Did Ice Cube ever really fall off??

[ai002h]

Now...before you guys go nuts...I'm not saying he's been early 90s Cube, of course not. But a popular opinion in the hip hop community has been Cube fell off, is wack now etc...But if we are to assume Bow Down was his last great album, lets examine what he has  done since:

War and Peace Vol.1 - EASILY a 4/5 album, its criminally underrated. You take the name Ice Cube off and replace it with another rapper and it would be one of those borderline classics.

War and Peave Vol.2 - His one true subpar album, a few good songs, but mostly average which for an Ice Cube CD is terrible

Terrorist Threats - TT may not be Bow Down, but Cube came the hardest on this CD by far...imo this is Cube's best lyrical album since Bow Down..he absolutely tore it up. Too bad WC and especially Mack 10 didnt hold up their end, this album had decent production and could've been a classic. Cube's verse on Call 9-1-1 rivals the best verse other rappers have spit

Laugh Now Cry Later - One of the best CDs last year, and one of the best westcoast CDs of the past couple of years. Beats the shit out of The Blue Carpet Treatment and I thought it was better than DA as well. I consider it a bounce back CD

So you have 4 albums, 1 of them wack, 2 of them good to great, and 1 decent group album where Cube totally rips it. Now look at his "Guest" appearances or collaborations since Bow Down......to name a few, J.A.Y.O , Chin Check, The Grand Finale, Roll Call, all the WSC stuff...imo he's been great on all those tracks and others as well.

So why is it sooooo popular to just blare "ICE CUBE FELL OFFF!!!!" Is he not allowed to have ONE subpar album?? IMO he's shown much more since "falling off" than Snoop, or DPG or any other West Coast rapper with longetivity. I just never completely understood where this came from, maybe it was his ridiculousness early in his career that caused him to be judged differently, which I can understand.

[Lunatic]

Now...before you guys go nuts...I'm not saying he's been early 90s Cube, of course not. But a popular opinion in the hip hop community has been Cube fell off, is wack now etc...But if we are to assume Bow Down was his last great album, lets examine what has he done since:

War and Peace Vol.1 - EASILY a 4/5 album, its criminally underrated. You take the name Ice Cube off and replace it with another rapper and it would be one of those borderline classics.

War and Peave Vol.2 - His one true subpar album, a few good songs, but mostly average which for an Ice Cube CD is terrible

Terrorist Threats - TT may not be Bow Down, but Cube came the hardest on this CD by far...imo this is Cube's best lyrical album since Bow Down..he absolutely tore it up. Too bad WC and especially Mack 10 didnt hold up their end, this album had decent production and could've been a classic. Cube's verse on Call 9-1-1 rivals the best verse other rappers have spit

Laugh Now Cry Later - One of the best CDs last year, and one of the best westcoast CDs of the past couple of years. Beats the shit out of The Blue Carpet Treatment and I thought it was better than DA as well. I consider it a bounce back CD

So you have 4 albums, 1 of them wack, 2 of them good to great, and 1 decent group album where Cube totally rips it. Now look at his "Guest" appearances or collaborations since Bow Down......to name a few, J.A.Y.O , Chin Check, The Grand Finale, Roll Call, all the WSC stuff...imo he's been great on all those tracks and others as well.

So why is it sooooo popular to just blare "ICE CUBE FELL OFFF!!!!" Is he not allowed to have ONE subpar album?? IMO he's shown much more since "falling off" than Snoop, or DPG or any other West Coast rapper with longetivity. I just never completely understood where this came from, maybe it was his ridiculousness early in his career that caused him to be judged differently, which I can understand.

War & Peace Vol. 1 -  I think it's more of 3.5/5 album, but defanitely under-rated like you said

War & Peace Vol. 2 - Yea, his 1 subpar album. About a 3/5, some cool cuts on it though

Terrorist Threats - This album is a personal classic to me. I bump every track accept 2. Just like you said, I said it on here the other day, this was the return of Cube striaght spitting man

LNCL - Def. a pretty hot album. Better then W&P Vol.2.

Cube never fell off. I think it's all the movies that he does, provokes ppl to say he fell off, when he really hasn't.

props, good thread

[SmokinDro520]

Cube never fell off. I think it's all the movies that he does, provokes ppl to say he fell off, when he really hasn't.


[/quote]
Exactly,Well put

[Mr. O]

I perfer war and peace pt 2 over laugh now and cry later.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

One of the most consistent rappers in hip-hop. Few can constantly drop heat like him.

[MediumL]

I guess if your comparing to when he was doing AmeriKKKas Most Wanted, death Certificate, Lethal Injection, Predator then yes he kinda did fall off. But if your comparing him to the rest of the west coast, he still one of the best.

[3331]

he fell off. he's still dope but a shadow of his former self.

[d-nice]

His subject matter has changed. He has a few subpar songs here and there but even his subpar albums I can bump most of the cuts off of. He can still rock the mic as he showed on the CT Experience mixtape.

[Furor Teutonicus]

Cube didn't ever "fall off", but he isn't 20 no more, so it's only normal that he can't reach AMW or Straight Outta CPT no more.
For me, Cube is the best westcoast rapper, after 20 years he can still come harder than 90% percent of the rappers out now.
Plus he did never sell out like others (Snoop)

[Mr. O]

I guess if your comparing to when he was doing AmeriKKKas Most Wanted, death Certificate, Lethal Injection, Predator then yes he kinda did fall off. But if your comparing him to the rest of the west coast, he still one of the best.

Nobody is comparing him to the rest of the west coast.  We're just comparing his work.

[Juronimo]

Cube didn't ever "fall off", but he isn't 20 no more, so it's only normal that he can't reach AMW or Straight Outta CPT no more.
For me, Cube is the best westcoast rapper, after 20 years he can still come harder than 90% percent of the rappers out now.
Plus he did never sell out like others (Snoop)

True. Cube isn't as angry as he was when he was younger, so his music doesn't have as much edge. It's not that he fell off, he's not as edgy. He can still be controversial at times, he can still manufacture anger at times, but not like before. He's 37, a family man, and rich. Back then he was broke and mad at the world.

From a skills perspective, I don't think he's far off from his younger days. I think the difference now is the subject matter.

[4108]

I dont think its a lyrical matter, at all. Its just his focus isnt at making another Death Certificate or Predator.


LNCL would have been 2x as better as it was now if he'd had used only 1-2 producers top and went for a solid, unified sound. REGARDLESS, its still bomb but im juss sayin

[Grown Ass Kid]

perhaps he fell off lyrically, but cute movies and all he's had plenty media saturation and is now a household name

[EFFeX]

I totally agree with the cat that said people judge Cube by his movies. I do not hold that against him one bit. Ice Cube is a grown man out to expand his game and there is nothing wrong with that. Honestly, he's not bad at acting too... I mean I gotta admit I got some laughs out of his performance in the XXX movie, but honestly his other movies aren't that bad... even the kiddie ones, LOL! Anyway, as far as his music goes I think Cube still comes correct. His flow and delivery is consistent and he's eons about half these emcees out there today as well as his peers in his age bracket. I think Cube is one of those emcees that will keep perfecting his craft as time goes on. No one can deny the impact he made on the West Coast and Gangsta Rap and he continues to be an influence today.

[acgrundy]

as far as movies go...cube sold out, but music wise, fuck no he hasn't fallen off, he is a legend.  LNCL is the best album to be released in years