Raw Footage

The album was released in the year I was born, so yeah, I’m a bit of a "young" pal in this rap stuff!
But I appreciate it more than the new stuff nowadays.

And around these times, people banked ice cube as a "movie guy" or the "old school legend"
By 2008, trap was in full swing, and who would've thought Ice Cube would step into that lane and pull it off?

Many people didn't like this project much, maybe because they weren’t ready to hear a hip-hop pioneer over booming Southern beats. But that’s exactly why Raw Footage works for me. Cube didn’t try to copy what was hot; he bent it around his style. That track with Jeezy, though, was pretty fire. It’s like two generations of gangsta rap meeting in the middle and finding common ground.

Cube still spits with purpose, too. He’s angry, political, and reflective. And sure, the production leans into the 2008 trap zone, but to me, that’s part of the charm. It captures a moment in time. If you loved that era, this album clicks.

Now, does it stay consistent all the way through? No, not really. After a few standout tracks, it starts to drag a bit. Some songs blur together or feel like filler. But overall, though, I genuinely enjoyed it, and I’d take this over some of Cube’s more celebrated albums, just off the strength of how bold and unexpected it felt.