Reviews (page 3 of 9)
Pretty solid, some goood songs
I’m not a fan of the sexism and homophobia, but ACAB all day.
It was great
This was some of the first hip hop I ever heard growing up. It was great then and still is now. The singles off this one were huge.
I love me some 90's hip-hop. I did the thing again where I look at y'alls reviews and realize some of y'all are insanely racist lmfao 4/5
Well, that was a powerful experience …. Not one I necessarily want to repeat, though. It was interesting as a reaction to the Rodney King verdict and subsequent unrest. I added “It Was a Good Day” to my Generator playlist.
This is my favorite Ice Cube album. This has got one of his best songs and some of his best work.
Old school gangsta rap at its finest. Yes there are problematic lyrics in terms of how Cube refers to women and content around making someone wet with blood, but this is the sound of righteous anger. The Rodney King killing was symbolic treatment of black people (I would like to say at the time, but I fear that probably isn't the case). Cube was the best rapper in N.W.A, but this hasn’t always been the case in his solo output, so this serves as a reminder of how vital and meaningful he can be as both lyricist and rapper. Not sure why ‘It was a good day’ is greyed out on the explicit version of the album on Apple music, it’s a great track and needs seeking out rather than missing
I’m very hit and miss when it comes to rap but I didn’t mind this. The intro (“The First Day of School”) is pretty hard-hitting, and the other Inserts scene-set, highlighting themes like police brutality, racial injustice, and the LA Riots. It samples lots of R&B artists (and Queen), so the melodies are strong against a hard-hitting batch of lyrics. I also appreciated there was a real lack of misogynistic themes here (at least when compared to others of the era). Oh, and this album is the origin of the phrase “it’s on like Donkey Kong”, so that’s fun.
I really enjoyed this. I still have zero interest in skits and would absolutely always pick a shorter, skitless version of an album but this era of hip hop just scratches a certain itch. The samples, the groove to it, the rhythm: it's a great sound. Lyrics wise we're back to pretty standard topics of this genre, plus Ice Cube arguing he's not anti-semitic. I was hugely pleased to learn that this album is widely praised for popularising the phrase "It's on like Donkey Kong" though. I had a great time listening to it and particularly enjoyed the moment where, mid song, I took in an Ocado food delivery. The delivery driver certainly seemed surprised. I'm clearly too white and middle class for this record, but screw it... 4/5
2/5.. liked a good day but nothing else stood out and felt too long
There are some really catchy beats and hooks on here, with some casual misogyny and violent posturing that gets a little tiring after the nearly hour long run time of this album. I see why this was huge at the time, but I can’t say it’s aged particularly well.
Couple bangers
nice beats fav song: When Will They Shoot
Bra, men bli my det samme
como o amigo disse, bem atual beat em dia, produção bacana, ice cube botando na mesa a dureza da realidade
fortíssimo infelizmente mto atual. rap de mensagem pedradaça sem medo de falar as coisas. bão demais, bons beats!!
What an intense album! Not a big rap guy but these lyrics painted a picture of the time in a vivid way.
A little too long. Not bad though
Wow. Such 90s beats. Throwback. I think he samples from salt n pepper? Why are all the albums by dudes? Where’s the 1000 best albums by women? I’d sign up for that.
Didn’t even know It Was a Good Day was on this! What a nice surprise. Anyway, this really hit for me right out of the gate and didn’t really let up. I realized with this i’m a sucker for when rappers write respond to the reaction to their previous work. The production here is GREAT and the sample work is incredible too. But after all that, definitely gets a ding for early 90s casual misogyny and homophobia, WHOOPS CUBE.
Another Ice Cube record? I’m 2/3 of the way through this list and have gotten two Ice Cube records and zero Tupac. Nonetheless this one has its virtues. The beats go hard and so does Cube, mirroring the social unrest he references with his own ultraviolent attitude. By the time “It was A Good Day” comes on it’s a breath of fresh air. There’s less of the relentless misogyny in this one, which isn’t to say it’s not there. There’s a bizarre presence/absence of self-awareness exemplified by the sample of Ice Cube on a talk show failing to seriously address the claim that he’s reinforcing the racist image of Black violence. I’m somewhat ambivalent about the whole thing, but it’s definitely not a bad record.
I've never heard a lot of these songs. This is one of the best early 90s rap albums I've heard. The Predator stood out from the songs I haven't heard. 5/5
Today was a good day... because I got to listen to this album
points off for the misogyny and homophobia sadly
Didn't stop moving once. Shame about the misogyny and homophobia. It must be 'of it's time' I guess.
high 3 mixed listen. he doesnt pull of the songs about shooting people for me.
This was pretty cool. Still an undercurrent of misogyny that is not enjoyable but much more about race and extremely relevant almost 40 years later. Sadly.
Not exactly meant for my skinny white ass but I loved it all the same.
Fine, but I'm just not the biggest Ice Cube fan in general and some of these beats are doodoo
not bad
Nice listen if you're in the mood for 90's hip hop.
A fascinating listen that transports you to another time and place. So much specificity to the anger and events surrounding the LA riots. Amazing beats, amazing flow. I found myself oddly moved by the period-specific audio clips and collages that serve as interstitials. They ignite Cube’s fury and poignantly underscore his warnings.
rap is not for me
I got bored
His third album. Hip Hop / Gangsta. I am a white guy who grew up in a working class area of 1980s London. I was introduced to Hip Hop in the late 80s. That era of Hip Hop / Rap is still my favourite kind. Late 80s / Early 90s. The lyrics, beats, samples and vocals are so good from that era. This album is one of those. Really good and socially on point. I am a fan of all genres and by no means a Hip Hop oracle but this shit is good !
On the appreciation I have for the blunt force of Ice Cube's vocal delivery, I have this as a 4. There were a few songs I did not care for based on the filler sonics, but otherwise a solid listening experience I had not previously heard.
Rating: 7.5/10 The G-funk is strong with this one.
Aged perfectly. Angry
This definitely hits the spot in terms of the kinds of rhythm, sampling, and flow that I like to listen to in 90s rap, and it certainly provides a window into the political perspective of a lot of Black artists / people at this time. It feels like it really captured a moment and that makes it pretty intense to listen to…in a similar vein, a lot of this obviously did not age well lyrically. But I understand why this is considered an important part of political music history and a lot of the songs are insanely catchy. Fav track: When Will They Shoot?
Still relevant, which is depressing. But a decent album anyways.
My personal preferred cube project. I know that Amerikkkas most wanted seems to be the one for most people. But this one just is more varried and just better songs for me. I felt that amerikkka was more derivative of what he was doing in nwa. This feels like we have a full and absolutely realized cube. Wild that this was only a two year gap. So what it all comes down to is I like these songs better, overall. Thats it. Good day is a classic of all classics for sure but I got a handful of others too. Wicked. When will they shoot. Who got the camera. We had to tear this motherfucka up. All great. I knoe that check yo self is probably a big song but its such a thing for as long as I can remember that it looses its punch in 2026. Maybe if I heard it back when id get it more. Also on Americkkka I liked gangstas fairytale and the sequel here is one of the worst songs here. Oh well. Good record anyway
This was alright. Definitely has some bangers
Veldig kul
dai ma che rottura è veramente carina solo it was a good day e basta
Had never given Cube a chance before, this was pretty good. The 90s beats were great. The storytelling was on point. I even didn’t mind the interlude/skits.
It's decent enough. Good beats and rhymes. It's just the lack of variation that makes this no more than a 3
Ice Cube is either prophetically conscious about the injustices that plague black America, or frustratingly misogynistic in ways you may have never even heard before. The dichotomy is jarring, but nothing new for 90's rap. He holds a strong vocal presence for the whole album, constantly high-energy. I'm not the most educated on it, but some of these songs seem a little cold and east-coastish, like "Wicked". Some of the tape and tv recordings at the beginning/end of songs were my favorite part. Firm 3/5
just waking up in the morning
When water freezes I to the ice cube but it isn't ice its just nice but something like this comes at its price I guess we have to use dnd dice?
not my favourite hip hop album but its still pretty peak
This can hang with the greatest Hip Hop albums of the early 90's. This is strong song one after another. Long, but filled with variety and skits inbetween that actually added to the powerful messaging of the album amidst the LA riots and tensions. The songs differ enough from one another and cover enough topics for this not to get stale at any one point. Can't find any fault with it, just really enjoyable.
This wasn't actually that bad. I expected more of that stupid Gangsta stuff. Yes, still a lot of anger and violence, but one has to see it in the context of the '92 L.A. riots.
length often lessens impact
I listened to alot of rap in highschool so I was looking forward to hearing some older stuff but I have not like much of it. This album included.
This album goes hard as fuck and is (sadly) still extremely socially relevant today. Released just a few months after the 92 LA riots, these tracks have a lot of raw emotion behind them, nearly every track addressing systemic racism in the United States. ‘It Was A Good Day’ is the song everyone knows, but don’t sleep on ‘When Will They Shoot?’ and ‘Wicked’. Solid 4/5
Ice Cube's best performance, apart from 22 Jump Street
Ice Cube had something to say and the message carries to current time. He doesnt outdate himself like some rappers.
Here's my review for AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted: "Much like the Public Enemy album I got previously, this feels a lot like a transition album from old-school to new school. It has some of the more new-school, complex rhyming and flow (Although still some of the old-school, simplistic = staccato flows). The beats are definitely on the more old-school side as well. Overall, it's solid, but not what I really look for in hip hop. A little too old-school for me." Yeah, not really feeling anything different on this one. I will say, I think I like the beats and instrumentals a little more on this one. They're less oldschool, but it's still just too old-school for my tastes.
I like it, but uh.... Rap. I don't think I'll finish this because my mom will be like "wtf are you listeing to😂"
вообще даже немного
1 Rap de Mierda
I liked this quite a bit. My favorite part was the inserts
I listened to this album as I walked around a police training facility, struggling keep myself awake on too little sleep. I continue to be pleasantly surprised at the variety of albums presented by this list; the presence of a prominent black hip-hop artist like Ice Cube is incredibly promising to me, and I'm glad to see this album make the list. This album has some of the qualities which I run into with a lot of older rap albums,.which is that some of the hooks and choruses just don't do a lot for me. However, aside from that small nitpick (which is mostly just down to the ways rap has evolved over the last few decades), this album is incredibly powerful. The production hits like a truck, sounding like a horror movie soundtrack and often mixed so high it nearly sounds like it's peaking the channels, which contributes to the chaotic vibe of the project. This album is also unabashedly politically charged, with interstitial inserts driving home the political messaging of the work. There are some lyrical moments which feel a little dated to me personally, but for the most part, Ice Cube is performing provocative and attention-grabbing lyrics with an infectious and aggressive energy, all of which combined to create an album which refuses to be ignored. Highlights: When Will They Shoot?, I'm Scared (Insert), Wicked, It Was A Good Day, We Had To Tear This Mothafucka Up, Don't Trust 'Em, Who Got The Camera?, Integration (Insert), Say Hi To The Bad Guy
The Predator
Another record that I've overlooked, despite my brief dalliance in gangster rap in my late teens. This was good and I actually liked it more than Straight Outta Compton. Good listen, but I doubt I'll go back to it often.
Classic
Pretty decent stuff and obviously it has incredible messages about racism in it. Not really for me this kind of music but the message still should be heard
Yessir
What this album has to say in terms of racism in America is still sadly very relevant today, but there is also some misogynistic and homophobic language in the album which I wasn't a fan of. The songs themselves are catchy with hard hitting lyrics but there ware a couple of songs I wasn't as bothered with. Overall a thought-provoking listen
Wicked It Was a Good Day Check Yo Self
Amazing social commentary
Above the curve for 80s/90s rap albums and I like its use of media clips and samples. Also, apparently it’s the origin of the phrase, "It's on like Donkey Kong."
it sounds so good!!! wait, who's album is this? ice cube? the actor? the black israelite?? the racist whisperer???
It was pretty good! Not really my thing, but still fun enough to listen to.
The Predator has the exact same problem for me that I had with Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg. It has some good music, but the lyrics are insufferably bad, except in this case, The Predator has much less enjoyable music. Once again, the narcissistic bullshit rap lyrics make a comeback, filled with tons of misogyny as usual. The music in this album is also very lackluster, one song was just a single repetitive drum beat with weird screaming sounds repeated during certain portions, like is this even music at this point?? The only songs that I enjoyed musically (and not lyrically) are "It Was a Good Day" and "Dirty Mack". Overall a very unenjoyable album. Favorite Song: "It Was a Good Day"
Album 1047 of 1089 The Predator - Ice Cube (1992) Rating : 2 / 5 There were a few different ways I could have approached this one. I could’ve brushed it off entirely because the genre just doesn’t do much for me — and it’s clearly not aimed at someone like me anyway. But that felt too easy. What I kept coming back to was the message. There is a strong message here - anger, frustration, commentary, and a snapshot of a moment in time. But for me, that message is buried under delivery choices that stop a lot of listeners cold before they ever get a chance to hear what’s being said. The language and aggression become the headline, and the substance gets lost for many. That feels like a missed opportunity. Not because the message isn’t valid - but because it limits who will ever engage with it. Instead of pulling me in, it kept me at arm’s length, and once that distance is there, the impact fades quickly. I understand why this album matters, and I respect what Ice Cube was trying to communicate. It just didn’t translate into something I could connect with or enjoy as a listening experience. For me, the intent outweighed the execution.
sorry i am dissing ice cube - he is great, and there are great tracks on this album, but his melody always comes from someone else - good samples but not feeling it
It has the steady intensity of a campaign headquarters. The intensity of a collective with a purposeful mission. All in step and leaning far forward, ready to march. But so much more is going on all around - levers being pulled, minds being changed - a social revolution.
An artist presenting his experience at a specific place and time. This is fury unleashed that avoids being hopeless. It makes you think. And your parents'll hate it.
many swears
Well built music. Some really well aimed lyrics particularly at the issues of segregation in America. But also knee-deep in a kind of genre standardization.
Mmm...I have a suspicion I'm not the target demographic for this. Mind you, this is the best of the many hiphop/rap albums this list has presented me. There's a palpable fury at injustice here, the words are great. Unfortunately I think it's let down by a lack of variety in both music and vocal style.
I'm usually terrible about reviewing rap albums. So all I'll say here is that listening to the lyrics of it, it sounds like it was written this decade and not 30 years ago.
90s hip-hop has a vive of its own. Favorite track: check yo self other picks: it was a good day, wicked, predator
Didn’t like it all, the language and crudeness were over the top.
Ah the classic womanizer rap just my favorite
Look I appreciate the social issues raised here but why can't you present it like Public Enemy? The constant stream of expletives and misogyny and wanton violence really dilutes the message. Also like most rap albums it's way too bloated.
west coast 90's rap. any commentary on society or culture is lost in the denigrating lyrics. so demeaning toward women
Tbh I only listened to half this album, it’s decent but not for me
Good production on these tracks and references and samples to / from other rap / hip hop outfits (Public Enemy & Geto Boys etc) + the times and what was going on make this album significant for many involved. 'Straight Outta Compton' vibes for a lot of the tracks as well but not being from the US, this doesn't hit it for me, especially with all the 'nigga' this and that and 'muthafuckin' hoes and bitches'. Can't really relate.
I hate it when white people disregard rap and hiphop as violent, hateful, misogynistic and racist. When they call the art form lesser or basic because it is full of profanity and anger. But damn, Ice Cube really makes it hard to defend this record. Though he overtly addresses these issues in some lyrics and interludes, his macho performance lands as performatively masculine, hateful, misogynistic and sometimes racist. There is so much here that speaks to class and race struggles, especially involving the justice system, police brutality, etc, but without the NWA crew around him, this album doesn't hit as hard as I'd like, despite Cube's bravado. The instrumentation is a boring hip hop wash without much production value. There are better, more intentional gangsta protest albums out there, including some by Cube. I just don't think I'll ever choose to put this one on again, even though I'm a fan of radical 90s hip hop. 3/10
I’m not the biggest fan of Rap but, this album was okay. If I was a history teacher and talking about the Los Angeles Race Riots of 1992, I would use this album.
I can't believe today was a good album day. Unapologetically hostile to murderous cops, beats that have you jamming the moment they come on, and powerful lyrics that adress the wrongs of America. Yes please.
As relevant as ever. Sound wise it sits right at the tipping point between conscious and g-rap. The samples heavily feature the bass driving the songs on with a determined urgency. The lyrics are aggressive, but aimed squarely at the source of so much historical and current pain in black communities all over america. It will stay relevant, sadly, for as long as the powers that be don't get their act together. Fuck the police. Fuck ICE. Fuck border patrol.
So funny listening to this album since I’ve always known Ice Cube as the dad from the 2005 family comedy “Are We There Yet?” It’s a great listen though, don’t get me wrong.
3.5 stars. It’s not bad, but this version of early 90s, West cost gangster rap has never been my favorite. The songs I already knew remain the highlights. The rest is whatever
Yesterday's album for me was Snoop's debut album, which I went outside the norm for and gave only two stars. Besides a couple hits, it felt very same-y. The Predator is the exact contrast to this. Ten minutes offers more texture and interest than yesterday's entire album.
I’ve been digging 90s rap and hip hop lately but I just didn’t vibe as much with this album.
It’s very interesting that the complaints about misogyny on this site is always on albums from black artists or hip-hop artists and never elsewhere. Hm… anyway, this is definitely one of Ice Cube’s best.
Ei ihmeellinen lopulta. 2/5.
One of the notable gangster rap albums from the 90s. Hard hitting.
Et klart højdepunkt af den hiphop vi har lyttet til. Der er noget mere interessant over det her. Både beats, og lyrik virker som om det har været et sjovt og legende album at lave.
Middelmådig Gangsta Rap
became a bit repetitive at some point but is pretty good overall
An ANGRY album -- that is, an one-note album that provided nothing much. "It Was a Good Day" is the clear stand-out track.
Decent rapping and cool beats, and I really like the interludes with news reports and radio clips. But, I’m just not that interested in this kind of music.
OK
A level of misogyny, homophobia, antisemitism characteristic of the rap of the time (honestly even more so) paired with stories so vivid and expertly told delivered by one of the best to ever do it. Can say the same about his previous (and superior) first two solo albums. I hope he’s grown over the past three and a half decades. 3 as is; 5 without the skits and misdirected anger.
Absolute shit throughout!
Great album. This is a combination of really hard beats with equally hard lyrics. Cube combines chest-thumping with socially conscious lyrics in a series of bangers. Oddly, It Was a Good Day may be one of my less-favorite tracks on the album, despite being easily the most popular broadly. My personal favorite track is probably When Will They Shoot?, which I may put in regular rotation.
Male rap isn’t my fav genre. Able to capture some of the messages within the songs but feel like I missed out on so much more.
Kudos to Ice Cube (War and Peace) and Rage Against the Machine (Battle of Los Angeles) as 2 of my first album purchases.
Long but worth it
Enjoyable rap album
Album was very long but the beats and his delivery had me vibing along. Ice Cube's rapping isn't the most versatile or technically dazzling, but there's something about is clear, commanding delivery that is uniquely him. Easy to follow along and consequently "get". Similar to Chuck D more so than Nas. Interesting to listen and rate this right right after "Done by the Forces of Nature" by the Jungle Brothers, as they represent the two disparate branches of hip hop at the time.
I've always felt like Ice Cube was the raw edge that Dre and company lost when NWA broke up. Ice Cube's lyrics are raw and real. There's a hard edge that even if you don't listen to the lyrics you can hear in his tone. The downside is that he did have the sick samples/beats and hooks that Dre's crew was known for. I'm curious what it would have looked like if they had stayed together.
3.5
cant believe this album is 34 years old yet it still resonates deeply with the world's current state favs: When Will They Shoot?; It Was A Good Day; Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha; Check Yo Self
Jak na rapowy album, jest on zajebisty!
Great record. Rap is not my type of genre, but his signature agressive style is magnetic and the beats on all tracks made this album superb. The sampling was great all along. When I hear a Steely Dan sample, I listen. 'It Was a Good Day' is a banger.
Un álbum muy decente. Ice Cube tiene un ritmo muy agresivo acorde con el estilo gánster de la época. It Was A Good Day es un excelente clásico y de paso hay varias canciones más que tranquilamente podría guardar para escuchar de nuevo.
Angry. Raw. Real. Still Relevant. Some truth bombs on here that still hit 30+ years later. Realistically closer to a 4 for me overall in the hip hop lexicon but giving it a 5 to outweigh the haters. Its also crazy that it was a good day was sandwiched in the middle of this album. Makes the song stand out even more. A moment of bliss amidst the turmoil. Already knew that was the meaning in the song itself but in the context of the whole album even more powerful.
Jeffrey Epstein.
This album came out after the 1992 LA Riots. In 1991, Rodney King was severely beaten by the police, which was recorded and released to the public. He fled from the police, he was unarmed and surrendered. Cops gave the classic "he was reaching. He was on PCP" excuses for the severe beating, both were proven untrue. All cops were acquitted, sparking the LA Riots. Ice Cube was probably the best person at the time to come out with an album that expresses the anger of the black community during that time. This is best represented in the song We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up, which names the officers involved in Rodney King's beating and reiterates that they were all found not guilty. Nothing has changed except police officers have realized it's better to just shoot people to kill rather than beat them. Who Got The Camera? describes common events that were experienced in LA with racism and police brutality. This is a powerful album and I don't interpret this as anti-white sentiment so much as it is anger at the cops and anger at white people from not seeing the injustices the black community faces. In that respect, we have kind of improved, but there are still plenty who will victim blame and say Rodney King, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Daunte Wright, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others all deserved it, and we all know how those people vote. It's easier to turn the light off and pretend the monster isn't there. Outside of this topic that makes racists upset, this album also spawned the popular phrases "Check yourself before you wreck yourself" from the song Check Yo Self, as well as "It's on like Donkey Kong" in the song Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha.
Not a lot of albums where anger is the prevailing emotion. Cathartic. Some good beats and lyrics as well
This album was a bit too long and has some…dated…insults but was a lot of fun overall
alright
Great break from what had been a rather rock-based run of albums - probably enjoyed this more because of that. Some really great moments throughout the album, although I did feel some of the writing felt a little lazy at points. Luckily, Cube's voice makes up for it.
2+ Stars (6/15)
first rap album of the random generation loved it
Gtfo 10/10
Hmmm. Mixed on this cube. Sounds good though.
No. 347/1001 First Day of School NR When Will They Shoot? 4/5 I'm Scared NR Now I Gotta Wet Cha' 4/5 The Predator 4/5 It Was A Good Day 5/5 We Had To Tear This Mothafucka Up 3/5 Fuck 'Em NR Dirty Mack 4/5 Don't Trust 'Em 3/5 Gangsta Fairytale 2 4/5 Check Yo Self 4/5 Who Got The Camera? 4/5 Integration NR Say Hi to The Bad Guy 4/5 Average: 3,91 Damn, really didn't expect to like an Ice Cube album that much. The songs were nicely arranged. Liked a lot of the instrumentals. Also the lyrics are good and still relevant.
Didn't really feel like my thing, but beats were good. Lyrics clear. Nothing annoying going on, just didn't vibe with it.
Guns, murder, sounding tough. 2 decent songs the rest are just noise. The early sign of what was to become of Hip Hop…
Musically amazing, lyrically very clever, but really misogynistic
A little bit too much talking for me but I do like Ive Cube!
Definitely listenable, can appreciate but had a hard time getting into it. My Gangsta Rap days may have been left in the past.
Is it a three or four? Let's go four because it feels like it was important.
Rap de los 90, nunca había escuchado a Ice Cube. Mola
4/5
Okay, out of all of the things I’ve learned in this so far- it’s that I was wrong about “gangster rap”. Crazy in hindsight how much MORE socially conscious it is than 99% of hip hop today. That all being said…this one is a little bit of a one trick…it’s great but just kinda the same note.
Not heard this in full before, and despite it's age, the content is all still very relevant, although some of the lyrical content is, by today's standards, perhaps unacceptable. It is, what it is. Anyway, it's decent, and I'm torn as to whether this is 'purchase material'; maybe. Also, don't play it in the car with with 13 year old daughter and her mates present! Heard before ❌️ in part Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ Default ★★★★☆ (7/10) Total reviewed : 196 Already owned : 44 Purchased : 8 To buy list : 5 Nope : 139
Thank god a rap album and its the actor icon himself :)))) The album cover slays hard omg very cool love it. Okay so very relevant themes got it. Great intro, almost flying u into the first song ooofff. Love the early 90s gangster rap genre (apart from the misogyny....) When Will They Shoot? and It Was A Good Day best songs on the album Thus far, album feels like a whole experience, A REAL storyteller at work sounds so cool combined with the inserts etc. Really sets the scene and conveys the message. Self expression to the max. Jezus christ i do not fuck with the misogyny, especially near the end of the album good godd. I understand the importance of the album very much, but this is unnecessary and disgusting ewwww WOOOOWOWW DROPPING SLURS LEFT AND RIGHT?????? It is very interesting to see that It Was A Good Day is his most streamed song and thus also the most streamed song of this album. It feels like a good positive vibe, like a break from the politically loaded songs. A song that definitely ties into the rest of the album, but is so inherently different.....
2026.01.10.
This was fun to listen to but nothing special
Solide
Doneeee I don’t actually enjoy it but some tracks are repeated in my listeNing session. I’ll give it 3/5
Best song: It Was a Good Day Felt like the same song, but the message was clear.
Getting tired of "fuck bitch motherfucker nigga this nigga that" rap it's mostly all the same
Meh
This album could not hold my attention at all. 2 stars or D-.
Not really my thing but does have one of the greatest songs of all time in “It Was a Good Day”. Overall enjoyed it more than I thought it would would.
Released in the '90s but unfortunately still entirely relevant today. You can hear the aftermath of the LA riots all over this record, and the anger and vitriol spilling out of Cube's rhymes are completely justified. Just when you think it's all guns, murder, and mayhem, 'It Was a Good Day' drops in to offer a welcome five-minute respite before throwing you right back into the fire.
I guess I should give it a second listen and pay better attention to the lyrics or flow or whatever. But I just have a hard time with these long rap albums from the 90s that have so much time taken up by skits. And I really don't need gunshots in my music. But I did like the Die Hard sample and I think that technically makes this a Christmas album.
It was fine, most of the songs blended together for me and none of the messages packed a lasting punch. "Today was a good day" is iconic though.
good vibe
This was ok, with an nteresting and powerful theme. I like Ice Cube and wanted to like this album, but it fell a little short to me.
i don’t like rap this is so aggressive
Bom
Light 4
Classic
Fav track- Wicked and Say Hi To The Bad Guy Least fav track- First Day of School (Intro) Fav lyric- “Surely someone knows the address of the jury.” Overall rating- 6/10 Notes- not the type of music i’d usually listen to, it was a good compostition with thought out lyrics
Production kinda wacky on this. First impression is that the beat is too loud, but the beats are at least funky. Cube should be more forward but is still understandable. I don't exactly think the lyrics on this are anything groundbreaking or extra introspective, especially after his previous albums, but Cube still weaves interesting stories and has a point to make on most of these tracks. But at the end of the day, can I really knock the album with It Was a Good Day? 8/10, a solid West Coast Hip-Hop album with some Ice Cube classics
An insane post-NWA album from Cube. Non-stop energy from start to finish.
And my first album of the year is...a very political 90s rap album, complete with mandatory misogyny and violence. If these rappers would just stick to political messaging (which is nearly always excellent), they would have better albums. But there's always a song like "Don't Trust 'Em" that's loaded with anti-woman sentiment, as well as violent fantasies. Admittedly, they're part of the experience, but it's still a bad look for Ice Cube and his contemporaries. Ultimately, this is a good album, but not a great one. While some songs remain prescient today, others are off-putting with violence and misogyny. The beats are consistently excellent, but I just can't give this album more than 3 stars; it's composed of some great songs, and some terrible ones that need to be cut. The album also suffers from being overlong, as is common with this era of rap.
Wow, he sure is angry, huh?
Cool beats, keeps interesting enough
Banger.6/5
This felt long. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Outstanding. I thought Amerikkka's Most Wanted sounded a bit anachronistic; I said it sounded like a time capsule and I called it "almost quaint." Ain't nothin' quaint about this The Predator. This album hits HARD after nearly 34 years. Look, Hip Hop, by design, is always going to be a time capsule of the time and culture in which it was created. But the flow and the subject matter is every bit as relevant and cohesive as the day it was released.
Pretty good album from Ice Cube, though not as good as some of his earlier stuff for me. I feel like on this album in particular, he leans into his influences a lot more than usual. At times, it feels like the bombastic and ridiculousness of the Geto Boys fused with the political agency and anger of Public Enemy (purposefully, might I add, Ice Cube references both many times on this album, in his lyrics and samples). The first song, 'When Will They Shoot?', is maybe the most Public Enemy thing here, and many of the interview/TV broadcast snippets and interludes remind me a lot of Fear of a Black Planet. This opener 'When Will They Shoot?' is incredible, though, without a doubt, my favorite song on the album, with such a heavy and clunky beat that works incredibly with Ice Cube's very confrontational style. The 'Wicked' beat is also very clearly PE-inspired, but I do want to say that Ice Cube still manages to put his classic Ice Cube and West Coast twist on many of the songs here. 'Check Yo Self,' particularly, but also his more aggressive style of political commentary, is on full display on the last two (full) songs, 'Who Got The Camera?' and 'Say Hi To The Bad Guy', two great songs that I'm sure pissed off so many people back in the day. Ice Cube really has this IDGAF attitude on here, which is entertaining and sort of refreshing, all things considered. The non-political songs here are pretty good; the obvious highlight is the very West Coast-sounding standard 'It Was A Good Day', which is about as iconic as songs in this caliber get. Such a great song and beat. Pretty good stuff, again, not as iconic and well put together as his last few albums, but good enough and a solid pivot into the newer mid-90s hip hop sounds for the MC.
Fantastic hip hop album blending wit, commentary, humor and vindictiveness in a way that only Ice Cube can. Lyrically superb and musically diverse; even the filler tracks manage to keep your attention. An all-time great 90s recording. Top tracks: Wicked, The Predator, It Was A Good Day, Check Yo Self
Good but not fave old school rap
2.75 - He loses .25 b/c a breakfast wtih no hog is worse than one with
Lovin it
Nahhhh
Bom demais, rapzin very gud
Love some 90s hip-hop. Solid album. There are better, there are worse.
Ice Cube becoming a Republican isn't exactly without precedent for anti-establishment public figures, but listening to how hard he goes on The Predator, likening himself to Malcolm and Huey, still makes that shift pretty jarring. Even going so far as having a Malcolm speech as one of the inserts, Integration, really drives the point home. When Will They Shoot? is an opening salvo daring to put racist American violence and the modern KKK on blast, while justifying Black self-defense. Track like Wicked and We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up go hard as vigorous head nod music. The more mid-tempo tracks sit in that casual West Coast vibe and It Was a Good Day, with its iconic Isley Brothers sample, is the high watermark for this. The homophobia on the album is disheartening and it's not any less disappointing just because it was a de rigueur feature of rap at the time(and unfortunately continues to be in certain corners of the genre.) I don't read the reviews for a particular album before writing my own review, but I can't help but note that in reviews for OTHER completely unrelated records that some people bemoan the amount of gangsta rap they've had to sit through on this list. I can't attest to that just yet since this is the first example for me on here, but it seems like you need to get over your biases and barely-veiled racism. Writing off an entire genre of music under the guise of it "glorifying violence" when the music is putting racist white violence on notice, is quite telling to say the least. The homophobic slurs are absolutely an understandable point of departure for people, but lots of times, the criticisms aren't even stemming from that, but instead the oversimplified "they're talking about shooting people!" pearl-clutching.
Hardcore hip hop! Man back in the day this was the shiz, but nowadays it is a tough listen with a 1 year old at home. I had to shut it down after about 30 sec of the first track, F this and GD that every other word. I get it you are mad but lets expand that vocabulary to express those feelings! jj Cube is a good lyricist the beats are okay and the storytelling is fantastic. I do hate the skit interludes, I could do without those in most albums. They are aight on the first listen but kill the replay-ability of the album for me. Not a fan of his cadence on some of the tracks. This album has a couple hits and a lot of mediocre tracks.
Great energy, not for casual listening and a lot for a middle aged white lady but enjoyed it and made me much more thoughtful than I expected
I just love that Brian May from Queen gets a writing credit on "When Will They Shoot?"
Unexpectedly love
I’ve never really been into hip hop, but I enjoy this and other early hip hop more than today’s type of hip hop.
IT WAS A GOOD DAY Best Song: It Was a Good Day Rating: 6.5/10 Stars: 3
Great production. Lyrics haven’t aged well, but the beats are great. 3.85/5
I knew a few of the songs from this, but had never listened to the full album. Once again, it's got out-of-date themes, but there's no denying that Ice Cube goes HARD. It's kind of funny to think how the guy on this record ended up becoming a G-Rated family movie star.
I'm sure it was important and significant, and I liked some of the samples, but I never really got into it.
One of his best works.
Solid as hell. No complaints, Ice Cube traverses his era of culture as good as anyone. A friend told me that you gotta parse Ice Cube with some Eazy E and unfortunately, I think he's right. It Was A Good Day kicks this up to 3.5.
yeahhhhh
I like ice cube but this was 6 7
Ok, I tried. I really did. Ice Cube’s two previous albums had been (rightly) criticised for being misogynistic and anti-Semitic. This album was released in the wake of the Rodney King riots, and makes powerful points about racism and police brutality. However, we get to the track Fuck ‘Em which features an excerpt of an interview where he is explicitly asked about calling women “bitches and hoes” and accusations of anti-semitism, and instead of apologising or moving on he just says ‘Fuck ‘em’ and waffles on for a bit. The next track is straight back in with the misogyny. Nope, I’m out.
It was a good day
3 out of 5. A lot of his lyrics still ring true today and well spoken.
Previously rated: #429 - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (2/5) ********************************************* Album #983 I like the rapping style; it's fun. Too bad about the violent and hate-filled lyrics and skits. How can you take him seriously when he criticizes people for being scared of black men and then next track turns around threatening to wet peoples' shirts with his guns. Funny how he turns out to do goofy family comedy movies after this.
Not much to say here, good stuff !! 4.5
Works best on tracks with intense lyrics and themes, as well Good Day. Great snapshot into 1992. Some songs and lyrics I don't want to bother with mixed in though.
Despite having some clear messaging and great hits, the album didn't quite flow together super well. I would still recommend it, but only to fans of old school rap.
Never heard this and don’t really recall hearing any of the songs. Interesting but not my style.
Really liked this!
first track is very mood setting of racial inequality with satire 2. fun beat but listen closely and lyrics are very deep and critical 3.another meaningful interlude with racial injustice and remixed? 4.very fun and hype i enjoy 5 much chiller but still fun 6. creepy intro for title track (makes sense) 7. classic song had no clue it was on this album 8. good not standout but good 9. interesting to hear perspective 10 vibey i like the production jazzy 11 fun as well i kinda feel the songs are blending together atp 12 chill and fun cool kid at end 13 pure vibes 14 storytelling 15 more real life intellect (album theme) 16 sad ending yet makes perfect sense for album (completes it)
now your name is just ice cube
Pretty nice.
If the book is gonna have 2 Cube albums, it should be his 1st 2. This is still good don’t get me wrong, but it’s definitely a dip.
It’s a good-to-great record that marks the time it was released in, the post L.A. Riots time when gangsta rap was big. The good songs are great, the skits are not.
This is one of the greatest rap albums ever. Such great beats throughout the album but the first half is especially good. The second half of this album does have a slight drop in quality, but overall it is still a great album. Mid 5!
Pretty great hip hop album
No thanks!
Ice Cube may have been the best rapper in NWA. This album was great from beginning to end but it's missing a certain je ne sais quoi to really push it into 5 star territory.
Amazing hip-hop album, great raw feel, and direct and hardcore lyrics.
I don't listen to a lot of Ice Cube, so I don't know a lot other than It Was a Good Day and Check Yo Self, but this wasn't bad overall. 3/5
Not too bad. I don't care too much for this period in rap, but this was pretty listenable compared to its peers. Either that or I'm warming up to it. Still, it was too long at an hour. 2.75/5
7/10
I had AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted earlier this month. The main lyrical theme of that one was "people hate me, and I wear that as a badge of honour". Which is just the dumbest, most bigheaded message ever. And The Predator seems to continue along the same lines, with gems like Say Hi To The Bad Guy, , and The Predator ("Riots ain't nothing but diets for the system", "I'm meaner than a motherfucking hyena chasing antelope", "Rat-a-tat-tat on your noggin 'cause Ice'll cream your ass like Häagen-Dazs"). Combine that with a healthy Some of the lyrics are pretty harrowing, though, in a good way. When Will They Shoot? has nothing to latch onto musically, and I can't see myself ever listening to it again. But the story it tells is slick, fast, and horrific. I'm glad I didn't live in an American city in the 90s. This record was released right at the crux of the hip-hop "golden age", so you'd think it would showcase some of the best the genre has to offer. It isn't Ice Cube's debut, either, so he's had some time to learn. And yet he still includes interludes that go nothing except act as musically inert ad breaks. If you're putting in a 60-second track, it better as heck have an incredible melody/riff, or else complement the next/previous track excellently. The interludes on this album do neither. I enjoy the secondary vocalist that takes the middle verse in Wicked. The rest of the track is extremely repetitive, but that guy's voice injects some fun into the monotony. In Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha, the brass and bass, despite being pretty repetitive (pretty sure the bass is only two notes) is such a contrast to the four atonal tracks preceding it that it has to be one of my favourites. It Was A Good Day is much the same way. Hopefully Ice Cube realises now that incorporating melody and harmony does wonders for his fans, who very obviously enjoy this kind of music to any of his other work. (1.4 billion streams is, well, a lot of streams.) Dirty Mack does the same thing but with less interesting vocals, and a bizarre baby-sounding vocal harmonising during some parts. Still decent though. Check Yo Self is also strong, and even incorporates some genuine singing for a few seconds. The keyboard part in Don't Trust 'Em is, I suspect, sampled from Steely Dan's Green Earrings. Which is a significantly better track in every way. /5 Key tracks: It Was A Good Day, Dirty Mack, Check Yo Self
It Was A Good Day - such a classic
Tigidi tigidi repas. Pakeli toną, nuleidi toną, kažką greit sumali. Galų gale tieisog nelabai muzikaliai tigidi tigidi kalbi ant byto. Perklausiau 5 dainas. 5/10
Cube was always a bit more complicated than his fabricated gang banger image allowed, bringing in a somewhat paranoid and skewed political view that overlapped with (and guested on) Public Enemy records, alongside an incredible sense of just older than juvenile sense of humour. On his debut and the follow-up, this was loud and clear, but by the release of The Predator he was just coming off Lollapalooza ’92 - the one with grunge all-stars Pearl Jam and Soundgarden (and very of the moment headliners RHCP) - basically as white an audience as you could find. This gangsta rapper guise had always been a part of his identity throughout NWA, but here it takes centre stage. I’m not sure he threads the needle of the movie character predator acting as symbol or metaphor for South Central rioters rising up or if it’s just a really bad-ass, largely unkillable creature standing in as rapper taking out his rivals as his lyrical focus is kinda all over the place, but the real import, as had been the case dating back to Compton, is getting white teenagers to buy his albums as adolescent rebellion. But the move to something like a kinder, friendlier gang banger is already in the works with It Was a Good Day - he’s only a few years away from Friday at this point, after all.
Ugh There were 2 songs I knew on here which weren't bad. The rest of the album annoyed me a bit from the repetitiveness. And the fact it just wasn't that good to begin with 2 ⭐️
Hip Hop, 49 eme album => 1/5
Nice
I think this is where ice ice baby comes from
It Was A Good Day //
Production hit harder, and overall the album was more focused than his debut
the skill of him to wrap annoying, irritating and boring into 1 album. It hurt my head.
it's not bad. it's a vibe. makes me feel like the wrong mf to fw
4.2
Top old school hip hop
Solid album with some stand out tracks, very influential
This is the first album I've listened to by War of the Worlds 2025 star Ice Cube. The album is OK, but it's the relationship between Ice Cube's struggle and the LA riots of the early nineties that makes this album so significant. This is the rare hip hop album where I found the "insert" tracks to really elevate the listening experience.
Meh album, though it gets bonus points for being a good day (I'm leaving, I know where the exit is).
3.4 Surprisingly good, I always presumed Ice Cube after NWA would have gone downhill, but it sounded a bit fresher than I expected. Bit more Cypruss Hill than NWA, but I'd argue even more enjoyable than the former. Some good beats although they lean toward the simplistic, case in point being the albums highlight, today was a good day, cracking sample from the Isley Brothers but when it boils down to it is the same 7 seconds clip repeated ad infinitum. Makes it the kind of thing that is enjoyable to listen to the first 10 times, but after that there's nothing new to find in it. The number of skits was unnecessary though, trim them and it might have reached 4* rounding up territory
Initially I was like why is this album so long but when you listen this is way more than just another rap album. Love the energy on this! Love the mix of rap, radio show snippets & predator 2 film clips. It’s an album capturing a moment in history - politically, culturally and musically.
A powerful and engaging message with a strong hip hop beat. I love Ice's voice here, even if the vocabulary isn't to my liking. Still, Ice tells it like it is. 4/5
This wasn't bad, could do without the interlude talking bits.
Amazon's War of the Worlds star Ice Cube really shines here as "controversial figure in 1992." Not many albums can still be labelled 30 years down the road as the coolest shit to be listening to on your headphones, but here it is.
The coldest ice in Cube’s discograph-tray, featuring his most unmeltable hit (the one devoid of AK use).
A surprisingly funky and complex early 90's rap album. Definitely liked this more than some of the other early gangster rap albums I have reviewed. I thought the backing tracks and beats played a huge role in how entertaining this album was. While the lyrics are still cringy and over aggressive at times, the melodic beats balanced the album out and made it feel less overtly angry.
I'm not sure if Ice Cube hates institutionalized racism or women more. I was actually enjoying this album despite it having a lot of the gangsta rap cliches that I can't stand (e.g. excessive violence, over use of the n-word, calling all women bitches, etc.), but Don't Trust 'Em pushed it too far for me. There are a couple good tracks and the content of the album addressing racism is sadly still very relevant, but overall, this album isn't for me.
It took me three tries to get through this album. The violence and anger doesn't really resonate with my personal life experience, but I can appreciate the artistry. I wish I had read the lyrics while listening. I think I would have gotten more out of it. Ice Cube has been putting out music consistently since 1991. That's impressive (but has nothing to do with this album's content)
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Death Certificate is a much better album. It has some pretty unsavory material on it, so maybe that’s why Predator was chosen instead. I was a fan of his first two albums. This one I felt he was struggling a bit to stay relevant after Dre and Cypress Hill defined the LA scene and his mainstream acting career was colliding with his gangsta persona.
Decent album, "It Was A Good Day" is a banger. Leans heavily on (un)sampled interviews as skits, which, regardless of message, distracts. 3/5
Production is lo-fi but lush. Great horn samples throughout. Melancholic synths create an interesting contrasting background to the otherwise grateful and positive "It Was a Good Day" and sound like they inspired a lot of Kendrick's tracks, like Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe. Lots of commentary about police brutality. "I know it sounds strange but could you stop thinkin with your dick for a change?" Plenty of casual misogyny / objectification of women. *Who Got the Camera
I bought this the day it cane out. I was disappointed at the time because this album was not at the same level as Amerikkas Most Wanted, Kill at Will, or Death Certificate.. When i listened today at first I was surprised because the first 4 or 5 songs are so good and better than i remember. The remainder of the album made me remember why i was somewhat disappointed in 1992. They are good but there are lulls when compared to Ice Cube's earlier work . I want to rate this higher due to the lack of hip hop on this list but this is a 3.5/5 album.pery interpretation of the old Spurce.magazine ratings and I will bump up to a 4 here.
You can't call out racism, police brutality and injustice, but think that blatant misogyny and retaliatory violence is fine.
Enjoyable. Had his hits and some societal commentary.
3.5
Guess what folks, yet another bloody Rap / Hip-Hop album! Not too bad though.
Repetitivo pa carai, gostei não. 2/10
Great early 90s hip hop.
The hits still hold up, and the rest of the album is just as solid
Receiving this one the same week as The Chronic made for an interesting comparison. A much more in-your-face edgy delivery than the laid back style of Dre/Snoop. At times it even sounds industrial. Crazy that the two albums were released within a month of each other. Interestingly I think it’s Cube’s style that cuts right to the bone and probably helps deliver the message better. But I put this one and the same camp as The Chronic.
This was good, even though it’s dated I feel like it’s aged better than a lot of rap/hip-hop of the 80s/early 90s. His voice is solid on this
Thought I would like this more than I did. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood or setting but the songs up to It Was a Good Day felt a little bland and repetitive. Maybe on a different day I’d feel different but this didn’t hit with me. 2.75
If there's one thing I want in an album it is references to Predator...2! Lol. I thought this was pretty good. A bit corny talking about triple doubles and stuff. Nice to get it the same week as The Chronic. I'd say I enjoyed the latter a bit more so I am rounding down on this one. 3.25/5
I gotta say it was a good album
As relevant now as it was 30+ years ago
284/1089 - Smart decision to create dissonance between all the layers of the beats for an angry effect. Overall, it was ok.
The Predator by Ice Cube is everything I hate about rap. Gangsta rap is dreadful. the lyrics are dated, vile and quite frankly thick! This music just does nothing for me. The music is good throughout on this album but the nature of the lyrics is off putting and not for me. Favourite track: Least favourite track: Album artwork: I dont love it!!
Surprised how much I liked this album. Sharp and political with incisive lyrics and great beats.
nicht so mein stil von hip hop .. aber trotzdem gut produziert, und sehr nahe am zeitgeschehen.
Pro-Black aber gegen alles andere. Ein Rassist auch wenn er es nicht zugeben möchte.
An interesting album. Ice Cube tackles race in the aftermath of Rodney King and the LA riots. This aspect of the album is poignant and important. He also, however, continues the misogyny that plagues rap music til this day. Overall, its a good album that is as relevant now as it was when it was made. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again
old school gangsta rap from one of the voices of NWA. this one’s a classic. highlights: “when will they shoot?” “it was a good day” “we had to tear this mothafucka up”
Ice Cube used to be so great before he sold out.
I cant understand why americans like this piece of shit! American rap is irrelevant outside the US. A shit like this on this list is rubbish. dog shitt nigga you know what i mean nigga...im need a pussy and a have a shootgun, my car is beautiful and i am criminals, careful with me in the midnight bro
How is this album 34 years old and still feels incredibly relevant and edgy? Love everything about this album
Some classics on here
Very good shit. 4*
Nice beats
Not as bad as i feared. Early 90’s rap seems a bit tame now!
Surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Great grooves. Powerful message. Would recommend.
This was good. Head nodding beats. Slightly less shock value than AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, which is the only other Ice Cube album I’m familiar with. But yeah, enjoyed this.
Hard hitting boom bap beats and verse after verse deconstructing the violence of American racism, the routine violence it engenders the lives lived amidst that violence. The sound is definitive of its time, dated but iconic. The eviseration of racial liberalism and the dominant banal ideologies of white supremacy are remarkably, tragically, timeless 30+ years later.
Ok, another hip-hop album... I'm getting tired of this genre (so much!). I understand that it has been very influential, but, for me, hip-hop is very uninteresting and repetitive, and this album is all of this too (as bland). Lyrically, it is interesting at some parts, but I can't think about it if the album is driving me to boredom.
It's hard for me to imagine what it must have been like when Cube released AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Death Certificate, and The Predator in the span of two and a half years, immediately after an acrimonious split from NWA. I imagine they were as revelatory as they were controversial. I'd heard AMW before listening to this, alongside the obvious standout singles here, but that's more or less the extent of my experience with Ice Cube's solo work. I was surprised that this hadn't aged *worse* than it has (and parts of it have aged poorly, given the homophobia and sexism that was rampant in rap at the time). The production is really solid throughout. I'm just not sure it's *essential* listening, especially when Death Certificate - by most accounts the best of the three - isn't here.
it was a good day when Ice Cube appeared on the album club
Enjoyable stuff
Really like Ice Cube and a lot of material he's put out over the years. This was really good, but a few songs towards the end dropped off in quality a bit.
Early 90s rap was different, not a fan of this album
Nope. Not my kind of music. I can appreciate that it has important social commentary but I’m well beyond listening to hard core rap.
-it was fine ig, def wouldnt relisten -it was def very politically relevant still today, very interesting -i felt like it was sorta misogynistic tho which was off putting
Someday, one of these hip hop albums will earn >2 stars from me. But it is not this day.
Hadn't heard this album since elementary school. Still hits good.
First time listening to an Ice Cube solo project and I was surprised how much I liked it! Similar to Public Enemy, Ice Cube blends incredibly groovy beats with very poignant lyrics. Might explore the rest of his catalog because of this album.
I really liked this. Ice Cube has a great voice, the beats are good. Some of the spoken tracks engage in thoughtful ways with the criticism that this kind of rap often receives, and this is the first album I've heard do that. Today Was a Good Day is excellent, and I found myself liking most of the tracks.
The predator is politcal and on the nose. Definetly an important album within America's troubled history. It's worth listening for the 'preaching integration, but practising segregration' quote only. Though musically I feel like it's one of the weaker hiphop albums in this list. It's cool, no doubt, but pales is in comparison with projects from (for instance) Public Enemy.
Enjoyable. Never heard any ice cube passed. NWA would listen again.
In a lot of ways, an update of previous record on this list, Straight Outta Compton.
Pretty good. Pretty nostalgic. Nothing I will actively seek out.
This is so good. As a 2000s baby my education on 90s Hip-Hop is sorely lacking, this is going to send me down a rabbit hole.
Lyrically, thematically, and sonically powerful. Would be a five but any amount of violent sexism is too much
I was vibing, but I didn’t like it assss much as other 90’s rap
Also really good, but I do think the slower beats are worse than the faster ones which there were loads of on the last Ice Cube album I got. Obviously some of the things he said haven't aged so well, but he's definitely quite progressive socially on here, which I think he has since revoked, which I guess is sort of disappointing. He's obviously also a great rapper, I think probably one of if not the best on the West coast in this era. He has a great skill of even if what he's saying isn't lyrically the most adventurous, it all flows together so well because of his emphasis and pronunciation and stuff. Also It was a good day will always be great, no matter how popular it is, the beat is just amazing and its a very interesting formula for a song narratively. Favourite songs: when will they shoot?, wicked, the predator, it was a good day, dirty Mack, don't trust 'em, gangsta's fairytale 2, check yo self, who got the camera?, say hi to the bad guy. Overall around 7/10
It Was A Good Day is a great song. Rest are ok 3/5
Altogether pretty awful, as is the overwhelming majority of this genre, but it had some kind of redeeming quality in that the music didn't come across as obnoxious as other hip-hop. I certainly wouldn't listen to this shit again, but at least I wasn't desperate to rip out my earphones and throw them into oncoming traffic, like I was with NWA.
i was a good day!