Ice Cube: War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc) : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Thankfully, movie stardom, fatherhood and wealth have done little to alleviate the frustration and angst that perpetually furrow Ice Cube's brow and provide the spark for his potent rants. On the first installment of his long-awaited two-part album, Cube – never known to stray far from the gangsta-rap blueprint he helped create more than a decade ago – takes us on a characteristically grim ride through the ghetto streets, the projects and the penitentiary. Taking aim at his favorite targets (corrupt L.A. cops, nagging ex-girlfriends, greedy yes men), Cube manages to come off both visceral and polished, hardened and thoughtful, heartfelt and obnoxious.

Which is not to say that War doesn't have its casualties. "Dr. Frankenstein," a halfhearted flashback to early-Nineties G funk, and the sluggish filler of "X-Bitches" would have been better left unrecorded. And some of the production is surprisingly uninspired, failing to keep pace with Cube's explosive energy. But the vibrant immediacy of "Extradition," a well-orchestrated track with an Eighties synth sound, and "3 Strikes You In," which takes California's controversial "three strikes" legislation to task, reminds us of the bewitching chemistry that put Compton on the map to begin with. "Fuck Dying," Cube's collaboration with hardcore tour mates Korn, is impressively volatile: Thundering moshpit riffs complement Don Mega's amped-up delivery. And while the focus on death, dead presidents and useless ho's is no shocker, that doesn't make the album any less engaging. Still, it will be interesting to see what's in store for us on the peaceful leg of the journey.