| I Am The West | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Ice Cube | ||||
| Released | September 28, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2009-2010 | |||
| Genre | West Coast Hip Hop, Gangsta Rap | |||
| Label | Lench Mob | |||
| Producer | Ice Cube (exec.), JIGG, Bangladesh, T-Mix, Hallway Productionz, The Fliptones, Sir Jinx, Infinity, E-A-Ski, Doughboy, Tha Bizness, Dae One, Track Bully, Willy Will, Brandon Alexander, Rocko, DJ Montay | |||
| Ice Cube chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I Am the West | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Los Angeles Times | [2] |
| RapReviews | (7.5/10)[3] |
| Slant | [4] |
| The Smoking Section | [5] |
| USA Today | [6] |
| hiphopdx | [7] |
| Rolling Stone | [8] |
I Am the West is the ninth studio album by American rapper Ice Cube. It was released on September 28, 2010.[9] The album debuted at #22 on the Billboard 200 and sold 22,000 copies in its first week.[10] As of November 7, 2010 the album sold 44,000 copies.[11]
Contents |
Ice Cube has said this album will be different than any one of his other albums, having a different direction for the album. The album was released independently under his label Lench Mob. Ice Cube stated that "being independent is beautiful because we can do things 'out the box' that record companies would usually frown at. Instead of working from a ready-made cookie-cutter marketing plan, we can tailor make a marketing plan specifically for me".[12]
In a recent interview with Baller Status, Ice Cube speaks on two songs that are going to be on the album, "Man vs. Machine" and "Hood Robbin". "'Man vs. Machine' is talking about our obsessions with machinery and how it's taking over," he said in an interview. "Automation is taking over human beings in all our relevancy in this world. Pretty soon, machines are gonna take over and that's just real...['Hood Robbin'] is talking about how big corporations is now stealing from the poor and giving to the rich. It's a whole thing about the things we're going up against with housing and medical insurance ... just everything people are going through. Real shit that ain't got nothing to do with money, cars, and all the shit most rappers talk about." [13]
Young Maylay has made guest appearances on the album.[14] Ice Cube confirmed that Dr. Dre would no longer be on the album in August.[15]
I Am The West, like several previous Ice Cube/Westside Connection albums, features interludes by Keith David.
The album's lead single "I Rep That West" featuring JIGG, was released on April 25, 2010.[16] The album's second single "Drink the Kool-Aid", was released on July 27, 2010.[17] The album's third single "She Couldn't Make It On Her Own" featuring Doughboy and OMG, was released on August 31, 2010.[18][19] A music video for "Too West Coast" (produced by Hallway Productionz) was released on October 5, 2010.
Early reviews perceived to be generally positive gaining a 62% out of 100 in Metacritic.[20] Jeff Weiss from The L.A. Times music blog gave it 2 and a half out of 4 stars stating "Even the greatest can use a little help from their friends, and all too often this feels like how the West was one-dimensional." Allmusic reviewer David Jeffries said "I Am the West shows the younger generation how to cross 40 while retaining their freedom and baller status. Middle age hip-hop is born here, and if the game follows his lead, it will be one monster of a genre. "
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Boy Was Conceived" (Intro) | John Murphy | 0:26 |
| 2. | "Soul on Ice" | Tha Bizness | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Life In California" (featuring Jayo & WC) | Sir Jinx, Dae One | 4:02 |
| 4. | "She Couldn't Make It on Her Own" (featuring OMG & Doughboy) | Bangladesh | 2:58 |
| 5. | "Urbanian" | Track Bully | 2:25 |
| 6. | "Y'all Know How I Am" (featuring OMG, Doughboy, WC & Maylay) | Willy Will | 2:18 |
| 7. | "Too West Coast" (featuring WC & Maylay) | Hallway Productionz | 2:58 |
| 8. | "I Rep That West" | JIGG | 4:31 |
| 9. | "Drink the Kool-Aid" | Brandon Alexander | 3:09 |
| 10. | "No Country For Young Men" | Doughboy, Rocko | 4:13 |
| 11. | "It Is What It Is" | DJ Montay | 3:21 |
| 12. | "Hood Robbin'" | T-Mix | 3:45 |
| 13. | "Your Money Or Your Life" | T-Mix | 3:23 |
| 14. | "Nothing Like L.A." | The Fliptones | 3:20 |
| 15. | "All Day, Every Day" | Hallway Productionz | 2:21 |
| 16. | "Fat Cat" | JIGG | 2:54 |
| 17. | "Man Vs. Machine" (iTunes bonus track) | Infinity | 2:27 |
| 18. | "Pros Vs. Joes" (iTunes bonus track) | E-A-Ski | 2:19 |
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