War & Peace Vol. I (The War Disc) 1998 Album

Ice Cube

I think this may have been my first taste of Cube, it was either this or Vol. 2 which I first acquired. If I had been better versed in the classics of rap back then, I'm sure I would have picked up something from his earlier career, but nevertheless I've always enjoyed this album. It begins bangin' and angry, loses some steam in the middle with 'Cash Over Ass' and some others, but still features some standouts and I don't think there is anything too poor here. As 'Lethal Injection' began losing some of the content Cube's earlier albums are known for, this continues that trend. There is a bit of a theme about money and the greed of record companies, and my favourite track here in 'Extradition' about being wrongfully arrested, with '3 Strikes You In' and 'Penitentiary' having a similar theme. This is really an album though for people who just love Cube even without a lot of the content. He still has the presence and sounds like he cares about what he's saying, and the metal influenced beats are fairly bangin' and different than what Cube had done in the past. Best Tracks: Ask About Me, Dr. Frankenstein, Fuck Dying, The Peckin' Order, Limos, Demos & Bimbos, Once Upon a Time in the Projects Pt. 2, Extradition