Ice Cube has remained unapologetically self-confident in his standing within hip-hop's history. That's especially applicable to where he thinks he ranks among the greatest of all time. He's definitely up there and rightfully so. He's one of the first to really put the West Coast on map. While his music has maybe not hit home as much as it did in the 90s, he reminded everyone last year to rethink that. The former N.W.A. member dropped off his first solo tape since 2018 with Man Down. It received some solid reviews from fans, proving that Cube still has some juice left in the tank. Bolstering the 19-song tracklist were features from Busta Rhymes, Killer Mike, Kurupt, B-Real, E-40, and more.
But this tape wasn't just show and no go. Overall, there are some real winners, especially "It's My Ego." The lead single features that braggadocious attitude that you come to expect from Ice Cube paired with a masterful and sunny G-funk instrumental from E-A-Ski. The song had the most sauce and it seems that its creator knew that. He included a soft remix of it called "Ego Maniacs," which wound up being the album's closer. Busta and Killer's placements were welcome additions, with Cube recording new verses for it. Well, he's not done with making alternate versions for it because he's now created a trilogy. This "3mix" includes a feature from frequent collaborator and fellow legend Scarface who fits just perfectly over the beat. His gravelly voice is always nice to hear, and their chemistry hasn't lost a step one bit.
"It's My Ego (3mix)" - Ice Cube & Scarface
