Ice Cube – Raw Footage

Ice Cube – Raw Footage

Although Ice Cube is a bonafide legend and a pioneer of Gangsta Rap, he’s released countless successful solo albums, Hollywood movies and helped popularise the jheri curl, it’s arguable whether he should still be rapping in 2008.

Now, of course the dude attracts some of the hottest producers and guest artists of the day, that’s no question. Features come from cats like Young Jeezy, Musiq Soulchild and The Game, while production surprisingly springs from relative unknowns, the only familiar name being DJ Crazytoones (whom I thought had disappeared after WC’s last album).

Aight, so the beats are bangin’. Cool. For those who are familiar with Cube’s style, dude sounds like he’s stuck in 1988. That isn’t entirely a bad thing for long time fans, but in today’s day and age of sick flows, multi’s, swag and metaphors, Cube just ain’t in the league, in my humble opinion. I know I’m finna get blasted for that comment but Raw Footage was extremely painful to listen to at times.

This album is quite political, as Cube used to be back in the day, which is possibly its saving grace. Single ‘Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It’ sounds like a wannabe Just Blaze/Dre beat, which sees Cube lamenting about the inconsistencies in the media with major figures blaming Gangsta Rap for their indiscretions. Jeezy’s appearance on the synthy ‘I Got My Locs On’ is negligible unless you’re a fan, but Cube does sound at home with the not-so-technically skilled MC.

Musiq’s appearance is fairly pedestrian by his standards as well, with Cube sounding alarming like Game (just as Game sounds alarmingly like Dre or Nas or Jay on his last couple albums). This is quite a synthed out album, with little to no sampling and generally it works for Cube. ‘Cold Places’, ‘Jack In The Box’, ‘Here He Come’, and even ‘Get Used To It’ with WC and The Game are packin’ hella synths. The latter initially sounds like a tough gig for Cube to keep up with cats like Game and the dexterous WC, and he does struggle but the other two fail to bring the heat enough to not make Cube look too bad in comparison.

Now that Cube is a full on multi-millionaire working in Hollywood, the Gangsta posturing has become quite difficult to believe, and he doesn’t hold back on that tip. Gripes aside, Cube fans should dig this, but I can’t see it converting any newcomers to his dated style.

(Lench Mob/Inertia)

-Cee-For.