ICE CUBE Raw Footage (Lench Mob) Rating: NN
Try as he might to maintain some semblance of his original tough-as-nails gangsta persona by tossing out a handful of so-so albums in between starring roles in a string of comedy and action flicks, the general perception seems to be that Cube’s now got as much street cred as a feisty Donnie Osmond.
Once upon a time, the emcee’s vitriol and politically fuelled verses could light a fire, but Footage isn’t the return to form you might’ve hoped for. Rather, it’s a phoned-in reminder of who he was. The generic production and limp, stale and throw-away beats do little to accentuate Cube’s delivery, while his political tirades about Hood Mentality and Cold Places are strong points that echo the conviction that used to make him so exciting.
Overall, the gangsta bravado and rabble-rousing sound uninspired and too familiar.
