Anyone else think Cube's "Laugh Now, Cry Later" is being hyped too much?

[Eihtball]

I was just listening to "War & Peace, Vol. 1" recently, and remembering how much this album was hyped up back in '97-'98.  Cube was talking bout how it was a return to form and how it was gonna be his best album yet, and everyone was looking forward to it.  And then when it came out, everyone was dissappointed because it wasn't as militant or angry as any of his previous albums (even "Lethal Injection") and because he was on that "Don Mega" shit.  The reviews were almost overwhelmingly negative, and even today, most cats seem to consider it his weakest album.  I remember feeling the same way.

Last night, however, I listened to it again, and it actually doesn't seem that bad...plenty of weak tracks, but still some really dope ones.  But anyway, right now, I feel like the same shit is happening with "Laugh Now, Cry Later"...cats are acting like it's gonna be a really great album.  I like most of what I've heard so far, but I don't understand why everyone's THIS excited.  Cats been like, "He's getting conscious and creative again with tracks like 'Why We Thugs' and 'Child Support'".  That's cool, but "War & Peace" had creative, conscious songs like "Ghetto Vet" and "3 Strikes You In", yet that still didn't matter to all the people that hated on it.  All of what I've heard from the sampler, it sounds like just another gangsta rap album, although it does have some dope production, but certainly not that much different from anything he's been doing for the past 10 years.

So I just don't understand...what's the big deal with "Laugh Now, Cry Later"?  I'm sure it'll be an enjoyable listen, but I don't see why people are saying it's gonna be the best album of 2006.

[wcsoldier]

1) Well, Cube is a legend and there are lots of fans on Dubcc , so everybody waiting for this album
2) Tracks we have already heard are dope
3) 2006 is incredibly  annoying as hell, a very few"mainstream" albums dropped
4) Rap is wack these days , any good cd is a gift

[The "Untouchable" DJR]

I was already a little bit dissapointed when We Be Clubbin' came out, I'll alwayz remember Cube as Mr. NWA who didn't give a fuck about nothin and as tha controversial street prophet from AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted...

I know timez have changed but I alwayz have this strange feeling when I see him in another Hollywood blockbuster or doin' songz like You Can Do It, don't get me wrong I love that song still does it 4 me when tha DJ putz on that record in tha club and I'm certainly not hatin' on him 4 doin' what he does but still... I dunno itz like somethin iz just not rite when I see him in moviez like xXx-The Next Level but on tha other hand he'z gone a long way from Straight Outta Compton 2 directin' his own moviez and appearin' in big budget flickz and itz not like he lost his artistic integrity, his career has evolved and O'Shea Jackson tha person has too so in tha end I can only congratulate him on what he has accomplished! I guess I'd have tha same feelin' bout Pac if he was still alive and he would star as tha next X in tha third instalment of tha seriez...

Anyway I only heard Why We Thugs, Race Card and Chrome & Paint and I liked tha lyrical content of tha first two songz and I'm really excited 2 hear new Cube material anno 2006, maybe many people feel tha same cause itz been a while since tha last solo Cube album and given tha current state of hip hop in general I think it would be nice and interesting 2 hear from Mr. NWA again...

[Eddie G.]

I think its because we haven't heard a new Cube solo album in a long time, so its pretty exciting.  All the tracks we heard were tight, so I think it is gonna be great.  I'm not expecting "The Chronic" and I don't really think anyone else is either.

[Eihtball]

I think its because we haven't heard a new Cube solo album in a long time, so its pretty exciting.  All the tracks we heard were tight, so I think it is gonna be great.  I'm not expecting "The Chronic" and I don't really think anyone else is either.

That's exactly my point.  It was the same way when the "War Disc" came out - it had been 5 years since his last album ("Lethal Injection"), and so everyone was like, "We need Cube to regulate these commercial-ass niggas like Puffy and Mase with some hot new G'd-up West Coast shit."  This just goes to show you how the more things change, the more they stay the same - people always act like the current generation of rappers is so much worse than ever before, and that it's up to the old-skool heroes like Cube to save the day.  And then they get dissappointed as fuck when they find out that the old-skool cats are trying to stay current with the present generation, not fight them.

I'm not saying "Laugh Now, Cry Later" is gonna be wack or anything; I been bumpin the leaked tracks and the sampler quite a bit, and I'm looking forward to it.  But all I'm saying is that don't want y'all to set yourselves up for disappointment...cause brother, this ain't the first time that a Cube album gets hyped and then doesn't meet everyone's expectations.

[gav09]

I think is being hyped a lot, but I wouldnt say 2 much.

I mean the way I see it is that Cubes dropped sum heavy shit over the years as well as sum not so dope shit like sum of the tracks on War & Peace, but his good tracks are bangers and 1s that I constantly listen time and time again so wen cube drops a new album Im always gonna cop it cos its almost guaranteed that there be a few tracks on it that I will always listen 2! I bin bumpin Child Support, Race Card & Why We Thugs 4 ages now so its lookin good!

Plus Cubes a legend 4 ppl who follow the west and who follow hip-hop cos hes been around since the beginning so ppl are always gonna anticipate a new release from him, even more so after a 6 year abscense from music. Ppl also wanna hear how an artist who has been in the game for so long has developed (or if they havent).

I cant wait 4 Laugh Now Cry Later 2 drop!

[d-nice]

It's funny you made a topic about this because I talked about the same thing over at the westcoastrydaz forum. The thing that made the War/Peace project a little disappointing for me was the same thing RBXtra said, more party tracks, less conscious rap. I thought and I still think the War disc is one of the best west coast albums of all time. The production was top notch and Cube was a beast on the mic. It is right up there but not better than his earlier work. Peace disc was cool but it sounded rushed and that is probably why all the party cuts were on there. I think LNCL will be a good album. The fact that Cube is doing it indie has alot of people hyped for it.

[Eihtball]

It's funny you made a topic about this because I talked about the same thing over at the westcoastrydaz forum. The thing that made the War/Peace project a little disappointing for me was the same thing RBXtra said, more party tracks, less conscious rap. I thought and I still think the War disc is one of the best west coast albums of all time. The production was top notch and Cube was a beast on the mic. It is right up there but not better than his earlier work. Peace disc was cool but it sounded rushed and that is probably why all the party cuts were on there. I think LNCL will be a good album. The fact that Cube is doing it indie has alot of people hyped for it.

I actually remember the "War Disc" getting the most negative reception.  I agree with you that it was still a lot better than the "Peace Disc" overall, but I just don't feel like it got 1/10th as much hate.  Maybe it was just because cats had been waiting 5 years for "War Disc" and it got hyped more, so it was bound to be a dissappointment with such high expectations.  Or maybe it was just because the "Peace Disc" had joints like "Hello" and "Until We Rich" which everyone was feeling in spite of the worse joints like "You Can Do It".

Anyway, "LNCL" should be pretty good, but it ain't really diverting from the formula Cube used on his last two albums THAT much, from what I've heard.  Even if he's doing it indy, he's still trying to stay current by working with Lil Jon, Scott Storch, and Swizz Beatz, rather than push new artistic boundaries.

[Nima - Dubcnn.com]

wtf? u didnt like You Can Do It? That was a banger... Still gets the party jumping to this day!

[Eihtball]

wtf? u didnt like You Can Do It? That was a banger... Still gets the party jumping to this day!

Afraid not.  To this day, that song annoys the shit outta me every time I hear it played (it's the only Cube song that I ever hear getting bumped these days).

[J$crILLa]

i dont think its over-hyped. but i am excited , i to didnt like the war disc, but i  loved the peace disc, and im excited about this cd from what ive herd

[youngmessnucca]

Cube is one of my favorite personalilitys in rap, and I know his album will be produced well. Hes still lyrical most of the time, and there hasnt been like one SoCal album I felt this year besides the Alkies album, so Im definitley looking foward to this. Saw the video on Fuse & Rap City yesterday too. Plus all the tracks from the sampler sounded great too

[d-nice]

I actually remember the "War Disc" getting the most negative reception.  I agree with you that it was still a lot better than the "Peace Disc" overall, but I just don't feel like it got 1/10th as much hate.  Maybe it was just because cats had been waiting 5 years for "War Disc" and it got hyped more, so it was bound to be a dissappointment with such high expectations.  Or maybe it was just because the "Peace Disc" had joints like "Hello" and "Until We Rich" which everyone was feeling in spite of the worse joints like "You Can Do It".

Anyway, "LNCL" should be pretty good, but it ain't really diverting from the formula Cube used on his last two albums THAT much, from what I've heard.  Even if he's doing it indy, he's still trying to stay current by working with Lil Jon, Scott Storch, and Swizz Beatz, rather than push new artistic boundaries.

See, and most people I talk to HATED the Peace disc. I think by the time that album dropped, people were used to the party style Cube had adopted. I remember when we be clubbin came out and I was surprised. Cube on a club track, but it fit the soundtrack and the success from that speaks for itself. It seemed like he went the safe route and created a album we knew would appeal to people with the peace disc. He also dropped the biggest singles on there. Hype goes a long way on your album when you got a Dre joint. That was also around the time a NWA reunion was talked about so I think that album had alot of hype too. I think Cube for LNCL is taking a risk going indie, which is going to give him more freedom to speak his mind, which everyone thinks means a more political Cube will come out. I agree I think it is going to be a mixture of War/Peace Disc

[theghost8]

Me personally, I love The War Disc, and the Peace Disc. I like the War Disc more, I can play it from beginning to end. Now, I'm not saying these two albums are classics or anything, but I love them both and still play them to this day. Most people I talked to also liked The War disc better I really don't remember it getting THAT much hate.

For me I'm hyped for his new album because it's been 6 years since we heard a new Cube album. Plus, I love the sample songs. It's better than 100% of whats on the radio today. You can never over hype Cube or the westcoast, they need our support. I can't wait and will be picking it up on 6/6/06.

[The Predator]

I hope he steps his lyrical content up to what it used to be.

From the sampler so far he's rappin pretty basic.

If he's aiming for the south crowd and female teenage crowd i doubt he will still hit platinum.

From the production so far Cool and Dre have given him one dope beat.

As for all the new songs so far, it's great to hear solo Cube again.

But all those tracks so far sound like warm up tracks. Those songs dont really have replay value to last for years.

We need a new Cube album that we can listen to countlessly for years like his older shit which is still in heavy rotation today.