“Flavor Flav with a white girl, that’s wack / Gotta put that nigga in the back of my Cadillac / Take him to the hood where it’s action packed / Let him know that target’s still on his back.” — Ice Cube

That’s Cube taking a shot at Flava Flav. Why? No idea. Shoo. I’m sure it’s a stunt to get all of us to make some noise about his upcoming album which is dropping June 6th I think. I’ve listen to it. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a dope Cube album. I guess I’m going to wait longer still. XXL gave Laugh Now, Cry Later a generous Large rating. “Why We Thugs” is a cool lead single. And while LNCL is a better cd than his last handful of discs, you’re still left feening for the quality of Death Certificate, Amerikkka’s Most Wanted, and Predator. On LNCL, Cube does have his bright moments where he addresses current issues of racism and politics. Where he fails is when he exhibits several moments of the Don Mega. That player shit. And basically, Cube becomes a mediocre rapper with a recognizable face and voice. He becomes that popular guy in your school who’s popular because everybody knows his name, not because he does anything special. Every song with the exception of “Growin’ Up” has the same formula (I’m Ice Cube, the gangsta, you can’t fuck with me. Get ass, get weed, get drunk. I hate the cops and the government, you need to open your eyes to the hood. But remember, I’m still a gangsta.).On “Child Support,” Cube chews on a Biggie line for a hook and really bastardized it. “Holla @ Ya Boy” and “The Game Lord” are the exact same song. For the most part, the beats are head-nodders thanks to Swizz, Lil Jon, Storch, etc. But let’s be honest here, Scott Storch isn’t all that. And lyrically, Snoop has given up. I thought there was some hope from Rhythm And Gangsta…I hope too much. A couple of comedic inserts from Mike Epps make this cd a bit more bearable. I say give it a listen. I won’t say buy it. Here’s a track sent to me via e-mail featuring Snoop. Best tracks: “Smoke Some Weed”, “Laugh Now Cry Later”, “Growin’ Up.”
“I used to be lyrical-political, but now you want it sugar-coated like cereal…” — Ice Cube

Ice Cube f Snoop Dogg - You Got Alotta That