Review Summary: This album, is another "Certificate" of greatness.
Critical Responses:
Allmusic: 5/5
The Austin Chronicle: 4/5
Robert Christagu: C+
Entertainment Weekly: A-
Rolling Stone: 4/5
The Source: 4.5 Mics (Later re-rated to 5 mics)
Ranked #8 in MTV's list of best hip hop albums of all time.
Included in The Source's list of 100 best hip hop albums of all time.
Ranked #13 in About.com's list of the best hip hop albums of all time.
Ranked #20 in Dance De Lux's list of best hip hop albums of all time.
Ranked #16 in The Village Voice's best albums of 1991 (all genres).
Ranked #37 in New Music Express's best albums of 1991 (all genres).
This album, came after AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, which is also a classic, and surpassed it. Yes, that's right there IS an Ice Cube album better than AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. Now you may be wondering how this is better than AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. Well, this is harder, and angrier. Not to mention that this has better production, better lyricism, AND better subject matter.
With this album, Ice Cube was said to have joined the Nation of Islam. Ice Cube did the impossible with this album. This album faced a lot of controversy over the content. As a matter of fact, this album was so controversial, that in Oregon, they illegalized putting any image of Ice Cube in any Oregon store, and this was almost banned in the U.K, but they removed some tracks so that it wouldn't get banned. Also, advertisements for St. Ides Malt Liquor were banned, because Ice Cube supported it. Yeah, this album was really THAT controversial. Now for the track by track review.
1. The Funeral: Just an interlude, that features a funeral. This track has been sampled in, "Calling Out Names" by Kurupt, and other songs.
2. The Wrong N***a to F**k Wit: This is a STRONG opener, which has Ice Cube rhyming about how he is a force to be reckoned with, but not a force to mess around with, and how he has NOT softened one bit since last release, and will not sell out by any means. This is exactly what I was talking about, hard, and angry lyricism. One may think that Ice Cube is a racist, because he is bashing "White Power", but keep in mind that Ice Cube has felt racial frustration since before his N.W.A days, and it's just him expressing his point of view. Classic song. This song samples, "Ya Don't Quit" by Ice-T, and other songs. 5/5
3. My Summer Vacation: This song has Ice Cube telling a story about him traveling to St. Louis, and what happens while he's there. He also takes time to point the finger at racist cops, and mock the idiocy of the police department (not that I think this). Ice Cube also rhymes about a South Central gang spreading throughout the whole country. This song also has Ice Cube rhyming about how he was committing crimes there, and got a life sentence in jail. Highly intelligent and classic song. This song has been sampled in, "Compton 4 Life" by Compton's Most Wanted, and other songs. 5/5
4. Steady Mobbin: This song has Ice Cube telling a story about how he's "Mobbin". Classic song. This song samples, "If It Ain't Ruff" by N.W.A, and other songs. 5/5
5. Robin Lench: Just an interlude.
6. Givin Up the Nappy Dug Out: This song has Ice Cube, basically rhyming about how he's telling a girl's father about how his underage daughter been a product of sex, but later, reveals that Ice Cube, has been having sex with her as well, which is where he shows that this song is a joke (not a joke as in not good, but the message is a joke). Classic song. This song samples, "No Damn Good" by Ice Cube, and other songs. 5/5
7. Look Who's Burnin: This song has Ice Cube rhyming about how a lot of people in black suburbs have been getting sexual diseases. Ice Cube points out one female in particular. A perfect follow up to the previous song. This song is actually pretty funny, and has Ice Cube saying some pretty funny lines. Classic song. This song samples, "Jimmy" by Boogie Down Productions, "Go See the Doctor" by Kool Moe Dee, "La Di Da Di" by Doug E Fresh and Slick Rick, "A B***h Iz a B***h" by N.W.A, and other songs. 5/5
8. A Bird In the Hand: This song has Ice Cube rhyming about a young man getting into drug dealing, because he has to. This song also has Ice Cube attacking the corrupt politicians of the time. Classic song. 5/5
9. Man's Best Friend: This song has Ice Cube rhyming about how usually, a dog is considered to be a man's best friend, but for Ice Cube, a man's best friend is a gun, and why. Ice Cube also rhymes about how guns offer more protection than dogs. Classic song. This song has been sampled in, "Who's F*****g Who?" by Compton's Most Wanted, and other songs. 5/5
10. Alive On Arrival: This song has Ice Cube rhyming about how he gets shot (gang related), then goes to the hospital for it. When he goes to the hospital for it, he waits, and waits to get taken care of it, but as he is waiting, he dies, because it takes too long. The point of this song, is that in hospitals, the doctors care more if it's gang related, than the patients health. Classic song. 5/5
11. Death: An interlude, the end of the death side of the album.
12. The Birth: An interlude, the start of the birth side of the album.
13. I Wanna Kill Sam: This song has Ice Cube rhyming about how he wants to kill Uncle Sam, A.K.A "The Government". Classic song. 5/5
14. Horny Lil Devil: This song has Ice Cube rhyming about how white men are only interested in black women, and Ice Cube even goes on to talk about white women. Classic song. This song has been sampled in, "Slaughtahouse" by Masta Ace Incorperated, and other songs. 5/5
15. Black Korea: This song is a shorter song. This song has Ice Cube rhyming about how at the time, stores were being owned by Koreans. Ice Cube was also rhyming about how the Korean store owners were racist against blacks. Classic song. 5/5
16. True to the Game: This song has Ice Cube dissing N.W.A, and MC Hammer, claiming that they aren't "True to the Game". Also, Ice Cube calls them "Oreo Cookies" meaning that they are black on the outside, and white on the inside. Quite clever isn't it? In the video, he impersonates the people he disses. Classic song. 5/5
17. Color Blind: This song features, Deadly Threat, Kam, The Madd Circle, King Tee, and J Dee, and has Ice Cube and each of them telling a story about how they're color blind, therefore the gang that someone else is in doesn't matter to them. Classic song. This song has been sampled in, "The Evil That Men Do" by Ras Kass, and other songs. 5/5
18. Doing Dumb S**t: This song has Ice Cube rhyming about the rebellious things that he did as a kid. Classic song. 5/5
19. Us: This song has Ice Cube rhyming about the blacks of his time, and his distaste with them. Classic song. This song has been sampled in, "The Streets R Deathrow" by 2Pac, and other songs. 5/5
20. No Vaseline: This song has Ice Cube dissing his ex-N.W.A members. He even goes into detail of why he broke up with them. This song is one of the best hip hop diss songs of all time. Classic song. This song samples, "Vapors" by Biz Markie, "To Da Break of Dawn" by LL Cool J, "Dopeman", "8 Ball", "Message to B.A.", and "Prelude" by N.W.A, and other songs. This song has been sampled in, "Encore" by Redman, "Who's F*****g Who?" by Compton's Most Wanted, "Guerillas In the Mist" by Paris, "40 Ounces and a Fool" by Paris, "Rollout (My Business)" by Ludacris, "Hip Hop Is Dead" by Nas, and other songs. 5/5
Overall I give this album 5/5. This album is one of the best hip hop albums of all time. If you're looking for some of the best west coast hip hop, definitely listen to this.
3 Best Songs:
1. No Vaseline
2. True to the Game
3. Look Who's Burnin
3 Weakest Songs:
1. Black Korea
2. Doing Dumb S**t
3. A Bird In the Hand
