Raw Footage

The return of Ice Cube

Ice Cube, whose birth name is O’Shea Jackson, released his critically acclaimed disc War & Peace - Volume 2 (The Peace Disc) in 2000, and fully devoted himself to the movie industry. By that time, the musician recommended himself as the excellent producer, director and actor. Everyone decided that Ice Cube retired as the performer and would not rap anymore. However, after a six-year silence, he returned with the Laugh Now, Cry Later album - less politicized than its predecessors, but still aggressive and with a slant to the philosophy. The disc caused a wave of cheer in the rows of Afro-Americans, for whom Ice Cube became one of the civil rights movement, and those, who liked the qualitative gangsta rap. The news that the musician wanted to continue his rapping activity in the close time, was met with the same warmth. Ice Cube answered the expectations of his fans - he came back to the musical industry, although rap became not only the weapons of self-expression, but a hobby too. Taking in consideration the artist's profit from his cinematic activity, he is sure not to be strained in money. This year, Ice Cube finished the new disc titled Raw Footage. As several releases before, he is full of energy and wrath against the system, politics, different minorities (which is a privilege of a few artists, who are not afraid of being intolerant) - overall, it is the same adored by everyone Ice Cube, whose lyrics were criticized even by the FBI.

More sour political comment on Raw Footage

Raw Footage is opened by the burning and hardcore intro What Is A Pyroclastic Flow? It is followed by I Got My Locs On (Feat. Young Jeezy), on which Ice Cube reads rap about his past, his achievements and about the thing about life he realized to the winding South Coast beat. Such hooky and rhythmic tracks as Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It and Why Me? (Feat. Musiq Soulchild) are sure to give much food for brains to the listeners. In the song Hood Mentality, the singer wittily penetrates the mentality of the teenagers, who listen rap, while in the breath-taking track It Takes A Nation he dreams of the things he would do if he had become the President of the USA. Jack N The Box became the classical rap composition, in which Ice Cube enumerates all his wins and tells listeners what a great loss it could be for them if he did not follow his aspiration for rapping. The track Do Ya Thang, fulfilled in the club stylistics with the funky tint, is both the album decoration and a must-play for any party. In the aggressive and filled with comparisons lyrics of Tomorrow the musician ponders over the illegal music distribution in his best sharp shape. On the track Get Money, Spend Money, No Money and alike, Ice Cube narrates about the hard life of a working man, who has to feed the family. Actually, it is strange to listen about the from-hand-to-mouth life, but one should consider that the rapper grew up in a poor family and saw all he sings about.

The new creation of the legendary rapper

Well, Ice Cube demonstrated on Raw Footage that he is in a perfect shape as a rapper, while his fighting spirit is still strong. One should remember that the singer is no more a young Afro-American, who started his career as part of N.W.A. - for now, it is a wise man with a huge life and scenic experience and a father of four children, a gifted actor, producer and artist, who has almost reached the age mark of forty. In spite of this, Ice Cube is still faithful to the gangsta rap traditions - the genre, in which he has acquired the living legend status, but he manages to follow the pace of the time. The arrangements and sound of Raw Footage are worth mentioning for their originality, diversity and up-to-fashion character. The work of the producing team also was a hit. Such a good old rap tradition as guest artists on the disc also saw its embodiment on Raw Footage. Singers Young Jeezy, Musiq Soulchild, Doughboy, Butch Cassidy along with the rap scene veterans WC and The Game put their hand to the disc. There is strong symbolism in the fact that WC, who is the South Coast rapper, and The Game, who is the typical representative of the West Coast, meat Ice Cube in one song. By this step, the artists hints at the changes that take place, when the former enemies became partners. By the way, all the three sings about the gang war, which gave way to gangsta rap in the beginning of 90's. Although much time passed since that, Ice Cube still stands as a powerful and admired figure in the musical world.