Laugh Now, Cry Later : Ice Cube : Review : Rolling Stone

If O'Shea Jackson acted in Hollywood movies under his given name, it'd be easier to separate his ruthless alter ego Ice Cube from kiddie flicks like Are We There Yet? As it stands, Laugh Now, Cry Later -- Cube's seventh solo album and first since 2000 -- is a legit return to politicized gangsta rap, while also feeling like he's simply slipping back into his best-known role. Scott Storch, Lil Jon and Swizz Beatz all provide radio-ripe production, but it's Cube's lyrics that go for the throat. "Flavor Flav with a white bitch/That is wack/Got to…let him know the target's still on his back," Cube raps on "The Nigga Trapp," and "Growin' Up" finds him making posthumous peace with his old N.W.A running buddy Eazy-E ("I like your son/He got his name from you") over a lovely loop of Minnie Riperton's "Memory Lane." Savage, savvy and a little bit poignant, this is a worthy addition to one of the greatest legacies in hip-hop history.