats e Groove mas HOJE sofre como produto do seu tempo... QKZXHBB Hades.
Pretty good. I enjoyed it. But I'm not gonna pick random tracks from it and listen again. It's an album I'd probably listen to again as one piece. But not sure I will listen to it again. I enjoyed it but not sure I'll go back to it.
-definitely liked this more than The Chronic -lots of variety between songs -he might dislike women -still a fun listen overall
Fun, bouncy, interesting even when the content is most grotesque Highlights: "What They Hittin' Foe?", "A Gangsta's Fairytale", "Rollin' Wit the Lench Mob", "The Mob"
Stronger first half than second half. But overall pretty decent
The title of the album is brilliant and honestly scarily relevant today, but the music towards the end I started to think at what point did I stop caring? 3/5
Fun but it started to get a bit old by the end.
Never listened to Ice Cube, actually pretty good. Got a bit repetitive after a while though.
This just isn’t the style of rap I enjoy. A lot of the beats blur together, and the angry lyrics wears you out pretty quickly. I get why it was a hit when it came out, but this hasn’t aged well.
Yes i remember you It was okay
Beats are a little outdated, yes, and some of the lyrics are… shitty. But, this is an important piece of hip-hop history regardless.
7/10
Super zvuk i jako zasterijela tematika/pristup
Ihan jees, mutta ei kuitenkaan omiin parhaisiin räppilevyihin mene. Ei tuttuja biisejä eikä uusiakaan hyviä löytynyt. Biisit siis vähän mitäänsanomattomia vaikka ihan hyvä fiilia niissä onkin. Parhaat: A Gangsta's Fairytale
Definitely a bit too repetitive (like most early hip hop), but it remains fast-paced the whole way through, which I like. The lyrics were fun, but the production was nothing special. Also, I’m yet to find an album where interludes aded something to the table. Fun album but not that exciting. 7/10
The Bomb Squad production is great but Ice Cube's aggressive machismo makes for a tough listen. I'd be able to tolerate it better if it wasn't constant, front and center, across basically every song. Respect to Cube for his place in hip hop history, but I'd love probably prefer an instrumental version.
How could say anything ill toward Mr. Ice Cube?!?
Enjoyed this much more than the chronic
the lyrics here are very strong. this is very much a story telling album and that is very well executed. i agree with someone else who said the beats are aged. some rap songs you think i hope i can find the instrumental of this. this album is nothing without ice rapping. i like the dialogue added in it definitely adds to the successful story telling. one thing ill say is that the songs kind of blend together. they all kind of sound the same which helps the album maintain a theme but it is slightly tedious to listen to. the aggressiveness works, it’s like his “brand.” downloaded one song.
Production has aged notably compared to the Predator. Still good but that holds this back.
The bomb squad goes hard at least
Ice Cube's first album after leaving N.W.A and moving to the East Coast. Sometimes, Cube is ON; his delivery can be smooth, venemous, his rhymes can be clever, but he trends toward gangsta rap cliches too often for me. I thought certain songs sounded like a less sonically dense Public Enemy, and then realized that the Bomb Squad handled the bulk of production duties. The record absolutely benefits from features by Chuck D and Flava Flav, as well as, Yo-Yo, who absolutely holds her own on the track "It's a Man's World". It's a mixed bag, but rest assured the good is really good. Highlights: "The N***a Ya Love to Hate", "Amerikkka's Most Wanted", "What They Hittin' Me Foe", "Who's the Mack", "The Bomb"
Clearly talented. Raw and unrelenting. A bit too raw for me but I see it.
Keeping her going
very interesting
This album comes at you fast and doesn’t stop really. Fast paced and in your face. Once you decide to stop pearl clutching at the gangsta rap themes, you find great beats and an aggressive iconic delivery with some good storytelling.
This didn’t really connect with me, which was a slight surprise since I quite liked his album The Predator, and I like the Bomb Squad productions on the Public Enemy albums. I felt like this album was just a little too up and down, a little too aggressively try-hard.
Know the album and the artist. I feel that Ice is not the best of this style, but credit where credit is due, and I do feel this album is good, but he has better IMO or at least the hits are better than an album as a whole.
Y'know, the last time I engaged with Ice Cube, he was starring in the cinematic disasterpiece that is 'War Of The Worlds'. You've probably heard plenty about it — the screenlife movie where Ice Cube spends the entire time acting like he's one of those reaction YouTubers? It's a great laugh; I honestly recommend it, as one of the new all-time stinker flicks. But did you know: he's also a rapper? And not just in N.W.A., where he made a name as one of the star performers, no. He also had a solo career, and this was his debut. As Ice Cube's first step on his own ... well, it's complicated, to say the least. Because, on the one hand (and I suppose we should get this out of the way to start), Ice Cube doesn't seem to have a particularly great attitude towards women? This mostly comes up on the song "You Can't Fade Me", where, when faced with a woman saying she's having his baby, Ice Cube's first thought is to "kick her in the tummy." Woof. Then, months later, when the kid's almost due, he's racing to find a wire clothes hanger. Like, my man, putting aside the obvious shit here, it's a little late for this **now**, don't you think? Now, myself, I'm not the kind of person who gets aghast when lyrics like these pop up on a rap record (it was, unfortunately, the style at the time), but at the same time ... goodness me, Cube. Was any of this necessary? Some part of me figures he's supposed to be playing a character here, amping up so many of his negative traits. After all, he's supposed to be "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" — the guy you love to hate, y'know? But I feel like that sort of can only carry you so far. I mean, he's not Eminem playing Slim Shady, where it's so cartoonishly over-the-top you can't even begin to take it seriously. Heck, it's not even like Dre and friends on 'The Chronic', where, yeah, it has its own share of misogynistic lyrics, but the G-funk party vibes are so strong it kind of smooths things over enough for me to enjoy it. Here, Ice Cube seems to want to be taken pretty seriously, with all of his socio-political and reality raps. So, if he's a character playing up the sexism, is he playing it up on those other songs, too? Where's the delineation here? I mean, he's a better actor here than in something like 'War Of The Worlds', but that's not exactly a high bar to cross. And this whole album seems to hinge on how much you buy into this character he might or might not be playing (and I might not), so... At least he gets a good chunk of what's coming to him on "It's A Man's World" with Yo-Yo. That's a great track. To put it in short, a lot of this is a product of its time. I don't say that to excuse anything he said here, but more just ... to better frame this album, y'know? There's nothing you can do to change what it is; you can only deal with what's there. And there's a part of me that thinks Cube had to go and muck things up with these lyrics, 'coz otherwise there's a lot I like about this album. The beat work from the Bomb Squad is fantastic as always; I love hearing how they flip and play around with samples. And as a rapper, I've always had a spot for Ice Cube. He's got a great voice for this stuff, and his flows are dead classic. Like, there's a reason he was a stand-out in N.W.A.. It's, y'know, not great that he chose to bring some of his worse traits over to this album, but still, I can't completely deny the talent. I think it's a good album, though undeniably dogged by some real rough spots. I can't say I totally blame the people whose reviews are essentially just a 1 and "MYSOGINIST!". For my money, I think it's enjoyable, but you'd absolutely hafta toss a song or two from the tracklist if you wanna play the thing in full. So, Cube, I'm glad to know you were doing better things in your youth than 'War Of The Worlds' — but maybe you still coulda done a **bit** better? Y'know? And every time I try to think of this album's title, I always think of "America's Most Blunted" first. Every time, without fail. Goodness.
Certainly a time capsule of the 90's, but the beats do elevate it a bit. 3.5 bumped down to 3.
Fairly generic gangsta rap, made somewhat better by the occasional contribution of members of Public Enemy.
A little long
I hated having to hear a woman sing '"this is a man's world" over and over
Seemed like he was out for several thangs, actually.
I’m k I’m learning that I don’t love ice cube. I definitely don’t hate or dislike him, I just feel somewhere between like and love. This album was definitely not as solid as The Predator album, but it had its moments. I haven’t listened to his whole discography so I can only compare it to The predator and NWA’s debut album, which obviously are both better than this album. But that’s not saying much cause those two albums are probably his greatest achievements (or at least as far as I know). But at the end of the day it wasn’t bad or offensively bad, it was just meh. I’ll concede that like most rap music there’s a chance that this will grow on me and I’ll feel differently in a few years once I actually get to know it, but that’s IF I ever get to know it. I could for-see this album being very forgettable.
If I review a rap album using the word bloviating, will they finally give me my "Whitest Man Ever" award? The beats in this album are incredibly sick. The rhymes are... fine? They go hard enough, they're just not interesting.
It kinda shocks me how the "OG Gansta" rappers really don't have that many streams on Spotify.. Anyways, the lyrical talent on display here is undeniable. The social commentary hits hard and feels urgent, but why any misogyny at all? It hasn't aged well. The production feels a bit repetitive and it definitely drags in the back half. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - The Nigga Ya Love To Hate - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - Jackin' For Beats
There's deffo better IceCube around
While being a very decent hip-hop record, with great flows, nice beats and ability in storytelling, the more times I listen to it, the less I want to return to it. Feels like I reached a point where the album doesn't offer me anything more (and I just listened it bout 5 times..) and it ends up dragging. As I said, not a bad album. Ice Cube's attitude and flow really makes this stand out among other hip-hop projects, but I'm not that invested in the sound of this particular project.
Ok
Great early hip hop sound. Damn he hates women. Like, he might as well've been gay with views like that.
At best, this album is okay. There were a couple cuts where his attitude and voice grated on me. But I guess if you like this stuff, I suppose you'd find it interesting and compelling. I am just not in that clique. 3 stars.
Production bumped this up 2 stars
Funky shit. The beats had my head nodding for sure. The lyrics aren't telling me anything too deep or meaningful but they're probably not trying to. With modern ears, the attitude to women here is a problem. I can't deny the power and quality of the music but it has dated badly
It’s got quite an interesting sound to it. It has elements of 80’s rap and hip hop, as well as some of the sound that became more prominent in the 90’s. I’m surprised at how funky it is, and I’m actually pretty down with most of it. I’m guessing this was at the earlier end of having skits on records, and of course, they remain painfully unfunny. There’s a strong feeling of Public Enemy about this (and actually after writing this I re-read the intro and realised it was the same production crew) – and the more politically charged tracks do work well - but it’s kind of undermined when he also starts rapping about going at a hoe with a coat hanger. I made the mistake of actively looking at the lyrics for one of the songs and…. eeeeesh. I made a concerted effort to ignore them as much as possible after that point.
Good album, definitely took hip hop in a good direction.
I liked this more than I expected to! A story, along the lines of Solange and Lauryn Hill.
This was okay but not really my type of hip hop.
= The Beatles
Wow extremely misogynistic, fresh beats though. Three stars
Is it fair to say this came out when rap was still finding its voice? There is a lot on this record I genuinely liked—samples and beats and Ice Cube's rhymes and rapping were really great in spots. I did find it a little "one-note" with the rap, and I wonder if he were at it today, whether there would be a bit more variety. I guess that's what keeps this at a 3-star.
I liked this more than I anticipated.
It's definitely not Ice Cube's best work. The flow is good, but after 20 minutes, it starts to get boring. The lyrics are awful and haven't aged well. But it's still enjoyable as background music for a gym workout. I just need to forget that I understand English. 3 stars.
Solid ass album
I don’t mind this musically, although for most of the record it’s a bit shouty and repetitive. But I’d rather listen to pretty hard hip hop like this than something a bit more arty. Obviously the problem is the misogyny in the lyrics, although I think there are worse albums with the same problem on here. The political edge helps balance that, and I found Gangsta’s Fairytale quite amusing. But it does get a bit much over the whole album. So it’s a clear 2.5. The misogyny came close to bringing this down to 2, but I can just get to 3 in the end.
Way too long
Not my jam
I have to admit I haven't really delved into hip-hop/rap as a genre, so I don't really know much about it. But this was a good album. Kind of sad how relevant the lyrics still are, especially in 2025.
better off dead- 5 the n you love to hate- 6 amerikkkas most wanted- 5 what they hittin foe- remember war of the worlds. 5 you cant fade me- 5 once upon a time in the projects- 5 or 6 turn off the radio- 5 endangered species- 5 a gangstas fairytale- 5 im only out for ona thang- 5 no more it was fine
This was good! Fine to listen to while I was working and quite enjoyable. A solid 3.5 stars for me.
Seems like a century ago. As I age,I find the vitriol, sexism, and hypersexuality less agreeable, even as the themes still resonate.
It’s a(n albeit dated) classic, but the rampant misogyny and one-note subject matter get a bit tiresome over an entire album.
Sounds so dated, but it has its moments. 2.5/5.0: Mixed
Ice Cube? The actor in the family movies?
It's fine, it's deliberately trying to be offensive and shocking. With albums like this, like Marilyn Manson, for example, I usually find them more charming than anything else, they try so hard. Even when they have a point, like this does (at times), the swearing and shouting usually detracts from the message. I enjoyed this at times, but it was a bit too harsh and shouty for me overall.
Nothing is super catchy but this was a solid album. Really like that every song was pretty up tempo.
Pretty solid for early 90’s rap. If that’s what I was in the mood for, I’d probably reach for several other albums first, but this would still serve the purpose.
Similar opinion to the other Ice Cube album on this list, it's good but the lyrics have not aged well at all
Standard west coast gangsta rap. Nothing wrong with it just got boring after a while. Great story teller though
Ice Cube voice is just so iconic. It is not my genre of choice, but it was still enjoyable. Plus there were minimal/no skits and interludes.
Nothing really stood out - didn't love it didn't hate it. Definitely not always up for the super aggressive angry gangster rap, this pushed the limits but I still found the album fairly enjoyable to listen to.
I think I remember hearing this once or twice in high school; but aside from that it was about what I expected from old school Ice Cube. Didn't love it or hate it. 3/5
Liked this pretty well. I guess every early 90s rap album needs a song with sex noises though... Edgy! Anyways, not as good as NWA but still good. The version I listened to also had the followup EP and I think I liked those tracks the most, but I can't count them in my review. 3.33/5
I've listened to a lot of gangsta rap over the years, this one doesn't stand out more so than many others. Ice Cube has a listenable voice and better beats than many of his contemporaries at the time. Pretty good listen counts for the entire album. The music for "The Nigga Ya Love To Hate" is creative and driving. Some pretty dark lyrics on "You Can't Fade Me", but I enjoyed the storytelling. A bit much on the skit stuff, recordings from news clips, etc. He was making a point in 1990, I get it, it just doesn't hold up well today. I found the album predictable, cliche and sorta boring. 3 stars and that's generous.
I love post NWA breakup albums, gotta be one of my favorite genders
(75/100)
The lyrics get plenty of criticism and fair enough, they’re rough. But it was 1990, and he was only 20. It was a problem even then, though it feels a lot worse now. Still, the music, delivery, and sheer intensity are absolutely stunning.
While I’m not a fan of rap as a style in general I can appreciate it as a medium. But I do kind of like Ice Cube. I even saw him live at Lollapalooza and he got the the whole crowd to chant “Fuck you Ice Cube” which was fun. Anyway, didn’t necessarily enjoy the music but I kind of get what it is. It’s protest folk music of a different type. The misogynistic stuff isn’t cool and does not age well.
I enjoyed this way more than I expected to. I think I just really like Ice Cube as a lyricist, even if I don't like what the lyrics are about. The protest songs and angry songs are good, the misogynistic ones do not age well at all. But color me surprised, I was really into the whole album. Probably loses a star because of how badly some of the content has aged, but still, I was surprised.
I have mixed feelings about this record. I love hip hop and Ice Cube is a super influential figure. This record represents a good part of what made Ice Cube such a renowned figure: great storyteller, excellent flow and a huge presence. But it also hasn't aged well thematically, it's a bit overlong and feels monotonous and repetitive. Ice Cube's presence on the mic and storytelling skills are of course the driver of the record. He's charismatic, funny but also an imposing presence. The production is very late 80s, and while some of it is good, it's so repetitive. It feels like different iterations of the same beat over and over again. There's also some songs that are similar thematically, so I felt the album could've used some cutting. My favourite tracks were "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" and "Who's The Mack". On the other hand, once again we have to address the obvious issue of misogyny in rap. "You Can't Fade Me" might be a funny track, but it's also yet another chapter in hip hop's long history of misogyny. There might've been an angle from which this made sense once, but honestly it's just dumb and tonedeaf by now. "It's a Man's World" is an attempted criticism at patriarchy, but I feel like it falls flat not only because of the obvious hypocrisy of having both tracks on the same album, but because neither of the tracks is nuanced enough to provided valid criticism. Maybe in the early 90s it was more powerful, but by now it's just aged and misses the mark.
Was fun to get but a little cringe...
Hip-hop is not my thing, but this has the decency of being a lot shorter than most, and the beats and the flow are good. Lyrical content … oh.
Like all 90s rap the machismo and misogyny is tough to take now, but it’s a classic of the genre and Ice Cube’s flow is solid. I don’t like this album as much as some of his contemporaries though
Aware of Ice Cube, not this album though. Like a lot of 90s albums, a bit overstuffed but flows well. Has that early 90s sound, which has its positives and negatives. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? No Owned: No. 7/1001, 7/29 (24%) Will I get? No Recommend: Sure
A lot of rap is definitely built off of Ice Cube’s style. I don’t think any one song stood out to me, but the album is good throughout
Кубик льда крут, но музло состарилось
A lot of the lyrics were very cringe, but I thought this one was fine otherwise
Ice Cube's flow is top-notch and this is some very good early 90's rap, even if it is plagued with the regressive politics of the time that would set the stage for a lot of rap's misogyny for decades. The best song on this thing by far is the one that does the best to challenge (?) this narrative and offers a platform to a female rapper, It's a Man's World feat. Yo-Yo, to do so. Although, again, that's an incredibly low bar.
An amazing sound but some questionable content when it comes to how you treat women.
Not a bad album, there are some great beats and lyrics but there just isn't a real hit song that I can get into. I kept waiting for a real banger but I just never got it. That doesn't mean that I didn't like it, I actually enjoyed it but I wanted a little more.
Is it misogynistic? Yes Is it soooooo misogynistic it almost becomes a parody of itself? Also yes. Did it still do a lot of damage within the community? Unfortunately probably yes. Which is a shame because it’s pretty damned entertaining.
Not as bad as I thought.
crazy how a lot of the topics on this album are still relevant today... some of the songs were really good and some of the skits scared me tho LMAO
A little harsh for my taste. I generally don’t listen to music that I couldn’t play with my mother in the room. Still with listen.
Better than some of the albums I had to listen to from this era. Ice cube was always legit.
Rating: 2.7 Ice Cube is very charismatic, it is very easy to believe everything he is saying in his songs is happening/has happened. The production was great at first but then I felt like I was listening to the same song 14 times. And full disclosure, I’m not the biggest rap fan on Earth.
Solid. I'll say 3.
Musically it's okay, the message is toxic. A product of his environment!
Not too bad!
meh
Can hear how influential this is, the production is spot on. Just not for me
Music iss good. The beats are good. The lyrics on the other hand....
Not the worst. Good and diverse background beats.
Pretty solid rap album for it's time.
Not many hooks that actually got me, pretty good but not really to my liking, would have ranked 2.5 if I could.
Thank you Mister Cube, Some hand wringers here cannot Detect irony.
3.5
This guy was in Are We There Yet? and that just cracks me up for some reason given the lyrical content on display here.
I want to like this but the misogyny is just too overpowering. You can't kick a pregnant woman in the stomach, Mr. Cube. Also, it's far too long.