Ice Cube's War & Peace series gets unwarranted levels of criticism

[Flav]

Besides "fukk dyin" I Loved the War Disc

Besides "Hello" I Hated the Peace Disc

 

[Flav]

Short Khop was wack as fukk.

Short Khop solo album is dope as fukk.

 

[mobbinfms]

At least you gave it a go. I know Nas stans aren't accustomed to hearing good music so it sounded a little strange to you.


Why is the flow corny though? Different for sure but what do you dislike?

At the first part.

I can't even say it's different. I mean I feel he was doing it on Westside Connection to, maybe it wasn't as pronounced? I loved his rhyming on that album.
As for why it sounds corny, it just sounds forced to me.
I can't really articulate it.

 

[DaveyDave]

i remember them not being good, Peace disc being particularly bad. War wasn't too bad but i didn't like the Don Mega persona. i would have to listen to Peace again to see if it's really that bad tho

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

At the first part.

I can't even say it's different. I mean I feel he was doing it on Westside Connection to, maybe it wasn't as pronounced? I loved his rhyming on that album.
As for why it sounds corny, it just sounds forced to me.
I can't really articulate it.

I reckon it is what he's saying more so than the style because as you said it was also on WSC, albeit less pronounced as you also pointed out.

It almost feels dumbed down I get that. But I like it.

 

[mobbinfms]

I reckon it is what he's saying more so than the style because as you said it was also on WSC, albeit less pronounced as you also pointed out.

It almost feels dumbed down I get that. But I like it.

New :pdahellclean:out. Check the sticky thread :psalute:

 

[Techniec]

War and Peace were disappointments NO QUESTION

Im not even looking at it from the perspective of an OG Cube fan, because a-I was born in the early 80s, so my Cube era was Predator to Bow Down,...anything pre-Chronic was before my time, and I had to go back and check out AMW, DC etc in full

also b-from an OG Cube fan perspective, anything after DC was the beginning of the end

Looking at Cube's career as a whole and focusing on what he was doing in the mid 90s, the Don Mega era was a disaster

Cube dropped the ball and missed a chance to keep himself amongst the hip hop elite and really set himself apart

in part, I blame his movie career which took his focus off music but also effects the aura and perception of an artist

but Cube could've stepped up in 97-98, especially with the void left behind by Pacs death, Death Rows demise and Snoops departure down south

He could've put some real substance up and pushed the genre forward....in the late 90s, there was a need for a post-gangsta west coast sound and an elder statesman of hip hop to kick some real shyt when considering the shinny suit shyt that was going on

Instead of taking that RISK, Cube not only played it SAFE but he DUMBED his shyt down

I get his move away from the gangsta shyt, which in hindsight, was a step down for Cube in terms of substance, and I understand the public mood wasn't there for an overt political approach

But Cube should've at least made an attempt to still put some real spit forward instead of that bullshyt Don Mega nonsense

My biggest concern with Cube at this time was Cubes RHYMING

He had began dumbing down his lyrics in the mid 90s but the wackiness came out in the late 90s

Its hard to explain but...

If you notice, with Cube, mid 90s onward, what he started to do....was he would rap...but he would force raps to fit the rhyming word...as opposed to rapping, and using creativity to tie in great substantive raps with rhyming words

So hes basically rapping and letting the rhyming end word take the rap where it takes it

whereas real creative rappers (early cube) would have a message, theme, narrative etc to his raps and be creative with how it all ties together

Production wise...Vol 1 War was DOPE...

I was a fan of the beats, and there were definitely GEMS scattered throughout Vol 1

But I couldn't get over a lot of the rapping

Because of the beats...because Cubes flow was still solid...and there were a couple classics and a few solid joints...overall I give Vol 1 War a C PLUS AVERAGE (6.5/10)

Vol 2 Peace was shyt, 3-4 tracks were good, couple classics, but the album was a DISSAPPOINTMENT AS fukk

You Can Do It is a club classic and I fukked with when it came out but I haven't been able to listen to that song in years, shyt is cringeworthy except Mack 10s verse, he killed it

Vol 2 was a D/D PLUS AVERAGE (5-5.5/10) and that's just off the strength of UNTIL WE RICH and HELLO

 

[Techniec]

Listening to Vol 1 and got through song 7. Only two good songs.
Ask About Me
Ghetto Vet

And Ghetto Vet was old at the time b/c it had come out on a soundtrack.

His flow just sounds so damn corny.
Dr. Frankenstein??
The hell was he thinking?
Then that song with Korn

@Inspect Her Deck so far this album is terrible
just like i remembered

Ask About Me and Ghetto Vet were the best songs off the album for sure

But Pecking Order, Greed, Pushin Weight, Dr Frankenstein were all dope

I liked fukk Dying, and War and Peace as well

First half of the album was very solid

problem is the songs started to blur against each other...I found it was similar in style sound and cadence

 

[Funkadelic]

X-bytches had the best beat, imo.

 

[Techniec]

Perfectly said.

For me I was introduced to vol 2 Cube....hell the first song I heard was You Can Do It

 

[Techniec]

This was my shyt!!!

still BANGS

I don't get the Short Khop hate, dude ripped Pushin Weight

Dollaz, Drank and Dank a west coast classic

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

War and Peace were disappointments NO QUESTION

Im not even looking at it from the perspective of an OG Cube fan, because a-I was born in the early 80s, so my Cube era was Predator to Bow Down,...anything pre-Chronic was before my time, and I had to go back and check out AMW, DC etc in full

also b-from an OG Cube fan perspective, anything after DC was the beginning of the end

Looking at Cube's career as a whole and focusing on what he was doing in the mid 90s, the Don Mega era was a disaster

Cube dropped the ball and missed a chance to keep himself amongst the hip hop elite and really set himself apart

in part, I blame his movie career which took his focus off music but also effects the aura and perception of an artist

but Cube could've stepped up in 97-98, especially with the void left behind by Pacs death, Death Rows demise and Snoops departure down south

He could've put some real substance up and pushed the genre forward....in the late 90s, there was a need for a post-gangsta west coast sound and an elder statesman of hip hop to kick some real shyt when considering the shinny suit shyt that was going on

Instead of taking that RISK, Cube not only played it SAFE but he DUMBED his shyt down

I get his move away from the gangsta shyt, which in hindsight, was a step down for Cube in terms of substance, and I understand the public mood wasn't there for an overt political approach

But Cube should've at least made an attempt to still put some real spit forward instead of that bullshyt Don Mega nonsense

My biggest concern with Cube at this time was Cubes RHYMING

He had began dumbing down his lyrics in the mid 90s but the wackiness came out in the late 90s

Its hard to explain but...

If you notice, with Cube, mid 90s onward, what he started to do....was he would rap...but he would force raps to fit the rhyming word...as opposed to rapping, and using creativity to tie in great substantive raps with rhyming words

So hes basically rapping and letting the rhyming end word take the rap where it takes it

whereas real creative rappers (early cube) would have a message, theme, narrative etc to his raps and be creative with how it all ties together

Production wise...Vol 1 War was DOPE...

I was a fan of the beats, and there were definitely GEMS scattered throughout Vol 1

But I couldn't get over a lot of the rapping

Because of the beats...because Cubes flow was still solid...and there were a couple classics and a few solid joints...overall I give Vol 1 War a C PLUS AVERAGE (6.5/10)

Vol 2 Peace was shyt, 3-4 tracks were good, couple classics, but the album was a DISSAPPOINTMENT AS fukk

You Can Do It is a club classic and I fukked with when it came out but I haven't been able to listen to that song in years, shyt is cringeworthy except Mack 10s verse, he killed it

Vol 2 was a D/D PLUS AVERAGE (5-5.5/10) and that's just off the strength of UNTIL WE RICH and HELLO

That's a very fair assessment, and I agree with much of it, maybe all of it. His rapping took a hit for sure which was the biggest issue to me. If he had retained his skill somewhat even with the Don Mega character perhaps it would have been more feasible. But as is, I still think he was rapping well enough on a standalone level not comparing to his early work. Once again....the danger is trying to compare 98-00 Cube to 90-92 Cube, you'll always feel disappointed.

So I'm trying to assess the quality of these albums by themselves. With that in mind, I think they're 7/10 worthy which is a slight step up over what you rate them (esp. Vol. 1).

 

[keepitrealprk]

I remember getting in a fist fight with some kid because he was saying that these two albums were better than Death Certificate and Predator. LOLLL in retrospect.

 

[iLLusoYuN_Da_Adidas_King]

Ice Cube dropped War and that is a fukkign 4 mic album.

Don Mega was the shyt fukk you nikkas talking about??!?!?

He was SPITTING on that album. YOu judge that album compared to Drake alst shyt and its a fukking classic.
WTF standards yal be judging cube from?

The peace album is Cubes weakest album by far it was super commercial and only had 5 good songs. Priority kind of forced that album to come out. I believe it was cubes LAST album with them before he went independent so that album being weak was more of a business decsion.

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

Ice Cube dropped War and that is a fukkign 4 mic album.

Don Mega was the shyt fukk you nikkas talking about??!?!?

He was SPITTING on that album. YOu judge that album compared to Drake alst shyt and its a fukking classic.
WTF standards yal be judging cube from?

The peace album is Cubes weakest album by far it was super commercial and only had 5 good songs. Priority kind of forced that album to come out. I believe it was cubes LAST album with them before he went independent so that album being weak was more of a business decsion.

Not gonna lie I didn't know about the information in bold


But I still think it's as good as War anyway. But yeah I'm glad you like the album I think both albums are real solid. I like Don Mega too it's a refreshing change-up.