#241: Ice Cube - The Predator (1992)

Zack: More than any other West Coast G-funk album, I’ve been dying to listen to The Predator. More than Straight Outta Compton or The Chronic (which I’ve already listened to, but not in several years) or even Ice Cube’s more well-known album, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. Besides for the inclusion of It Was a Good Day, a song so fantastic that it has the inherent ability to make any day a good day, I knew his album served as somewhat of a chronicling of the emotional aftermath of the L.A. Riots. In that respect, The Predator is especially dynamic. The recording encompassed a long enough stretch that some songs clearly were recorded before the Rodney King cops’ verdict, and some after. Because of this distinction, some songs seem to really capture the visceral fury that people felt while others feel more like explanations for the aftermath. Most notably among the latter is We Had to Tear This Motherfucka Up, which details exactly why they had to tear that motherfucka up. Imbedded throughout the album are “inserts,” which effectively serve as skits like you see on so many other hip-hop albums. But these are way more interesting because of their content. One of the inserts is a clip from an interview where Ice Cube explains how his earlier albums were almost prophetic of the riots. Oh, and on top of all this, some songs sample the movie Predator 2, which you may remember as the one where a Predator hunts cartel members and police officers in Los Angeles. When all of this is mixed together, the product is an intensely smart, if often abrasive, political manifesto about race relations in a major urban center during a time of extreme crisis. And it’s even more impressive than I thought it would be.

Favorite Tracks: It Was a Good Day; Say Hi to the Bad Guy; We Had to Tear This Motherfucka Up

Emily: I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get to actually listen to this album with Zack. He tends to be way more informed about rap, and knows what to listen for depending on the artist and album. Alas, I did this one on my own - but I think I did okay. The political themes caught my attention more. The sketches throughout the album illustrate different perspectives on race relations in the early '90s, including the police, the white perspective portrayed in the media, and most importantly the view of young African-Americans. Since Ice Cube recorded this album in LA during the Rodney King saga, the anger and sense of futility about these issues from the era is evident throughout. The effect is often abrasive, but the issues couldn't be addressed honestly in any other way. Ice Cube's album reflects the time and place it was made in, making it necessary listening to truly understand what was going on.

Favorite Tracks: It was a Good Day; Who Got the Camera?; When Will They Shoot?