Ice Cube – The Predator

I wonder if you could release an album like this nowadays? And is that a bad thing (freedom of speech etc) or would it be seen as too confrontational and perhaps even inciteful? I gave it a rare spin this afternoon and to be honest I can't say that I enjoyed it. The music is OK but lyrics have dated quite a bit. Even by '92/'93 the black nationalist/white devil vibe was starting to sound a bit dated and was called out by KRS-One on his 'Sex And Violence' LP. His first two albums covered a lot of the topics here in a much more interesting and sometimes in an ironic or humorous way. A lot of those topics were also framed around story telling but which is almost non-existent here. There is nothing of what makes rap music interesting or enjoyable i.e. clever production, creative sampling, engaging story-telling. The best track is BY FAR 'Today Was A Good Day' and it is worth getting for that alone. Never liked 'Check Yo Self' as it is just too much of a rip-off of 'The Message'. His next album is better.

There are two diffent versions of the US 1992 press. One with black/sepia Labels (as shown on the pictures) and one with black/white labels (photos were dactivated on this submission). Apart from that, there are no differences. I own both copies, if proof is needed!

So conscious, but still wild & furious. These lyrics alone, I only caught many of them years later, especially in their whole glory, I mean how he switches from a dreamy, fantastic "It Was A Good Day" to the roughness of "We Had To Tear This Mothafucka Up", a bomb by DJ Muggs, of course there is "Wicked" as one of the great masterpieces by a unique artist, and the oldschoolish "Check Yo Self", talking about the Remix of course which uses the classical "Message" beat, while the album version comes terrific as well. These tracks alone make it an outstanding work, but overall it represents much more, right down to the skits and of course to the super fresh & tight beats, which still pump and rock like fuck. It caught the right vibes of the time, this album is (hip hop) history. Maybe his best among several masterpieces. Great pressing of this greatly mixed composition, especially for such a load of content. It still sounds pretty forceful and rich.

Really really needs a repress!! 30th anniversary??? Come on !!

How are there only 36 people on here with copies?? Did they stop the run?! This needs a proper repress badly. Way overdue.

I have an OG copy that is VG+ to NM visually, but I have alot of sibalance/hissing on the inner tracks on both sides. Its hard forme to believe this thing has inner groove wear, but the hiss is significant. Anybody else have this issue?

How is there a page for this already, I thought it was pushed back to January?