The Words and Music of Ice Cube (The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection)

Ice Cube is one of the most influential figures in the history of rap and hip-hop. Best known for the vitriol of his angry black man recordings of the late 1980s and mid 1990s, Ice Cube epitomizes the genre often referred to as gangsta rap. Much of his music from these years is focused on the disturbing realities of life in black urban ghettos, and as a result it chronicles such complex and controversial issues as racial stereotypes, street gangs, racial profiling, black on black crime, teen pregnancy, absentee fathers, and male-female relationships. His recordings with NWA are noteworthy for their sardonic humor in discussing dire issues. The group's landmark CD Straight Outta Compton (1988) is a palette of urban woes recounted in aggressive and hostile street vernacular, while Ice Cube's recordings of the 1990s now represent paradigms of the gangsta style. The first three chapters of The Words and Music of Ice Cube explore Ice Cube's recordings between 1988 and 1996 and situate Ice Cube in the context of other rappers of this period-most notably Public Enemy, Ice-T, Tupac, Biggie, and Snoop Dogg-whose music also chronicled explosive issues in urban ghettos. The fourth chapter considers Ice Cube's career in film, beginning with a discussion of his performance in Boyz n the Hood and ending with a look at his most recent films, Barber Shop, Barber Shop II, Are We There Yet? And Are We Done Yet? The fifth and final chapter looks back over all of Ice Cube's work to date and considers his impact and his legacy in music and popular culture at large. . Contents......Page 9 Series Foreword......Page 11 Acknowledgments......Page 13 Introduction: The Reinventions of Ice Cube......Page 15 1. The Cultural Politics of Gangsta Rap......Page 19 Rap and Race......Page 21 Nihilism for Profit: The Dualism between Rap as Entertainment and Gangsta Rap’s Culture of Violence......Page 23 Gangsta Rap and Censorship......Page 27 Niggaz with Attitude......Page 33 Public Outcry against NWA......Page 37 Eazy Duz It—Again and Again......Page 38 Straight Outta Compton......Page 39 3. Early Solo Successes: 1990–1993......Page 45 AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted......Page 46 Kill at Will......Page 51 Death Certificate......Page 54 Boyz N the Hood......Page 62 The Predator......Page 63 Lethal Injection......Page 68 Miscellany......Page 71 An Interview with Angela Davis......Page 72 Friday......Page 79 Westside Connection—Bow Down......Page 81 “We Be Clubbin’”......Page 83 War and Peace, Vol. 1 (The War Disc)......Page 84 Interviews, 1994–1998......Page 88 5. Actor, Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Lyricist, Rapper: 1999–2007......Page 99 Three Kings......Page 100 Next Friday......Page 102 War and Peace, Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc)......Page 103 All about the Benjamins......Page 106 Barbershop......Page 107 Friday after Next......Page 109 Westside Connection—Terrorist Threats......Page 110 Barbershop 2: Back in Business......Page 112 Are We There Yet?......Page 113 Laugh Now, Cry Later......Page 114 Are We Done Yet?......Page 120 Conclusion......Page 121 Discography......Page 125 Selected Filmography (1991–2007)......Page 133 Notes......Page 135 Annotated Bibliography......Page 141 B......Page 149 F......Page 150 K......Page 151 O......Page 152 S......Page 153 Y......Page 154 "Ice Cube is one of the most influential figures in the history of rap and hip-hop. Best known for the vitriol of his "angry black man" recordings of the late 1980s and mid 1990s, Ice Cube epitomizes the genre often referred to as gangsta rap. Much of his music from these years is focused on the disturbing realities of life in black urban ghettos, and as a result it chronicles such complex and controversial issues as racial stereotypes, street gangs, racial profiling, "black on black" crime, teen pregnancy, absentee fathers, and male-female relationships. His recordings with NWA are noteworthy for their sardonic humor in discussing dire issues. The group's landmark CD Straight Outta Compton (1988) is a palette of urban woes recounted in aggressive and hostile street vernacular, while Ice Cube's recordings of the 1990s now represent paradigms of the gangsta style." "The first three chapters of The Words and Music of Ice Cube explore Ice Cube's recordings between 1988 and 1996 and situate Ice Cube in the context of other rappers of this period - most notably Public Enemy, Ice-T, Tupac, Biggie, and Snoop Dogg - whose music also chronicled explosive issues in urban ghettos. The fourth chapter considers Ice Cube's career in film, beginning with a discussion of his performance in Boyz n the Hood and ending with a look at his most recent films, Barber Shop, Barber Shop II, Are We There Yet? And Are We Done Yet? The fifth and final chapter looks back over all of Ice Cube's work to date and considers his impact and his legacy in music and popular culture at large. A discography, filmography, and bibliography supplement the work."--Jacket The cultural politics of gangsta rap Plenty attitude : the NWA years, 1988-1990 Early solo successes : the years 1990-1993 Collaborations and a new direction, 1994-1998 Actor, producer, director, screenwriter, lyricist, rapper : the years 1999-2007.