Saturday, January 5, 2008

Dear 1990 - 1992 Ice Cube,


I'm sorry.

There I said it. It's out of my mind, a weight has been lifted, and I can breathe fresh air again. Yes 90 to 92 Ice Cube, I'm sorry that I doubted you back in 1989, when I heard Straight Outta Compton. I mean you were cool, but when it came to the mcs in NWA, it went: 1) Ren, 2) Eazy, 3) you, Ice Cube, and 4) Dre. Like for serious, my dude, you were third on the list. Yeah I'm shocked too. Now don't get crazy when I say this, but umm...I thought Ren should have went solo. Chill chill chill. I mean "Quiet On The Set" was haaawwwwwwd. Man, was it knocking. I think I was amazed at how he flowed on that track, with a slight rapidfire cadence. Cmon, you had to give it up to him, he said some hard gangsta shit on that album.

But yeah, when you left, I was a bit puzzled. When I heard you had a solo album coming, I gave the "Is that fool crazy?" look. Honestly the only reason why I bought Amerikkkaz Most Wanted was because it was produced by the Bomb Squad. Back then, I was a huuuuuge Bomb Squad and Public Enemy fan. Almost anyone that was down with them got a pass, hence me purchasing your debut album. Oh what a day, fresh after saying goodbye to Rice High School and dreaming of performing with the Native Tongues at the Apollo, went to the local record store, to hold your cassette in my hands. After placing it in the player, I was pleasantly surprised, but was still waiting for MC Ren to drop his jawn (boy was I wrong when the ep came out)

So how did I come to my senses? Well tonight I listened to "A Bird In The Hand", "Who's The Mack", "The Nigga You Love To Hate", the title track to the debut, and "Dead Homiez". My man, Ike Moses mentioned "A Bird In The Hand" and I zoned out. Tripped back to hearing the beat selling malt liquor while riding around aimlessly on a New York summer Saturday night. Mostly played on 105.9, the commercial would be mixed it with the 12 inches being played by Awesome Two, the Dirty Dozens, and Half-Pint. Being anxious to cop Death Certificate (or did I "borrow" that? Oh wait! I had the tape and later borrowed the CD hahaha*ahem*). Nearly shitting myself when I find had a hard copy of that St. Ides beat with you spitting some good ass lyrics. Incredible.

But now, after close to twenty years, I've come to realize the error of my ways (and not because Ren's solo career didn't take off like I thought it would. Shit I didn't even think Dre would amount to anything. I would make a poor A&R). Granted you can't go back to your greatness
and your "I Don't Give A Fuck" attitude (man you want after Arsenio, KRS, New Jack Swing, Hammer, folks dancing, and Afrocentricity), but listening to the first three albums, I kinda wish you did. Supposedly your new single has you back in form, but like Kane with Looks Like A Job For, the album might be a let down. And yes I know people evolve and you have a family, no longer in the streets, and doing family movies (is it true you don't let your kids listen to rap? Jeez...feeling kinda guilty, huh?). Wait this is an apology haha, but yeah. So yeah, my bad, Cube

1L2U,
Prov!?









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