Reviews (page 4 of 8)
In the history of rap, this is an important one. I love hearing Cube post NWA, where he kind of takes the silliness of NWA and put its all into one record. Its still crass, heavy and explicit. But its also full of silliness and dark humor. I understand why this (and other) early gangsta rap scared parents and scared conservatives. Its visceral and dangerous, but its also meant to be somewhat comedic (darkly comedic). When you compare this Kendrick, its kind of an entirely different genre, where Kenny is serious, somber and emotional. There's obviously parts of this record that don't age well, and cause me to shift a bit in my seat. But such is the nature of this style of music, and especially in 1990. Rap is purely American, its part of our cultural DNA and this is a crucial building block.
Gangsta rap, again
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.
A classic of the genre but dated to my ears in 2025. I really hate misogyny in rap music. I've never heard a good excuse for why it's so prolific other than it's cultural - which...isn't the argument they think it is. I won't listen to this again if I can avoid it. Rap skits are cringe.
Real good flow. That's about the only good thing I can say about this album. It started out fun, but got old real quick. Half the songs sound the same. I don't even want to address the lyrics on some tracks or Ice's hypocrisy. I had high hopes as it is considered a classic, but it failed to impress and that's going to hurt the rating.
Like every 90s hip-hop album it was too long and full of cringey mysogyny, but also has some great beats.
Not my thing.
I get why its on here... It's an important album. But, dang... every song sounds the same after some time. And holy misogyny.
really solid, i think there’s a diss track on here but i can’t remember who
Dude has a song about killing a pregnant woman for saying that her baby was his.
If this album (or any of the so-called-classic records from this genre of hi hop really...) was released today, I wonder how it would be received? My guess is that it would be immediately panned. I mean I guess that shows how far we've come in some respects over the past 30 years. But it's interesting listening to this because basically all of the racial and social problems from this album are just as bad now. Probably worse. But it's another one of these hip hop albums that promotes violence, degrades women, and serves as basically a vehicle for boasting about yourself based on some weird idea of what you think would impress people. I really don't get why people like this. I’ve said it before, true here, this is objectively bad music and I wonder what Ice Cube would honestly think about it today. Every time one of these hip hop albums come up I resignedly sigh and question my vow to listen to every album on this list all the way through. 1/5
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.
Bomb Squad > Dre The production is star here, providing enough creative charisma to outshine Ice Cube and all his energy. Great sound, great lines - but it very much so stays in its sonic lane. The lyrics themselves range from witty insights into the ground-level view on oppression, to violent misogyny - what lands is great, what doesn't is very off-putting.... Naturally, the best verse is Chuck D. Favourite tracks: Once Upon A Time In The Projects, Turn Off The Radio
I feel like I need to preface this by saying I love a lot of hip hop, because I see a lot of unnecessary hate laid on the actually good hip hop albums on this list. However, for me to actually enjoy hip hop (no matter how good the flow or the production), the lyrics have to be clever and insightful, or at least funny in a tasteful way. I mostly prefer political hip hop, and I can tolerate a good bit of bragidoccio. But I draw the line at the sort of horrible misogyny on display all over this album, not just You Can't Fade Me. There's just no excuse for it, and we don't have to perpetuate it by immortalising albums like this. Elements of this are noteworthy, and I did enjoy the Chuck D feature. But overall, it doesn't bring anything to the table that N.W.A. hadn't already brought with Straight Outta Compton, and it has aged even worse than that album.
Grotesque misogyny.
Another great choice, and an album I'd been meaning to get to, since I've always liked Ice Cube and West Coast gangsta rap, despite never really hearing much of his solo albums. I want to check out some of the albums right after this one, as I think they get more of the harder edge and less of the late 80's/beginning 90's slight cheesiness to hip hop.
"Amerikkka's Most Wanted" is the debut studio album by American rapper Ice Cube and his first solo album since his acrimonious split from N.W.A. West Coast hip hop, gansta rap, political hip hop and hardcore hip hop are the Wiki-listed genres. Yep. The themes include ghetto life, drug addiction, institutional racism in Los Angeles and poverty. The album was produced by Public Enemy's production team, the Bomb Squad. The album was a commercial success reaching #19 on the US Billboard 200 and #48 in the UK. It also had wide-spread critical acclaim cited as a hip hop classic and for ushering in the 1990's tabloids decade; the album's title is a play on the TV show "America's Most Wanted." The album opens with the skit "Better Off Dead." Ticking, bangs in the background and eerie music. Guys talking, Ice Cube telling everyone to fuck off and ends with a Ronald Reagan anti-drug society message "The Ni**a You Love to Hate" starts the groovy, funky tone of this album with samples from Steve Arrington and the New Birth. Aggressive lyrics. A barrage of samples as people are yelling back at Cube as he responds with "I'm the ni**a you love to hate." "Amerikkka's Most Wanted" continues the funk with a Sly Stone guitar sample. Scratching, gun shots. He stole some jewelry which hit the attention of the police since he stole it from white people instead of his own people. You can't catch him though. "Once Upon the Time in the Projects" tells the story of the ghetto with a 13-year old pregnant girl, drinking 40 ouncers and doing yayo. Great use of a Betty Davis sample for the beat and guitar. "Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)" name Blacks as the endangered species. Gunshots and Chuck D on the mic as well. Overlayed with a Funkadelic sample, the song is credited with predicting his LA neighborhood as the flashpoint for violence due to police brutality and targeting. A King Curtis sample sets the groovy backdrop to "Rollin' With the Lench Mob." Lots of noise samples. A story of life in the ghetto and Ice Cube's decision to rather roll with his gang than die another way. Ice Cube told the Bomb Squad to bring boxes of records to lay a funky foundation. And, boy did they: Funky, groovy. I spent have the time visiting this album listening to the sampled mostly early 70's songs. The sampling is terrific with an overload of various noises, songs and dialogue. The album's themes and general layout is split between his own gansta-style life, stories of ghetto life and comments on the police, media and politics. Ice Cube brings it as he did with N.W.A. with great lyrics, rhyming and rapping. This is a great hip hop album, still sounds fresh and, unfortunately, the themes still exist to an even more exaggerated state.
Seems like a century ago. As I age,I find the vitriol, sexism, and hypersexuality less agreeable, even as the themes still resonate.
It became an agonizing listen too quickly, and I couldn't wait for it to end
It’s a(n albeit dated) classic, but the rampant misogyny and one-note subject matter get a bit tiresome over an entire album.
i got Ice Cube fatigue quite early on in this tbh :(
Sounds so dated, but it has its moments. 2.5/5.0: Mixed
i didn't hate this one but can't say i really enjoyed it
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.
Ice Cube, fresh out of NWA with production from The Bomb Squad! This is pretty much everything I've ever wanted in hip-hop. Some GREAT (and powerful) social commentary on here. Conscious but aggressively so. I just wish some of the more misogynist sentiments were missing, but those seem to be something you just have to endure to enjoy a lot of hip-hop from this era.
I think I exist in a parallel universe to those who like this stuff.
Just didn't enjoy this one
Nothing is super catchy but this was a solid album. Really like that every song was pretty up tempo.
Que dire
hmm, again not for me. but a good example of the genre from back in the day
Hell yeah, Ice Cube! I haven't too many of his songs, mostly just It Was A Good Day and You Can Do It, but I do like his style. This album had some really solid rap verses. Unfortunately he hadn't quite got the choruses right. This is a complaint I have with a lot of early rap songs, the rap is great but the chorus just doesn't tie it together as well. The Nigga Ya Love To Hate kicked us off nicely, and AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted followed nicely. That energy kept up through most of the album. A Gangsta's Fairytale was insanely fun, and I'm Only Out For One Thang was funny, with a nice cameo by Flavor Flav. It's A Man's World was a nice duet with Yo-Yo. Solid album, enjoyed it a lot. Best song: A Gangsta's Fairytale
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.
A bit tooo crass for my taste sadly. Love the beats but struggled with the lyrics
Similar opinion to the other Ice Cube album on this list, it's good but the lyrics have not aged well at all
H: 7.5/10 the album had a continuous sound that made you feel like you’re sitting with Ice Cube in a free style session. H fav song: Rolling wit the Lynch Mob or Amerikkkas most wanted Z: Hailey took my words! Production was tight and consistent throughout the project, weaving the themes within Cube’s storytelling like a mature spider. A true timepiece of the 90s, you can feel the influence he ushered in for the remainder of the decade. 7.5/10 Z fav song: A Gangsta’s Fairytale
Standard west coast gangsta rap. Nothing wrong with it just got boring after a while. Great story teller though
Rap: 0 Punkte
Delivery can be grating, but iconic nonetheless. 4.
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.
imagine beeing part of this scene in the nineties... ommg
Wasn't feeling it
This is one of the handful of hip hop albums from the late 80s and early 90s that’s aged pretty well. It’s really more of a hybrid between West Coast and East Coast hip hop. Lyrically, it’s rooted in Ice Cube’s gangster narrative style, but what makes it stand out is the production. For this album, Ice Cube went out to New York and teamed up with The Bomb Squad, the same production team behind Public Enemy. As a result, the beats have that dense, sample heavy style that was signature to East Coast hip hop at the time.
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.
Surprised I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than I was expecting. I actually really enjoyed the "ugly" beats and samples; the backing tracks almost remind me of industrial music at times. Ice Cube's rapping is definitely angry, but I dug it. The political songs are still relevant and important, but the misogyny has aged incredibly poorly. Also, I've said it before, but I can't stand Flavor Flav.
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.
surprised, not my sort of music but lowkey bangers
I love post NWA breakup albums, gotta be one of my favorite genders
(75/100)
I respect it, but never jelled with this 90s gangster rap. I would have been in high school when this came out and had friends that were into it so I heard this album a bit. Never drew me in though.
I LOVE the old beats on this album. Old-school gangsta rap has some of the best when it comes to the funky, soul beats... but the tough guy schtick is pretty tired.
Not my kinda rap unfortunately. I like my Ice Cubes and my Ice T’s in movies and shows :p
Lite enformigt
I prefered his second album. I like my music homophobic and misogynistic
Controversial for a reason. Saying things that needed to be said and made public information. Especially in white America. But, also its juvenille and tiresome. An HOUR of Ice Cubes monotone rap delivery. Early hip hop production takes so much away from this body of work also. Ice is the 90s gangster rap version of LL Cool J. Kinda lame by todays standards. But, influential and important. Progressive too.
The Bomb Squad deserve so much credit for giving Ice Cube a new home after the split with NWA. He found an entirely new sound which defined his solo career, and for my money, nobody sounds better over these beats than young Ice Cube.
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.
There were a couple of times where i thought the beats were good.
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.
The beats and samples under this were really good, but the lyrical content was pretty much what I would expect
I dont think Ice Cube is a very nice man. Sounds like he needs a hug.
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.
On one hand, this album is clearly immensely influential to future rap albums. A lot of the lyrics have aged terribly, the beats are dated and monotonous. "It's a Man's World" is straight Cringe.
I like Cube’s acting, and he is a legend with NWA. The violence towards women I don’t get. Others do, and that’s not good.
Was fun to get but a little cringe...
Ah, Mr Cube. I put you off for a few days because, bluntly, I was feeling too overwrought for no real reason to contend with what you're offering me. When I got round to it, it was...fine. It was OK to hear the backing - and at times downright good to hear it. The rapping is crystal clear. Sadly that means you're left in no doubt that, yes, he really is having a good old laugh about kicking pregnant women and so on. Many minus points for that.
Game changing. Great spin.
Here we are. Another hip-hop album in the recent gauntlet that has been inflicted upon me. This isn't in the top 20, so I remain at having heard 10 of the best hip-hop albums on the site. I know Ice Cube was with NWA, though I'm not too knowledgeable about his contributions to the band, or what his voice even sounds like. Guess I'm going into this one blind, though if I'm to take a guess I'm expecting more gangsta rap. Hmm, yeah. Not for me, though I can appreciate the instrumentals. Very early 90s, turntable sounds and all. As for everything else, the lyrics are generally pretty eyeroll-inducing and the songwriting drags in many places, making the listening experience slow to a crawl. I'm also not too fond of the vocals. The shouting, bombastic tone is very much in-line with the style of this genre, but it's a little too much for me. There admittedly isn't much which sticks out to me about this album. I like the brief interlude on "Endangered Species". "Who's the Mack?" has an interesting sound. I wasn't expecting the album to pivot toward a funk sound, though it works well enough. I also dig the pan flute whichappears in the middle of the song. "It's a Man's World" is amusing, I won't lie. The lo-fi sound at the beginning of the track was quite nice. It hurts that it was so abruptly taken away from me, but in all fairness that's part of the fake-out. I'm gonna consult the book for why this is in here. Produced by Public Enemy's longtime producer. "Cube often belies his talent as a lyricist by writing gangsta garbage". Not sure how to feel about that comment. I'm not sold on this yet - I'm switching over to Wikipedia. Very warmly received by critics, with many placements on "best album" lists. This album also appears to have had an influence on other rap artists. I'm no authority on hip-hop, but this seems like a decent pick. I can cosign this inclusion.
Not my vibe.
Mostly offensive, which is the point. Solid example of this genre of rap. Always like to see Flav show up. I hope stuff works out for Ice Cube, sounds like he has a lot of problems 😏
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.
Day597 - this has aged terribly much like ice cubes career
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
Catchy, high energy, no BS
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
This must have been Ice Cube’s bad day.
Кубик льда крут, но музло состарилось
A lot of the lyrics were very cringe, but I thought this one was fine otherwise
Diss tracks and a statement from Cube after splitting from N.W.A. Say what you want, but he showed out.
Listened Before? N I mean, its Ice Cube. It's a classic. I really miss 80s/early 90s rap. I wish someone would revitalize this style. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist:
It's hard to imagine this man would go on to be a kids movie star, and Trump bootlicker. The music is good. But I won't separate art from the artist.
Half way through this I thought, "Are We There Yet"? In all honesty, Cube misses the mark on about every metric I check for rap albums. His flow isn't versatile, he isn't leaning fully into the descriptive world of Compton rappers because he's dabbling with some prescriptive themes, but also it isn't cerebral enough to fully lean into the conscious rap category. The inconsistencies of critiquing the state of law enforcement and white neighborhoods for not caring about crime in black neighborhoods but also playing the role of the villain consistently throughout his career is hard for me to reconcile. I think the strength of the album is the storytelling, but the number of logical inconsistencies in his reasoning is maddening. I'm not here to critique the man's thought process on his own lived experience, but also to argue that you shouldn't fuck with a woman from the projects because she got you arrested even though you admitted that you have a warrant out is just base level processing. Also why does Cube always complain about not being played by radios and then write music that could literally never be played on the radio? Like maybe if he was writing conscious rap that wasn't glorifying forced abortions. And how can he consistently judge these women for getting pregnant but have a song about rawdogging a girl? These are the reasons why I don't listen to Cube - that being said, this album still has plenty to lean on, including some good old school beats, a good flow that just gets old after the first few songs, some clever rhymes, and some interesting observations about growing up in Compton. 2/5
Listening notes: -Love to Hate: nah. I'm pretty tired of "I'm a shitty person so I'm cool". Especially bragging about shooting places up with an unregistered AK. There's interesting stuff to be said about violence, but this isn't it. -You can't fade me: wow this really sucks. -Gangsta's Fairytale: okay, the music here (not the lyrics) kinda slaps? Gonna have to listen again and figure out if there's non-lyric stuff that's redeeming. -Meh, most of it is pretty forgettable. -Not giving this 2 listens because I didn't like it. I did sample a few tracks just to make sure there weren't redeeming qualities I was overlooking. -Man's World is pretty good stuff. Review: This album starts with a song in which Ice Cube proudly proclaims to be a piece of shit and then he substantiates his claim throughout the album. I get that a lot of this is bravado and he probably didn't do anything like he claims, but even if if he's lying for clout, is that exculpatory? And if we take the gangsta rap premise of being the villain the world assumes you are, I'm still not sure this really works. I dunno. You can't both be upset that there's ignored crime in black neighborhoods but also brag and cheer on committing that crime. So if the lyrics are bad, is there anything else that's good here? I guess the beats. Ice Cube's delivery and flow are pretty smooth. But frankly even that has been expended by track 5. The rest just kinda drags. Man's World is aight, but I don't think quite enough to round this up to 2 stars. Also, my initial time exposure to Ice Cube was, like many, the kids movie *Are We There Yet*, which is very funny given what this is.
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.
Let me preface this by saying my first introduction to Ice Cube was in the feature film "Are We There Yet?" I've only now learned this film was universally panned. That being said, this was such a good album. Now I understand the sheer disappointment of ice cube becoming a sub-par actor, because as a rapper he was more thoughtful and more skilled.
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.
Too much style and strong lyrics. So much to assimilate
I just cant listen to the whole album :/ my goal has been to listen to each album all the way thru at least once but i just am not a fan. I do struggle to listen to lyrics and the music at the same time so i wasnt picking up on a lot of the lyrics initially but then i was reading some reviews while listening and people were mentioning the misogyny and i was like wait i do not need to force myself to listen to the album if i truly do not like it plus hate what hes saying for part of the songs as i skimmed around and actually read the lyrics. I gave it a shot but its just not for me.
Quite tuneful for the genre, but I still struggle with rap / hip hop. The obligatory N*ggas, mutha f*clerks are here in plenty, embellished with a liberal smattering of b*tches. I find it all pretty difficult to relate to
One of the GOATs.
Solid album, but it definitely sounds dated with its production.
No
Great album. Eazy-E is still my favorite NWA rapper, but I can get down with some Ice too
Rap -> 1
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.
Feels like an eye-rolling edgelord album for the Black community. I tried listening to this album but I just cannot take it seriously. I am of the opinion that albums with song titles like "Get Off My Dick and Tell Yo Bitch to Come Here" are not albums that deserve a place on a list such as this. It is not just the flat misogyny, it is also the sophomoric and childish whining that tries to take itself seriously. There are good hip hop albums, but this is not one of them.
Yeah I can't even pretend to like this shit
I HATED THIS IN WAYS I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO ENUNICATE the casual misogyny that goes so far beyond what we even think of as being in hip-hop at the time, the same flow for an hour. it just makes me mad that people can get so mad about injustice that directly affects them and then turn around and continue to oppress the groups that they have leverage over, like i know he wasn't calling women ugly on this cd DID HE OWN A MIRROR?!?!?!?!
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
Just not a fan of rap and profanity I guess. Good beats overall. Tracks to Track: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
STILL SPELL AMERIKKKA WITH THE TRIPLE K
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.
Classic indeed
There’s things to like on this album. His wordplay is creative and there’s clearly talent in the production. When he’s writing about social issues it’s on point. But, the misogyny and harshness of the language is just too much to make it an enjoyable album to listen to.
Best member of nwa Will I listen to again: 69%
Not his best work, but wonderfully incendiary
I've given Ice Cube praise on previous reviews but my patience ran out with this one. Never rated the Bomb Squad's production style and I didn't find too much to admire in Cube's lyrics on this occasion.
Well shit. This wasn't what I was expecting to write here. Its good in a way. But its nowhere near new and exciting. The biggest problem with this album is it just harps on nwa every single chance it gets. With similar beats and flows and even samples from songs they put out the year prior. Like damn ice get ur own thing going here, dont just coast on nwa forever. Its disappointing for sure. But if you liked nwa your getting more of the same and thats a plus if in that camp. I love straight outta Compton and should like this but id just rather listen to soc every time. There are a few tracks on the backend that start to try something new but its just too little too late unfortunately. Decent record but it should be so much more than we got
Better than some of the albums I had to listen to from this era. Ice cube was always legit.
Sometimes funny, sometimes groovy, always nasty and mean (in a good way). Not going to return to it, but its reputation is valid. Funny enough, collabs with PE folk are weak tracks.
Ice Cube’s debut solo album is a major feat marred only by lingering misogyny. He’s storytelling is sharper, his politics more pointed and the Bomb Squad is a perfect match to his anger.
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
ice cube: most wanted for being misogynistic
Out of the Rap albums I have listened to so far this is bottom of the barrall, not sure what the redeeming features are of this album and why this has been included in this list.
The music and the rap was okay, but the misogyny was terrible.
old
I get how this is well regarded in the rap world, I kind of like the cadence/flow of the rap but I don't need this kind of anger, misogyny, hate and racism in my life.
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.
4/5 it's great
Pretty solid rap album for it's time.
#640. I think i expected more? This disnt really do anything for me. 2/5: meh
Not many hooks that actually got me, pretty good but not really to my liking, would have ranked 2.5 if I could.
Another misogynistic Hip-Hop/Rap album?
Thank you Mister Cube, Some hand wringers here cannot Detect irony.
i liked it, he got good rhymes and cool narrative flows
Not ice cubes best album but as debut albums go it’s not terrible I prefer lethal injection. But that’s just me 5 stars for Mr Cube.
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.
Very good, this is how I like rap to be. Even with the cringingly misogynistic lyrics.
Some of the messages age incredibly poorly (misogyny) and some are just as relevant as ever (racism, abuse of power). Energetic, some cool beats. Nothing I'm likely to come back to.
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.
There’s so much good here… but it’s sooooooooo sexually demeaning I just can’t deal.
I wish I could hear the backing tracks without the backwardness and misogyny.
De Bomb Squad-productie is soms wat aan de drukke kant, dat is niet altijd mijn stijl. Verder gewoon een uitstekende plaat.
I bought this album on tape when it first released and bought it again on CD. Great album.
A solid 1 out of 5 for me. Honestly, the world would have been a better place without this album. It just didn’t resonate with me at all, and I can confidently say I will absolutely never listen to this again. It’s a hard pass!
high energy and flows well. not many songs i would listen to alone but honestly pretty good
Lots of hate in this album, fuck da police all the time, we understood
classic 90s hip hop, but it was a bit repetitive, all songs sounded the same
Hip hop. Can't really connect
Rappiges sinnfreies Geschwurbele. Weder Kunst noch Musik.
Ice Cube’s delivery and flow are iconic, and his vivid and violent lyrics suit the vibe he’s going for even if they get a bit repetitive.
This will always be in my top 5 albums, ice cube just goes off lyrically in this album. The simple but intense beat just makes him go off. Would have loved to be in the studio on this one
Ice Cube proves himself as a wordsmith and a story teller, on top of a talented rapper. Overall, and impressive and engaging rap album. However, my main critique is the same as the previous Ice Cube album, which is that it drags on.
I enjoyed the beats / Ice Cube's delivery and the angry pacing of the songs unfortunately I struggled with the lyrical content as I care not for what Ice Cube does with his dick -which unfortunately seems to be the focus of a lot of the songs.
AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted Bit of a funny one. On the one hand there is quite a bit of cliched misogyny, guns, bitches, dick sucking and beef, but there is also a lot of storytelling of the reality and experiences of the environments he talks about. Things like Once Upon a Time in the Projects, Endangered Species and Rollin’ with the Lench Mob are excellent, angry diatribes about the futility and violence of that world, but things like Get Off My Dick and Tell Yo Bitch to Come Here, Who’s the Mack and the terrible It’s a Man’s World are depressingly cliched and nasty. I’ve always liked Ice T’s delivery though, and he has some great rhymes, but with the misogyny, cliche and the slight sense of insincere anger the whole album does get a bit tiresome after a while, and pushing through to the end is a bit of a struggle. I like the Bomb Squad production, it sounds a bit more polished and soulful than on Public Enemy albums, with more of a West Coast sheen and less of their usual frenetic, kinetic energy, and some great grooves, like Once Upon a Time in the Projects, or the fast paced rush of The Bomb. In NWA he helped birth some of those gangsta rap tropes, but, to sound like a massive knob, they had a visceral thrill to them, talking about a world so far removed from my experience. But on here aside from a few exceptions, it doesn’t carry that same power, undermined by a thread of cynical misogyny. I think a 2, as I don’t think I’ll come back to it 🇺🇲🇺🇲 Playlist submission: Once Upon a Time in the Projects
It's interesting that he called on the Bomb Squad to produce this, so you get a slice of West Coast gangster rap vs the East Coast sampling and breakbeats. Most of the time The Bomb Squad's soundbeds sound like a war zone, as Ice Cube machine guns his raps over the top. However, much of the genesis of the cringeworthy sides of gangsta rap are here - rapper as king; or woman as hoe, such as 'You Can't Fade Me' where he believes he's to be a father and so he posits: "Then I thought deep about giving up the money. What I need to do is kick the bitch in the tummy". Out the blocks with force, a fiery snapshot, a pioneer - but ultimately an uninspiring ego-trip.
Interesting to listen to for historical purposes but won't be keeping in regular rotation!
Yeah, I know I’m very much not the target audience for this so I’m probably missing the point he is trying to make. Not for me. I found spotting the samples quite entertaining though. Wanted to stop and go and listen to some Betty Davis. And why are the rap records always sooo long? They really do love the sound of their own voices
I felt like this was a very strong debut rap album from Ice Cube! Many of the songs reminded me of N.W.A but sounded distinct enough to set them apart. I very much enjoyed this album listen!
Nope. Could not get to the end. Fav:-
The Good: We get an ice-cube, and that is appreciated as it’s summertime and hot as hell! The Bad: The ice cube just kinda melted… The Ugly: Me melting as the ice cube did not manage to cool me off! Maybe, just maybe, the whole term Ice Cube has nothing to do with cooling things off, instead of irritating people when it starts to melt? What? I like Ice Cube, as an actor… and he’s had some good tunes too… just not this stuff… which get’s on ones’ nerve after a while. But then again, that is what Hip Hop does to me in general, so I should not bitch. I do always find it interesting though to listen to ‘90s hippidy-hop-you-don’t-stop as it is a stark reminder that certain musical waves should just be avoided at all cost… Also, where my ho at? I need some food and a refreshing drink… 2*, because I’m gangsta like that
I've got a soft spot for hip hop like this. Had never actually listened to this album. Pleasantly surprised. 4/5
Big, powerful samples, classic quotes.
Maybe every time ppl criticise gangsta rap i should take out my review for "The Chronic". in which it goes "blah blah blah misogyny misogyny misogyny. well take your fucking hands off the west coast hip hop scene and go give bikini kill 5 stars. and you are also unwilling to give them a 5 cause they sound terrible. and the only thing you know is to give these dated hip hop albums a 1. shite politics." And let me reveal a "really fun" fact: 9 out of 10 of the most called "misogyny" albums in this website are gangsta rap albums. I mean, this list is FILLED with problematic artists. so why only hate hip hop? Anyway, you know the highest upvoted review in which dude goes "sorry but women's lives matter"? in fact this dude give "Exile In Guyville", the female reaction counterpart of "Exile on Main Street", a 3, and "Fetch The Bolt Cutters", an album about female rage, a 2. Im not saying that is inappropriate, what Im saying is about double standards. In fact I hate feminists, but only a part of them, cause some of the most radical of them ruined my men-loving life. and they still think i'm a girl and i should resonate with them? sorry you wankers, it seems like i think i was a cis female back then, but i now figured it out and is actually non-binary instead. it's a 3.5 aka a high 3.
a solid album
Fuck yes. Liked it better than The Predator, but maybe I was just more in the mood today, or the storytelling was more engaging in this one, idk. Hate to be THAT bitch but you gotta wonder what does Ice Cube think of the current rap scene. Can you believe just 30 years ago rap was THIS, instead of today's mumble bullshit? Yeah
I'm a sucker for Ice Cube. Although, this isn't my favorite album but him, it's still fun.
Pretty much the exact type of rap I am not a fan of. Record scratches and rhymes that are spat right at you. Not god awful, but I probably wont listen to it again. Best: The Bomb Worst: You Can't Fade Me/JD's Gaffilin'
Lotta good stuff in here, very poignant bars that still are topical here in the big 2025. Misogyny is not as bad as these reviews claim and writing and flow are great.
Ok
No.
Lyrics provide feels, the music is slightly dated but gives a charm. The gangsta rap sentiment makes my eyes roll 🙄
2 - the songs highlighting black oppression were good but the rest was extreme misogyny
Super 1990. Endangered Species is my favorite track off this one. Lots of talk about dick, pussy, and bitches. We definitely need some of this fuck authority energy in today's world.
You mean to tell me the guy from the 2007 hit family comedy "Are We There Yet?" put out a rap album? (Just kidding, I promise!) Ice Cube was obviously a huge part of the "gangsta rap" movement from the late 80s and early 90s with his part in N.W.A. That said, I always thought his lyrics were weaker than most of the rest of the group, and just never really enjoyed his stuff as much as Dre or Eazy-E. This album is well produced and has a good range where it doesn't just sound like the same sound over and over which plagued a lot of albums from this era. There are definitely worse rappers, but I personally think it was probably best that he put more focus into acting as he got older. I'm obviously not the target market for this album, and wasn't when it came out either. It's not a bad album but not my favorite.
Heavy production for 1990 and some good rapping styles but lyrically a little samey and angry.
Habe die zensierte Version gehört, die war etwa eine Viertelstunde kürzer und trotzdem ziemlich lang, am Anfang fand ich es noch richtig gut, aber mit der Zeit wurde es etwas monoton, erst Dead Homies ist dann eine spannende Abwechslung gegen Ende. Ganz gut, aber hatte hier schon Hip Hop Alben, die mich mehr gepackt haben.
Like the other NWA solo albums, it's more arrogant and less angry than the group stuff. I think Ice Cube is the best rapper of the bunch and some of the earlier tracks were decent but all the tropes are here and its tiring to listen to. I'd say 2.5 but I'll go for a 3 on account of there being minimal skits.
Really solid samples and beats. He's not bad at all, is Ice Cube. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, and It's A Man's World were strong. I quite like this 90s gangsta rap/hip hop - I'm so far removed from the lifestyle and themes that a lot of the misogyny and murder topics largely pass me by. I can enjoy the music on its own merits. He has quite a plosive style, loud and clear, aggressive but with a lot of humor and wordplay in the lyrics.
Hmm. On one hand, he can rap, I like his voice and flow, and there are some important social commentaries. I think I liked "the product". Then on the other hand, it's got the gangsta rap trifecta, that I hate, in spades too ("you can't fade me" is awful). After listening to Aesop rock recently, it's clear that you can make decent hip hop without rapping about guns, misogyny and money. Maybe ice cube should try rapping about losing his hamster, what kind of dog he has, or invasive snail species? I do still think this was decent, I just find a lot of the content dull, there are exceptions though. The last album we had of his was better, must've mellowed in those 2 years
Didn't click with this, a bit of a struggle for me, hasn't aged well either
Overall: 8/10 Cube is fun to listen to. It's still primitive hip hop in the way that he doesn't switch up his flow very often and the beats can be very repetitive, focusing on percussion. It doesn't matter though cause it's so entertaining. His lyrics are good despite being gangster stuff, which I generally don't love. There are times where he switches it up. Fav Song: A Gangsta's Fairytale Least Fav Song: You Can't Fade Me
safe one
Pre-listening thoughts: uh oh… heard this one was pretty misogynistic Post/during listening thoughts: “I’m thinking to myself why did I bang her / now I’m in the closet looking for a hanger” genuinely made me put this album down. In a bad way. This was after like eight other “she’s my bitch and she’s easy” type lines. This is why Sabrina Carpenter’s album cover is getting backlash lowkey like what was she thinking 😭 3/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: bro idk Least fav tracks: if he was rapping in simlish then it would be okay
I had low expectations coming into this album.. not my first exposure to Ice Cube (or NWA) but not a fan of the angry gangster rap genre. That being said the tracks were all pretty solid. At 71 minutes it was overlong in my opinion. 2.5/5
This is the hundred thirty first album I’m rating. Back to back Ice Cube albums. This feels unlikely and weird but maybe this is like a birthday thing where this is a lot more common than I think. Adding to my Playlist - The Nigga Ya Love to Hate, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, What they Hittin' Foe?, You Can't Fade Me/JD's Gaffilin, Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside), A Gangsta's Fairytale, I'm Only Out for One Thang, Get Off my Dick and Tell yo Bitch to Come Here, Rollin' wit the Lench Mob, Who's the Mack?, and The Bomb. Not Adding to my Playlist - Better Off Dead, Once Upon a Time in the Projects, Turn Off the Radio, The Drive-By, and It's a Man's World. All in all I liked 11/16 songs. This is a bit better than The Predator. I'm glad that he doesn't really have any of those stupid inserts in this album.
Yeah...this was fine in the 90s culture. it's not cool anymore. Il
Rather outdated musically but really outdated lyrically.
It’s aight
Good
I like NWA but this... no. Too monotonous and not creative enough.
Starts very strong then drops a bit then stays that way. He's got the perfect rap voice and the beats were really good
great album, i nver listened to it before but like it much better than ever expected. What a beats. In doubt between 4 and 5 stars, decided to go for 4 since it does become repetitive at the end.
Fun, upbeat hip hop album. Enjoyed it, but it went a bit too long.
Great album, the misogyny has dated this a bit. Sad for the family man I guess.
Ice Cube used the word dick so much he had to resort to 'ding-a-ling' instead. 2/5
Exactly what I expected
good stuff
Ear poison.
Like ice cube, but this didn't age too well with all the sexism.
Für RAP ok. Ist aber nicht meine Musikrichtung. 2/5
What a kick in the teeth, and not in a fun way. Hateful, offensive, misogynistic, and flat out digusting in some places, this album is not at all for me. Ice Cube is a pretty good rapper, but this is just far too hateful to be enjoyable. I feel for the people who need music like this to represent them, the world must be cruel for this to form into adult thought. The Bomb is the best for me for being the most listenable.
I realize that this album is filed with misogynist bullshit, but it's very clear this is "his thing". The beats are great. And although I understand most people find them repetitive and "always" the same, I think it's big fun. Loved listening to this album.
The beat is pretty good, but the lyrics of more than half of the songs are just horrible
This went pretty hard. First track a real jam, added to the rotation. 3.8/5
To namedrop a 2007 masterpiece - this album had me like "Are We Done Yet?" Embarrassing.
While there are a lot of positives. There are alot of negatives 1 skits. Stop putting unfunny skits on rap albums. Even if they were funny, dont put them on an album. It's a waste of time, it inflates the length by a stupid amount 2 too many of the songs are about having sex with Ice Cube, something I have no interest in Some of its good, but during the first listen, the idea of a second listen exhausted me
Solid album, I prefer east coast mostly
It's not a bad hip hop record, but nowadays those mysoginistic lyrics are a bit overwhelming and problematic.
Not one I enjoyed.
i just dont dig 90’s cali hip hop….
Kind of stupid, kind of awesome. Good beats but minus one star for ridiculous levels of over the top sexism.
Hey if you idiots gave Eminem 3.5, and this guy only 2.whatever, there's a problem, because they're both gross as hell and this guy actually has things to say.
Solid flow and some interesting sampling/beats but it lacked the hooks in some of his other albums. The misogyny is also amped to a million here which detracts from the overall stories.
I don't think I heard anything from this album before, even though I'm generally familiar with Ice Cube's sound / look / etc. The grooves and delivery is great, but it's kind of vulgar so not really my thing.
There were some songs I really liked on this, but for every one of those, there was some random wince-worthy misogyny or homophobia. Honestly though, the parts that appealed to me the most were the parts that reminded me of Public Enemy, which isn't surprising given their heavy involvement.
While I basically listened to Lethal Injection on repeat, this album was new to me. While some of it was compelling, despite multiple listens nothing really stuck - but for the deep and dated misogyny evident on a couple of tracks. Not really the impression you want to be left with but as Malcolm X said: The most disrespected person in America, is the black woman. The most un-protected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America, is the black woman.
Ice Cube has a flow that I do like and generally delivers on the political elements, which always (for me anyway) elevates rap because there are limits to how much gangster rap bingo you can listen to. At its best it has some sharp political commentary, some genuinely funny elements and I like the use of fake/real tv clippings in the background. It’s brash but I don’t think takes itself too seriously. Has its obvious limitations but an enjoyable listen.
1. Better Off Dead - intro 2. The Nigga Ya Love to Hate - 8/10 3. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - 7/10 4. What They Hittin' Foe? - 6.5/10 5. You Can't Fade Me/JD's Gaffilin - 7.8/10 6. Once Upon a Time in the Projects - 7/10 7. Turn Off the Radio - 8/10 8. Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) - 7/10 9. A Gangsta's Fairytale - 8/10 10. I'm Only Out for One Thang - 8/10 11. Get Off My Dick and Tell Yo Bitch to Come Here - 8/10 12. The Drive-By - instru 13. Rollin' wit the Lench Mob - 7.5/10 14. Who's the Mack? - 7.5/10 15. It's a Man's World - 8/10 16. The Bomb - 6.5/10 7.5/10
There's like 2 memorable tracks
This is so bad. Like embarrassingly bad. It just sucks in every aspect. I didn’t enjoy a single moment of this. I like NWA and I’ve heard ice cube songs that I liked but this is trash
Cubes voice and delivery are good, but the rhyme structure and lyrical content got boring fast.
Good relisten but not the most compelling Cube album, still some noticeable rough edges (3.5/5)
Definitely a seminal album but it hasn’t aged spectacularly. Especially with Ice Cube becoming a family friendly movie star.
"You're the type of girl that I can't pass over Give me one chance, and I'll bend your ass over Just call me the plumber at the end of the night 'Cause a nigga like me'll lay plenty of pipe" When I saw I got Amerikkka's Most Wanted a few hours ago I knew today's review was going to be very very long or very short. I went short. I don't feel like writing a novella this morning. Too much to say about this album & most (if not all) has been said before & better than I ever could. If you like rap music, you NEED this album. That's unarguable- just so we are clear. Need not want. It's miles above 98% of all rap music ever released in fact top of my head I can't think of a better one (Eazy-Duz-It is way up there but Amerikkka's Most Wanted still beats it- I think) even if I like the back catalog of other rappers (Run DMC for one) much better than Ice Cube's back catalog - Amerikkka's Most Wanted is in a class of one. On paper no way should 'Amerikka's Most Wanted' appeal so strongly to a privileged 16-year-old white girl (the age I was when I first heard it) whose favorite band is The Beatles, but it does & I think it's because great art is timeless and make no mistake this is great art. A game changer when many thought that the games was over. - Chelsea M. So that's it. If you want to read about the history of rap, I can't praise the late great Ed Piskor's Hip Hop Family Tree comic book (now collected in one volume) highly enough.
I liked it. Good West Coast music.
I thought this was a bit uninspiring all over. Not the best and certainly dated.
Alright I guess. I'm a white dude from the PNW so I really can't relate to this material very well. I wouldn't know what qualifies this for the list of 1001 and I didn't really gain anything by listening through this.
prob not gonna change my life but one of the v few albums that has made me laugh out loud. in public too!! hope no one else in the taco bell was paying attention. the fact that this happened on an album that also features both halves of public enemy featured on separate tracks kinda illustrates the breadth of ice cube's appeal certainly in this era...translating the near-invention (or at least first Perfection) of the gangsta persona in hip hop into equal parts proactive anger and absurd disarming humor. production also goes ridiculous, always a highlight even on the weaker tracks. and some of the best skit implementation ive ever heard on a hip hop record too! theyre memorable, snappy, and feel surprisingly natural...seems weird to even put them in the same category as aimless studio banter
I was really enjoying this through its first few songs until it hit one about getting someone pregnant accidentally that was violent and misogynistic, and the album never recovered.
Ice Cube was a force to be reckoned with indeed.
Не дослушал. Как-то не пошло совсем.
A moment in time, for sure, but what a moment it was. A lot of this has not aged particularly well, but it is undeniable that Ice Cube was a hell of a performer in his prime.
I enjoyed the little songs I listened to, don’t like hip-hop much. Objectively I think it’s good might actually listen to it after a while.
West coast meets east coast production. Definitely feel the Public Enemy’s production team on this album. Cool backstory with Ice meeting Chuck D and Chuck D dropping him off in a warehouse in Long Island filled wall to wall with records for 10 days and have him pick out his records for the album. Dr. Dre nowhere to be found to hand him the beats. Ahhh the days before the East Coast West Coast beef. Great record and his 1st stepping away from NWA and heading east.
It was fine, then it all started to sound the same…
Nope. Not for me.
lyrics didn't age well and there's not much range. really repetitive.
Great, normally I dont like bomb squad but this is funky and fun.
I liked this way more than I thought I would!
3.5/5
I'm always thrown by how much Ice Cube sounds like Play from Kid N Play. This album is incendiary on many fronts and time has kind of made the music seem old school even though it was a breakthrough at the time. Kept me engaged throughout, even with the casual sexism--the track with Yo-Yo helps a little. I would go 3.5 on it, but bumping for relevance.
Has it’s moments
已经对倪哥说唱无感了
“Endangered Species” is pretty excellent, mostly because of Chuck D’s contributions. The rest is decent but forgettable.
4/5.
Enjoyed 4/5
Some interesting instrumentation but after 4 tracks I knew where it was going and had enough. On the record that it was better than Marilyn Manson
The production on this record…holy fuck. The lyrics, also holy fuck…but in the opposite direction.
Good beats, good lyricism, terrible misogyny and homohobia.
Favorite Track: Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside)
I listened to this and liked it more for who Ice Cube seems to be vs the music. He strikes me as someone who never lies. I could be completely off base but he's so direct, maybe it's partially his flow and cadence. I'm not saying who he is or what he's saying is right, but he has something he's putting out that feels real. Feels as much a personality as a musician.
I don't have a lot of experience with west coast rap of this era, and look forward to this. I like a shout out to Arsenio Hall. Ice Cube has such a solid flow. A great use of syllables. He is a charisma bomb. The beats are of their time, but hold up. The lyrics are also of a time. His voice and Chuck D's make sense together. There's a bit too much here. There is a tighter album if you drop like 4 tracks.
Flows together well and avoids bloat. The production is of its time and maybe a little stale by the end of the album, but I largely enjoyed it. Cube is confident and fun to listen to, but this isn't the most dynamic rap performance I've heard on record. I'm astonished to say that I don't mind the skits. Obligatory "hey this can be pretty misogynistic" knock.
Not my kind of music.
Not a vibe. His points are lost in a flurry of sexist slurs.
pretty solid but he's definitely still finding his footing post NWA. a lot of the content also feels more objectionable than on the predator (although I'm probably fooling myself there, considering the "Hitler without an oven" lyric) i think this is a decent album that's significant enough to recommend to someone who's immersing themselves in hip hop given the political content and as kind of a herald of the slow transition away from rap crews and towards solo acts. but as an album everyone should listen to before they die? nah, just listen to the predator
3.5, but I can't give it a 4 or higher because I dont seek it out
I thought I’d like this more than I did. Ice Cube’s flow feels repetitive. It’s always the same relentless flow, delivered in the same shouted tone. The misogyny on a lot of these songs made things worse. The beats are a mix of N.W.A. g-funk, with some Public Enemy maximalism on other tracks. The music is strong. I just don’t love being in the company of Ice Cube for this long.
Solid gangsta rap from the best era of it. In my opinion he's a little bit underrated in this realm, as when I do listen I'm reminded of his solid lyrics, flow, and a great tough guy vocal tone. Great album cover with some beautiful dated image manipulation used. Matches the aesthetic perfectly.
Cube was pissed at NWA. Cube made a pretty good album.
Didn't care for this
Goes hard, what's not to like about this?
Not a rap fan
Great album, classic rap beats and an artist I already liked
Not sure what the obsession is with dicks and ball sacks. Some serious Dick bingo going on. Not a G and dont listen to rap so cant really appreciate this style of music. I also dont hate the po, dont own a gun and not yet been in the crate. I think a good rapper but not relating to the style, the content or the music.
So this album was way more politically challenging than I was expecting and I really dig the no-holds-barred approach. Musically, I initially liked the old school beats but in 2025 they are quite simplistic and get pretty repetitive. Mr Cube also has quite a repetitive, one rhythm rapping flow which at times felt like a bit of a low RPM plod. The album is really about the lyrics though, which were great; moving from social observation, political protest, and entertaining obscenity. I will take a second point out the rather clumsy challenge to misogyny with "This is a man's world" but I try to take these things in context. Overall a decent album that sets the scene for they hay-day of the American rap scene in the late 90s.
Why is there more than one Ice Cube album on this list?
While I heard the foundational elements of the next 35 years of hip-hop throughout this album, the incessant misogyny and relentlessly in-your-face production wore on me. I do think the second half was stronger than the first. I wish Dre would have been able to produce this.
honestly i think i just dont vibe as much with west coast hip hop. too bouncy. that said, favorites are endangered species and it's a man's world
4/5. Dobre, klasyczne. Takie lata 90. ale nie trafia tak prosto w duszę jak stary eminem np.
I can’t stand early rap any more
man i used to love gangsta rap and its still great even now. i used to love eazy-e and nwa and i didn’t listen to much ice cube. now i definitely think i should have added this album to the mix.
Well... The backing tracks were brilliant and I really like the cadence of the rapping. But I just can't get past the lyrics. It's like an Andrew Tate fever dream, just awful. By the time it reached the duet where he was being misogynistic but Yo-Yo got the last word everytime felt like he knew he was doing it but he did it anyway. Gah.
Bruh I can't give an album that includes a track about kicking a pregnant woman in the stomach in order to avoid paying child support anything higher than this. This isn't even mentioning It's A Mans World. Some of a lot of the tracks on this are really good, but Ice Cube comes across as a massive c***
I always enjoy the early 90s hip hop style. The delivery, the beats, it just feels raw and right. This album is fine, but the endless profanity just feels really excessive. I'm fine with dropping bombs here and there, but c'mon, this is a bit much. A bit much to the point where I felt like I had to turn the sound down.
Borrrrrrrrrrrring!
Ice Cube and the Bomb Squad made a siege machine, blunt, unstoppable, indifferent towards material or feeling, uncaring in its blows, nasty or funny or plain sick or political. Conflating author with subject is hard to avoid here - cruelty played for laughs, misogyny and amuse bouche to homicide - but Chuck D’s framing of hip hop as Black CNN applies here. The overwhelming density of sound and idea reminds me of Tik-tok’s demented #corecore Tik-tok: it pulls so much material into the mix that it defeats understanding and outpaces irony.
Very listenable but nowhere near as creative as Dr Dre or others of the same period; cartoonish fun but too long
It was okay. No songs were added to my playlist but I could see why people who like old rap would like it. Me personally, it just sounded like he was talking with a beat behind him.
Melt
Better Off Dead n/a The Nigga Ya Love to Hate 3 AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted 3 What They Hittin' Foe? 3 You Can't Fade Me/JD's Gaffilin 2.6 Once Upon a Time in the Projects 3.2 Turn Off the Radio 3.1 Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) 3 A Gangster's Fairytale 2.8 I'm Only Out for One Thing 3 Get Off My Dick and Tell Yo Bitch to Come Here 2.7 The Drive-By n/a Rollin' wit the Lench Mob 2.9 Who's the Mack? 3.1 It's a Man's World 2.5 The Bomb 3 Score: 2.921428571
the music itself is good but the misogyny is stupid at this point
Too much profanity and N-Words
I fuck with Cube! Great album.
The Bomb Squad production holds up nearly three decades on even if the quality and content of the raps may not. Cube sounds like a man on a mission to clearly, if not articulately, get his message out. It’s vulgar, but it’s passionate and it’s raw.
Horrible
I get the impact and influence, but naturally the world has changed in 35 years so some of it doesn't translate as well. No doubt an important album, but not really my cup of tea.
Solid early 90s gangsta rap.
If we made a drinking game, and took a shot everytime the word bitch or hoe is said, we would be drunk less than 5 songs in. This album is too long, outdated, and overrated
This website is so biased against hip hip, it's insane. This music is everything Eminem wanted to be. Transgressive and thoughtful but with an energetic, catchy flow. Has this album's lyrics aged well? No, obviously. But that's not really the point here. The point is that this album influenced a ludicrous amount of music since it's release over 3 decades ago. The Bomb Squad is the real star here, imo.
I’ve discussed my thoughts on Ice Cube previously with The Predator, and I won’t recount them again here. I like Ice Cube as a rapper, and that’s largely thanks to this record. For a few months in my early 20s, I would go to bat for this album as one of the Top 10 greatest hip-hop albums ever made. And then, for some reason, I let this album fall into the background, never really revisiting it, even for a song or two. Relistening to it now, I get why I was so passionate about this record, but I also get why I haven’t revisited it much after it first came into my life. First and foremost, the production on AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted is flawless. The Bomb Squad are phenomenal in general, but there’s an argument to be made that this is where they peaked, even considering Fear of a Black Planet. This chaotic style of hip-hop production is always fascinating to hear. It’s always fun to catch the samples. Plus, it flows really well on this particular album. The fact that it’s varied and not just constantly running at 100 miles an hour and smacking you in the face, and does allow for chiller moments like “You Can’t Fade Me” and “Who’s The Mack?” showcase why this is a high-water mark of hip-hop production. And, once again, Cube is an incredibly strong rapper and lyricist. His pen is maybe not as strong as it will become over the next 4ish years, but it’s a huge leap forward compared to his work with NWA. The fact that he can make “Ya Love to Hate” catchy while also talking about how much society hates him proves his abilities as a writer. That said, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted is a product of its time, and that may be its biggest shortcoming. For one, while Cube is a strong writer, his flow is so obviously of the time, and screams 1990. It is stiff– maybe the most stiff of any rap album included on this list. Once you get past the magic of the production, his flow stands out as the most glaring issue, and starts to ruin a lot of these songs. His rhyme scheme is basic, his rhythm is pretty standard for the era, and his lack of internal rhymes or flow switch-ups just make it start to feel repetitive. The fact that this problem is “solved” by his next record, Death Certificate, is a testament to the fact that Cube is/was one of the GOATs, but it is a real issue here. Even worse is his….lyrical topics. I think people who complain about problematic views on hip-hop records are real Tipper Gore losers, but like….you can’t ignore that Cube *really* seems to hate women on this record, along with other non-black people, although as a white women, I’m not going to get into that one much. I always used to say “It’s a Man’s World” does enough to balance out the misogyny, and Yo Yo brings some much needed levity to the issue, but today, it feels more like tokenism than legitimate self-critique. This issue does seem more nuanced on Death Certificate as it’s used as a storytelling device, and less of a focus on The Predator, but each of those albums then go ahead and underline the racism against Asians and some equally gross antisemitism, which is like taking two steps forward and three steps back in my opinion. Typically, I’m of the belief that these attitudes are par for the course in hip-hop’s complex history and you kind of need to just move past them while rolling your eyes if you’re ever going to enjoy the genre, especially because they’re rarely that deep, but the way Ice Cube presents it here, I think it may actually be that deep. Still, I can ignore it more than most, and even then, it brings this record down a notch for me. I still think overall, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted is a great album. I think it’s an important record, and I still love the majority of the songs on here. It’s outdated, but sometimes, that’s part of its charm. I think if Death Certificate was also on this list, I’d be more forgiving of its two flaws. That said, as I’ve suggested, that album also isn’t without critique, and listening to Ice Cube because of this challenge has really made me reconsider whether he ever made anything perfect. But given what we’ve got, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted is still a great hip-hop album that showcases Cube’s skills over amazing production at a time when the genre was making a transition, plus, it contains plenty of songs you could still put on at a party. It deserves its critiques, but it also deserves its flowers.
Early 90s rap is not great.
Bored after 2 or 3 songs.
Though the beats are dated and pretty simple, I have a soft spot for that style. Where I do take issue is the lyrics. I haven’t been totally consistent with my rating in regards to sexist lyrics, but I’m finding it harder and harder to overlook as I go through these. Easier to stomach than the Eminem album last week, but I’m still not sure I can go up to 3 stars. 2.5
Surprisingly enjoyed the more old school style and the cleverness in the lyrics.