The Essentials (Ice Cube Album)
''The Essentials'' is second greatest hits album by American rapper Ice Cube. It was released on September 16, 2008, via Priority Records, making it his fifth compilation for the label and overall. Composed of 18 songs collected from all the Ice Cube's solo projects (from the 1990 debut ''AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'' to the most recent at that time, 2008 ''Raw Footage''), the compilation was produced by Frank Collura. It features hip hop production from the Boogiemen, Bud'da, Sir Jinx, The Bomb Squad, 88 X Unit, Chucky Thompson, DJ Muggs, D'Maq, Hallway Productionz, Laylaw, Lil' Jon, Loren Hill, Rich Nice, Scott Storch and Ice Cube himself, as well as guest appearances from WC, Das EFX, Kokane, Lil' Jon, Snoop Dogg and DJ Crazy Toones. Critical reception Robert Christgau of ''MSN Music'' gave the album "A-", saying "it leads with two of hip-hop's great anti-moralizing sermons, the Snoop- and Lil Jon-powered "Go to Church" and the grinder's credo "A Bird in the Hand", then proceeds ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popularity,Steve Huey"N.W.A: ''Straight Outta Compton''" '' AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited 14 Jun 2020.Loren Kajikawa, "Compton via New York", ''Sounding Race in Rap Songs'' (Oakland: University of California Press, 2015)pp 91–93Todd Boyd, ''Am I Black Enough for You?: Popular Culture from the 'Hood and Beyond'' (Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1997)p 75skims Ice Cube's early successes in music, whilindexing "Ice Cube"reveals analysis of his political rap. and his political rap solo albums '' AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'' (1990), '' Death Certificate'' (1991), and '' The Predator'' (1992) were all critically and commercially successful.Lakeyta M. Bonnette, ''Pulse of the People: Political Rap Music and Black Politic ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Raw Footage
''Raw Footage'' is the eighth studio album by American rapper Ice Cube. It was released on August 19, 2008, by his record label Lench Mob Records and EMI. The album features guest appearances from The Game, Butch Cassidy, Musiq Soulchild, Young Jeezy and WC. The album is his most political effort, since over a decade earlier with the release of his album '' The Predator'' (1992). Preceding the release, supported by three singles; " Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It", " Do Ya Thang", and "Why Me?" featuring Musiq Soulchild. Singles The lead single from the album, called " Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It" was released January 3, 2008. The song was produced by Maestro. In this single, Ice Cube addresses society's view of gangsta rap music, which has sometimes been blamed for criminality in America. On February 12, 2008, the single became available via iTunes. The music video features cameo appearances by WC and DJ Crazy Toones. The album's second single, called " Do Ya Thang" was relea ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It
"Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It" is the first single from Ice Cube's studio album, ''Raw Footage''. It was released with a music video directed by Jonathan Silver. In the song, Ice Cube comments on the exploitation of gangsta rap as a scapegoat for society's problems. A remix to the song was made featuring Nas and Scarface. It is featured on the soundtrack to the video game '' Midnight Club: Los Angeles''. Music video The video was directed by Jonathan Silver and begins in a classroom set in the year 2020 (12 years after the song's release). A teacher wearing a uniform, flanked by two American flags, condemns gangsta rap for the vices of society, rape, murder, etcetera. When a child asks if Compton was dangerous before the emergence of gangsta rap, the teacher yells, "Wrong! Compton was a nature preserve for bunny rabbits! When gangsta rap came along they tore down the country clubs and put up housing projects!" The room darkens and Ice Cube's face is projected on a screen smoking ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became an early proponent of musical movements such as hip hop, riot grrrl, and the import of African popular music in the West. He was the chief music critic and senior editor for ''The Village Voice'' for 37 years, during which time he created and oversaw the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. He has also covered popular music for '' Esquire'', '' Creem'', '' Newsday'', '' Playboy'', ''Rolling Stone'', '' Billboard'', NPR, '' Blender'', and '' MSN Music;'' he was a visiting arts teacher at New York University. CNN senior writer Jamie Allen has called Christgau "the E. F. Hutton of the music world—when he talks, people listen." Christgau is best known for his terse, letter-graded capsule album reviews, composed in a concentrated, fragmente ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ..., theater, visual arts, travel, and the Internet. History ''PopMatters'' was founded by Sarah Zupko, who had previously established the cultural studies academic resource site PopCultures. ''PopMatters'' launched in late 1999 as a sister site providing original essays, reviews and criticism of various media products. Over time, the site went from a weekly publication schedule to a five-day-a-week magazine format, expanding into regular review ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pitchfork (website)
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres including pop, hip-hop, jazz and metal. ''Pitchfork'' is one of the most influential music publications to have emerged in the internet age. In the 2000s, ''Pitchfork'' distinguished itself from print media through its unusual editorial style, frequent updates and coverage of emerging acts. It was praised as passionate, authentic and unique, but criticized as pretentious, mean-spirited and elitist, playing into stereotypes of the cynical hipster. It is credited with popularizing acts such as Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens. ''Pitchfork'' relocated to Chicago in 1999 and Brooklyn, New York, in 2011. It expanded with projects including the annual Pitchfork Music Festival (launched in Chicago in 2006), the video site ''Pitchf ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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MSN Music
''MSN Music'' was a part of MSN's web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. The website also served as a digital music store from 2004 to 2008. History In 2004, Microsoft created an MSN Music download store to compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store, though its sales in comparison were negligible. The store utilized Microsoft's Windows Media Player Windows Media Player (WMP, officially referred to as Windows Media Player Legacy to retronym, distinguish it from Windows Media Player (2022), the new Windows Media Player introduced with Windows 11) is the first media player (application soft ... application and proprietary Windows Media Format files (protected .wma files). It started out with 1.5 million songs, but decreased to 1.1 million songs due to lagging sales and lack of real support from Microsoft. The MSN Music store was not compatible with Microsoft's own Zune music player ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Musical ensemble, bands. Initiated in 1991, the database was first made available on the Internet in 1994. AllMusic is owned by RhythmOne. History AllMusic was launched as ''All-Music Guide'' by Michael Erlewine, a "compulsive archivist, noted astrologer, Buddhist scholar, and musician". He became interested in using computers for his astrological work in the mid-1970s and founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977. In the early 1990s, as compact discs (CDs) replaced LP record, LPs and cassette (format), cassettes as the dominant format for recorded music, Erlewine purchased what he thought was a CD of early recordings by Little Richard. After buying it, he discovered it was a "flaccid latter-day rehash". Frustrated with the labeling, he res ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Crazy Toones
Lamar Dupré Calhoun (November 18, 1971 – January 9, 2017), better known as DJ Crazy Toones, was an American hip hop producer and deejay. He was a member of the rap group WC and the Maad Circle and was later signed to Ice Cube's Lench Mob Records. Calhoun was born in Houston, Texas but grew up in Los Angeles, CA and was the brother of WC. Calhoun died from a heart attack on January 9, 2017, at the age of 45. Discography Collaboration albums *''Ain't a Damn Thang Changed'' with WC and the Maad Circle (1991) *''Curb Servin' ''Curb Servin is the second and final studio album by American West Coast hip-hop group WC and the Maad Circle. It was released on October 3, 1995, via PayDay/ FFRR/London Records. The recording sessions took place at Encore Recording Studios an ...'' with WC and the Maad Circle (1995) Mixtapes *''That Nigga's Crazy: Maad Circle Underground (Part 1)'' (1996) *''CT Experience'' (2006) *''On the Back Streets'' with Kokane (2010) References External ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. Known for his signature Drawl, drawled lyrics—which often use melodic rhyming, Repetition (rhetorical device), repetition, word play, Laconic phrase, laconic phrases, syncopation and alliteration—his music often addresses the lifestyle and culture of the West Coast of the United States, West Coast and social issues such as gun violence and stability for the youth. His initial fame dates back to 1992 following his guest appearance on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, "Deep Cover (song), Deep Cover", and later on Dre's debut album, ''The Chronic'' that same year. Snoop Dogg has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States, and 35 million albums worldwide. List of awards and nomina ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kokane
Jerry Buddy Long Jr. (born March 10, 1969), better known by his stage name Kokane, is an American rapper and singer best known for his distinctive vocal style and numerous guest appearances, such as on Snoop Dogg's ''Tha Last Meal''. Early life Long Jr. was born on March 10, 1969, in the Bronx, New York City, the son of Motown composer Jerry B. Long Sr. and singer Debra Long. His family soon relocated to Pomona, California, where he would grow up surrounded by his father's work and later joined the gang 357 Gangster Crips. He started his career at Eazy-E's Ruthless Records in 1989, co-writing songs for N.W.A and Above the Law, before releasing his first album, '' Addictive Hip Hop Muzick'', in 1991. Career He began his career as a vocalist in the mid-1980s before eventually signing to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records label in late 1989. His debut album, '' Addictive Hip Hop Muzick'', was released in 1991, on which he was credited as "Who Am I?" to avoid infringing on laws which forba ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Das EFX
Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Dray (also known as Krazy Drayz, born Andre Weston, September 9, 1970) and Skoob (also known as Books and Boogie Bang, born William "Willie" Hines, November 27, 1970). They named themselves "DAS" standing for "Dray and Skoob" and "EFX" meaning "effects". They rose to popularity in the early 1990s due to the duo's stream of consciousness lyrical delivery, which became one of the most influential lyrical styles in rap music at the time; as well as their affiliation with EPMD's Hit Squad. Their style combined intricate rhymes, sometimes mixed with made up words (especially ending with "-iggedy"), delivered with a fast-paced flow and numerous pop culture and hip hop culture references. History Skoob hails from Brooklyn, New York City, while Dray hails from Teaneck, New Jersey. The duo met at Virginia State University in 1988 and began performing together. Das EFX caught the attention of EPMD at a local talent show where, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |