Ice Cube Album: “Lethal Injection”

In late 1993, Ice Cube releases his 4th full length album (5th if you count Kill At Will EP). He still has some heat in his often angry social and political lyrics. But, he does chill a litle more, as do the beats. Beatwise, this is my favorite Cube album. Sir Jinx, Laylaw (Above the Law), QD III, Madness 4 Real, 88X Unit, and Brian G lace cube up with some smokin' G-Funk beats. His previous albums had some funky beats that were more pre g-funk and more raw, while these are more polished. QD III laced "You Know How We Do It" is one of my favorite g-funk songs of all time. The beat is sunny and laidback with a touch of soul, and there is a piercing whiny synth making the joint a great one to roll to. Cube's rhymes add to the relaxed effect of this classic. "Ghetto Bird" is a pulsating joint where Cube flees the cops, ducks the police chopper, jacks someone's ride, and goes to his woman's house and digs her out. The beat is bouncy with another whiny synth. "Make It Ruff, Make It Smooth" (f/ K-Dee) is a raucous good time. Cube is the ruff loc, and K-Dee is the smooth mack over a bouncy, twangy lowrider beat. "When I Get To Heaven" is a little more controversial. He discusses the corruptness and emptiness of the church declaring it "nuthin' but a fashion show." He knocks on religion. Take it how you want you to. The beat is chill and twangy and has a cool vibe with a flute in the hook. "Lil A-- Gee" is a tale of a younster growin' up fast and causin' trouble and panic mad young. "Cave B----" is an angry, controversial, and somewhat humorous knock on white women and how Ice Cube wants nothing to do with them. The beat has a little more East Coast bump to it and sounds dope in the system. Then we have the full album version of "Bop Gun(One Nation)," a p-funk meets g-funk classic with George Clinton adding his gruff vocals and Ice Cube gettin' it crunk, a dope g-party jam. This version is 11 minutes long! The beat "Enemy" has the early Ice Cube vibe to it with angry lyrics and an old-school beat sounding circa Death Certificate. Ice Cube still uses the c-word towards white folks like on the older albums here. This is the 2003 re-release, and there are 4 bonus tracks- mixes for "What Can I Do" (Westside Mix, and Eastside Mix), the former a lowrider ready bouncer, and the latter a jazzy a-la-Tribe Called Quest, QD III's awesome remix for "You Know How We Do It," and N.O. Joe's Eerie Gumbo Funk mix for "Lil' A-- Gee," and his version has that Texas Mobb style he is known for and a sick whiny synth. As for the album, I feel it's a classic for anyone lovin' gangsta rap, G-Funk, controversial and social aware rap because it caters to all those milieu.

Ice Cube's 4th full album Lethal Injection would produce more great results comming off his most commercial LP (back in the early 90's) The Preditor. Compared to albums such as Amerikka's Most Wanted/Kill At Will and Death Certificate, a more older Ice Cube would come on this album with less gang related topics and less pro-black rhyme structure. Hooking up with a producer named q d III most parts throughout the album come off sucessful, and at the same time, more laid back (I guess Cube's production skills wern't in full swing yet back in '93). "Really Doe", "Cave B***h" (despite how racial you think that song is), "Lil A** Gee" would be the only few songs that will take you back to the early days of Ice Cube. The latter would be a song on the effect on little kids getting caught up in gangbanging. "Ghetto Bird" is an ode to those high speed chases that often occur in Los Angeles. The soft atmosphere occurs on most tracks as songs like "You Know How We Do It", "Make It Ruff, Make It Smooth" and "When I Get To Heaven" would play off well, but at the same time, might have left old Cube fans scratching their heads ("Down For Whatever" couldn't have been any slower). Despite the eleven minute long song "Bop Gun", that will make you nod your head to the uplifting p funk tune of George Clinton's (who ironically appears on this track) "One Nation Under A Groove".

If you purchased this after 2003, you would get four extra tracks (mostly taken from his Bootlegs & B Sides album) of remixes of the hits. ATCQ's Ali Shaheed Muhummad would remix "What Can i Do" with a beat that doesn't sound like Cube would be confortable with but pulls it off anyway. Cube himself would remix "You Know How We Do It" making it sound better than the origonal.

Overall, this album is solid release from Cube that I enjoyed at most parts. No he doesn't carry the same tone as he did back in his NWA days, but hits us with something more relaxing. People say that this is Cube's worst album that he released between 1990 and 1993, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad album (personally I believe The Preditor was his worst), and has been sucessful in many points, reading that it was his second most selling album behind The Preditor. This one I recommend picking up, it carries its weight for the majority.

Lyrics: B+

Production: A-

Musical Vibes: B

Overall: B+

Favorite Tracks: Really Doe, Ghetto Bird, You Know How We Do It (both origonal and remix), Cave B***h, (Bop Gun) One Nation, When I Get To Heaven, What Can I Do (Remix), Lil A** Gee (Remix)

This CD has some fine moments on it, but it lacks the cohesion, confidence and conviction of Amerikkka and Death Certificate. It used to seem real but by this album it just sounds like Cube's trying to capture a market demographic and watching Cops for lyrical inspiration. And while it's musically more diverse, wasn't it Ice Cube derisively suggesting newcomers like Warren G new-jack swing on his nuts for trying to change things up a bit? It's a good record but it's not a good Ice Cube record.

lethal injection is awesome....there is awesome west coast beats on this album. "You know how we do it" is one of the best songs i have ever heard. Peep this album

people have said this is 'cubes worst album', 'he got bigheaded' and so on, firstly this album is second only to amerikkka's most and secondly hes got a right to be big headed, puttin out cuts like he does, im gonna do yall a rundown of the albums tracks with a score /5, and its what i think so if yall dont like it....

1. The Shot- Just an intro

2. Really Doe- Not a bad song 3/5

3. Ghetto Bird- Best gangsta beat ever, QDIII got it right here, most of yall will recognise the beat from Menace II Society- phat film,watch it 5/5

4. You Know How We Do It- Nice Beat, another QDIII masterpiece 4/5

5. Cave Bi**h- Racist to white girlies, but its got sum phat azz bass, great song pump it up 4/5

6. Bop Gun (One Nation)- Featuring George Clinton, sampling Bop Gun (One Nation Under A Groove) straight funk master,this is a funky tune 4/5

7. What Can I Do?- Ill tell yall what ya can do, turn up this dope cut 4/5

8. Lil Ass Gee- Tellin the kids to stay in school, dope tune 3/5

9.Make It Ruff, Make It Smooth, Cube is the ruff side, KD from Da Lench Mob is the smooth side, a nice fly song 4/5

10. Down For Whatever- My Fave from the album, got phat bass one of the dopest cube records 5/5, nah 10/5 its the bomb

11. Enemy- Not bad, cool song 3/5

12. When I Get To Heaven- Yeah a fly cut 3/5

I wont bother with the remixes they were all dope but dont match the originals.

This is one album you should buy, nah should have already, cmon it came out nuff time ago it is a hot album dont listen to people who sleep on it they dont know hip hop