Reviews (page 7 of 8)
I was kind of over it by the time You Can't Fade Me came on. I like a few songs (not on this album) by Ice Cube but this was not it for me. The fact that he had to bash and bring up women in order to make a song makes me dislike it so much more.
Got bored.
AJ: Most wanted? Yeah right.
Politically interesting. Misogynistic. Sonically decent but not good enough to ignore the misogyny
It's no 'Straight Outta Compton", but this album is still pretty solid. I have a shortlist of rap albums that I would place above this one, but I don't have any significant complaints about it. Looks like this was Ice's first solo album since leaving NWA, and he definitely retains listen-worthy status. Good rhymes, provocative lyrics, and some decent beats to back it up. Not incredible, but solid. Fave tracks: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Once Upon a Time in The Projects, A Gangsta's Fairytale
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?
ICE CUUUBE!
7/10
Ice Cube's talent is undeniable, but I've just never been a big fan. Long album, kind of gets same-y after a while. Very hard to keep up this intensity for long. Favorite track: "Rollin' Wit The Lench Mob"
Vill bara dräpa författaren och artisten. Ja, all som tycker det här är bra. Hör mer musik när jag sitter på muggen och skiter.
Enjoyed this, but really love his Everythang's Corrupt album.
I'm not a big rap fan. This was just run of the mill sweary rap. Nothing good about it at all, background music at best.
Not the best rap I've ever heard, but for some reason people will say this is the golden era.
Very very aggressive, but very 90's rap. I like this. Not my cup of tea, but I definitely enjoyed.
One of the mant albums on this list where once you hear one song you pretty much know how the rest will sound and you just have to slog through it. Very one-dimensional and repetitive in almost every way. 3/10
For some reason it was very weird to learn that Public Enemy associates did a lot of producing this album because them and Ice Cube occupy such different areas of hip hop in my mind even though they were contemporaries. Anyway, this was a lot like the Ice-T album because the production and flow is great but the lyrics really really haven't aged well. You can't fade me and its a mans world are great examples of this but its also hard to hate on because it sounds so good. Once upon a time in the hood is one that was just good all around though. Very high 3
I really liked N.W.A.'s debut album, so I'm kind of disappointed with this. Every song sounded the same. Ice Cube's an angry dude, I get it, but screaming in my ear for 50 minutes got pretty tiring half way through. Second half also falls apart in the beat department. Not to mention the weird misogyny (although that's sadly to be expected in 90s gangsta rap). 2/5. Better ice type rapper than Vanilla Ice, because Ice Cube learns Ice Beam at level 29, which is super effective against dragon types.
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
dislike
Hip hop típico
I am loving the rap/ hiphop education I'm getting through this project, but I definitely feel there are some exemplary albums from the genre that have aged a bit better than this one. 3/5
Very of its time with the misogynistic and homophobic lyrics. At least the music sounds good
Real old school hiphop, not my genre but I enjoyed some of it. To me the beats is most of the songs sound the same, so it gets repetitive after a while. For one time listening it was okay. Favourite song: - Who’s the Mack
весь этот гангста реп либо уже не понять мне, либо надо намного больше слушать
Better of Dead- intro of death penalty The N**** Ya Love to Hate- Very fun hook 👍 AmeriKKKa’s most wanted- didn’t work for me What They Hittin’ Foe?- very short track You Can’t Fade Me/ JD’s Gaffin’- very much of its time, interesting to listen to with a good beat, but v uncomfortable lyrics and flow is clunkly at times Once Upon a Time in the projects- damn not a great experience then👍 Turn Off the Radio- someone sounds a bit salty Endangered Species- Really hard hitting song 👍 A Gangsta’s Fairytale- I mean, I guess I appreciate the commitment to the bit? I’m Only Out for One Thang- …yeah no Get off my dick and tell yo bitch to come here- title longer than the song The Drive-By- another interlude, this time a drive by Rollin’ wit the Lench Mob- the chorus is a bit of a clusterfuck, and let’s just say we’ve heard this lyrical content before Who’s the Mack?- What’s with the moaning in the background? I like the storyline otherwise 👍 It’s a Man’s World- The hook is cool, like the exchange but I don’t think it achieves much for me. The Bomb- Another extended metaphor, this one is quite fun 👍 Good narratives, flow can get repetitive and the misogny is abundant. I’m gonna say it isn’t my favourite. 2/5
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.
I’ve always enjoyed Ice Cube. Pairing him with the BombSquad leads to some great sounds, even if this does get repetitive quickly. Cube’s rants against the sell-outs are amusing, coming from the guy who starred in Are We There Yet, but it is of its time.
Great beats had Jane dancing in the kitchen, but the ridiculous mysoginy, bragadoccio and foul language is tedious in the extreme.
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
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, Some nice themes/messages that are conveyed through interludes but can’t help but feel with I’ve cube that once you’ve heard a couple of songs from this that you’ve heard them all? Favourite song: Track 7 - Turn Off The Radio
The wall to wall profanity got old real quick. As did the misogyny and the utter sameness of every track.
Nah.
One of my fav rap albums, better than Straight Outta Compton. Awesome production, full of tasty early 90s sampling, great flow, just how I like it. Not too much else to say, just an outright classic. 5/5.
This got boring really fast. It feels like a poor excuse for violence, misogyny, and swearing. When all you do is use swear words to communicate, it kind of misses the point, no matter how relevant the political commentary is.
Hard beats. Good flows. Misogynistic af lol
Un dels millors treballs de gangsta rap. Fet per una de les seves millors veus (i lletres) en el millor moment del génere. No gran cosa, en qualsevol cas
Not my favorite Ice Cube record ever, but this one still has some classic old school 90s Gangsta raps.
Not my thing but can’t complain
A very hit and miss album, with some great wordplay, delivery, and politically-charged rhymes, and also some fire production- a lot of the other reviews say it's dated, which I get when compared to some more revolutionary early 90s releases like Low End Theory and The Chronic, but as a bookend to the 80s style production The Bomb Squad were renowned for it's still really impressively put together. Some tracks are very forgettable though, and others like It's a Man's World make me wish I could forget them
Didn’t listen. Probably rap.
Great beats, but lyrics to some songs are extremely sexist and misogynistic.
Super aggressive 90s hip hop, but better than I thought Ice Cube would be
Ice Cube is O'Shea Jackson from L.A.. This was his debut solo album. He also performed with N.W.A. He has two albums on the 1001 list. Initial Impression: Offensive and angry. Singles: --------------------------------------------------- AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (#1 US RAP, #76 UK) Who's the Mack? Endangered Species (Remix) The music, beats and rap is outstanding. The lyrics are angry and offensive. Rating: 2.5/5
Too sweary and not at all fun to listen to. DNF 🤦♀️
Not his best stuff
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
I admire the Arsenio Hall selling out diss, even though I'm sure many accused Cube of the same after he started making all of those "Are We There Yet?" movies. Somewhat related and definitely worth mentioning: Cube is the only Raider's fan I respect.
Fun. Felt like a movie.
Ice Cube is such an icon. This record f*cks.
Hearing this album in 1990 must have been wild. Production is usually on-point, Ice Cube is charismatic as hell, and there are some genuinely harrowing, darkly comedic tales on this thing. It’s an important record with themes that still resonate today. But in a post-TPAB world, this just feels outdated. No part of this blew me away, other than maybe the song about Ice Cube wanting to murder a pregnant woman so he wouldn’t have to pay child support. That blew me away, but not in a good way.
Ok
racist piece of shit but the music is brilliant
Classic
Pretty mid
Disco bem construído. Hip Hop anos 90 clássico. Muitas camadas e instrumentos orgânicos. Baixo e bateria são destaques.
Not Cubes strongest release. Still he’s full vitriol here and that’s really what we want from Cube. That said it hits hard at times and has several great features. Sadly it isn’t enough to really grab me like his two follow ups do.
Thumping old school hip hop
This is a tough review. At face value, this album is life on the street storytelling with profanity on top of hip hop beats. Objectively, I’m not sure who would enjoy this today, and it’s staying power I question. When Ice Cube fans are in their 70’s, are they going to be humming along to these golden oldies? Will this album bring back good memories? Or is this album an artifact meant to be preserved, a rare explicit example (at the time) of the language and anger of an underground, angry, misunderstood, oppressed urban youth? I will likely never revisit this album, as it’s anger and wide stream profanity eliminate a soft listen. But I certainly know that’s not a shared opinion. I’m many ways, it’s a foreign language album, when most other albums on this journey are more easily approached. But I have a feeling Ice Cube’s motive was just this- putting up his middle finger to the crusty establishment. By that definition, it’s a masterpiece.
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.
I think I need a second listen on this one - it was background noise at the time and as much as I was trying to pay attention I'm not sure it stuck. I did like what I heard, but there was stuff that washed over me - not sure if that was me or the album, but on an initial opinion 3 stars
Pretty good stuff. I like that you can understand all the words. And the beats are good.
4.0
Ice Cube leaves NWA and follows up with a great album and then influenced the genre again. I had not heard this full album before just a couple of songs. Not all the songs are Ice Cube rapping at a faster pace and being angry. A couple of the songs have a mellower beat. It is a different change of pace. Lyrically Ice Cube continues to address social and political issues in his unique way. Also the skits are unnecessary but those are on most rap albums. i enjoyed the album and I would listen to it again.
Gangsta rap isn't really my favorite rap genre, but a few of the unique-sounding songs did stand out that I liked.
I'm a much bigger fan of East Coast rap. Never really got the huge fascination with Ice Cube, I think Dre is the real genius behind NWA. The one thing I can point to is that Ice Cube was always very outspoken about social injustices, so props for that. But as far as something I want to listen to, this album is good not great.
Didn't like every song but overall solid gangster.
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.
Another long overdue introduction to a hip hop legend. This album has aged beautifully. Ice Cube is not trying to be cute or too clever with the lyrics. It’s straight ahead hip hop that’s well produced with good lyrics. It’s really a wonderful album to listen to. It’s a man’s world is an interesting subversion and dismissal of the misogyny trope, I’m here for it.
it’s a legendary album for a reason. it does have some of the misogyny 90s hip hop is famous for, but it’s also the best album from one of the best artists of all time.
Ice Cube has a unique way of seeming friendly through the tough talk. Enjoyed parts, but it was too long and I have a little trouble with the violence and misogyny.
I generally like Ice Cube's voice and the Bomb Squad production but I find this one fairly exhausting.
Iconic ganstarap but there are few areas where it's a bit sexist and casting doubt on some black people's identities by calling them "Oreo cookies". It was a different time for sure and ironically I bet Ice Cube of the 90s would absolutely hate the Ice Cube of today. Regardless it's good for the genre, for sure. But for me I'd rather listen to other rap.
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
Lo mismo que me pasa con el hip-hop en general: el mismo sonsonete con bases semejantes forman una gran canción.
Un rap noventero agradable que a veces casi le tira a soul o funk pero sin atascarse. No le puse toda la atención a la letra, pero siendo de Ice Cube y con el título, no creo que tenga mucha profundidad o innovación. Se gana su tercera estrella y punto.
Sjonge jonge jonge, wat een amuzikaal gedreutel. Ik ben boos en ik kan m'n bek niet houden. Ben tot halverwege gekomen en toen mocht ik het van mezelf eindelijk afzetten. Ligt niet alleen aan het genre: Eric zette van de week ff Public Enemy op, en dat is al veel interessanter om te horen.
Allemaal aardig hoor. Maar Spotify laat vervolgens Public Enemy horen. Klinkt toch echt een stuk sterker.
Dit is toch meer een beetje ghetto'tje spelen. Zou KKK dan ook voor kaaskopkut staan? Voor Roel: dit zijn Osdorp Posse referenties :-P
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
This album is such a great listen and can continually listen to over and over.
Solid and classy, not my fav tho.
No more early 90s rap, pleeaassseee
A great album but definitely a product of its time
Urban wrap makes me uncomfortable. While raw and honest, I have WP guilt about the n-word usage. It is essential to the context though. Relaxing a bit and listening to it as the poet intends, I find the storytelling aspect intriguing. Mechanically sound.
Far from my favourite Ice Cube album. It's not terrible though, although some of it hasn't aged well.
The Predator came up only about a week before this one, and I have to say I prefer The Predator, personally. This seemed a bit less varied and generally less interesting to me, and I just don't think it really aged well, in terms of both the beats and the subject matter. I suppose it was a product of its time though. I think Yo-Yo may have been the star of the show to be honest, because what a debut she made on It's A Man's World. Favourite: It's A Man's World
Pretty good hip hop. I like Ice Cube's style, but nothing really jumped out at me after the first few songs. Standouts: The N*gga Ya Love To Hate, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Endangered Species (Tales From The Darkside)
I'm glad I got to experience this whole album once, but now I'm done. No more, thanks.
This was my first Ice Cube album and I wanted to like it. I dig hip-hop, and most of the beats and samples were right in the pocket for me. Unfortunately, the lyrical content for many of the tracks was too violent towards women for me to love.
I really loved some of this and really hated some of this.
Never listened to an Ice Cube album before. Wasn’t really looking forward to changing that. After the opening skit, the second track started, blew my hair back, and Ice Cube had my full attention. I really dug that first song with all its samples. The album did start to wear on me halfway through, though, and I found myself getting a little impatient with all the misogyny. In some ways this was better than I expected. In other ways, a lot like I expected.
It was okay but the misogyny was too much for me. I’m docking a star because it’s the only power I have over this 32 year old album.
In context, this was probably better than stand alone. Everything is really dated, but some decent story telling, but often corny.
T3B 1. Rollin’ Wit The Lench Mob 2. The Ninja Ya Love To Hate 3. Who’s The Mack?
hype. and kind scary at moments.
I suffer from terminal hip hop fatigue. Every track is mind-numbingly repetitive and indistinguishable from all the others. Music for edgy delinquents who think being black is a personality trait.
The entry for this in the "1001 albums" book says it best: "gangsta garbage". This is a sorry excuse for an album. 0.5/5
I can see why it’s a classic of it’s genre
Ugh, I really don't like gangster rap - the aggression, the misogyny (although there is a "balanced" piece towards the end), the unimaginative swearing and being a mixed race man I squirm every single time I ever hear the N word. I like cuddly actor Cube, but to have this straight after yesterday's Taylor Swift very recent folk-pop Evermore album is such a contrast as to practically knock me down. The beats and funky background samples are ok (well done Public Enemy). That's it.
liked it, a classic i guess, ice cube's first album after his split from NWA. just didnt give me the wow factor 3.5 rounded down
Dynamic and engaging, but one is worn out by the constant "n"-ing and subject matter (admittedly not just the album here, which gets repetitive, but also the 30 years since). Feels a litlte put-on and trite today, but there's no denying it's got more than a few teeth.
Seems a bit one note.
Though i give him credit for strong lyrical content pretty much across the board, i feel like the musical aspects of it are non very interesting... it seems like sound effects are the only differentiating feature, otherwise the beat seems the same. Interesting, particularly the unexpected gansta's fairytale.
Didn't give this one quite the in depth listen I feel it deserves but it was definitely a fun time. It feels significant for it's time and an inspiration for what was to come. Definitely makes me want to dive more into classic hip hop.
I remember as a kid when N.W.A. blew up. "Fuck tha Police" was a BIG DEAL, and the white politicians and news commentators all seemed to think that rap music was vile and dangerous. All the parents I knew either agreed or had opinions that were a variation of "You call that music? It just sounds like noise to me!" This of course made all the white kids want to listen to it. I never listened to rap or hip hop myself, and I was too young to have friends who were into NWA, but I certainly remember Ice Cube being huge. I don't recognize anything on this record specifically, but it has that perfect 90s hip hop sound and was way more nostalgic and fun to listen to than I expected. That said, this is just not for me. I suppose that gansta rap is not supposed to be easy to listen to, but the constant swearing and especially the misogyny makes this impossible for me to really get into. It's a pretty powerful record though. It's political and angry and he certainly does not shy away from saying exactly what he thinks. Ice-T clearly doesn't give a shit if me or anyone else approves.
Aggressive, outraged (and rightly so), elements of misogyny. The usual...
Probably my favorite from Ice Cube, although Death Certificate is definitely a top tier contender
Rap, 1990. I am not a big fan of old school rap, so I probably don't get this album. I found the flows a bit repetitive, the chours quite powerless and the productions are too "old fashioned" for my personal taste.
Wow. This is just pure energy. Everything I like about hip-hop and more. Ice Cube really was at the top of his game here and the soul funk beats are just sublime. A word on the album’s misogyny. It’s a bit of a commonplace to diagnose this symptom in hip hop, but interestingly while “You Can’t Fade Me” unquestionably leaves a bad taste in the mouth, it exists in this strange tension alongside “It’s a Man’s World” towards the end of the album. That is truly the kind of confrontational paradox that this genre often avoids. In a word: masterpiece.
i am so impressed with the amount of political and social commentary on this album! ice cube held nothing back. by that alone, i can understand the album's deserved influence over thirty years. not to mention the songs are catchy! creating catchy songs with power isn't easy. that being said, there are a number of, uh, aspects about women that aren't great and make me feel uncomfy.
After splitting from N.W.A., Ice Cube certainly had his work cut out from him trying to deliver something as hard hitting and impactful as Straight Outta Compton. That said, he probably got closer with this album than anyone else could have. This album feels like a sequel or an add-on to Compton. I'm not familiar enough with rap to know if this is typical or not, but I found it intriguing how much Ice Cube sampled his own group's work in this album, just further tying it to its predecessor, the elephant in the room. Ice Cube hits on a lot of tough topics here, but this album suffers from the same thing that Compton did: overt and excessive misogyny. It just hasn't aged well.
very good flow. great beats. some problematic lyrics by today's standards
Yeah nah
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.
I stick ice cubes down my pants to arouse my increasing flaccid penis. It doesn't really work and neither does this record. My freezing dick isn't happy.
Too big to fail
Classic
It's good. I like the production and the story. It aged well for an album released in 1990.
the bars are good but Im not a huge fan of the beats from this era
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
Boxy production but still pretty great.
Afschuwlijk. Alleen die hoes al van zo'n "wanna-be" gangster. Ook het gebruik van scheldwoorden waar in Nederland onderhand al op worden aangesproken. Stoer hoor. *
Kogo jak kogo ale pana Cube sie kolejny raz nie spodziewalem na liscie, znowu z solowym materialem, tym razem debiutanckim albumem AmeriKKKas Most Wanted z 90, pokazal co umie zarowno jako tworca tekstow i czlowiek interesu potrafiacy znalezc odpowiednich ludzi do roboty, mowie tutaj o produkcji plyty ktora jest glownie zasluga the bomb squad, ekipy ktora juz w tamtych czasach tworzyla dla slick ricka, ll cool ja, czy public enemy, ktorzy sa featurami na dwoch trakach jeszcze jednym gosciem na plycie jest pani yo yo, w pewnym sensie artystka wypromowana przez niego, co do samego kontentu plyty to jest tematycznie podobny do tego co juz bylo grane na predatorze, wiec obok gangsterskiego zycia gettowego i lekcji szancuku dla kobiet znajdzie sie takze miejsce na pokazna doze rasizmu, czasem wymierzonego rowniez w czarnych, na ktorych uzywa ciekawego okreslenia jak oreo, ale nie jest to jeszcze tak doszlifowany material, jesli porownywac go z jego nastepnymi albumami, wiec teksty sa o wiele bardziej bezposrednie i proste, tak samo jest z technika rymowania, ktora nadal jest w powijakach, tym razem plyte ratuja instrumentale, ktore jak przystalo na lata 90 bazuja na bogatym samplowaniu zarowno klasycznych funkowych czarnych artystow lat 70 i 80, ale takze swiezych trakow rapowej sceny, czy nawet materialu od ex grupy, wiec nawet jesli to nie byl to najlepszy krazek jaki slyszalem od tego pana, to i tak szanuje za solidna dyskografie, na plejke leci whos the mack i the nigga you love to hate
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!
Been a while since I listened to this one
I like Public Enemy better and this sounds pretty similar to me and came later. What makes me laugh are those that are blowing up this whole thing like he's Shakespeare born again. It's ok but only if you're in an angry mood.
JE sai spas trop quoi en penser. J'ai pas 1h11 à mettre sur cet album d'ou la note. J'aime Ice Cube, J'adore le rap mais cet album... on dirait je le sens pas. 2.99
This is my definition of perfect hip hop production. Punchy, funky to the point and very quick. Obligatory problematic content disclaimer that is common of (almost) all 90s releases.
some good tracks but a lil repetitive
Best Song: The Nigga Ya Love to Hate. Such a groovy blastoff into this album, that still hits hard lyrically despite being so upbeat musically. Worst Song: I'm Only Out For One Thing. No song has ever been improved by including Flava Flav. Overall: Yeah it's good, even if it does have some lyrical work that has aged pretty poorly. Also far too long for what's on offer, and could have used some editing before release.
I’m giving this one star because of the misogynistic lyrics and general tone which has dated really badly. If we are rightly holding TV from the 50s and 60s accountable for its obvious racism then we have to also hold early rap accountable for its horrendous sexism.
A lot of misogyny in here but also a lyrical slice of life.
Some sweet gangsta rap. 3 Really bores me after a while though 2
Who really wants to listen to ignorant people acting angry, shooting guns, calling each other Nigga.? The music and style is actually good, it is just all the extreme content that really ruins this album. 1/5
Nog steeds is rap niet mijn ding. Maar ik kon dit album luisteren zonder gefrustreerd te raken
this album melted me
very listenable but nowhere near as creative as Dr Dre or others of the same period
Yeah, I very much like this sort of stuff
pretty fun rap 7/10
Raw, angry, but doesn't flow and nowhere Near his best
This started off great, classic style hip hop with strong beats and driving flow, but soon showed its age, with middling at best songs with poor lyrics.
Decent, but a bit dated. Very clearly an early 90s west coast sound, good beats but the social commentary aspect of it probably more impressive than the actual lyrical quality. Influential on what was to follow but I feel I've been spoiled by improvements in the genre in general, particularly in production quality. 2.5 maybe.
Given the reviews above, I thought it'd be worse than it was, but I think we'll get a lot better hip hop than this. Mixes in some interesting social commentary that would've been pretty inflammatory in 1990 (but feels a bit stale now) with a lot of lines that made me wince pretty hard. It's pretty crude in a lot of places - 'Get off my my dick and tell your bitch to come here' as the title of a song sounds like a bad parody of rap, and the attitude towards women in general is pretty grim. Also, I'm not a prude, but the unrelenting tide of bitch/nigga/dick is pretty wearing and it loses its edge by the end because you're so worn down. 2/5.
Novamente a audição de um álbum de rap não se sustenta.
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.
It was fine
Snälla ice cube… var int så aggressiv… ja blir skrämd :(
Enjoyable sound albeit repetetive to it’s detriment. The track ”Can’t fade me” sticks out for it’s misogyny but what he says on ”Who’s The Mack?” and the framing of ”It’s a Man’s World” makes me believe that he think he was aware of how it came off when he wrote it. The question then becomes why write it at all?
Han har oändlig karisma på denna skiva... ett av de aggressivaste, smartaste och roliga hiphop-albumen någonsin.
I was kind of surprised that I did enjoy this. There isn't as much variety in the beats as you hear in more recent rap but you can't deny that Ice Cube is a really excellent storyteller
Great album from the star of Are We There Yet?
Ice Cube turns out not to be a joke act after all.
Ice Cube's expression on this album cover mirrors my feelings on finding out that (after a couple of weeks of mostly dross) I now have to listen to an Ice Cube album. It turns out that my incredulous miffment was ill founded. I quite enjoyed this record. It seemed bouncy and energetic. I got the sense that the lyrical content may have been rude/offensive, but wasn't really taking it in. 3/5
ganska bra men jag upplevde det som lite töntigt emellanåt
Definitely ice cube
Decent late eighties/early nineties rap. I really like Ice Cube's style, but like later period gangsta rap more. This is a little too close to the NWA/80s style. 2.5/5
average 90s rap
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
"Mediocre beats will work if they're loud enough." -the golden rule of gangsta rap, probably
Listened to on 3/8/22 2.5/5 Favorite song: You can’t fade me Genuinely liked this more than I thought I would but the explicit lyrics were a bit excessive in some of the songs - the social commentary on race in America and the integration of radio/quotes were 10/10 though
👍
It's probably a great and iconic rap album but I just don't get it. Rap will never appeal to me. He does have a good way with words however, i will give him that.
A man with a message, although it's a mixed one. Is he being ironic or a hypocrite? Who knows. The whole stick it to the (white) man/break down the system gets a bit tiresome after a while. The music is OK and he's a decent rapper so I'm gonna stick my vote on the fence in the middle cos the jury is out. Hope that's OK with you IC?
Ice cube at the height of his powers in terms of lyrical content. You can literally see the birthing pains of gangsta rap. His subject is the oppression of African Americans and the weight of the system. But is also outrageously misogynistic and a bit hung ho. Would probably be quite tame by later standards and still has some meangingful politics in there. He is a splendid rapper mind and the tunes are quality bass heavy hip hop from it's golden years.
I get the message but it gets a bit tiresome after a while.
Listening to the lyrics I thought made it was trying to address misogyny, but the whole attitude of the album seemed to be in a tone of gangster rap, so I was confused. Like when people go to the opera to see La Boheme dealing with issues of poverty.
Some days you need to be in the right mood for the 1001 albums, it can be a challenge. On this particular day and this particular album, there was too much content to stomach. I managed to get about halfway through before needing a break, and didn't feel like coming back to it, maybe another day.
Tough as nails inner city portrait - very often threading misogyny but at the same time ground breaking in terms of enlightenment for 1990. Does not let up for a minute - Ice Cube really brings out the words and paints hugely vivid images of gangbanging life
Overall a classic. I enjoyed the skits and samples, even when they skewed a bit silly. The one-note misogyny interfered with some of the other commentary for me, though. I also had a hard time differentiating a lot of the songs.
Hooray, another dose of violent misogyny. This one goes straight in the trash next to Dr. Dre.
I have mixed feelings on this album - and on basically all releases from NWA and its former members really. It's an important album in the evolution of the genre and it certainly has its strong points, but there's also a lot about it that hasn't aged well at all. I'm not going to make a whole point-by-point dissertation... I think this ranks as a medium three and that's about it. It doesn't really need more said about it than that.
This album is basically an opener of what the hip hop of the 1990s would be like. Groups like Public Enemy and N.W.A opened the way, in the late 1980s, for rappers to take the spotlight in the next decade. In this sense, this first Ice Cube effort goes everywhere, but finds things to say in every corner it touches. Great lyrics, beats and samples overall. Songs that are more political and have social commentary are the highlights, like "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" and "Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)", but the rawness of "The Nigga Ya Love to Hate" is also very interesting.
The genre of “gangsta rap” was one I was never dove head first into. When I was younger, NWA, Dre, Snoop, Eazy-E were all finding their footing in the world of music and Ice Cube wasn’t someone whose catalog I had any desire to check out. I had my fill on some of the music made by the aforementioned artists, so Cube fell by the wayside. I’d always meant to get around to his stuff, but never found the time. In listening to this, I can see the appeal. It’s catchy, the rhymes are borderline ridiculous at times, but what do you expect? It was hard hitting, it was original, it was what I expected but it never wowed me.
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
I am just not that into rap, the songs all sounded very similar to me.
Not my thing
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
I got the importance of this album for modern hip-hop and its songs are really cool. A little bit repetitive, but still cool!
Ice Cubes debut doesn’t have a lot of memorable music. Lyrics feel outdated, but understand how it drive the narrative of rap in the early 90’s
Nope. Not for me. I can appreciate it's power and impact, but I couldn't get into 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 think this isn't for me, but I can see why it is so highly regarded. The production is absolutely ace.
Really didn’t enjoy “You can’t fade me”, but liked this album more than most rap I’ve listened to.
Vile
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.
It's not my favourite genre in hip hop, but this album is solid. Ice Cube speaks hard truths. That's very evident here. Comments on race, violence, inequality, culture, etc. are delivered with aggressive poetry. (7/10) FT: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Meh, its ok, no real hits
"Music" for poc, who want to feel justified in blaming everybody else for problems of their own making, and for white people who want to feel "edgy". Rap is KKKrap.
Here for it
Ice Cube sounds pretty west coast, and I guess I prefer east coast. Not a bad album, but not very catchy either.
Solid west coast rap. The rhythm section on this album really stands out with classic soul and funk lines. Overall this album is very well balanced. My biggest issue is the portrayal of women in this album though Yo-Yo’s inclusion is a good counterbalance to his misogyny. Ice Cube’s flow is good with moments that break out of contemporary patterns and anticipate the more creative rapping to come
Not my thing personally. I can see why it's so influential, but probably agree with the original Rolling Stone review - "The relentless profanity grows wearisome, the Bomb Squad beats lose steam, and Cube's attitudes toward women are simply despicable."
Really inventive, very of its time, very interesting
Von der Musik her nicht schlecht, wenn sich auch später viel ähnlich klingt. Von den Texten sind manche noch aktuell, manche definitiv nicht.
A classic, perfect for riding with the top down. Public Enemy production with a Chronic feel. Ice Cube is a legend
Iconic sound of the 90s.
Not my thing
Loved to hate Ice Cube before. This was the first time I ever actually listened to his music, surprisingly nice
He’s got a dope sound and a fierce energy. Just not my type of music.
No thanks
Production and assembly is great, and it's a (rightly) angry album, but the shameless sexism is not a good look now.
Ice Cube is a talent. His career is a marvel. He's part of NWA and also a children's movie icon. He can do it all. The misogamy in this genre does not age well, not that it was ok then. What Cube does though is create a persona that allows him to dip in and out of otherwise increasingly wicked ideas and statements. Performance is the key. And he is able to build up commentary on race, society, culture, and the industry. This is an incredible debut for a Ice Cube as well. His role in NWA was huge and then he was able to jump out and put this together.
Just don't really connect with the source material, but good execution of an older style of hip hop.
Too much Ice, not enough to drink. Honestly, I appreciate this album more than I like it; it’s a landmark for sure, and songs like Once Upon a Time in the Projects and It’s a Man’s World bump so fucking hard. But Ice Cubes flow get old pretty fast without the rest of NWA to back him up. The mostly unremarkable beats certainly don’t help, either. It has some great stuff, but it is too bloated for his charisma to carry it alone.
The issue with this album is it is so samey throughout. While Cube is the fundamental piece that makes NWA work, the other members are so fundamental to the attractiveness of the group due to the diversity of sound. That is what is lacking on a solo Cube project. The only reprieve was found in the occasional features which spiced things up.
This album is definitely not for middle class mom's. Classic Ice Cube.
Instead of joking on this actually being most unwanted, I will say this genre isn't one I normally listen to and point out the excessively profane lyrics as a big turn off.
Pew pew
As dull a record, as has ever been made.
I like to listen to the 1001 offerings twice to make sure I didn't miss any nuances the first time through. With this album, I'm pretty sure there were no nuances to miss. It's about as subtle as a brick that hits you in the head. His Fuck You voice really suits the gangster rap genre. He has some important messages and delivers them in a way that leaves little doubt about what the message is. His delivery style does make it hard to play the album when company is over or children are within earshot. I suppose my children and dinner guests tonight were not his target market anyway. Oh well, Happy Thanksgiving.
1/5 Don’t like the old school rap
the beats and editing was solid, each song opening is very exciting, but I found myself bored thirty seconds into most tracks
It does what it does well, but my patience with that level of unashamed misogyny these days is pretty much non-existent. Good delivery, sickening content.
After NWA, Ice Cube showed he could still deliver with a strong debut solo album. There's no doubt that The Lench Mob brings a-game production for the album, but it's Ice Cube's attitude and lyricism that really cements this as a hardcore hiphop album for all time. NWA deserves praise on their own, of course, but Ice Cube clearly did well for himself after the group. I'll say that the first half of songs are better than second half, but the whole thing is still cool af.
Good beats, but much weaker than The Predator. Lyrical content is just terrible, with the social messages overshadowed by one-note misogyny
ЧТО: Дебютник О’Ши Джексона, более известного под псевдонимом Ice Cube, выпущенный в 1990 году после ухода Кьюба из легендарной группы N.W.A. Классический хип-хоп из 1990-х. И текстово, и музыкально альбом наследует традиции предыдущих поколений развития жанра и использует их для создания новой классики. В этом, как мне кажется, невероятная сила этой культуры - в уважении и бережном отношении к своим корням. Сразу оговорюсь, что мне трудно писать о хип-хоп музыке. Мне до конца не осмыслить данную пластинку. Это не мой культурный код, но моя сфера интересов. Так что здесь будет исключительно объективный анализ из вне, построенный на человеческой логике, одинаковой для белых и чёрных. Only facts. КАКОЙ: Бумбэп во всей своей красе. Альбом состоит из, если можно так выразиться, качевых ударных партий, сэмплов из фанка и соула и агрессивной читки Кьюба. Как известно, в каждом таком альбоме огромное количество отсылок к поп культуре. Но не мне их искать. Скажу только, что настроение альбома можно описать как «straight outta Compton”. Альбом начинается с интерлюдии - диалоге приговорённого к смерти на электрическом стуле со своим палачом. Это иллюстрирует все эмоциональное наполнение альбома. О ЧЕМ: Темы текстов классические для хип-хопа 1990-х, да и в принципе для хип-хопа. Трудности жизни чёрного человека в Америке, существование в тяжелых условиях гетто - все это отражается в агрессивности подачи и лирики. Кроме того, Кьюб демонстрирует своё мастерство МС, что логично после его ухода из N.W.A. и нападок со стороны коллег по цеху и СМИ. Повторюсь, что мне трудно осознавать посыл таких альбомов, но тем не менее можно сказать, что тексты охватывают набор важных (и обязательных для жанра) концептов, связанных с самолюбованием, криминалом, уличной жизнью и разборками разного рода, успех в которых доказывает обеспечивает kind of street credibility. ИТОГ: Хорошая музыка и классические жанровые тексты. Для меня некоторые биты (в частности на указанных ниже песнях) являются образцовыми. Хотя альбом и не в моем культурном коде, но я уверен, что я не заброшу его сразу после прослушивания, а сохраню для прослушивания в определенные моменты жизни. Альбом безусловно повлиял на развитие хх на западном побережье, в целом в Америке да и во всем мире. Пластинка по праву располагается в ряду важнейших хх альбомов 90-х. ЛУЧШИЕ ПЕСНИ: The N**a Ya Love To Hate, A Gangsta’s Fairytale, Once Upon A Time In The Projects.
Musically, this is nice and angry. That being said, there are least a few songs on it that I feel weird about having the titles for pop up on my Spotify.
First time hearing this. Really liked it.
Unreal how good this is
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
I can appreciate this album for what it did in bringing racism, both systematically and individually, and the attitudes about rap, impoverished individuals and urban culture to the forefront. However, I can't really get past the blatant sexism that Ice glorifies. "It's A Man's World" tries to make a light and parody those attitudes, but it just comes off as a cringy and thoughtless attempt. Music becomes a timestamp of the attitudes surrounding it, and this record definitely personifies that. The sexism didn't age well, but it certainly is relevant in the same racist issues America still has today. Beyond that, the music is brilliant. It's not my style or preference in rap, but I can appreciate it for what it is. You can see that Ice Cube was really the driving force in N.W.A because these songs hold up pretty well against that content. He's his same aggressive, in-your-face narrator that wants you to feel his anger. Favorite Song: A Gangsta's Fairytale Least Favorite Song: It's A Man's World
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.
Queste sonorità mi ricordano gli anni '90 e in qualche modo anche la mia infanzia (i film americani, la break dance..) Non posso dire che mi sia piaciuto ma nemmeno che mi abbia fatto sKKKifo. I testi manco l'ho guardati. Certo che un'ora e più di sta roba ma un po' ucciso..2
Vorrei dire di aver trovato in questo album qualcosa di diverso da quello che mi aspettavo ma era anche difficile. Se devo essere sincero è stato godibile, il flow mi piace e i beat sono onesti. Arriverebbe quasi al 3 se non fosse per i testi che, oltre a qualche rima veramente brutta, c'hanno i soliti contenuti che mi rendono davvero difficile andare sopra al 2, in particolare i contenuti misogini per cui, da quello che ho capito, Ice Cube gode di una certa notorietà. Sicuramente ho fatto un po' più di orecchio al genere ma continuo a non capirlo e a non condividerlo, soprattutto perché è evidente che non stanno recitando dei personaggi (almeno così loro credono). Metto due solo perché musicalmente non m'è dispiaciuto.
Dischetto un pò così, forse non era la giornata giusta per l'hip hop però non mi è rimasto molto di questo disco.
Meh. Probably wouldn't bother again.
Nope.
Ice Cube is a legend, and proves that he is the key player in NWA with this album
Not bad, although was kind of boring
J'ai trouvé le texte de l'album très riche, je vous le joins dans sa totalité ci-dessous : ♫ Boom, bap, boom, bap n-word, fuck, drugs, gang !! Boom bap bap boom, encore n-word, fuck, de nouveau le n-word !! Boom bap motherfuck et revoilà le fameux n-word accompagné du mot fuck... Encore !? Un n-word de plus mon gars et bah ouais, l'album dure une heure, fuck motherfuck bam boop, n-word comme par hasard et m-word maintenant pourquoi pas, gun, fuck ! Gang ! C'est tout pour moi je m'appelle Ice Cube !♫
Je remarque avec surprise que les likes diminuent sur mes reviews en ce moment. Je m'attèle à vous proposer du contenu de qualité, il s'agirait de s'en rendre compte et de rapidement se ressaisir, sans quoi je devrais sévir.
I liked the tracks at the start. The later tracks were ok, but a poco loco
Not bad, but the misogyny is... a bit much. I get that this is the 'brand', but in my opinion it's hypocritical and undermines the message of the rest of the album. How can you critique the oppression of black people and at the same time promote the oppression of women? (I feel the same when it's the other way around, which also happens way too often, but that's a different story). Still gets 2 stars for the political songs.
יס
It was quite good but got a bit bored towards the end
One star for excessive language & disrespect to women. The music etc was just ok for me as well. Don't get me wrong I love rap, hip-hop etc, but only if it is good. This was NOT good.
legend of the game
I love the sociopolitical focus. I am not a fan of the misogyny. I really found myself grooving along to the beats and samples. 3.5, almost 4.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: The nigga you love to hate,
A powerful and angry hip-hop album that established the genre's footing in the industry. Ice Cube's debut is for sure my favorite after Death Certificate and for a very good reason. He's let out his anger at injustice and top lyrical ideas into one compact album. Ice Cube is a lyrical genius, who's storytelling skills draws you into the setting and mood, while also conveying the underlying message. This is best demonstrated in "The Nigga Ya...", "AmeriKKKa's...", and "Once Upon a Time...". I also love how he incorporates humor and imagination, as in "You Can't Fade Me" and "A Gangsta's Fairytale." And then there's the Bomb Squad production which serves to reinforce and complement the power of Ice Cube's messages. It's reminiscent of what made Public Enemy so special. I did feel the second side was weaker than the first, but still amazing tracks one after the other.
Young, angry Ice Cube. Nice!
18. Nunca quis ser mais alto, maisrápidomaisFORTE. Vivo p'ra cair na merda, tipo Vítor Norte. MotA: Endangered Species "Was America willing to maintain order... No matter what the cost?"
not to my taste - wasnt a stand out album musically.
A great hip-hop album. At times the songs feel like they can blend together and that might have to do with the beat, but I have no real complaints about that. Ice Cube has some important things to say, and they're still relevant to this day.
Nice beats, repetitive flows
I've never been a fan of "gangsta rap" but I appreciate what Ice Cube has done for the music industry.
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
-The vast majority has a flow that you would expect from Ice Cube -I like the general concept/story through the album -Favorite Track is "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" -It might be a 4 but nothing really stood out to draw me back for another listen
Has aged very poorly
When you think of Ice Cube over the past few years, you think of movies like Ride Along, Barbershop and other somewhat wholesome offerings. This album, and specifically the lyrics, is a bit of a contrast to that. The beats are funky. More funky than I remembered, to be honest. Most "gansta rap" of this era was a bit more raw and gritty, but is a bit more polished and, well, funky. This album also wears it's Public Enemy ties and Parliament Funkadelic influence on it's sleeve, featuring Public Enemy's production teams, The Bomb Squad/Da Lench Mob, as well as appearances from Chuck D and Flava Flav. This is most definitely a west coast rap album, with skits between songs, racial and misogynistic lyrics in full effect and a slathering of political ranting. Some of the themes still ring true today, while others are definitely from a bygone era (this album actually turns 31 in 4 days, so...yeah.) One thing is for sure...this is still a damn good record, regardless.
The frustration and urge to say “fuck that shit” at being told to be a model minority is something that hits home. “If you just stopped being angry/in your face/flaming/etc.” is bullshit and it’s nice to hear it called out. At the same time, isn’t all this posturing to prove how OG you are the same as white hipsters or nerds or whatever proving they’re “real” in whatever way? It takes some skill to make the simple flow of early 90s rap interesting. Also, misogyny, but obviously. Favourite track: “Turn off the Radio.”
I’m a lover of hip hop/rap and really like some of the NWA stuff. Enjoy the west coast and G-Funk that Dre brought to the mix but this was barely listenable! Loud, overly aggressive and didn’t feel like the album had any sort of direction to it. Put it off about half way through. Disappointed to be honest.
Cool hip-hop album. Cube went hard back in the day.
I get it... but this definitely isn't for me
Rap isn't my thing lol.
Did not listen entirely; not a fan of rap
+1 stars for misogyny
One of my favorite Ice Cube joints 😊 I only like one or two songs overall it left me feeling angry.
Classic album, still relevant today
Eh
"Ice cube the bitch killer"
I love hip-hop, but I don't generally fuck with gangsta rubbish. NWA's Straight Outta Compton is one exception, so let's see if Ice Cube's solo stuff will click.... No. It's shit. Production is pretty catchy, but repetitive, and full of irritating skits with unfunny jokes. Ice Cube's flow and delivewry are alright. Lyrics are the usual misogynistic rubbish about kicking pregnant women in the stomach and so forth. Man, he really likes talking about his dick. What artistry. Yeah, we could say it's raw and aggressive because it's the art of the disenfranchised urban poor. But let's all remember that this style of hip-hop was successful throughout the 1990s because largely white audiences lapped up increasingly extreme stereotypes of the exoticised African-American man, like a modern and aggressive version of minstrelsy. I will defend hip-hop as a genre, but this is crap. "Endangered Species" featuring Chuck D is tolerable, though it's offset by a shitty Flavor Flav appearance later. To be clear, I don't need my hip-hop to be sanitised. But it needs to have something (anything) that lifts it above the level of hateful hyper-masculine posturing. 1/5 To end on a positive note, here's a great hip-hop album from 1990 that should be on the list: Master Ace - Take A Look Around (1990)
I admit, I didn't want to listen to it at first. But I was actually very positively surprised and enjoyed it more than I was annoyed by it. That's saying a lot for a rap album. Would like to rate 3.5. Rounded down instead of up for the casual sexism.
Much funkier than I expected. More interesting than NWA.
Not my thing
The beats are surprisingly good, same people as public enemy apparently. The lyrics alternate between okay and unenjoyable, maybe a 2.5? alright in small amounts
3.5/5 it might be good, i'll have to listen to it again
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.
De sound van de nummers die ook daadwerkelijk nummers zijn vind ik wel tof, maar dat oeverloze geleuter en geroep tussen de tracks door is zoooo vermoeiend en saai. *pang* *pang* ik ben stoer!
Fijner dan andere rap die we tot nu toe gehoord hebben, maar de pistoolschoten en het ‘nigger’ komen nu m’n neus wel uit.
Jos Ice T oli positiivinen ylläri, niin Ice Cube oli aikamoinen pettymys. N.W.A. jossa Ice Cube oli mukana, oli kanssa ihan okei, mutta tää soololevy oli aika tuhnu. Ei ollut tarttuvia biisejä ja mitä sanoja jaksoi kuunnella niin sellaista uhoa vaan ja vähän pyssynpauketta taustalle. Ei uppoa!
When Ice Cube split from N.W.A after the group's seminal Straight Outta Compton album changed the world forever, expectations were high, too high to ever be met by anyone but the most talented of artists, and at his most inspired. At the time Cube was just that. With AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted the rapper expanded upon Compton, making a more full-bodied album that helped boost the role of the individual in hip-hop. Save the dramatic intro where a mythical Ice Cube is fried in the electric chair, his debut is filled with eye-level views of the inner city that are always vivid, generally frightening, generally personal, and sometimes humorous in the gallows style. Ripping it quickly over a loop from George Clinton's "Atomic Dog," Cube asks the question that would be central to his early career, "Why there more niggas in the pen than in college?," while sticking with the mutual distrust and scare tactics N.W.A used to wipe away any hopes of reconciliation ("They all scared of the Ice Cube/And what I say what I portray and all that/And ain't even seen the gat"). "What I'm kicking to you won't get rotation/Nowhere in the nation" he spits on the classic "Turn Off the Radio," which when coupled with the intoxicating Bomb Squad production and Cube's cocksure delivery that's just below a shout, makes one think he's the only radio the inner city needs. The Bomb Squad's amazing work on the album proves they've been overly associated with Public Enemy, since their ability to adapt to AmeriKKKa's more violent and quick revolution is underappreciated. Their high point is the intense "Endangered Species," a "live by the trigger" song that offers "It's a shame, that niggas die young/But to the light side it don't matter none." This street knowledge venom with ultra fast funk works splendidly throughout the album, with every track hitting home, although the joyless "You Can't Fade Me" has alienated many a listener since kicking a possibly pregnant woman in the stomach is a very hard one to take. Just to be as confusing as the world he lives in, the supposedly misogynistic Cube introduces female protégé Yo-Yo with "It's a Man's World" before exiting with "The Bomb," a perfectly unforgiving and visceral closer. Save a couple Arsenio Hall disses, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is a timeless, riveting exercise in anger, honesty, and the sociopolitical possibilities of hip-hop.
Not bad, not as good as NWA
Un disco agotador
Quite enjoyed this without relating to a single word of it. White Privilege FTW.
5.5
After the first couple of tracks I worried this would feel samey. Wrong. Deep grooves in the samples, Cube's in-your-face delivery and a dollop of humour and self-awareness made for a very enjoyable listen.
“Amerikkka’s Most Wanted” by Ice Cube (1990) I’m marginally familiar with this artist and lyrics (Ice Cube: “political hip hop” [TAR, 416]), especially “The Nigga You Love to Hate” and “This Is a Man’s World”. Most people are not consistently aware of the fact that socio-political propaganda has two dimensions. First, obviously, propaganda includes the promotion of set of views, which may or may not involve deception. But there is a second, more hidden dimension in which propaganda seeks to employ devices of socio-political power to downplay, distort, demean, or deny a voice to the views of others. The first dimension can be simply recognized as free speech (or advertising). But it is the second dimension that should be the focus of our analysis. Ice Cube’s lyrics, to state the obvious, are intentionally and self consciously angry, shocking, and offensive—entertainingly so. For this dimension of Ice Cube’s propagated views he gets five stars. Without question this album is a well executed, innovative, influential, and well performed expression of socio-political sentiment. Good poetry, vocals, production values, which still, 30 years later, have a solid fundamental appeal. Excellent listening experience. On the other hand (second dimension), these lyrics scare white people. They should. They are intended to. And apart from the fact that some racially aware white people (I’d like to think I’m one of them) feel guilty about how white people treated black people for at least the past 400 years, artists like Ice Cube have, using the second dimension referred to above, learned how to effectively tell white people to STFU. Out of unironically serious respect to the artistic integrity of this artist and album, therefore, I will. 3/5
Hip-hop. Mucho taco y poca chicha.
Really gritty album but great. Love Ice Cube. 7/10.
1990, gangsta rap, West Coast hip hop, political Hip Hop, nicht wirklich was was ich mir anhören würde
The album offers great historic context. Ice Cube does a great job. His voice is so cool and the songs are fun. Lacks strong singles and the run time is a bit long.
Definitely not my style, but it was an interesting listen. This style of rap is more palatable for me and I appreciate the lyrics focusing on political and social messages as opposed to sex and drugs exclusively like that Missy Elliot album. Favorite Track(s): “The Nigga You Love To Hate” and “The Bomb”
I really enjoyed my listen, and I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. Although I’m not sure that I’ll be going back to the album anytime soon. Not my genre sadly
Slightly better than expected. Still didn’t like it though.
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.