The Predator

First rap album

As a note, I listened to this in less than ideal conditions. Ice Cube is now associated with family comedies and Amazon propaganda films, but at one time he was a successful musician. With NWA and then going solo, his work took a turn. NWA was a pretty decent group. Really made some changes to hip-hop that would make waves for years after. His solo work, not so much. There’s a few good songs on here, but a majority I would say don’t do much. It’s pretty well produced, the lyrics aren’t all that, and the flow is decent. It’s an okay album, with a few songs that jump out and are really good. The content is absolutely correct. Racism is alive and well to this day. Hell, it’s been kicked into overdrive, lately. He’s right to be pissed about it, and frankly more people should be. Unfortunately, the misogyny and glorification of gang violence waters down that message.

Funky and political and awesome! I love his delivery style - the rhythmic flows and the way satisfying punchlines are set up and landed. I love the funky jazzy beats. I have my reservations about the misogyny.. But he does an incredible job of highlighting how the shock and anger he provokes could reasonably be redirected towards the racist society.

Quintessential West Coast rap album, and probably one of Ice Cube's best during his early solo era. Racial tensions were obviously quite noteworthy in 1992, so Ice Cube is pretty charged here. Excerpts from real-life news, interviews, etc. bridge the gap between some tracks and don't feel that intrusive. That actual tracks themselves have that 90's west hip-hop panache with the production and sampling used. "It Was a Good Day" is a certified classic of course, and while I much prefer the remix of "Check Yo Self", the original still holds its own. There were a few other highlights in the first half ("When Will They Shoot?", "Wicked", and "The Predator"), but I felt the second half kind of lagged a bit in comparison. Arguably Ice Cube's best solo work, however, and still relevant in many ways.

I'll say this: Ice Cube is taking his mandated 90s Rap Skit time to thumb his nose at white flight fears, using soundbytes to make the fears sound idiotic. Because they are. I'll also say this: as a white boy coming of age in the 90s, I always thought “Wicked” was one of the least interesting things on Korn's “Life is Peachy”. Unsurprisingly the Ice Cube original is better, if still not great. Certainly it is a weird listen to know basically exactly what comes next but not in this context. And I'll say this further: there's a certain sick pleasure about “Now I Gotta Wet Cha” taking a sample that sounds like a big summer song, something to groove down with, and yet being about shooting someone. There's a weird uncomfortable humor to the idea of drawing blood as “wetting” someone. I mean, I guess yeah, I guess it would wet you. It's almost quaint compared to rap music even 5 or so years later. This is very rooted in classic rap sounds, and music and delivery is pretty of a piece. I appreciate that Cube uses a lot of funky, danceable grooves throughout, which is rare with this sort of rap. As I said, a track like “wetcha” or “dirty mack,” which goes full on funk jazz, doesn't feel any less tough for not being dark and grimy. But while that makes it maybe a more fun listen than the normal over-serious posturing of other similar rap albums (not that Cube doesn't posture in his own way), it does feel limited in scope otherwise. But within that, there is “It Was A Good Day,” in which Cube plays basketball, does a little gambling, is excited about breakfast, has success in romance, smokes a bit. It's a good day. And that banality is heightened with the other things… the cops don't profile him, no one tries to kill him, and he does not need to protect himself, no one he knows dies. That's the thing that makes it special. Sure, that sample is warm and memorable and fits the mood, but it really works because of that tension, the listener lulled in by the pretty stereotypical day, and then realizing that this isn't just good because he has a big burger at 2am… it's good because he got to enjoy a day without having to deal with the realities of white supremacy, the realities of gang violence, the traumas that can surround the black experience in America. Cube notes that he wants the white community to “know our community more”. It's a good document of that. So I appreciate that Ice Cube is on top of the politic of the day (right down to the understanding that a camera is important when being abused by the law, something that is so important to keep in mind even today). It's an album that regularly makes a statement about race, the sort of statement that white folks have been terrified of for decades, that white folks have been desperately trying to invalidate in modern days. But the whole package ends up in the ⭐️⭐️⭐️ territory

Samme togtur. 90s hip hop og trolske landskap. Sterk 3'er.

Fett!

I will say that Ice Cube knows how to rap. He has a real talent for rhythm and his songs end up very entertaining to listen to. As for the texts... I'm torn. Some are very good, the ones about the Rodney King incident and subsequent riots especially. It's very angry, but rightfully so, and Cube drops truth bombs after truth bombs. "When will they shoot" is staggeringly good, and "We had to tear this mothafucka down" is raw and makes no compromise. Good shit. But then... Seriously, what's with rappers claiming they're not misogynistic and then proceed to be extremely misogynistic? You can't write two songs dedicated to how "you can't trust a hoe" and then claim you aren't misogynistic. It's pretty evident that Ice Cube, like many rappers, does not consider women to be equals, and it makes half of the album almost unbearable to actively listen to. It's disappointing, because there's a real intelligence in many of those songs, something I didn't find in Biggie's album for instance. Ice Cube is smart, and not just street-wise, so it's a shame that he would use that intelligence to write dogshit like "Dirty Mack" or "Don't Trust 'Em". He's even a great storyteller when he wants to ("It was a good day"). But like many others in the genre, Cube wants to be seen as this tough manly man who gets loads of pussies, and it just feels immature and insecure.

I bet techmoan loves this. Wet 'Cha and won a wet tshirt contest = getting shot HaHa. Yeah not really my thing.

I enjoyed this way more than I was expecting, it kept my interest the entire time and it was obvious to me that a lot of talented people worked on this album. That being said, I deliberately did not listen too closely to the lyrics as I've heard more than enough casual misogyny and homophobia just by virtue of living in the world in 2026.

3.5

Damn

My problems with this album (overly long and the almost comical, shoehorned-in misogynistic lyrics) seem to be problems many albums in this scene have. That said, Ice Cube does have a great voice for this kind of music. He’s very strong. There are some good songs on this album, but I’ve opted for three stars because I don’t see myself listening to the full thing again.

I appreciate how much Ice Cube hates the cops, I do, but I also kind of don’t believe him? But I’m not sure I believe in Stagger Lee or whatever either. Cube’s just a drafting student and former crypto-republican who found a role he was good at, just like Snoop and the rest, and so what if the role was a bit further from his real life - we like actors who don’t just play themselves.

Good

I liked this a lot. His delivery is really cool

When you break it all down - it WAS a good day.

Förvånansvärt politiskt

Certainly a powerful album historically speaking. Considering it was around the time of Rodney King the anger and passion in this album is justified. Still not sure why ice cube decided to pursue a solo career but you win some you lose some

Fun beats and interesting samples, I wish he didn’t talk about women like that

Still a good record, but it pales in comparison to his first 2 albums.

3/5

Extra star alone for It was a good day

ice cube ist ice T nicht bodykiller war t c

Me and The Predator here had a good time. Mostly. Cube's on fire, spitting truth about race and power. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - When Will They Shoot? - Wicked - It Was a Good Day - Check Yo Self

Some of my favorite art happens when a talented individual gets angry.

My horizons are thoroughly broadened, I have learned a lot about myself. For example, I don't like music (maybe with an exception for my favourite genres), I'm autistic and I like crossing off arbitrary lists Yesterday I realised that we were doing this for longer than I have been on ttg. Member ttg? Oh, I've been a member When I was a kid I once cried really hard over a song about two ex-classmates that were close friends, but as the school had ended they both went their own separate ways and kinda stopped talking to each other. And here they meet 7 years later, converse awkwardly about past memories and realise that nothing bonds them anymore, they're almost strangers. I've been listening to this imagining one particular friend I had thinking how sad I'd feel if this happened in real life. Time passed, I met this friend not long ago, and although it went better than in the song I still felt like nothing connects me to this dude anymore, each of us has their own life. And *now* it doesn't feel bad, it feels natural even, but I still find this contrast between how I felt back then and now very interesting It's kinda the same thing with ttg for me, when moe shut down I felt sad, and started 1001 mostly just to cling to what was left of ttg. With time I stopped visiting the chans that came after because I realised that nothing really bonds me with the people there Still, it was a cool experience, both ttg and this DLC. My brain will erase most of the bad memories and I know for sure I will remember this period of my life with a smile. And maybe a boner

>Finally finishing the accursed 1089 album list Today was a good day. While I never doubted that we would make it back when we started right there in january of 2023, I actually never stopped to think about how it would feel to finally do so, nor imagined it actually ever ending. It's been a long time coming and I did burn out very hard like twice or more but eventually we got there. I am glad we did and I am glad you stuck it out because I don't think I would've were it not for having you here alongside with me. I had initially planned on going on my one year long no-music detox back in May, when the project was scheduled to end — and I still do intend to do so — but I have been living on borrowed time since then, trying to force as much listening in as possible. Much like you say, I have come to the conclusion that I probably don't like music that much (anymore, after 8+ Beatles or Beatles affiliated albums, 5 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds albums etcetc.) but I do think I will miss it a bit. Roughly this time come a year from now, I will probably go back to listening to the old shit I used to listen to before this project began, because you cannot fix what isn't broken, but at least I will know that if I do feel an itch, I have found 21 albums — yes, only TWENTY ONE ALBUMS OUT OF 1089 — that I might feel like giving a listen to. I did listen through all of them a few days ago in order to decide on which one I want to pick as my favourite one, but that will remain to be seen soon. I will miss both .moe, what ttg was to me and this project and, like you said, I will erase all of the memories of listening to British punk and perhaps think back on the good times once every now and then. As for my review of this album, I thought it was mid. Fun drinking game for the whole family is to go through all my reviews and drink for every time I wrote the word "mid." 32 times, including this post. There were many many more albums that were mid than that, but perhaps I am more kind in my writing than in my ratings.

2/10 Extraordinarily political "gangsta" rap from the early 90s that is closely tied to the Rodney King riots of the time. My big issue with this album is how violent, misogynistic, antisemitic, homophobic, and racist it is. While Ice Cube even addresses these allegations in the interstitial track/skit "Fuck 'Em," his conclusion is basically "So what? Black people have been done dirty forever, so all my problematic lyrics shouldn't be considered negative because everyone else deserves it." That doesn't answer for his truly reprehensible lyrics, but I guess I appreciate that they are genuine examples of his specific socio-historical context, so that's cool. I just can't get past them (or how painfully loooong and perpetually mid-tempo this album is).

Yeah this was p good, looking forward to Straight Outta Compton popping up on here, never heard it in full Appreciated all the political interludey stuff, the Fuck 'Em interview bit in particular stood out. First album I think I've ever heard directly reference the Rodney King LA riot stuff, and it was like 6 months after they happened that this came out (I would know, I googled it!) Did NOT appreciate all the beats on some of the songs (Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha particularly stood out) sounding vaguely like children crying, to my trained ear listening out for my kids waking up in the middle of the night. Praise be to the dad gods I was uninterrupted though The idea that this album is partly inspired by the film Predator 2 is utterly hilarious

Today was a good day gets this at least a 3.5 for being probably a top 10 hip hop song ever None of the rest of this was bad but just didn’t really stand out much I feel like the inserts were very political but then none of the lyrics in the actual songs were that political? Maybe I wasn’t listening close enough to some of the lyrics idk 3.5

2.5

Fine, generic. Ice cube has like 3 very good songs in his entire career.

It’s fine, generic boombap gangsta rap. Nothing particularly interesting about it. Good Day is a timeless track, however.

4/5. Even more than most 90’s west coast hip-hop albums, this one feels like a response to the 1992 LA riots with its focused take-downs of police brutality and the systematic oppression of black Americans. There’s of course massive hits here like “Check Yo Self” or “It was a good day” which I still believe has one of the best hip-hop beats of all time though a lot of the deeper cuts here are also solid like “When will they shoot? or “Dirty Mack.” Only major issue I have with the album is the same that many 90’s rap albums suffer from which is the harsh misogyny of some tracks.

Сара 4 Марко 5

C'mon man, why the misogyny? 1/5

Great heavy beats. Really direct delivery and plenty of groove underneath it. Good album.

Album was decent, recognized "It was a good day" which is a classic. Seemed good for its time, but I'm not the biggest fan honestly. Probably in the middle for me, 3.25?

Ugh no. Do we need every west coast rap album from the early 90s on this list? This is just obnoxious at this point. So much sexism and homophobia, all from a future MAGA fan. Fuck off, Ice Cube.

Rap ist nicht meine Musikrichtung, aber das Album ließ sich gut hören 2/5

Clearly a lot to unpack in this album. Quite disappointing that it’s so relevant today 34 years later. However as a genre I am not a frequent listener.

This album came out in 1992, the same year Rage Against the Machine's self titled album. As a ten year old, there is no way I would have been allowed to listen to either of these. Rage Against the Machine did enter my orbit over the next five years but Ice Cube never did. I wish it had have, this album is relentless.

Again, this is not bad (although was very surprised how low energy some of the songs were), but it's definitely not for me.

Bon, heu, Bob Dimery commence un peu à me pomper avec ses choix douteux. Il y a grosso modo deux types de trucs désagréables à écouter : - les mauvais albums, - les albums faits par des gens douteux. Au début, j'ai trouvé cet album assez énorme, au niveau de la prod, de l'agressivité, c'était très bien. Beaucoup de paroles contre le racisme, contre les violences policières qui touchent de façon disproportionnées les Noirs, bref, pendant un bon moment, tout va bien. Puis j'entends une phrase "He said black I said jew" (un truc du genre, la flemme de revérifier). Donc méfiant, je vais voir la fiche Wikipédia du gars et tiens, qu'est-ce que j'apprends ? Le mec a régulièrement des sorties antisémites. Et il se défend très mal, quand on lui en parle. D'ailleurs, il a même le culot de mettre un sample d'une interview où on lui pose la question (en comprenant au passage les mots misogynes qu'il emploie) et il ne répond même pas vraiment. Donc il sait, hein, il sait qu'il a des propos douteux. Ce genre de choses, j'en veux pas. Non merci de m'avoir fait écouter ça.

Cool. For hiphop, there is a lot of bounce. I liked that. I wouldn’t play it again though.

Icon. Absolutely loved the first few songs. After that it felt a bit repetitive to me and like each song sounded the same, but he’s still an icon.

Another 3 star rap album.

I tried...not earnestly.... But I tried. Misogynistic lyrics are a nope for me. It was different 'then' but this is no longer that time & place.

I have no time for more misogyny.

Amazing album aggressive which i like hard delivery after the first 2 albums dissing nwa and shit. A beauty and more mature he concentrated in better music and turned the page love this album

fire stuff not many tracks his as much as the opener or it was a good day unfortunately 7.5/10 best song - it was a good day

Decent album w/ social justice message.

Hip hop isn't a genre I usually reach for, so take this for what it is. What got me was the anger. "It Was a Good Day" works precisely because nothing happens in it. Solid, and I'm glad I heard it, but not a record I'll return to often.

90s rap essential, even if you look past the obvious classic It Was a Good Day. While I'm not always super crazy about older West Coast rap, this album is one that stands up well over time. Maybe it's the smooth, banging production or maybe Ice Cube's timeless writing. Maybe, just maybe it's a combination of both. The album is not really on the G-Funk side, doesn't sound like classic N.W.A. either, it's just really hard drums, sampled loops and classic boom bap grooves. Ice Cube goes hard asf over them, proving his legend status doesn't come from nowhere. It's a very entertaining listen, even if a bit frontloaded.

The Predator is a major rap album because Ice Cube turns anger into atmosphere, personality, and unforgettable music. It contains one of the greatest rap songs ever recorded, several outstanding political tracks, and a performance style that remains intimidating decades later. But it is not flawless. The album is overextended, occasionally repetitive, and sometimes too dependent on confrontation without enough variation or reflection. Still, its best moments are undeniable. “It Was a Good Day,” “When Will They Shoot?,” “The Predator,” and “Wicked” alone make this essential listening. It is not quite as tightly constructed as Death Certificate, but it is more accessible, more varied in places, and arguably more influential as a mainstream statement. A classic—with some very real dead weight.

I like the beats, one of my favorite amercan rappers

Not my thing but some tracks OK

I was never really into this at the time but it now it hits in a different way

++: When Will They Shoot?, I'm Scared (Insert), Wicked, Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha, The Predator, It Was a Good Day, Dirty Mack, Gangsta's Fairytale 2, Say Hi to the Bad Guy +: The First Day of School (Intro), We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up, Don't Trust 'Em, Check Yo Self +-: Who Got the Camera?, Integration (Insert) -: Fuck 'Em (Insert) 7,9/10

04/09/2026 This music shits on all the new stuff. Spotify listeners: 16.7 million

3,5 stars

Excellent. Not into the genre but this stood out. I've been telling everyone to go listen

Didn’t think this was going to be my thing but it turns out this is really my thing.

not my go-to style of hip hop, but i really enjoyed this

Hadn't listened to this in years and I'm so glad I did because it was even better than I remembered.

Hard not to acknowledge the ugliness of some of the lyrics but also hard to argue with the quality of tracks like It Was A Good Day.

Notable Textzeile: 'Cause I bust styles, new styles Standin' strong, while others run a hundred miles But I never run, never will Deal with the devil with my motherfuckin' steel - Boom! Musikalisch abwechslungsreich, der Style ist nicht so mein Style, aber das sag ich nicht zu laut, sonst werde ich abgeknallt (oder bekomme zumindest einen Disstrack, oder eine Disszeile, oder einen Dissblick, oder Ice Cube kennt mich vielleicht auch gar nicht und liest das hier nicht...) Der sozialkritische Part gleicht den Gangsta, Drogen und Bitchespart in etwas aus. Daher Middle of the Middle in Terms of Bewertung.

Okay, das kitzelt meine early nineties Sozialisation. Ice Cube ist hier klar schon Star, die Songs sind abwechslungsreich, entspannter, lustig in so ner Bad Boys LA überdrehten Weise. Dumb Fun like Donkey Kong

Vor 3 Wochen gehört und nicht bewertet. Nicht viel im Kopf geblieben - aber auch nicht kacke.

Long and redundant

Loved it. Loved it.

Strong 90s west coast hip hop album with poignant subject matter that is still important today. Production has aged a little better than Ice Cube’s debut.

Besides It Was a Good Day, Gangsta's Fairytale 2, Check Yo Self, and Who's Got The Camera?, the rest was meh to me.

Normally I hate gangster rap, but this one actually has something to say unlike most of its peers. The singles are excellent, but even as a whole it's really strong. I don't even dislike the spoken interludes. Favorite Songs: It Was a Good Day, Check Yo Self

Ice Cube is like chocolate, by himself he’s just too much to the point that I can’t take much of him but mixed with other things (artists), he’s way more digestible and enjoyable.

Finding the deeper I get into this list, genres or sub genres that I don’t really like are creating a fatigue that decreases any hope of objectivity. Letting subjectivity rule. So, Not the biggest fan of gangsta rap, it is a million miles from any life experience of mine, as I don’t count playing GTA, that I just don’t or can’t relate, I haven’t walked in Ice cubes shoes, I can support the politics, it’s not like we are collectively any less deep in that racist hole in ‘26, and it’s quiet understandable why he is so pissed/furious. But I don’t get gangsta rap with the street life stylings, the ho and bitch thing, the unrelenting guns and violence, and that inherent American bravado, which seems present whichever side your on, even when the reality suggests it’s all actually shitty, that is some deep level indoctrination. Is the album worth being here, yeah sure, would I even listen again, unlikely, so that’s a no. But I feel I was never the intended audience. 2 Star

A lot of social commentary that definitely went over my head considering that this album came out before I was born

2.5. Eh. But not terrible. Has a couple decent songs

Very solid early 90s rap. Tons of attitude and anger.

I do like this more than the other Ice Cube album on this list, but my notes are about the same: strong production, confident performances from Cube, compelling storytelling, and unflinching looks at America’s social ills. Also includes the absolute banger “It Was A Good Day”. An all-time great song in any genre, and certainly one of the best rap hits ever. Apparently this album was when the phrase “It’s on like Donkey Kong” was first uttered? Another cultural touchstone. Thanks Cube.

Shite

I love the energy. The beats take influence from funk and jazz and don't feel as repetitive as some of the other hip hop albums on this list. When Will They Shoot was the highlight for me.

Favorite songs: When Will They Shoot?, Now I Gotta Wet’cha, It Was a Good Day, Dirty Mack, Check Yo Self, Who Got the Camera?, Say Hi to the Bad Guy

Very much enjoying the beats and delivery on this album - they have a groove to them, and an aggressive energy that makes the record feels impactful. The standouts are great too, with a couple of hip hop classics that I already knew and loved in there for good measure. I wouldn't mind if the album was 15-20 minutes shorter though - there's just a touch too much filler for me, or tracks that don't feel as distinct or interesting. Overall it's a very decent listen though - 7/10.

Today was a Good Day is a good track. Outside of that song, I didn't connect with this one. The tone & beats and even content just become a bit monotonous for me across a full album.

4/5

Not my thing. Not the worst and it had some nice samples and sampling. I also liked the skits. 2/5.

Straight vibing. Fav Tracks: "It Was A Good Day", "Dirty Mac" and "Who Got The Camera?"

between a 3 and 3.5

I tried, but gave up after three tracks, just not for me

La semaine dernière, en me penchant sur AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, le tout premier album d’Ice Cube post-N.W.A, j’avais fini par lâcher un modeste 3/5. Musicalement, la déflagration orchestrée par les Bomb Squad tenait la route, mais lyricalement, j’avais quand même eu un énorme problème devant un étalage de sexisme crasse, de misogynie primaire et de provocations faciles qui gâchaient une bonne partie du festin. Alors forcément, en remettant le couvert avec son troisième album studio, The Predator, sorti en novembre 1992, je m'attendais au pire tout en espérant secrètement le meilleur. Et là, surprise : le bonhomme a troqué une bonne partie de ses délires immatures de vestiaire pour affûter une lame bien plus noble, bien plus lourde et surtout infiniment plus urgente. Pour bien piger la puissance de ce disque, il faut se replacer dans l’ambiance irrespirable de Los Angeles en 1992. On sort à peine du tabassage sauvage de Rodney King par des flics du LAPD, de leur acquittement scandaleux le 29 avril, et des émeutes historiques qui ont foutu la cité des Anges à feu et à sang. Six jours de chaos, des dizaines de morts, des quartiers réduits en cendres et une fracture raciale et sociale béante au beau milieu de l’Amérique toute-puissante de Bush père. Pendant que le grand public découvre avec effroi à la télévision ce que les ghettos subissent depuis des décennies, Ice Cube, lui, débarque en studio avec une rage incandescente. Mais cette fois-ci, cette colère n'est pas un simple exutoire bordélique : c'est un véritable brûlot politique, une charge frontale contre les institutions corrompues, les bavures policières et le cirque médiatique qui se repaît du malheur des minorités. Avec The Predator, Ice Cube ne s'est pas embarrassé avec des métaphores alambiquées : il a pris les extraits du procès de Rodney King, les reportages télévisés sensationnalistes, les sirènes de police, les bruits d'hélicoptères qui tournoient au-dessus de South Central, et il en a fait la matière première d'un disque viscéral. Dès l’introduction et des titres comme When Will They Shoot?, l’ambiance est posée : lourde, paranoïaque, suffocante. L'auditeur n'est pas tranquillement assis dans son salon en train de siroter un café, il est coincé sur un carrefour entre deux feux de bagnoles calcinées avec des flingues pointés sur la tempe. Sur le plan de la production, Ice Cube et son équipe — notamment DJ Pooh, Sir Jinx, Torcha Chibes et DJ Muggs de Cypress Hill — ont brillamment négocié le virage des années 90. Fini le mur du son ultra-dense et étouffant façon New York de son premier album ; ici, on injecte de grosses doses de funk bien gras de la West Coast, tout en conservant une rythmique martiale, sèche et punitive. Les basses claquent fort, les boucles de cuivres et de synthés gémissent, et le sampling devient une arme de destruction massive. Le morceau-titre, The Predator, résonne comme une véritable déclaration de guerre où Cube s'identifie au chasseur extraterrestre du cinéma pour traquer ses oppresseurs, renversant totalement le narratif des médias qui traitaient les émeutiers de bêtes sauvages. Et puis, au beau milieu de cet apocalypse sonore, surgit ce qui reste sans doute l’un des plus grands paradoxes de l’histoire du hip-hop : It Was a Good Day. Posé sur une boucle soyeuse et magnétique des Isley Brothers (Footsteps in the Dark), Cube livre un récit d'une journée ordinaire à Compton où, par miracle, personne ne s'est fait flinguer, la police n'a arrêté personne, le bacon a cuit sans brûler et les potes ont pu faire un barbecue en paix. C’est brillantissime. En racontant une journée idéale par la simple absence de violence et de tragédie, Cube souligne avec une ironie mordante la brutalité quotidienne d'une jeunesse abandonnée à elle-même. C’est à la fois doux, mélancolique, ultra-efficace et terriblement triste quand on lit entre les lignes. Mais qu'on ne s'y trompe pas : The Predator n'est pas un disque apaisé. Quand il s'agit d'envoyer valser l'hypocrisie de l'Oncle Sam, Cube dégaine l'artillerie lourde. Prenez We Had to Tear This Motherfucka Up : produit par DJ Muggs, c'est l'un des morceaux les plus haineux jamais enregistrés. Cube s'en prend directement aux flics acquittés lors du procès, nommant presque les juges et les jurés, transformant la rage collective en un réquisitoire implacable. Pas de faux-fuyant, pas de politiquement correct : la voix de Cube est autoritaire, son flow est une mitrailleuse lourde qui ne rate aucune cible. Le disque s’attaque aussi avec brio au rôle pervers des médias américains dans Who Got the Camera?. Cube y dénonce cette société du spectacle morbide où il faut désormais filmer un lynchage pour que le monde daigne y croire, tout en montrant que même avec une preuve vidéo irréfutable, la justice des dominants trouve toujours le moyen de fermer les yeux. C'est prémonitoire, lucide et tragiquement actuel plus de trente ans plus tard. Tout n’est évidemment pas parfait à 100 %. On retrouve encore quelques rimes qui ont pris un léger coup de vieux ou des postures de gros dur parfois un brin excessives sur certains ponts un peu faciles comme Wicked, même si l'énergie brute et la fusion rap-rock/funk de ce dernier restent ravageuses pour les vertèbres. Mais comparé aux dérapages gênants de son début de carrière solo, Cube a ici trouvé une maturité de ton, une cible claire et une portée sociologique indéniable. Il ne tire plus dans tous les sens pour choquer le bourgeois à peu de frais ; il utilise son micro comme une tribune pour ceux qu'on refuse d'écouter. The Predator est entré directement numéro un au Billboard pop et R&B dès sa sortie, un exploit rarissime pour un disque aussi ouvertement radical et non édulcoré. En réussissant le grand écart entre conscience politique acérée, brûlot contestataire sans compromis et bangers intemporels capables d'enflammer les autoradios, O'Shea Jackson a signé là son œuvre la plus marquante et la plus cohérente. Après la douche froide et les réserves légitimes que j’avais émises la semaine passée, je dois reconnaître que cet album remet les pendules à l’heure avec une puissance indiscutable. C'est un disque charnière, indispensable pour comprendre l'Amérique des nineties et l'évolution du gangsta rap vers une protest music de premier ordre. Un très solide 4 / 5.

Pretty good! Nice flows, good beats, too many skits.

You get what you expect. Old school gangsta rap with some witty wordplay, social commentary, anti racism sentiment and a few laughs. The straight up songs about murdering people, sure maybe it doesn’t age well, but equally shouting that they’ve won the wet t shirt contest is objectively funny. Combination of flow, wordplay, charisma and some great backings. I think it’s probably a 3 really but I’m inclined to give a 4 for it being a genuinely good rap album and they are few and hard between.

I really wanted to avoid the racism debate on this album as it starts to define the music.  It's annoying in that regard as this is pushing the white American hypocrisy to even greater levels.  This is fine but when that mirror is reversed in equal measure with the love of gun culture and how he gives it the big hairy hyper balls to express his personal position, it's like 2 bigots yobbing off (Neither side has a sensible position).   The Fuck Em song is a bit weak as well to soundbite and moan about the media / critics in one shot.  Cheap crap in my opinion and a little indulgent from a mega star. Talking of balls, I can't help but enjoy any song on some level that includes the words "nut sack" (I think this occurred on the very first song! ).  Obviously, it's a not surprise that there is a lot of bravado on this.  The absolute saving grace for Ice Cube apart from his balls is there is plenty of humor to slice through the serious topics.  It meant you can genuinely engage with the topics as you don't take it entirely seriously, which is essential. A few week songs and still steeped in 90s rap vibe but on the whole, this is a decent rap album and, in my view, so far one of the best artists to enjoy the genre. Strong 3 with a few compromises.

Some good hip-hop from the peak era of the genre. Guilty of all the usual tropes but well delivered by someone who developed the genre. Multiple instances of stating that he wasn't antisemitic raised an eyebrow. It's never a good look to be arguing you aren't a racist, particularly on an album so fixated on highlighting racial prejudice.

It was a good day

The message was strong and the production was good.

253. 2.5

Really great album. Has more of that 90s style rap that I like over some of the other albums that have been on here from the 90s. Lyrics are really good and his songs have meaning.