Raw Footage Album

The Raw Footage album is the eighth studio recording by Ice Cube, a well known rapper and actor. Raw Footage was released in 2009 to a positive critical reception. The tracks, which include "What Is a Pyroclastic Flow?," "I Got My Locs On," "It Takes a Nation," "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It," "Hood Mentality," "Why Me?," "Cold Places," "Jack N the Box, "Do Ya Thang," "Thank God," "Here He Come," "Get Money, Spend Money, No Money," "Get Used to It," "Tomorrow," "Stand Tall," and "Take me Away" were produced by several hip hop artists such as John Murphy, P-No, Emile, Maestro, Tha Bizness, Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell, Swizz Beatz, DJ Felli Fel and Scott Storch.

Three singles were released off Ice Cube Raw Footage. The first was "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It," in which Cube rails against people who blame anti-social behavior on hip hop music. The second was "Do Ya Thang," and the third "Why Me?," which featured the guest talent of Taalib Johnson, also known as Musiq Soulchild. Other rappers who lent their voices to this record are Young Jeezy, Doughboy, WC, The Game, Butch Cassidy, Nas and Scarface. These contributions certainly served to enhance the poignancy already found in Ice Cube music.

However, the lyrics are the strong point in this album. Cube rhymes with a take no prisoners approach that leaves no target standing, while piling up self praise that is not at all undeserved for this legendary performer. However, the album is also full of paradoxes, if not contradictions, as befits a man who has embraced mainstream film making while still creating uncompromising hardcore rap. In the Raw Footage album listeners will not find bling-bling, but harsh, dark, thought provoking lyrics, contrasted by minimalistic beats that complement the words, rather than getting attention away from them.