Without ever hitting the heights of his earlier career, with Laugh Now, Cry Later, Cube has created another solid worthwhile album again providing some thoughtful content. The topics vary from race on 'Why We Thugs' & 'The Nigga Trapp', current hip hop on 'Child Support' and Cube coming up on 'Growin' Up' among others. There ain't a bad song here with some bangers that make you wanna turn the volume up such as 'Why We Thugs' and 'The Game Lord' and others that make you wanna listen to the lyrics more carefully such as 'Child Support' and 'Growin' Up'. Some of the production is really fantastic. A good comeback album after Cube released his worst six years prior. Beats: ★★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: Why We Thugs, Smoke Some Weed, Child Support, The Game Lord

A good consistent debut album from Cube, but not enough blows me away. There ain't as many classics here for me as his later albums would have. This is no doubt due to my favourable feelings toward mid '90s production compared to the '80s/early '90s beats that often just lack that extra punch. An original important hip hop album, but not Cube's best in my opinion. Best Tracks: The Nigga Ya Love to Hate, What They Hittin' Foe?, You Can't Fade Me, Who's the Mack?

This is my second favourite Cube album, behind 'The Predator', with this having one of the best openings to an album you are going to find with most of The Death Side tracks being incredible. From there, while still mostly very good, I don't feel the beats quite as much on the The Life Side until 'Us' and the great diss track 'No Vaseline' which finishes the album, and Cube ain't as intense either. The content is obviously here that Cube does in a fun way, unlike some other political rap artists, with anti drug, anti gang, racism and safe sex among other things being the messages. What more can you say, an essential rap release from one of the best to do it. Beats: ★★★★☆ Bars: ★★★★★ Best Tracks: The Wrong Nigga to Fuck Wit, My Summer Vacation, Steady Mobbin', Givin' Up the Nappy Dug Out, A Bird in the Hand, Us, No Vaseline

In comparing this to his previous albums, for me his debut lacks my type of production like much '80s/really early '90s rap to love it, and while 'Death Certificate' is also great, there are a few tracks that I don't love, particularly toward the end of the album. This album probably suffers a touch as well with a bit of a drop off in quality toward the end, but when there are classics like 'Wicked', 'It Was a Good Day' and so on starting the album, it is hard to keep that quality up. Overall, the production is great with a funky aggressiveness to many of the tunes, and Ice Cube makes this one of the better albums in the hip hop genre. Beats: ★★★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★★ Hooks: ★★★★☆ Best Tracks: When Will They Shoot?, Wicked, Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha, It Was a Good Day, We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up, Dirty Mack, Check Yo Self

This certainly isn't as lyrically profound as Cube's previous albums, certainly not as influential, nor are there a lot of tracks, but I love most of the production on this and I don't rank it too far behind his other albums for pure enjoyment. There are some great beats and uses of samples throughout the tracks also which make it stand out. 'Lil Ass Gee' and 'Down for Whatever' are the only things I find to be near average here. Another great album in the best album run of any rapper. Beats: ★★★★☆ Bars: ★★★★ Best Tracks: Cave Bitch, Ghetto Bird, Bop Gun