The Predator

The linkage of this album to the Rodney King  related race riots in LA struck a nerve. There were 5 reported incidents of racism at my kids' school since Jan. so I  listened to this album  intently. There are a lot of powerful messages delivered very aggressively. It's not comfortable for a white old fart to hear but understand that black folks had enough of their message not being heard and needed to consider ways to turn up the volume.   On the other hand, the inability to refer to their gf by any term other than "bitch: or "ho" waters down their  message. 

Almost 30 years old, and this album's content is as relevant as ever. Not only do the lyrics speak to the continued shooting of unarmed black men by police in the United States, but the beats still pack a punch. Maybe because Ice Cube is speaking from a place of pain that this record still feels so salient in 2021. Protest record for the ages. Fav Tracks: When Will They Shoot, It Was a Good Day and Check Yo Self. Rating 4.5/5

Holy shit I have never listened to this full album but I am loving it! Obviously Today is a Good Day is a banger. I didn’t know Check Yo Self was on this album! This album is so high energy. Side note this album should not be relevant in 2021

Ice Cube’s third album and it is an aural smack to the face, as he spits and rages about inequality, the treatment of blacks in American society, injustice and police brutality over hard hitting beats. This is more than a classic 90s hip hop album - it’s a protest album in the best tradition of, say, Bob Dylan and it lends the project a satisfying cohesiveness as he responds to the acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King and the violence that erupted in LA. A few things jar - the homophobia, antisemitism and misogyny are disappointing (although Cube would argue his views are more complex). And whilst a few tracks don’t quite hit the heights and could happily be discarded (Gangsta’s Fairytale 2, Dirty Mack), cuts like Check Yo Self, Now I Gotta Wet Ya and the immortal It Was A Good Day (one of the greatest tracks of the Nineties) more than compensate.

Damn. I can't believe it's almost 30 years later and we're still dealing with the societal issues Ice Cube brings up in this album.

One of my complaints about hip hop in general is a lack of density and variation in the soundscapes. You can't really make that complaint about The Predator, but I think it's a bit dispiriting just the same. For example, the soundscape behind When Will They Shoot? is almost industrial in it's atonality. It's a brutal conglomeration of harsh beats and layered snatches of repetitive samples. But actually, that isn't quite the criticism it sounds like because it fits the subject matter of Ice Cube's raps, which revolve around the causes and aftermath of the Rodney King riots. Ice Cube's raps cut to the bone--they're unfailingly incisive and intelligent. But musically, how are his raps? Well, it seems a little unfair to criticize them for not being very sophisticated rhythmically. These were the early days of rap--and rappers are still using these same rhythmic patterns almost 30 years later, and typically with a lot less wit. The Predator is a hard listen. It's unrelentingly grim. There's little charm in the musical backgrounds, even if they are more rich and layered than is usual in the genre. But on it's own terms, as a straight up no bull dissection of the reality of early 90s America with music to match, it's pretty damned good.

Early 90s gangsta rap. One of the best examples of the genre, but this type of hip hop left me cold at the time. I don't mind the politics, but the misogyny and violence leaves me uncomfortable. I really don't want to listen to this again.

It Was A Good Day est l'arbre qui cache la forêt. Et cette forêt, c'est ce qu'on appelle communément de la merde. Je vous copie ci-dessous un extrait de l'album: "N-word ! N-word encore ! Toujours N-word ! Gang gun gang money... Et si on plaçait un petit N-word par ici ? Bitch mais gang aussi. Hmm... N-word... Money gang bitch fuck et motherfuck. Quoi de mieux qu'un bon vieux motherfuck, à vrai dire. Toutefois, fuck. Mais néanmoins gang et money. Encore merci à tous pour votre accueil je m'appelle Ice Cube, vous pouvez me trouver sur tous les réseaux sociaux."

Racism hasn't changed one bit in the last 30 years huh?

Another excellent entry by Ice Cube. Vocals are strong and so easy to listen to. One of the best songwriting in the genre of the era. Songs are funky and have great use of sampling. Some have catchy choruses making the album very accessible to newcomers. The two songs I heard before, "It Was a Good Day" and "Check Yo Self" are perfect examples of this. Inserts respond to the public's fear of gangsta rap; they happen a little too frequently but they don't disrupt the flow. Some weak tracks on the second side. "A Gangsta's Fairytale" was one of the humurous highlights in his debate, but in this sequel, the woman's "kid" vocals got really annoying and excessive this time, and the lines are less innovative. "Dirty Mack" was monotonous and the the sample got tiresome. "Who Got the Camera?" is another weak song, but I like the middle inserts and style shifts midway through that keep it interesting. Also enjoyed the closing track.

Well, I guess I like West Coast rap way better than East Coast. I knew one or two of these, but in general I found it more political with better backing tracks than Wu-Tang etc.

Cool flashback jams from Cube helping push me through the morning with beats and lyrics that not only take me from overthinking on what's going on here, but a vital reminder that the burdens of so many are heavy and historic. I have never listened to The Predator in its entirety before, but it's vibin' here! It Was A Good Day, Check Yo Self, and Who's Got The Camera are a few favs. Glad to know this record and look forward to tapping it more in the future.

Ice Cube has no chill when denouncing sociopolitical issues that plague his community. Best played in a car stereo

I like this album but it's obviously a turning point - not as cypress hill-y as the next one, but you can hear it coming. Like yeah man, we get it you like weed, and it was a good day is a classic, but if you weren't so high maybe you'd have trimmed the fat off this album. 3/5 because it goes way too long but the good parts are still fuckin great.

It wasn't very interesting to me and I didn't feel it deserved much of my time or mental energy.

Insufferable and monotonous. Ice Cube thinks he such a punk and a rebel, which is hilarious because today there is nothing less rebellious than being black and loud about it. American culture undeniably adores blackness today, and almost every corporation, media outlet, and university pushes black identity politics.

A brilliant album! I immediately heard a Public Enemy influence, which was confirmed often in the lyrics and samples used. The use of repetitive news clips was perfection. Repetition legitimizes.

I see you, 1001 albums, giving me Ice Cube on the 30th anniversary of his ‘Good Day’. Well played, well played indeed.

- G to the A to the N to the G to the S to the T to the A

A friend once told me about a boy he used to walk to school with. This dude would regularly recite "It Was a Good Day" and my friend always thought it was hilarious that this 15-year-old white suburban kid was spitting lines about not having to use his AK. In the context of the entire album though, that song is a moment of peace in the midst of the chaos of life as a Black man in the early 1990s, in the short hot shadow of the LA riots. The whole album works, inviting the listener in to get a taste of how life is for Cube and his community. Musically it feels like a precursor of Dr Dre's Chronic sound (I know, I know). And there's Cube sending a message to the future which, it turns out not everyone heeded.

I'm Scared (Insert) is awesome. And I love the beats to We Had To Tear This Mothafucka Up. The entire album flows well and it is so inappropriate and completely topical at the same time. There are great messages in there. I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would.

Not heard this one before. Good album: funky samples, tight beats, dense lyrics, decent rhyme flow, important message. Not super relevant to me as a white, middle aged, British guy in 2021 though

Straight Outta Compton is great but I haven't really checked each artists' solo work. Ice Cube has a few albums under his belt i've wanted to look at but I totally forgot about "The Predator". A groovy but simple "classic-y" hiphop record. Not much to say about it but i did enjoy it, for the laidback experince i got with it. Not a lot of songs made me go "Wow!" but it has its moments, like "When Will They Shoot?" & "It Was A Good Day" 7/10 As of July 20th, 2021 Best Tracks: When Will They Shoot?, Wicked, The Predator, It Was A Good Day, Check Yo Self, Who Got The Camera? Worst Track: Gangsta's Fairytale 2

Great beats samples and references laced throughout. Direct and mostly consistent message following RK delivered with poignant lyrics and supported by well-placed interviews/broadcasts. A few more playful songs sprinkled in kept it lighter without distracting too much.

I like the railing against the police/racist society stuff, but dislike the misogynist gangsta braggadocio stuff, and unfortunately the latter seems to outweigh the former. Fave tracks - all of the Inserts were pretty great! Prefer them to most of the actual main tracks. "Who Got The Camera?" was pretty good too....

I enjoyed this one as I've enjoyed Amerikkka's Most Wanted and other Ice Cube albums. He's not one to pull any punches - lyrics hit their target with razor sharp precision. Samples are well chosen if a little repetitive at times. Solid hard-charging vibe from start to finish. Aggressive misogyny and homophobia make this one perhaps more a product of its era and less aligned with my current tastes.

Not usually into listening to this genre, but can definitely appreciate the greatness of this album. Some good tracks, beats and great samples. I almost quit halfway thru, but glad I didn't before hearing \"Don't Trust 'Em\", which samples Steely Dan's \"Green Earrings\". Highlights: -It Was a Good Day -Don't Trust 'Em -Check Yo Self

Nah. I disagree that this is an album I need to hear.

I saw a man holding a broom when Ice Cube said the word "broom." Five stars.

I did not use a private session for Spotify. Again, with the skits. What is about these types of records that think we want to hear the same skits over and over again? I like listening to songs I like repeatedly, but listening to the same skit over and over, despite how much I like it, isn't something I like. Rant aside, I did like this album. I listened to it twice, it can't make it on steady rotation because of the heavy use of the N word that makes me feel like a voyeur.

I wish I’d heard his stuff beyond the radio hits before, that was all around amazing

9.5/10

Awesome. Now I won't have to use my AK today. 5

This rules. Might be Ice Cube's finest album and one of the best hip-hop albums of the early 90s. Written around the time of the '92 LA Riots, the lyrics are still relevant today and the production, mostly from DJ Pooh and DJ Muggs, is fantastic. 4.5 Stars.

It's one of his best albums. Great production and lyrics

This is the first Rap/Hip-Hop album I heard in my life, when I was 16 years old. I discovered "It Was a Good Day" while playing GTA: San Andreas in a video game many years ago, and that led me to want to know more about this world of Rap. For the record, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul, Jazz and Funk were not part of my life until then. I have my roots coming from Rock n' Roll, Blues and music from my country, Brazil (Samba, Forró, Baião, Bossa Nova, Sertanejo). I remember exactly the feeling of listening to this album for the first time. The album starts with an intro that immediately gives away what the mood of the album will be and then it becomes one of the heaviest (if not the heaviest) songs I've ever heard in my life. "When Will They Shoot?" It doesn't owe anything to a Trash Metal song from the 80s when we talk about weight. To this day I consider this the best Rap album I've ever heard and Ice Cube is still my favorite Rapper, and that probably won't change anytime soon hahaha. So now, many years later, I see that The Predator is in fact one of the most influential albums on my musical taste, because thanks to the songs on this album and the samples, I discovered artists like The Isley Brothers, Wilson Pickett and later, several other Soul music artists from the 60s and 70s such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and many others. Not to mention that now, I have a completely open mind to Rap/Hip-Hop, knowing from this album, artists like Snoop Dog, Dre, 2Pac, Too $hort, NWA and many others. Damn, I had no idea how important this album was going to be in my life. Anyway, it was great to be able to remember this album today!!

Left my homie's house paid Picked up a girl been tryna dig since the 12th grade It's ironic, I had the brew, she had the chronic The Lakers beat the Supersonics Felt on the big fat fanny Pulled out the jammy and killed the punani And my jimmy runs deep, so deep So deep put her butt to sleep Woke her up around one She didn't hesitate to call Ice Cube the top gun Drove her to the pad and I'm coastin' Took another sip of the potion, hit the three-wheel motion I was glad everything had worked out Dropped her butt off and then chirped out Today was like one of those fly dreams Didn't even see a berry flashin' those high beams No helicopter lookin' for the murder Two in the morning, got the Fatburger Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp And it read "Ice Cube's a Pimp" Drunk as hell but no throwin' up Halfway home and my pager still blowin' up Today I didn't even have to use my AK I gotta say it was a good day Yeah, this is a pretty great album. 5/5

Nice

Good Album.

This is riding around with my brother and his friends smoking blunts.

what can i say, cube does it again. i really jive with the production on ice cube's records. really cool, really funky. ice cube's rapping is aggressive and he sounds cool as all hell when he's rapping. i think as with a lot of other rap of this era, it is a little bit dated in terms of "acceptible" terms etc. but the content of his rapping is still on point and still extremely relevant 30+ years later. whereas 'ameriKKKa's most wanted' gets a little too caught up in the whole "ice cube is a sexist" thing, i think this one is a lot more focused on the political statements, etc. which i think makes for a better, harder hitting experience.

Like yea. Sick album, great music great lyrics

there's definitely stuff here that didn't age, uh, gracefully, but there's a lot more that's still very relevant and sonically it's just so fuckin heavy and powerful

Classssssssiccccccc!! The beat on Wicked is absolutely insane. It Was A Good Day will never ever get old. Check yo self still bangs. It’s cohesive, he’s actually saying something other than the usual, and as I mentioned, the beats are absolutely insane!

Indispensable

I liked it!

9/10 Excellent Amazing historical document that captures the early 90s in America A gangsta rap album about gangsta rap, media criticism, the events around the LA riots, and Ice Cube himself Deeply true and insightful, the interludes are so strong Excellent instrumentals, Ice Cube style and flow is outstanding Flies by, it is propulsive and engaging Best: Check Yo Self

Looooved this

Front to back bangers. A phenomenal album.

me gusto wena vaina.

This was honestly a sleeper album for me. I've known about it for years but only bothered to really listen to the one track. Although it's older, it sounds fresh from a musical perspective and the message is still sadly relevant today. A solid piece of a old school hip hop that I'll definitely be returning to again. Standout Tracks: When Will They Shoot, Wicked, It Was a Good Day, Check Yo Self

Holy smokes this was great.

Loved this album as a kid ha

he always has some duds in my opinion but that's true for so many in that transition between the late 80s and early 90s. and when an Ice Cube song hits it HITS

Ice Cube releases his first #1 solo Album with "The Predator" and it is no surprise. Straight Outta N.W.A., the rapper and actor brings us an album with many qualities that are missed in modern rap. The storytelling, different topics, every song has its place on the album, the MC attitude of connecting and introducing the songs, meaningful interludes... Included in the project, "It was a Good Day" broke the barrier between famous rap songs and famous songs. It is a bop. Personally, I enjoyed the album a lot. I had a couple laughs throughout the album and I could vibe to a lot of songs.

need for collection. fan-fucking-tastic piece of social history.

Really enjoyed this.

Easiest 5 star of my life

Raw, honest and unfortunately still very relevant.

What a classic. Love me some Ice Cube.

Great expression in the lyrics and well done rhythms. The beats is the iconic rap beats that was common for the fellows from nwa

Incredible. Aggressive, in your face. This must have been another mind-blowing album back in '92. I was six, so this was definitely off my radar, but this probably SHOCKED a ton of people. With the prison samples and all the racial content, this album is amazing.

One of the best intro songs I've ever heard. Flawless album.

I’ve cubes lyrics in this album gi so damn hard and are relevant even 30 years later.

just awesome

Not gonna lie, this goes hard as fuck.

So good

An absolute hip hop classic. I am a massive hip hop fan and this album is the essence of what made West Coast rap so interesting. Ice Cube was and is one of the best rappers. The highlight was obviously "It Was A Good Day". Theres a reason why its so popular. The beat is timeless, the lyrics just make sense and its very immersive. All in all, a hip hop classic and a very good roster of tracks. 9/10

Own it already. Great album?

A fantastic album which has stood up well over the years. The main themes are still salient and are delivered with a suitable amount of venom. Some great beats in there, too. This was never my favourite Ice Cube album when I was regularly listening to rap, but going back to it I think that I may have been too hasty with that judgement. Definitely a classic.

Ik mocht al eerder een plaat van deze man horen. Dat was nog niet zo 'verfrissend'. Het miste creativiteit en afwisseling. En al zit The Predator duidelijk in een afgebakend hokje; het is hem nu wel gelukt. Hij zal daarbij goed naar de concurrent gekeken hebben. Je hoort de intonatie van bijvoorbeeld Cypress Hill (We Had to Tear This Mothafucka up) en House of Pain (Check Yo Self). En dit sample-roofdier maakt er geen geheim van dat hij goed naar Public Enemy heeft geluisterd.

These interludes are almost unsettlingly modern for an album released in 1992. This alone should be enough to prove why the message is even more important now. Back to the music...it's simply incredible. (unfortunately) Timeless themes throughout the music, very heavy rapping with impeccable flow, very creative beats. Love this album. Favorite track: Don't Trust 'Em

Brilliant

Genius, from one of the all time greats.

DOPE

Yeah but who would win in a fight tho

Ice Cube's flow is impeccable with an unbeatable aggressiveness and lyrical content that's still relevant today. The beats and production are top tier and there's few albums today that can match it. There's so many bangers on this album and definitely a classic hip hop album.

This sounds like it was the business back in the day and still does. This guy is the real total business.

fan-fucking-tastic

I’ve had hip-hop albums before, but this is the first one from a really classic artist. Ice Cube is one of the best rappers (outside of the sexism, which also seems to decrease from his other album I’ve listened to [but haven’t gotten] AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted) and this has superb lyricism. ‘It Was a Good Day’ is undoubtably a classic - it’s upbeat, but it still notes the troubles throughout the rest of the album (two of the good things that happen to him are getting passed by a policeman without any trouble and nobody he knows dying) - it feels earned, rather than just a happy song for the sake of being a happy song. Great through and through.

I've never listened to an Ice Cube album before, but having listened to NWA, and the fact that Ice Cube seems to permeate every corner of pop culture, I had a pretty good idea what I was in for. It's crazy and also sad that several of the social and political topics on this album are still hot topics today: police violence, the brutality and far reaching scope of the American prison system, segregation, and so on. When it comes to rapping about political and social issues, Ice Cube can channel raw anger in a way that few others can; his lyrics have the candor of a man-on-the-street interview, but delivered with the fierceness of someone hosting a rally. The beats behind the lyrics are really well done too; "It Was a Good Day" and "Check Yo Self" are some of the catchiest, and therefore most recognizable songs in hip hop. The spoken interludes fit really well here too, and "The First Day of School" really unnerved me, which served as a great way to prepare for this album. Ice Cube really executes his vision well on this album, and his work is cornerstone for rap and hip hop.

Discazo del gangsta rap, lleno de clásicos, punto álgido de ice cube. Un disco crudo como sabe dar el cubo de hielo. Se nota como fue logrando algo más sólido con el tiempo y fue evolucionando para dar hitazos como it was a good Day or check yo self. Must listen del rap y de los 90

west coast masterclass una seleccion de samples increible breaks oscurisimos acompañados de unas letras crudisimas totalmente necesario e innovador siendo un disco de 1992 cuando pocos raperos sonaban asi top 15 mejores discos de rap

Great album, creative fun, but also deep. Lots of cultural criticism especially around race

Hard

Still relevant today.

Stone cold classic! I still remember when I got this cassette and EVERYONE wanted a dub of this!

One of my favourite hip-hop albums ever. Some of his absolute best tracks.

An absolute classic. "Say hi to the bad guy" is an excellent closing track and this is Ice Cube at the peak of his social observation genius. The Rodney King verdicts has influence all over this album and it is interesting he named the album after a movie about a monster that kills policemen, while the policemen make a knee jerk reaction about the monster's intentions. Maybe there is no symbolism intended there, but I think this album is a must-hear to get the temperate of 1992 Los Angeles.

Ovaj album je kako bi rekao, dok je Cube još bio "in his bag". Dakle još jedan album poslije i to postaje odličan 4 streak od albuma. Dakle: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - Death Certificate - The Predator - Lethal Injection. Odlično zaredani albumi, a samim time mi je i Cube uvijek bio u top 5 najboljih repera (bar što se tiče 90-ih i dok je bio u N.W.A.). Kasnije je počeo švrljati, iako mi se svidio Laugh Now, Cry Later - ali to mogu sada zahvaliti nostalgiji jer taj album po lijepim vremenima poznajem (valjda lijepa vremena) - osnovna škola, 2006-2007. godina, slušalice u ušima svaki odmor. No dobro, vraćamo se na ovaj album. Odličan, ali nije na levelu sa prva dva što sam naveo. Odličan album, toliko dobrih trenutaka - najviše It Was A Good Day (što je po meni jedna od najbolji hip hop traka ikad u životu ovom). Iskreno sam mislio da će mi smetati inserti, intro, skitovi, međutim čak su dobri i fora. Ne znam zašto ljudi govore da je ovo pad kvalitete njegove, jer definitivno ne znaju šta pričaju. 4.5.

I played this constantly as a teenager in the ‘90s, amazing album.

God he's good

Was a good day listening

Why are there two “gorillas in the mist” references two songs in a row?

loved it more than I thought I would.

Yeah, I dug it! Not all the themes are appetizing, but overall today was a good listen.

What a difference two years makes! I did not much enjoy the experience of listening to AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990) a couple of months ago. The Predator (1992) showed a tremendous leap in musical maturity. It's intense and serious and compelling but still finds room for humor and play. There were parts that made me feel ill and sad and angry, so it wasn't all a good time. But it was a good listen.

Brilliant

Classic record, love throwing this one on during road trips with my friends

Ice cube <3 <3 <3