Ice Cube; I am the West

I Am the West is the 9th studio album by American rapper Ice Cube.
It was released on September 28, 2010.
The album debuted at #22 on the Billboard 200
and sold 22,000 copies in its first week.
As of November 7, 2010 the album has sold 44,000 copies.

Background

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".

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."

Young Maylay has made guest appearances on the album.
Ice Cube confirmed that
Dr. Dre would no longer be on the album in August.

The album is narrated by Keith David.

Singles

The album's lead single "I Rep That West" featuring JIGG,
was released on April 25, 2010.


The album's second single "Drink the Kool-Aid",
was released on July 27, 2010.


The album's third single
"She Couldn't Make It On Her Own" featuring Doughboy and OMG,
was released on August 31, 2010.



Music video for Too West Coast (ft. Young Maylay & WC)
was released on October 05,2010.


Music video for "Ya'll Know How I Am" (ft. Doughboy, OMG, Young Maylay & WC)
was released on September 29, 2010.


Reception

Early reviews perceived to be generally positive.
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. "

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