Ice Cube's We Be Clubbin- A Gift or A Curse?

[D~Nice]

For the record I am a fan of this track.

Looking back at Cube's career now that Raw Footage is prepared to drop, I always wondered a couple of things if they were done differently how his career would be looked at. And most of it has to do with this track, so hear me out.

Pros

It was a HUGE club banger. One of Cube all time biggest hits. Kind of like Snoop's Drop It Like It's Hot. When you think of his greatest hits, We Be Clubbin may not come up but off of spins it is up there.

Got Cube a larger fanbase. Women love him anyways but now he had the club banger to add to it.

Cons

It's success almost seems like a safety net for Cube. I cannot find the article but for example, the Peace Disc was supposed to be Raw Footage before it was even a thought. It was to have more social commentary and tackle political issues. And it was supposed to come out 6 months after the War Disc. Instead it got delayed and we get a album with a bunch of club bangers (not all a bad thing) and more uptempo bouncy tracks. I am all for balance on albums, but at times it seems like a WBC or a You Can Do It look like a easier route for Cube to go to have success. Just a observation.

[DJ SUGAFREE QUIK]

Pros: Its one of my favorite Ice Cube songs, the clean version.  I do have that version by the way, anyone wants it...let me know.  Probably a tie with Pushin Weight as my favorite song of 1998.
Cons: the cussin version & the remix.  Yuck.

[D~Nice]

Pros: Its one of my favorite Ice Cube songs, the clean version.  I do have that version by the way, anyone wants it...let me know.  Probably a tie with Pushin Weight as my favorite song of 1998.
Cons: the cussin version & the remix.  Yuck.

Wow, I don't think I heard anyone that did not like the remix. DMX and Cube killed that track. Yeah I like the song too, just wonder if its success takes away from Cube doing more social commentary in his albums.

[Laconic]

Pro: Cube gained some new fans perhaps.
Con: just not really what his core listeners expect from him.  Not me anyway.

On a side note: We Be Clubbin was also the theme song to his directorial debut so that is more understandable.  However, You Can Do It and some of the other tracks from the Peace disc cannot be given the same "excuse."

[D~Nice]

Pro: Cube gained some new fans perhaps.
Con: just not really what his core listeners expect from him.  Not me anyway.

On a side note: We Be Clubbin was also the theme song to his directorial debut so that is more understandable.  However, You Can Do It and some of the other tracks from the Peace disc cannot be given the same "excuse."

Yeah I never really thought of that with the movie funny enough. I was really looking forward to the original concept that Cube mentioned about the Peace Disc but it never came out that way.

[D~Nice]

Pro: Cube gained some new fans perhaps.

Con: (most of) his core listeners hate it. His club flow is wik wik wak 

True.

[Laconic]

Pro: Cube gained some new fans perhaps.
Con: just not really what his core listeners expect from him.  Not me anyway.

On a side note: We Be Clubbin was also the theme song to his directorial debut so that is more understandable.  However, You Can Do It and some of the other tracks from the Peace disc cannot be given the same "excuse."

Yeah I never really thought of that with the movie funny enough. I was really looking forward to the original concept that Cube mentioned about the Peace Disc but it never came out that way.

Yeah the Peace disc is probably his worst solo effort to date.

Pro: Cube gained some new fans perhaps.

Con: (most of) his core listeners hate it. His club flow is wik wik wak 

Yeah I was thinking from the new listener perspective.  I'm no fan of it although it is better than most club joints which constantly are in rotation.

[D~Nice]

I liked We Be Clubbin as a Cube fan. I remember thinking it was completely left field for Cube and it might flop at first but it did ok. Hard to believe all the time that has past since it dropped (10,11 years). It was also around the height of his Don Mega persona.

[D~Nice]

I would go as far to say if it was not for the success of WBC, You Can Do It may not come out, 100 Dollar Bill Yall, half the Peace Disc, probably do not come out either or he does not try to do as many party tracks. Yeah it makes his catalog more well rounded I guess. Maybe I am reading into it a little bit too much but I notice every time he talks about doing a more political album, more party tracks surface.

[Laconic]

Pro: Cube gained some new fans perhaps.
Con: just not really what his core listeners expect from him.  Not me anyway.

On a side note: We Be Clubbin was also the theme song to his directorial debut so that is more understandable.  However, You Can Do It and some of the other tracks from the Peace disc cannot be given the same "excuse."

Yeah I never really thought of that with the movie funny enough. I was really looking forward to the original concept that Cube mentioned about the Peace Disc but it never came out that way.

Yeah the Peace disc is probably his worst solo effort to date.

Pro: Cube gained some new fans perhaps.

Con: (most of) his core listeners hate it. His club flow is wik wik wak 

Yeah I was thinking from the new listener perspective.  I'm no fan of it although it is better than most club joints which constantly are in rotation.

When I look at younger cats like Luna,he love all that shit older cats seems to hate. Including Cube's club tracks,so it might not be a bad move....
I've compared some of my reviews with Luna and we usually like/dislike the opposite tracks 
So if it was a conscious move from Cube to try to please both his older and younger fans,he did the right thing with Raw Footage. 

I usually get the same situation with Lunatics' reviews also but not all the time.  As far as Raw Footage is concerned it's mostly hip hop for the brain and I can appreciate that in today's game.  It also seems, as you said, that Cube was/is trying to please fans on both sides of the spectrum-young, old, stupefied, intelligent, etc.  Money plays too much of a role in that respect especially when it's your own.

[Laconic]

I would go as far to say if it was not for the success of WBC, You Can Do It may not come out, 100 Dollar Bill Yall, half the Peace Disc, probably do not come out either or he does not try to do as many party tracks. Yeah it makes his catalog more well rounded I guess. Maybe I am reading into it a little bit too much but I notice every time he talks about doing a more political album, more party tracks surface.

I think You Can Do It would have dropped regardless of WBC success but it didn't hurt that it was all over BET/MTV, etc.  As far as RF, it's mostly political and not really any party-ish type tracks...just some bragging and gangsta shit.

[D~Nice]

I would go as far to say if it was not for the success of WBC, You Can Do It may not come out, 100 Dollar Bill Yall, half the Peace Disc, probably do not come out either or he does not try to do as many party tracks. Yeah it makes his catalog more well rounded I guess. Maybe I am reading into it a little bit too much but I notice every time he talks about doing a more political album, more party tracks surface.

I think WBC would have dropped regardless of its success but it didn't hurt that it was all over BET/MTV, etc.  As far as RF, it's mostly political and not really any party-ish type tracks...just some bragging and gangsta shit.

Oh yeah it still would have come out, I was speaking on some of Cube's other attempts at club tracks after that. Good to hear about RF, can't wait to pick it up from Best Buy.

[Laconic]

I would go as far to say if it was not for the success of WBC, You Can Do It may not come out, 100 Dollar Bill Yall, half the Peace Disc, probably do not come out either or he does not try to do as many party tracks. Yeah it makes his catalog more well rounded I guess. Maybe I am reading into it a little bit too much but I notice every time he talks about doing a more political album, more party tracks surface.

I think WBC would have dropped regardless of its success but it didn't hurt that it was all over BET/MTV, etc.  As far as RF, it's mostly political and not really any party-ish type tracks...just some bragging and gangsta shit.

Oh yeah it still would have come out, I was speaking on some of Cube's other attempts at club tracks after that. Good to hear about RF, can't wait to pick it up from Best Buy.

Yep...for the Peace disc he pulled a Game and had a Change of Heart in the direction of the album I guess.  I don't recall him saying it was gonna be entirely political but I didn't expect the final product 

[D~Nice]

I would go as far to say if it was not for the success of WBC, You Can Do It may not come out, 100 Dollar Bill Yall, half the Peace Disc, probably do not come out either or he does not try to do as many party tracks. Yeah it makes his catalog more well rounded I guess. Maybe I am reading into it a little bit too much but I notice every time he talks about doing a more political album, more party tracks surface.

I think WBC would have dropped regardless of its success but it didn't hurt that it was all over BET/MTV, etc.  As far as RF, it's mostly political and not really any party-ish type tracks...just some bragging and gangsta shit.

Oh yeah it still would have come out, I was speaking on some of Cube's other attempts at club tracks after that. Good to hear about RF, can't wait to pick it up from Best Buy.

Yep...for the Peace disc he pulled a Game and had a Change of Heart in the direction of the album I guess.  I don't recall him saying it was gonna be entirely political but I didn't expect the final product 

I got to dig and find that article but by no means was the Peace Disc to be what it ended up. Really the only promo driving the album was You Can Do It and the Hello track and You Can Do It was for the Next Friday soundtrack. The only track I seen mentioned on previous articles that made the final cut was Record Company Pimpin. Which leads me to believe he rushed the project out and put all of the party tracks.

[Laconic]

^I remember reading an article about the Peace disc and there were 2 tracks mentioned that apparently never saw the light of day.  They were entitled Game of Life and Family & Friends. The latter, I suppose could have been My Loved Ones but I'm not positive.

I wonder if Chad has it posted in the NWA article thread