Fresh off the recent completion of his popular BIG3 professional basketball leagues successful eighth season. Legendary and iconic Westcoast Hip-Hop pioneer, Ice Cube, refocused things back to music by about a week or so ago surprise announcing a brand new album, Man Up, would be coming soon. As a followup to his critically-acclaimed chart-topping latest solo album, Man Down, he dropped in November of last year. Then a few days ago announcing that the album’s first single, Before Hip Hop, would be dropping this Friday and keeping to his promise. Ice Cube dropping the powerful new Hallway Productionz-produced single today and announcing the Sept. 12th exactly a week from today release date of, Man Up.
The brand new single from Ice Cube a fiery powerful new track that is a must-listen for all Hip-Hop enthusiasts. Where Cube with his signature pyroclastic flow and always stellar social commentary and storytelling. Raps, “Before hip-hop, n***as got shot. Before hip-hop, n***as smoked rocks. Before hip-hop, my uncle had a drop. Before hip-hop, homies stood on the block. Before hip-hop, people smoked weed. Before hip-hop, I’ll get you what you need. Before hip-hop, pimping was gone. Before hip-hop, b*#%hes was on.” Taken on the narrative and stereotype of Hip-Hop being to blame for many of the systemic injustices, crime, murder, violence and other broken systematic oppressions that long predates the genre. Before Hip Hop is a warning shot, wake-up call and call to justice by Ice Cube. That is just the first taste and preview of some of Cube’s most unwavering and boldest material to date. At a time it is truly needed.
Ice Cube also debuting today through Vevo alongside the powerful new single a just as cinematically powerful new Gabriel “VIDEOGOD” Hart-directed accompanying video. That starts off in black-and-white showing Cube in an afro and everyone else on the block showing all the things he raps about before Hip-Hop begin in 1972. About a little over halfway through the video it switching to color as it shows black-on-black crime everyone from the streets to the bathrooms from both men and women that Ice Cube raps about on the track. Also then showing stick-ups and robberies in clubs going on that predate Hip-Hop. The video also showing Cube sitting in a luxury wooden chair rapping his powerful message. The way the video unfolds like a story really helping bring Ice Cube’s powerful message and storytelling on the track even more to life. That shows why he is one of the dopest emcees, lyricists and storytellers ever in the history of Hip-Hop.
The release of Ice Cube’s second album within a 10 month time frame. Perfect to have even more material to perform for his highly-anticipated just yesterday started, Truth to Power: 4 Decades of Attitude Tour, too.
