It has been five years since Ice Cube has released a solo effort--and the first album from his new double epic War & Peace was well worth the wait. Ice Cube, one of the forefathers of gangsta rap, proves he is much more than a reminiscing ghetto vet, he is the maturing general. Leading the charge is the guitar-fueled "F--- Dying," in which Ice Cube teams with Family Values touring partners Korn. The uptempo, in-your-face first release, "Pushin' Weight," highlights his collaboration with grimy newcomer Short Khop. This may do for Ice Cube's new protégé what the collaboration with fellow N.W.A. member Dr. Dre did for Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Vol. 1 (The War Disc) takes on the same themes we've come to expect from Ice Cube, but with more vigor and intellect. On "Three Strikes You In," Ice Cube criticizes the controversial Los Angeles mandatory sentencing law, using the familiar baseball theme song "Take Me Out To The Ball Game." The best effort, however, is "Ghetto Vet," a thoroughly scripted account of those who have been taken down by inner-city violence. The softened music completes the scenery.
Despite Ice Cube's being a founding member of the Westside Connection, War & Peace Vol. 1 is not about East Coast or West Coast, but about the Benjamins. I am anxious to hear what 1999's companion album, Vol. 2, has to offer.
