''The Essentials'' is second

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

by American rapper

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 popu ...

. It was released on September 16, 2008, via

Priority Records Priority Records is an American distribution company and record label known for artists including N.W.A, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, Master P, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Silkk the Shocker, Jay-Z, Paris, Mack 10, 504 Boyz, Brotha Lynch Hung, ...

, making it his fifth

compilation Compilation may refer to: *In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler **Compilation error **Compilation unit *Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products, such as video game co ...

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 ''AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Ice Cube, released on May 16, 1990, by Priority Records. It was his first solo album, after an acrimonious split from his former group N.W.A. Primarily produced by Public ...

'' to the most recent at that time, 2008 ''

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, Youn ...

''), the compilation was produced by Frank Collura. It features

hip hop production Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and " ...

from the Boogiemen,

Bud'da Stephen Anderson, better known as Bud'da, is an American producer, songwriter, composer and rapper for artists such as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Xzibit and Aaliyah. Through the successful Westside Connection stint, and the mutual acquaintance of fellow ...

Sir Jinx Anthony D. Wheaton (born June 3, 1970), professionally known by his stage name Sir Jinx, is an American hip-hop record producer and rapper from Los Angeles. He is a cousin of multi-platinum producer Dr. Dre. He began his career as a member of th ...

The Bomb Squad The Bomb Squad was an American hip hop production team known for their work with hip hop group Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad are noted for their dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track. ...

, 88 X Unit,

Chucky Thompson Carl Edward Thompson Jr. (July 12, 1968 – August 9, 2021) was an American record producer, best known for his work with Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records. Biography Thompson was born in Washington, D.C., in 1968. He was a member of Bad Boy Entertai ...

DJ Muggs Lawrence Muggerud (born January 28, 1968) professionally known as DJ Muggs, is an American DJ, audio engineer and record producer. He has been a member of Cypress Hill, a member of the trip hop band Cross My Heart Hope to Die and the leader of h ...

, D'Maq,

Hallway Productionz Hallway Productionz is a music production duo from Stockton, California, composed of Teak & Dee Underdue. They have been credited on albums for music industry artists mainly in hip hop and contemporary R&B, such as Ice Cube, WC, T-Bone, Angie S ...

, Laylaw,

Lil' Jon Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, DJ, and record producer. Regarded as a progenitor of the club-oriented hip-hop subgenre crunk, his production and voice presence were inst ...

, Loren Hill, Rich Nice,

Scott Storch Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. Storch began his career as part of Philadelphia-based hip hop band the Roots, which he joined as a keyboardist prior to the release of their 1993 debut a ...

and Ice Cube himself, as well as

guest appearance The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...

s from WC,

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 them ...

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 ...

, Lil' Jon,

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 t ...

and DJ

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 Recor ...

Critical reception

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 a ...

of ''

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 ...

'' 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 to his greatest song, the fact-filled paraplegic memoir "Ghetto Vet". It closes with "Dead Homiez" and "Cold Places", two distinct and convincing arguments for keeping ya head up and ya ass off the street".

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 Mus ...

's David Jeffries considered it a "big blunder" to have "Cold Pieces" instead of "the superior ' Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It'" and the absence of " Bop Gun", but found that the "release dates are shuffled into a running order that makes sense" and called

Soren Baker Soren Baker is an American journalist specializing in hip-hop coverage. He is widely recognized for his six-year tenure as a senior editor at '' The Source''. Over the course of his career, Baker has contributed more than 3,500 articles to a var ...

's essay "informed and insightful". Ian Cohen of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' resumed: "against the odds, the latest Ice Cube career comp mostly succeeds in balancing his

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

hits with the trenchant deep cuts that actually made him essential in the first place". In his mixed review, Mike Joseph of ''

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, ...

'' saw the album as "a horrible introduction if you're being introduced to Ice Cube for the first time, but it's hard to give a thumbs-up to an album that calls itself ''The Essentials'' when there's so much essential material missing". Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews gave the album a derogatory 0 out of ten score, summing up with: "absolutely not essential. Important songs missing, unimportant songs included".

Track listing

;Sample credits *Track 2 contains interpolations of " Bop Gun" written by George Clinton Jr., William Collins and

Garry Shider Garry Marshall Shider (July 24, 1953 – June 16, 2010) was an American musician and guitarist. He was musical director of the P-Funk All-Stars for much of their history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, with fifteen ...

and "Big Bang Theory" written by George Clinton Jr.,

Ronald Dunbar Ronald Dunbar (April 15, 1939 – April 3, 2018) was an American songwriter, A&R director and record producer who worked closely with Holland–Dozier–Holland, and with George Clinton. His co-writing credits include the hit songs "Give Me Just ...

and

Donnie Sterling Donnie Sterling is a musician brought in by Parlet's Mallia Franklin in 1978 as Parlet's band leader and bass player. After writing three songs on Parlet's second album, '' Invasion of the Booty Snatchers'', Sterling and Franklin both left Parl ...

. *Track 5 contains a sample from "Kleer Sailin'" written by Woodrow Cunningham as recorded by

Kleeer Kleeer was an American New York City–based funk, disco and post-disco band, which was formed in 1972 under the name The Jam Band, as a backup group to different disco bands and vocalists. Members * Woodrow "Woody" Cunningham (lead vocalist an ...

. *Track 6 contains samples from "

Footsteps in the Dark "Footsteps in the Dark" is a 1977 slow jam recorded by The Isley Brothers as an album track featured on the group's album ''Go for Your Guns''. It was the B-side to "Groove with You", which reached number 16 on the R&B singles chart. The song ...

" written by

Marvin Isley Marvin Isley (August 18, 1953 – June 6, 2010)
– accessed June 2010 was an American musician best known as the young ...

Rudolph Isley Rudolph "Rudy" Bernard Isley (April 1, 1939 – October 11, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter and Christian minister and one of the founding members of The Isley Brothers. Life and career Rudolph "Rudy" Bernard Isley was born on April 1, ...

, O'Kelly Isley Jr.,

Ernie Isley Ernest Isley (born March 7, 1952) is an American musician best known as a member of the musical ensemble The Isley Brothers, and also the splinter group Isley-Jasper-Isley. Biography Ernie was born in Cincinnati, where his older brothers formed ...

Ronald Isley Ronald Isley ( ; born May 21, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Isley is the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers. Early life Born in 1941 to Sallye Bernice (née Bell) and O ...

and

Chris Jasper Christopher Howard Jasper (December 30, 1951 – February 23, 2025) was an American singer, composer and producer. Jasper was a member of the Isley Brothers from 1973 to 1983, and Isley-Jasper-Isley from 1984 to 1987. He was also a successful s ...

as performed by

the Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American soul group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of the brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, ...

and "Sexy Mama" written by Willie Albert Goodman, Harry Ray and

Sylvia Robinson Sylvia Robinson (née Vanterpool; May 29, 1935 – September 29, 2011), known mononymously as Sylvia, was an American singer and record producer. Robinson achieved success as a performer on two R&B chart toppers: as half of Mickey & Sylv ...

as recorded by the Moments. *Track 10 contains samples from "

We Will Rock You "We Will Rock You" is a song by the British rock band Queen from their 1977 album '' News of the World'', written by guitarist Brian May. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 330 of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA it p ...

" written by

Brian May Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...

as recorded by

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

. *Track 12 contains a sample of "Hip Hug-Her" written by

Steve Cropper Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He was the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as ...

Booker T. Jones Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artis ...

Al Jackson Jr. Albert J. Jackson Jr. (November 27, 1935 – October 1, 1975) was an American drummer, producer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s, a group of session musicians who worked for Stax Records and produced their ...

and

Donald Dunn Donald Dunn may refer to: * Donald "Duck" Dunn Donald "Duck" Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & ...

as recorded by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. *Track 15 contains an interpolation of " I Want You" written by Arthur Ross and

Leon Ware Leon Ware (February 16, 1940 – February 23, 2017) was an American songwriter, producer, composer, and singer. Besides a solo career as a performer, Ware was best known for producing hits for other artists including Michael Jackson, Quincy ...

. *Track 16 contains an interpolation of "

Don't Speak "Don't Speak" is a song by American rock band No Doubt, featured on their third studio album, '' Tragic Kingdom'' (1995). Released as an album track in 1996 by Interscope Records, the song was initially written as a love song by lead singer Gwe ...

" written by

Eric Stefani Eric Matthew Stefani (born June 17, 1967) is an American musician and animator best known as the founder and former member of the ska punk band No Doubt. He is the older brother of former bandmate Gwen Stefani and is also a former animator on the ...

and

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton ( ; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani rose to fame as a member and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose hit singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderwebs", an ...

. ;Notes *Tracks 1, 7 and 11 are taken from 2006's ''

Laugh Now, Cry Later ''Laugh Now, Cry Later'' is the seventh studio album by rapper Ice Cube, released on June 6, 2006. It is Ice Cube's first album to be released on his independently owned record label Lench Mob Records and Universal Records. This album is his fir ...

''. *Tracks 2, 9 and 12 are taken from 1991's ''

Death Certificate A death certificate is either a legal document issued by a medical practitioner which states when a person died, or a document issued by a government civil registration office, that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death, a ...

''. *Tracks 3, 4 and 16 are taken from 1998's '' War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc)'' *Track 5 is taken from 2000's '' War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc)'' *Tracks 6, 10 and 14 are taken from 1992's '' The Predator'' *Tracks 8 and 13 taken from 1990's ''

'' *Track 15 is taken from 1993's ''

Lethal Injection Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium) for the express purpose of causing death. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but t ...

'' *Track 17 is taken from 1990's ''

Kill at Will ''Kill at Will'' (titled ''At Will'' in its censored version) is an extended play by American rapper Ice Cube, released on December 19, 1990, via Priority Records. It was released soon after ''AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'' and capitalized on Cube's ne ...

'' *Track 18 is taken from 2008's ''

References

Notes

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Essentials, The Ice Cube albums 2008 greatest hits albums Albums produced by Bud'da Albums produced by Laylaw Albums produced by DJ Pooh Albums produced by Lil Jon Albums produced by DJ Muggs Albums produced by DJ Bobcat Gangsta rap compilation albums Albums produced by Scott Storch Priority Records compilation albums West Coast hip-hop compilation albums Albums produced by Ice Cube