Bootlegs & B-Sides (Priority, 1994) by Ice Cube

This is a mediocre compilation (which explains why they're bootlegs and b-sides).  However, there are some highlights.  The blend of "Check Yo Self" for the remix over Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five's "The Message" is and "D'Voidofpopniggafiedmegamix" is a cool mix of Ice Cube records from his first few albums and a clever ways to give props to P-Funk.

Lethal Injection (Priority, 1993) by Ice Cube

This is an often overlooked album in Cube's catalog.  One legitimate criticism of the album is that it imitated the sound of Dre's Chronic album.  I can see where that comes from, but Cube certainly still brings his signature flow and content to the music.  "You Know How We Do It" was a great laid back joint to ride to and getting George Clinton on Bop Gun [One Nation] was amazing.  "Ghetto Bird" was good.  And B-Real's cameo in the "Really Doe" video was great too.  Overall, the album is descent.  But hip-hop was changing at the time, the profoundness of Cube's west coast street knowledge was now taking a back seat to the revival of east coast rap (e.g. Wu-Tang, Nas, Biggie).  Almost 19 years later, the album still holds up though.

Kill at Will EP (Priority, 1990) by Ice Cube

"I was told, cause I didn't witness the whole act/In and out was the movement of the bozack/It was hot and sweaty and lots of pushin'/Then the nut came gushin'/And it was hell tryin to bail to the ovary,with nuttin' but the Lord lookin' over me/I was white with a tail/But when I reached the finish line, young black male!/One cell made two, and two cells made fo'/and so on, so now I'm a embryo/Then I got a hunch/That I'ma be on lockdown, for nine months/Chillin, with my mother to guide me And nuttin' but a stomach to hide me/From all that worry and bullshit/Nine months later, I elbow, pull and kick/Cause my time is up, and I don't care/With one big push, I'm outta there/June 15th, it's just my luck/In 1969, a nigga is the product"

-Ice Cube, "The Product"

War & Peace: Vol. 1 The War Disc (Priority, 1998) by Ice Cube

Clocking in at just over 70 minutes, The War Disc finds Cube returning to rap as a solo artist after a five-year absence with something to prove.  It stretches itself a little thin, and finds Cube relying on generic bravado.  But the album is something different, and there's definitely something to be said for that.  "Fuck Dying," which features Korn instrumentally, is a great rap/rock record.  "War and Peace" interpolates No Doubt's "Don't Speak."  And Cube delivers his trademark street knowledge and insight with records like "Ghetto Vet" and "Three Strikes You In."  The Peace Disc is better than The War Disc, but The War Disc is an improvement when compared to Lethal Injection (with the exception of "You Know How We Do It" and "Bop Gun [One Nation]").

The Predator (Priority, 1992) by Ice Cube

On the heels of two hip-hop masterpieces, Cube released his third solo album in three years.  The biggest difference between this and his first two solo releases is that the anger is less calculated.  AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was articulate aggression and Death Certificate was a concept album, however, The Predator is more all-out rage.  it speaks more to Cube's personality on Straight Outta Compton than the maturity he presented on his later work.  Given the Rodney King verdict though, Cube's emotions are justified and passionately presented.  Ironically, "It Was a Good Day", one of the least political records in Cube's career, was the album's biggest hit.  A few years ago in Rolling Stone Chris Rock described Ice Cube as the best rapper from 1990-1994 without peer.  I could not agree more.  Cube is one of the greatest emcees that ever picked up a microphone.

Death Certificate (Priority, 1991) by Ice Cube

"Now in ninety-one, he wanna tax me/I remember, the son of a bitch used to axe me/and hang me by a rope 'til my neck snapped/Now the sneaky motherfucker wanna ban rap/and put me under dirt or concrete/But God, can see through a white sheet/Cause you the devil in drag/You can burn your cross well I'll burn your flag/Try to give me the H-I-V/so I can stop makin' babies like me/And you're givin' dope to my people chump/Just wait 'til we get over that hump/Cause yo' ass is grass cause I'ma blast/Can't bury rap, like you buried jazz/Cause we stopped bein' whores, stop doin' floors/So bitch you can fight your own wars/So if you see a man in red white and blue/gettin' janked by the Lench Mob crew/It's a man who deserves to buckle/I wanna kill Sam cause he ain't my motherfuckin' Uncle!"

-Ice Cube, "I Wanna Kill Sam"

War & Peace: Vol. 2 The Peace Disc (Priority, 2000) by Ice Cube

This is Cube's most underrated album.  The N.W.A track, "Hello" is better than "Chin Check" off the Next Friday soundtrack.  Chris Rock is hilarious on "You Ain't Gotta Lie to Kick It" and Cube's verse on "The Gutter Shit" is overlooked  Other highlights include "Until We Rich" with Krayzie Bone and the EPMD-inspired "Record Company Pimpin".  This is a great album and made the wait between this and Cube's next solo offering, 2006's Laugh Now, Cry Later, painfully long.

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (Priority, 1990) by Ice Cube

Death Certificate is a classic too, but this album inspires me in ways that go further than music.  The Bomb Squad’s frantic production style provides Cube the perfect platform to rail against racial discord.  As a person of color, the material speaks volumes to me.  The closing lyrics of the title track say it best: “I said it before and I’ll still taunt it/Every motherfucker with a color is most wanted."