Re: Best Decade Tournament - 90s: Pryto
Posted: Sat July 26, 2014 12:58 am
Ice Cube fell off years ago, but in his heyday, he was probably the single most important rapper around. He was the primary lyricist and lead rapper for N.W.A., penning the rhymes for the group’s legendary debut. Feeling that he was being financially shortchanged, he left the group and went solo. N.W.A. recorded one more record and collapsed, with producer Dr. Dre also leaving for financial reasons. Upon departing N.W.A., Cube immediately issued a killer solo debut, produced by the Bomb Squad, best known for their work with Public Enemy. His second record, Death Certificate, however, was a game changer.
Death Certificate is probably my second favorite rap album of all time, coming in juuuust behind Paul’s Boutique. Nearly every track is a winner. The production is stomping but it was Cube’s lyrics and delivery that made him a superstar. Cube was never a gang banger or a drug dealer or anything like that. He grew up in some proximity to that sort of thing, but he was really not of that world. But his abilities as a storyteller are about as good as they come.
This track really highlights Cube’s genius as a storyteller. In the song, Cube assumes the persona of a young rapper growing up in a gang-infested L.A. neighbhorhood. He’s hanging out on the corner one afternoon, minding his own business, when a drive-by shooting takes place. Everyone runs. Cube doesn’t realize it at first, but he’s been shot. He blacks out and wakes up in an ambulance, headed for the L.A. county hospital, “where niggas die over a little scratch.” From here, he tells the tale of having to navigate the hospital bureaucracy while bleeding from a gunshot wound. “Yo nurse, I’m getting kind of warm/Bitch still made me fill out the fuckin’ form … One hour done passed/Done watched two episodes of MASH.” To make matters worse, the cops show up to question him about the drive by shooting, assuming that since he was involved, he must be a gang member. He’s handcuffed to the bed. Cube swears to the officers, “I don’t bang, I rock the good rhymes/And I’m a victim of neighborhood crime.” He continues to wait. “I need to see an MD/And ya’ll motherfuckers giving me the third degree.” A great storyteller, Cube pushes the tension further and further. Will he make it out of the county hospital alive? A great writer, he offers vivid details and keen insights. “Look at the waiting room. It’s filled to the brim like the county jail day room … Since we poor, the hospital moves slow.” You’ll have to listen for yourself to find out how things end.
Ice Cube – Alive on Arrival
Death Certificate is probably my second favorite rap album of all time, coming in juuuust behind Paul’s Boutique. Nearly every track is a winner. The production is stomping but it was Cube’s lyrics and delivery that made him a superstar. Cube was never a gang banger or a drug dealer or anything like that. He grew up in some proximity to that sort of thing, but he was really not of that world. But his abilities as a storyteller are about as good as they come.
This track really highlights Cube’s genius as a storyteller. In the song, Cube assumes the persona of a young rapper growing up in a gang-infested L.A. neighbhorhood. He’s hanging out on the corner one afternoon, minding his own business, when a drive-by shooting takes place. Everyone runs. Cube doesn’t realize it at first, but he’s been shot. He blacks out and wakes up in an ambulance, headed for the L.A. county hospital, “where niggas die over a little scratch.” From here, he tells the tale of having to navigate the hospital bureaucracy while bleeding from a gunshot wound. “Yo nurse, I’m getting kind of warm/Bitch still made me fill out the fuckin’ form … One hour done passed/Done watched two episodes of MASH.” To make matters worse, the cops show up to question him about the drive by shooting, assuming that since he was involved, he must be a gang member. He’s handcuffed to the bed. Cube swears to the officers, “I don’t bang, I rock the good rhymes/And I’m a victim of neighborhood crime.” He continues to wait. “I need to see an MD/And ya’ll motherfuckers giving me the third degree.” A great storyteller, Cube pushes the tension further and further. Will he make it out of the county hospital alive? A great writer, he offers vivid details and keen insights. “Look at the waiting room. It’s filled to the brim like the county jail day room … Since we poor, the hospital moves slow.” You’ll have to listen for yourself to find out how things end.
Ice Cube – Alive on Arrival
this song so much, but the whole album is fantastic. Not sure how you narrowed it down to one song. Just about all of 'em rule. Awesome pick!