Ice Cube has announced a new solo album called Man Down. Speaking to Chuck D’s RAPstation, the rap juggernaut revealed he’s only two weeks away from finishing the project. It would mark his first full-length solo release since 2018’s Everythang’s Corrupt. As he explained, “I’m working on an album that hopefully I can finish in next couple of weeks and schedule to put it out and yeah, I’m digging what I’m doing. The name of the record is called Man Down and, you know, it’s a pretty good record. It like it. It’s dope.”
Cube is getting ready to perform with Ja Rule and Ashanti in his hometown of Los Angeles on Friday (September 29) as part of KDAY’s 40th anniversary celebration. Cube tweeted about it on Monday night (September 25), writing, “Ya homeboy is coming home in only 4 days. Roll through and rock with me, Ja Rule and Ashanti.” He also included a link to further tour dates, which includes a show with Tha Dogg Pound, DJ Quik, Suga Free, Rodney O and Joe Cooley the following day in Stockton.
Ya homeboy is coming home in only 4 days. Roll through and rock with me, Ja Rule, and Ashanti—https://t.co/dJE5jzvwSV. pic.twitter.com/9UOlmJ5L9V
— Ice Cube (@icecube) September 26, 2023
In addition to albums with N.W.A, Ice Cube has released 10 solo efforts throughout the course of his career, including 1990’s Amerikkka’s Most Wanted and 1992’s The Predator. Even with all of his success, he remains down-to-earth and grateful for a career that’s given him so much.
“It’s a blessing, really,” he said. “For one, I made a promise to myself when I got in this business that I wouldn’t let it change who I am as a person, so I was always willing to let the chips fall where they may and and not worry about ‘I can’t do this or my career will be over’ or ‘if I do this, will this happen?’ When you broke when you’re starting off, going back to being broke is not an issue. That’s not motivation, like ‘I’m going to be broke again, let me bow down to this b#######.’ No.”
Ice Cube, Too $hort, Snoop Dogg and E-40, collectively known as Mount Westmore, released their debut album, Snoop Cube 40 $hort, last December. Originally titled Bad MFs, the project produced singles like “Big Subwoofer” and “Too Big” featuring P-Lo. It peaked at No. 188 on the Billboard 200—not that they care about chart positions at this point in the careers. The project was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic and is clearly a passion project by four certified OGs with nothing to prove.
