"Few figures in hip-hop embody longevity like Ice Cube. After decades of influence, both as a member of N.W.A. and as a solo artist, his voice remains one of the most recognizable in the genre. In 2024, Cube returned with Man Down, his first solo album since 2018's Everythangs Corrupt. Now, he is ready to follow it with a sequel, fittingly titled Man Up. The album's lead single, "Before Hip Hop," provides a window into Cube's mindset, balancing sharp commentary with the weight of experience."
""Before Hip Hop" operates on familiar but resonant ground: the idea that rap music became an alternative to less promising paths. Cube uses the track to detail what life looked like before hip-hop offered an outlet, painting a picture of the activities and dangers that existed long before the culture was blamed for them. The song critiques the scapegoating of rap for societal problems, a theme Cube has returned to throughout his career, and one that still resonates in today's debates around art and responsibility."
Ice Cube returned in 2024 with Man Down and plans a sequel titled Man Up, led by the single "Before Hip Hop." The single depicts life prior to hip-hop, showing how rap emerged as an alternative to dangerous, limited options. The song critiques blaming rap for social problems and reframes the music as expression and survival rather than causation. The track's lyrics show confident cadence, direct rhymes, and a perspective sharpened by long experience. The song trades the raw intensity of early classics for measured clarity, reflecting late-career consistency amid broader film and business pursuits.
Read at stupidDOPE | Est. 2008
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