Over the course of Ice Cube’s storied career, the N.W.A legend has become like the Energizer Bunny of West Coast gangsta rap — he keeps going even when you kind of forget about his music.
From his BIG3 basketball league to his ever-evolving IMDb page, Cube has proven his staying power is stronger than Gorilla Glue.
On his long-awaited 10th solo album, Everythangs Corrupt, Cube explodes out the gate with “Arrest The President,” an unabashed lyrical assault aimed at Donald Trump and the corruption currently swallowing the White House. The sense of urgency he demonstrates carries into “Chase Down The Bully,” which finds Cube blasting the tiki torch-wielding members of the alt-right who he describes as “Walking Dead muthafuckas.”
The unbridled aggression Cube harnessed for both aforementioned tracks peppers the majority of the project but also eludes him on a good chunk of it.
There are a few cuts that simply serve as filler and nothing more. The off-tempo “Fire Water” should’ve been doused with gasoline and lit with a match before making it on the album. It temporarily derails Cube’s domineering sociopolitical rampage and puts that skip button to use. Fortunately, it’s followed up by the Marvin Gaye vibe of “Street Shed Tears,” which comes with a gorgeous hook courtesy of Shameia Crawford.
Another undeniable highlight, “Ain’t No Haters” featuring Too $hort, serves as the obligatory “we made it” cut and finds both tenured MCs celebrating their successes. Although it wouldn’t serve Cube to relive his gang banging days — simply because that’s not his life anymore — lines like “All I got is maids and waiters” straddle the line between corny and matter-of-fact. But coupled with the song’s laid back vibe, the lyrics quickly take a back seat.
When they do hop back up front, Cube doesn’t miss an opportunity to drop off a life lesson. From his “respect your elders” directive on “Can You Dig It” to the D.A.R.E. message he screams from “Bad Dope,” Cube’s maturity shines through.
Similarly, “On Them Pills” explores the zombification of the masses due to prescription drugs use. While his attention to the issue itself is commendable, Cube slightly misses the mark by blaming the addict rather than addiction itself.
“Uh, you’s a drugstore cowboy/Everything you put in your mouth look like a Altoid/Crazy ass niggas love a bitch named Molly (bitch named Molly)/Passed out on the floor, go and get a dolly/I saw your boy-boy in the street butt naked/Wormin’ up and down 122nd/His momma tried to stop him and those youngers had to mob ’em/So cops tried to pop ’em but them bullets couldn’t drop ’em,” he spits.
While those are astute observations and absolutely come with the territory, Cube fails to recognize the power of addiction and how it can completely unravel people’s lives until they’re hallow shells of their former selves.
Overall, the 16-track project is mostly cohesive aside from the few disposable tracks that clutter its message and, at times, elementary lyrics. Those hoping for another AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted or Death Certificate will be sorely disappointed. “That New Funkadelic” allows Cube to return to his G-Funk roots but is the closest he gets to vintage Cube.
If anything, Cube’s concept for the album proves his heart is in the right place and boldly illustrates, yes, “everythangs corrupt.”
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Banging Album ? cubes best album since raw footage 4/5
Cubes never lost it great album
THIS REVIEW IS SPOT-ON
Yeah…it opens strong and closes strong. In the middle I skip about 3-4 songs. BAD songs.
This review is 100% correct. I don’t expect him to be writing about the same shit as always, but it would’ve been nice if he’d stuck to his G-Funk production roots with parliament/zap & roger style beats. That’s the stuff that paired perfectly with his simple but dope delivery style.
The first street conscious rapper
Never talked about crack or strippers but defines what gangster rap used to be
Streets shed a tear was my fav song on the album. I really liked That New Funkadelic song. Love that old-school g-funk feel.
Refreshing dose of substance and hard hitting beats and flows. Still has it! Huge it a solid 4.3/5
This is what you call substance lol? As the title said, this was so corny. A guy who’s been worth over $100 million for over a decade preaching about being a gangster which he never was, on crappy production with lazy flow
Your in sickomode brother…its ok not to be ok though..
4.3/5
Peep my joint Drunk Unmixed Rough Drafts on soundcloud. It’s about addiction. As for Cube, he’s the best West Coast MC to ever do it — including Pac, Kendrick, and the rest of them. The album is dope. Solid 4.
Cube almost always comes thru but I gotta say the production on this album wasn’t on par and sounded kinda dated and lame to me (except for maybe 2-3 songs). In any case I hope Cube will be back soon with more new music, that’s always something to look forward to.
Cube will never repeat his first albums simply cuz he hasn’t got the hunger and youthness but I’m still looking forward to whatever he puts out!!
3.6?!?!?! Are you kidding me?!?!?! More like 0.6!!! Ice Cube died in 1994 … Anything he put out after Lethal Injection is straight GARBAGE!!! Cheesy-ass synth beats – SMH!!!
Not true, first Westside Connection and War & Peace albums are amazing. Just because he stopped being political doesn’t mean the music was automatically bad.
C’mon homie…this mf name is unkkkle Sam…this mf is not an DON MEGA fan at all…More poison to him though, smh…
Very bad album. Only ice cube stans praise it. Cube used to be amazing… But that was two decades ago now.
Not to bad, but not good for ice cube. He used to be really great. This album sounded low effort and dated
Cube’s albums past Lethal Injection just didn’t have the same Funk. New Funkadelic is the BEST Ice Cube song I have heard in many years. He sounds so at home riding that G Funk beat…your old LENCHMOB listeners miss you Cube. Come on home…
great songs cool album 4/5 cube still brings heat, nobody stays on top forever but cube is still around doing his thing after 30 years in the game not many rappers can say that, respect to cube.
“Cube slightly misses the mark by blaming the addict rather than addiction itself.” Yeah, you’re right. We can’t blame people for their own actions anymore. SMFH.
Below average.
Lyrical content is not bad put it like this cube can write he ass off so I give it a 5.0 the 90″S are gone compared to what I hear now which is BULLSHIT!!!!! SO I THINK IT SHOULD BE A 10.0
“GREAT ALBUM……REMEMBER… BOW DOWN WHEN I COME TO YO TOWN
Ice cube is on?….. no album gon’ best this one…nah
5/5, album of the year, at 49 he spits better than any 25 year old in the game w the best delivery. Production is solid too, especially for being independent.
Nowhere near album of the year… It’s a really good project from cube though he did great on it and for his age he’s done fairly well staying relevant and still making solid music at his age. I agree his delivery is still thst grest OG cube delivery and still can diversify it enough to compete with the skill level and talent of hip hop artists now but no way does he have the best delivery or lyrics than any 25 yr old. There are some amazing artists out right now and cube still Spits some really corny lyrics. Overall he’s still talented and can still create some creative music. Everything’s corrupt overall is a well put together project for cube.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT BEN THIS ALBUM DROPPED ON INTERSCOPE.
This album is just another reason why 2018 will go down as one of the most historic years for hip hop ever.. Years from now any hip hop critic / head will bring 2018 up due to content that was released in addition to all the beefs / diss records released. This has been an AMAZING ride for hip hop this year… Unbelievable… I can’t remember the last year that has been even half as good as 2018 has been.
not a fan of this one…….2/5
5/5
I would say between the production, flow, over all themes of the songs and delivery, besides Pusha T and Travis, it doesn’t get much better than this LP. For being 49 and almost a multi millionaire business man hollywood guy, the fact that he has time to do music for very little money shows his heart and passion for writing never dies.
4.5/5
Great body of work
Nope!!
Cube is STILL that WINNER not to FUCK WIT!!! The journalist needs his or her ass CHECKED by being SOO not an ICE CUBE FAN…MF dont listen to THE DON MEGA at all clearly…#Movie and hit song Groupies!!!
Don Mega!!!
I’ve enjoyed all of Ice Cube’s albums more for the lyrics than the beats. Lethal Injection was my least favorite Cube album. With all the delays I wasn’t sure what we’d get, but I’m satisfied. I’m in my 40s and this is the type of hip hop I want to hear.
Give it a 5 compared to all the new crap artist the production good etc….
Give it a 5 compared to all the new crap artist the production good etc….
5/5 real hiphop
I rate this album 10 coz seriously Ice Cube talks fact n dope words, sentences, rhymes.He Spits lava