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ALBUM REVIEW - ICE CUBE, MAN DOWN

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The 55-year-old O’Shea Jackson, better known as Ice Cube, is an accomplished rapper, songwriter, actor, film producer, and founder of BIG3 basketball league and CubeVision. He first hit the scene in 1986 with the rap trio C.I.A. but soon after hooked up with Easy-E and Dr. Dre to join N.W.A. And from that point on, there was no stopping Cube. He had the talent, smarts, energy and drive to not only make him one of the top rappers of all-time, but also a movie star, and much more.  While growing up in the 80’s in white suburbia I gravitated towards hip hop.  Such an amazing sound, and the message was so real, so raw, so true.  When I first heard N.W.A. and Straight Outta Compton, I was pulled into this amazing music. The stories, no truths, they told in their music was so eye opening. 

While Dre was my favorite in the group, Cube had that raw, rough, angry flow, his lyrics just stayed with you.  So, when he left N.W.A., and not being in a time of social media, I didn’t understand and Cube became Benedict Arnold to me.  I didn’t listen to AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted and Death Certificate when they were first released.  I was all about N.W.A. and Dre and Snoop and Warren G. But when The Predator came out, I heard a couple songs and had to listen.  It was dope, it was raw, it was angry, it was amazing. With Dre creating and popularizing the G-Funk era, Cube’s next album, Lethal Injection, was amazing. It was an almost perfect album to me and by this point I had no choice but to admit I was a huge Cube fan. So, when I heard Cube was releasing this latest album, six years after his last release, and honestly after a handful of just Ok albums, I was intrigued but also wondering why?  How will this sound?

During the late 80’s and early 90’s my go to was West Coast hip hop, to this day The Chronic is my #1 album ever. My 25-year-old son, Janak, takes after me in those days, in 2024 pretty much all he listens to is Dre, N.W.A., Tupac, Cube, Easy, Warren G, Snoop, etc.  All that West Coast gangsta music. We were in the car Friday, and I asked if he listened to the new Ice Cube album yet, he said no, so I put it on.  His first reaction was “he sounds old, he just doesn’t sound like that angry Ice Cube with that strong message, strong lyrics and that same flow.” It made me think, I had already listened to the album twice and I thought he sounded good.  I thought, for the most part, his flow was solid, and the lyrical flow was good.  But was I wrong? Because to me, what had always made Cube so great was the lyrics, his deliverance, and his beats.

The album starts off really strong with “Rollin’ At Twighlight” a nice chill beat and rhythm with that solid flow from Cube we are so used to. Followed up with a G-Funk flow with “It’s My Ego,” another chill rhythm and flow. He keeps up with that funk groove with another solid song in “So Sensitive.” Three really good solid songs to start this off. Snoop Dogg, E-40, Too $hort & October London join Cube on “She’s Sanctified.’ This funk, pop song has a nice beat and the hook by October London is sweet, but it kind of falls a little short, considering the star power on this joint. It’s not bad, I would have expected more from this crew.  He stays with that old school funky feel with “Not Like Them’ but this is one of those tracks that I get what my son said about his sound and lyrics, just sounding kind of old and just a little flat. But he comes back strong on “5150” with some hard beats and Cube sounds crisp and intense and you have a sense of purpose behind his delivery. One of the better tracks on the album. K-Major delivers on “No Cap” but it’s another one of the songs that falls a little short for Cube and his lyrics. IshaDon doesn’t add much to the song, with a limited appearance, could have been more involved and not sure why Mike Epps was on this.

“3 Lil Piggies” is next up, while the beat isn’t bad, not getting into this one. It almost feels forced; the lyrics, the flow, the style. When you feel let down by a track or two, he comes back with a strong one, and “Ghetto Story” is just that, another lyrically strong song.  It’s stripped down with no drums, just a nice groove with Cube flowing over like we love to hear. Cube has J-Dee of the Lynch Mob join him on “Facts.” These two reunite to give us a rundown on their lives, diving into their shared experiences, painting that graphic picture of their friendship and life of street drama over a shifty, infectious beat. We get a nice soul sample featuring Kurupt on “Fighting for My Life in Paradise.” This is a celebration to the life they are living, a good life. “Let’s Get Money Together” has Cube and B-Real going back and forth on this dope jam, a solid song with these two working well together after all these years. “I’mma Burn Rubber” gives us Cube with some hard and tough lyrics over a hard beat. Not a bad song, but doesn’t really fit as well on the album.

“Especially You” takes us back to his days of working with Dre and the World Class Weckin’ Cru with a major dance flow with the synthesizer taking us to the dance floor.  Not sure many Cube fans will like this one, but I actually really like it.  Such a different vibe, it just works. We get a true West Coast beat and feel with “Break the Mirror” featuring Xzibit.  This hits hard, gives us that rawness from Cube we love so much. Zxibit comes in just as hard as Cube and has that raw flow.  Great song. Cube takes a hit at these whack ass MCs on “Talkin’ Bout These Rappers” another hard beat and raw flow from Cube. Cube changing up his cadence which works so well. After a couple of strong  songs we get “Scary Movie” another one that just falls a little short.  Beat is nothing special and repetitive and the lyrics are not as strong. “Take Me To Your Leader” has a good vibe and feel to it, but there is something holding it back from being a really good tune. We finish off with track number 19, a song featuring Busta Rhymes and Killer Mike, “Ego Maniacs.” Great song to finish this album off with, great beat and G-Funk flow.  Ice Cube has some nice lyrics, a great flow and he let’s us know, he’s the man. I have never been a huge Killer Mike fan, but he really hits nicely on this one and when Busta comes in, BOOM, he just gives us that strong Busta flow.

Man Down is really split into two groups, that old-school West Coast flow and G-Funk era stylin’ but the other half that just falls a little flat, weather it’s the production and beats or the lyrics. Maybe this should have been a shorter album.  The good old-school grooves are going to really hit with the old-school Ice Cube fans. The early 90’s Cube fan, but probably not hit with the new, younger hip hop crowd.  Which is fine. With 50 years of hip hop, you are going to have all types of styles and all types of fans. Is this on the level of The Predator or Lethal Injection (my two favorite Cube albums)? No, but it is a solid album, an album I will keep listening to, while skipping over a few of the songs. It is a little frustrating, the lyrics and energy is so good on some songs, but then really drops on others. Cube, at times brings us that rawness, attitude and emotion we love, but other times it is a letdown, you are left waiting for more.  Overall, it is a solid album, for a guy that has been doing music for close to 40 years, he still has it. For a guy that doesn’t need to prove anything it’s nice to see him still wanting to put out music, and good music at that. He still brings those strong lyrics, that angry and strong flow.

Oh, and one final shout here - to our brother Steven Lashbrook.  Lash is one amazing photographer and the genius behind the epic album art on Man Down.  His shots are killer and bring to life Cube's stories throughout this amazing album - well done!

One Love – Todd Judd

Todd Judd

Photojournalist - Pennsylvania

Website: www.facebook.com/IronLionImages Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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