From a gentle journey through Oklahoma folk we head over to the mean streets of Compton. Say what you will about American music, but it’s got range.
Disc 1869 is… Lethal Injection
Artist: Ice Cube
Year of Release: 1993
What’s up with the Cover? Someone is receiving a lethal injection…of sound!
This record features a song with George Clinton so maybe, to quote Parliament, this is a literal depiction of “doing it to you in your earholes”. In any event it does not look like a healthy way to either a) get an injection or b) listen to music.
How I Came To Know It: Just digging through Ice Cube’s early years after I found him via N.W.A. This all happened relatively recently, so I make no claims to long-time fandom.
How It Stacks Up: I have three Ice Cube albums. I like them all but one of them has to be last, and “Lethal Injection” is it.
Ratings: 2 stars but almost 3
Ice Cube is at his best when he’s angry. Whether he’s playing a foul-mouthed movie character (21 Jump Street, Fist Fight) or just spitting some rhymes, Cube is just better when he’s bubbling over.
Cube’s anger tends to manifest in exceptional flow, but it is also where he is more likely to say hurtful things. This is fine by me, as I’m very hard to offend. However, if you don’t want your art to feature hurtful often offensive statements (varied, numerous and often uncalled-for) then you should not explore “Lethal Injection” because it has plenty of them. You’ve been warned.
OK, disclaimers aside, we can talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of this Ice Cube album which does not enjoy a lot of love as his earlier records and frankly, isn’t as good. That’s OK, as those early records are amazing and there is lots of room to fall and still land on solid ground.
The good on this record is Cube doing his deep, deliberate pocket-perfect style. Every rhyme is enunciated with fell intent like he’s daring you to interrupt him, but know you won’t because it would be a crime to slow that flow. You may want to limit yourself to the less offensive songs but remember the disclaimer above – that won’t work. If you want Ice Cube, then that’s Mr. Jackson when he’s nasty.
That last sentence was an overly fond-of-itself reference that is a darling in need of killing. I’m so sorry I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Onward!
The bad is when Ice Cube tries on different styles that don’t match his flow, opting for more of a Snoop Dogg or Nice n’ Smooth vibe. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but mostly it had me pining for the hard-spitting flow I had grown to know and love on previous records. I don’t expect artists to never try anything new, but they don’t have to expect me to like it either.
The ugly, and the one song that held this record below the 3-star line was the eleven minute monstrosity, “Bop Gun (One Nation)”. Borrowing from Parliament, and even featuring the legendary George Clinton himself, this song had everything it needed to be good but still managed to fail, mostly because it commits the cardinal sin of being…boring. For a better blend of Parliament-style funk and rap I recommend “Psycobetabuckdown” which is more fun, more dynamic, and even if you don’t like it, is over in just under three minutes.
I was chastened to realize that “Bop Gun (One Nation)” is the source of a highlight I referenced in my concert review of saw Ice Cube last year, with the chant of “party over here – f*** you over there”. Unlike most of that show, this is one of the moments where the live version was better.
For a full recap of that Ice Cube show (and how he fared against folk singer – yes folk singer – Katie Pruitt) check out my concert review here.
Lyrically, there is still magic on “Lethal Injection” and I enjoyed references to the GI Joe with the kung fu grip (had one), and the clever effort to rhyme “Bosnia-Herzogovina” which works, mostly. Cube has a natural feel for the pocket that few emcees can rival, and so even when some songs fall a little short, his delivery lifts them up again.
“Lethal Injection” is not a must-have in Ice Cube’s discography but it has its moments. After no small amount of deliberation, I’ve decided it remains shelf-worthy.
Best tracks: Really Doe; What Can I Do?
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