Our Rich Higton first heard Ice Cube's music when he was twelve years old, in 1993. Now, thirty years later, he experienced it live at Motorpoint Arena...
Thirty years ago in 1993, I was twelve years old. This was a formative time for me in my life, and the first time I heard both Cypress Hill and Ice Cube. 1993 was a golden year for hip hop, Cypress Hill released their seminal album Black Sunday, Ice Cube released Lethal Injection, and there were highly regarded releases by Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Onyx, A Tribe Called Quest, Tupac, and many, many more. I must admit, I was absolutely hooked.
Fast-forward thirty years and I am finally getting to experience two of these seminal artists, live for the first time. Thirty years is a hell of a long time, but the wait was most definitely worth it.
The show, which is part of the High Rollers Tour was originally billed to be a triple threat of The Game, Cypress Hill, and Ice Cube. However, at some point in proceedings, The Game had dropped out to be replaced on some dates by D12. The Nottingham show however, was blessed with the presence of Eminem and D12 collaborator and former Shady Records artist Obie Trice.
Trice’s set was good and filled with hits from his first two albums, Cheers and Second Rounds on Me. His skills on the mic are undeniable and was ably backed by DJ Ones.
Cypress Hill, however, are on another level. The California group, who have been around for over 35 years are phenomenal, consisting of rappers, B-Real and Sen Dog, drummer and percussionist, Eric Bobo, alongside touring DJ, DJ Lord. To the shock of absolutely no one, B-Real came out on stage smoking a joint, the smell of marijuana drifting over the audience, before launching into some of their iconic tunes. Doctor Greenthumb, Hits from the Bong, When the Shit Goes Down, and set closer Insane in the Brain, are all fantastic live experiences. DJ Lord is a phenomenal DJ; his scratching duet with Eric Bobo was a definite show highlight.
Cypress Hill haven’t missed a beat in their 35-plus years, and, if anything, they have become an even tighter unit.
Headliner Ice Cube had a tough act to follow but was more than equal to the task. Everyone knows how important Cube is to the history of rap/hip hop, he was a pioneer of Gangster Rap in the late 1980s with N.W.A. and has had many highly regarded solo albums throughout his career. The major highlights of this career are represented tonight, Friday, Natural Born Killaz, You Know How We Do It, and even the controversial N.W.A. diss track No Vaseline. All of which, Cube alongside Dub Cee spit out with charismatic ‘pyroclastic flow’. We even get a few N.W.A bangers for our buck, and the whole show closes with the indomitable Today Was a Good Day.
All in all, an absolute belter of a show, and a definite live music highlight for this writer, and I’m sure for all in attendance.
Ice Cube performed at Motorpoint Arena on 12 December 2023
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