Dealing with the good, the bad, and especially the ugly, Raw Footage is an appropriate title for Ice Cube's eighth album. Some kind of subtitle that mentioned the yin and yang of life would have made it perfect because the tracks here are as inclined to paradoxes as the man himself and offer just as few excuses. If you want insight into how a man justifies making family fun movies by day and hardcore rap by night, the only answer offered is that you grow up in this cruel world and you deal any way you know how, something that drives the great "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It." This key track may not be "fair and balanced," but it's honest and revealing as Cube embraces what he wants from the good -- a literate life that damns those who "read your first book in the penitentiary" -- and the commonly accepted bad as he attacks Oprah and everyone else who has a problem with hardcore rap using the "N" word. The 187 in "Why Me?" could be a metaphor for the attacks from Cube's detractors ("You want to take the life God handed to me/Send it back to him 'cuz you ain't a fan of me") while "Jack in the Box" suggests he's already won the war with "Fool, I'm the greatest/You just the latest/I'm loved by your grandmamma/And your babies." The album's guiding principle, "only thing I expect is self-check," is dropped in "Get Money, Spend Money, No Money," but the great news is that all these standoffish and self-serving rhymes are written with that whipsmart wit and sit on a bed of wonderfully minimal beats from lesser knowns like Young Fokus and Emile. The only time things sound slick are when an Eddie Kendricks sample meets Angie Stone's vocals on "Hood Mentality," or when the so-big-in-2008 Young Jeezy shows up for the disappointing and out of place "I Got My Locs On." The bombastic intro and interludes with Keith David could go too, but otherwise this no-answers, gritty ego trip will satisfy his fans while pushing everyone else away even further.
Ice Cube's "Raw Footage" won't be available for purchase until August 19th, but Much Music is offering a free stream of the entire thing. The lone drawback to the free preview is that the album is a clean version of the LP. If you can't live without your "muthaf-ckaz" then you'll have to wait for next Tuesday!Click HERE to check it out.1. What is a Pyroclastic Flow? 2. Jack In the Box 3. It Tak...
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I dig this new Ice Cube video for "Do Ya Thang." It's like an updated version of an old school Ice Cube video. I kept expecting his shiny little sports car to start pumpin up and down... I also like the smooth and heavy beat. Good tune for a smoke break."Do Ya Thang" is off Raw Footage, out August 26th.
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As Mr. Frost pointed out in January, Ice Cube has a new album on the way and he recently started his own online tv channel called UNTV. Not merely a video channel, UNTV (which stands for U View Network Television) is capable of real-time streams of DVD quality broadcasts. Cube will put the technology to the test this Saturday when he cybercasts his SXSW concert live from Austin. Perhaps he w...
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Here's a new video from westcoast legend Ice Cube called 'Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It'. This is reportedly the first single off of Cube's upcoming album Raw Footage. The video contains a lot of strong imagery and social commentary that made Cube one of the most respected lyricists in the early 90s. Cube highlights some instances in which rap music has been used as a scapegoat, as well as more imp...
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Ice Cube will release his 9th major solo album Raw Footage on August 21st. Cube claims that although the original single "Do Ya Thang" is a carefree summer single, the album is very political in nature.Raw Footage will be the second totally independent release by Cube, who loves the freedom of being detached from the "Big four' record distributors. Below you'll find the tracklist and two videos...
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A few months ago Ice Cube expressed interest in working with Nas on his upcoming "controversial" album. Once upon a time in the early 90s, Cube was regarded as one of the fiercest politically charged MC's in rap music. He's intending to revisit his roots on his upcoming album "Raw Footage" and joined forces with Nas on the "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It" remix.This song won't appear on Nas' album, ...
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The mere thought of this collaborative album should make real hip hop fans around the world salivate. Nas, Scarface, and Ice Cube are considered hip hop royalty and have all released critically acclaimed albums in the last 12 months. Scarface recently announced he's releasing a final solo album titled Emiritus but would love to complete a group album with Cube and Esco also.We don't know wher...
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Ice Cube is the damn truth and I feel a lot of people slept on his last album, Raw Footage. If you haven’t check out that album make sure you do soon! Thank you to Hardknock TV for the footage!Enjoy and Be Educated..
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 What Is a Pyroclastic Flow? |
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| 2 I Got My Locs On |
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| 3 It Takes a Nation |
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| 4 Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It |
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| 5 Hood Mentality |
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| 6 Why Me? |
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| 7 Cold Places |
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| 8 Jack N the Box |
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| 9 Do Ya Thang |
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| 10 Thank God |
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| 11 Here He Come |
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| 12 Get Money, Spend Money, No Money |
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| 13 Get Use to It |
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| 14 Tomorrow |
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| 15 Stand Tall |
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| 16 Take Me Away |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Raw Footage")
