Ice Cube - Raw Footage

Sun 5th Oct, 2008 in Music Reviews

Raw Footage is social critique, prayer and a soundtrack thick with melodic and lyric references to the history of hip hop, rap and African American music. But there are a couple of obstacles to the heart of this album. The cover image is Ice Cube looking rough in a zipper lined hoodie and dark glasses, holding a chisel. Does he want to carve something? I thought he was a rap artist. Whatever.

My next experience of this album is an intro track of menacing backing effects and Ice Cube trying to freak us out with some idea about his pyroclastic flow – explaining that he raps like lava flows from a volcano. Just when I start to feel like I am listening to the promo for a crap movie, the second track kicks in. Here begins a dream run that is as consistent as Ice Cube’s career.

Ice Cube’s rap is a means of self-empowerment, and self-criticism. The third track_It Takes a Nation_ is a reference to the 1988 album from Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. By changing the line to – œIt takes a nation of niggers and streets of crack’, Ice Cube turns this line from an indictment against the government and social prejudice, into a kick up the arse of African America. Or with Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It he takes a strong stance against people using gangsta rap as an excuse for being a dickhead, “if a sell a little crack, ain’t nothing to it, gangsta rap made me do it.”

Spirituality and religion are also themes Ice Cube expressed in different ways. There is the influence of Gospel rhythms and song in Thank God for Gangsta Rap. In other tracks the lyrics are repeated like prayers, so in Hood Mentality you hear over and over, “The hood is where I’m from, it’s not who I am or in Cold Places – œkeep your head up fuck what they said cuz you can do it and the man will get you through it.” It’s affirmative. But when he asks in _Jack in the Box_to “shine that light on me, put that light on me, cuz I was sent to the world by G.O.D”, I guess he is being ironic. I hope. You gotta worry when artists claim they are on a mission from God. You can use that one to justify any kind of bullshit.

I can’t stop quoting this album. It is content rich. Every line means something, so every line makes you feel something. If you don’t like rap and you don’t care about empowerment then it might not mean much to you. But if you’ve ever felt like you can’t compete with the forces around you, or you just need something to keep you awake, then you should enjoy this album. It’s good.