CLEAR! The album, although no longer as usual remains, the old Ice Cube Style faithful, yet it remains the Hip Hop faithful.
Ice Cube is very very long time in the business and will from year to year, always older and more mature as any of us. So can and also does not have to expect from him, that he is still just rapping with his now 44 years as the first day.
He ghet over time, just like any other rapper also. That he no longer raps about ghetto drama as in his Old'Schhol classics, also each have to be obvious. But Mister cube is about the only rapper who is still remained the Hip Hop litter until today, while other major stars prefer to drive the commercial rail and will dedicate other music genres.
I myself detest jetz not these newfangled Hip Hop, because I grew up in the principle itself with him and Künster as Lil`Wayne, Ludacris and 50 Cent etc. I also celebration. But since the well nurnoch bring any pop ballads out, I can not even listen to me (with very few exceptions).
But who on a daily basis only this commercial pop-rap or techno rap SCRAP ala. Bruno Mars, Will.I.am, LMFAO, BOB or Drake sounds etc. and thereby a huge hip-hop fan feels, is to do so quietly.
Each of the other, however, in my opinion, should rather be Ice Cube buy and listen, or has already done so anyway.
Although the album "I'am the West" already has more the new-fangled style, it is still 1000 times better than the other stuff which is now known as Hip Hop.
I admit wiedermal 5 stars. As with every Ice Cube art!