It was gangsta music personified. There were baggy pants, brim hats, talk about sex and pimping women. It was classic Ice Cube at his best in front of a packed House of Blues Monday night.
With booming base and crisp lyrics, Ice Cube teamed up with the Westside Connection and put on a show that left a crowd of fans cheering. He performed for about an hour to an audience that was ripe after a 35-minute delay. They performed about a dozen songs which included numbers such as “Steady Mobbin.”‘ “Vow Down” and “Gangstas Make the World Go ‘Round.” It was a performance that lived up to his reputation.
In stature, he appeared to be thinner and shorter than the huge lyrics he boasts, but once he opened his mouth, the physical image disappeared and the rapper known for exulting gangsta rap to its highest level emerged. Between songs, the rapper-turned-actor performed in a different way for the audience. He and the members acted out a skit of anger and frustration between the three of them, which only served to further excite the crowd. This allowed for Mac 10 and W.C. to rap two songs without Ice Cube, showing the crowd that they could carry their own. Ice Cube later appeared and rapped solo.
Ice Cube did a few songs from his days with N.W.A., the days when he became the icon to many aspiring rappers. With an entourage standing behind him with stone faces and moving to the beat every now and then, the concert served as a backdrop to a scene the fans craved.
Scowling and spitting out lyrics and chants, Ice Cube created an atmosphere of chaotic partying and dancing.
It wasn’t long before he could hold the mike out to let the audience fill in the words for songs. His faithful fans were blurting out lyrics just as fast as he was.
With all the music and the bass, sometimes it was hard to hear all his words. The chants grew louder and louder, and the movement in the audience grew stronger.
This night Ice Cube was about more than racial slurs and derogatory statements before an audience representing many cultures. In his own way, some of the harsh lyrics for which he has been criticized seemed to fade away; this time Ice Cube was bringing his own message of unity. No it was not the message, “Let’s all get along.” There were still verses of profanity, but of a more mature and wise variety.
There wasn’t much fanfare to the stage nor were there any fancy costumes or dancing girls. Ice Cube’s raw lyrics and the increasing maturity kept the crowd rocking.
As the concert came to the close, his movements were still sharp and his lyrics were still loud. But, that didn’t seem like enough for his following. The crowd kept cheering until the very end. And with the closing song of “Vow Down,” it still didn’t quench the crowd’s thirst. Ice Cube, the rapper-turned-actor, still has his magic touch.
