Ice Cube – Raw Footage – review

Artist: Ice Cube

Title: Raw Footage

Label: Lench Mob Records

Rating: 5/10

Corporate lane:
Following a triumphant return to the mic after 6 years in 2006 with the critically acclaimed release of “Laugh Now, Cry Later” Ice Cube is ready to take center stage once again with his ninth solo effort. The highly anticipated new album, titled Raw Footage.

“Raw Footage” include guest features by artists such as Musiq Soulchild, Nas, Scarface and Dub C. The hip hop legend also collaborated with producers Maestro, Emile, DJ Crazy Toones, Fred Wreck, Palumbo Beats, and Teak “Da Beatsmith” Underdue and Dee Underdue to name a few.

The good:
“Cold Places” – Ice Cube fights the system and tries to stay out of the hood in order to follow the right path and not stumble. This is the kind of inspirational song a successful guy like Ice Cube should release more.

The rest:
“I Got My Locs On” – Ice Cube still has the voice–but he doesn’t have the potent lyrics.
“It Takes A Nation” – After listening to Public Enemy this morning while working out, Ice Cube sounds flaccid compared to the destruction that Chuck D.’s voice levels.
“Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It” – The message isn’t the only thing that matters. The lyrics have to kill too. Cube’s lyrics don’t even shake the foundation that he’s trying to rock.
“Take Me Away” – Ice Cube for President? Not if he can’t flow better than this.
“Thank God” – “Thank God the gangsta’s back”–we wish he were completely back, but he’s not.
“Get Money, Spend Money, No Money” – One that should have been left behind.

Frankly:
Ice Cube is a long way from his best material on “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted” and N.W.A. “Raw Footage” is six tracks too long–even then it wouldn’t be a great album. Back in the days Ice Cube would lay down an album’s worth of solid tracks from beginning to end with no leftovers. Those were the good old days.