War & Peace, Vol. 2: The Peace Disc

Personnel includes: Ice Cube, Mack 10, Ms. Toi, Krayzie Bone, Chris Rock, Jato Felony, Pain In Da Ass, One Eye (vocals); Ralphie Boy (keyboards); DJ Joe Rodriquez (scratches).
Producers include: DJ Joe Rodriquez, Carl "Chucky" Thompson, One Eye, T-Bone, Ice Cube.
Includes liner notes by Jeff Chang.
Personnel includes: Ice Cube, Mack 10, Ms. Toi, Krayzie Bone.
Producers include: Carl "Chucky" Thompson, Battlecat, One Eye, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Bud'da.
Includes liner notes by Jeff Chang.
The second volume of WAR & PEACE proved that Ice Cube had not mellowed with age, the strains of a critically acclaimed film career notwithstanding. Much of the disc aspires to the sort of relentless intensity Cube hadn't matched since his solo debut, AMERIKKA'S MOST WANTED. While more restrained than the Bomb Squad's hyperkinetic collages of sound, Dr. Dre's laid-back grooves are a perfect match for Cube's acerbic ghetto wit and biting social commentary. Rolling drum programming and bouncy Roger Troutman-style basslines give the album an old-school feel. Much of the album marries intense grooves and polished production with humorous skits; "Pimp Homeo," for example, is a funny takeoff on ROMEO AND JULIET. Tracks like "Until We Rich," on the other hand, are more laid-back R&B affairs, with more reflective, socially conscious lyrics. While nothing on the set approaches the political and social fire that categorize AMERIKKA'S MOST WANTED, WAR & PEACE still manages to showcase a rap legend at the top of his form.