Die-hard rap fans will probably elevate this album for its characteristic staccato style - smooth yet jagged - the way unadulterated rap should be. Ice Cube, the guy who’s done it all - act, direct, sing, write and more - has delivered a watertight album that mixes the old with the recent and the spanking new.
Older ones like “Bop Gun”, “Nigga Ya Love To Hate”, “Bow Down’” and “It Was A Good Day” produce raging sounds, while the young “We Be Clubbin’” and “You Can Do It” follow in similar vein. The warning on the cover gives you a whiff of the sounds within, but even the infrequent expletives do not take away from what is essential Cuban rap.
This article was first published on 14 Feb 2002.