I Am the West

Ice Cube said this album would be different from any one of his others, having a different direction. The album was released independently under his label Lench Mob. Ice Cube stated that "being independent is beautiful because we can do things 'out the box' that record companies would usually frown at. Instead of working from a ready-made cookie-cutter marketing plan, we can tailor make a marketing plan specifically for me".{{cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Allen |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10858/title.ice-cube-blogs-about-i-am-the-west-mack-10 |title=Ice Cube Blogs About "I Am The West", Mack 10 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales |publisher=HipHop DX |date=2010-03-19 |access-date=2012-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926011839/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10858/title.ice-cube-blogs-about-i-am-the-west-mack-10 |archive-date=2012-09-26 |url-status=dead }}

In an interview with Baller Status, Ice Cube spoke on two songs that were going to be on the album, "Man vs. Machine" and "Hood Robbin". "'Man vs. Machine' is talking about our obsessions with machinery and how it's taking over. Automation is taking over human beings in all our relevancy in this world. Pretty soon, machines are gonna take over and that's just real...['Hood Robbin'] is talking about how big corporations is now stealing from the poor and giving to the rich. It's a whole thing about the things we're going up against with housing and medical insurance ... just everything people are going through. Real shit that ain't got nothing to do with money, cars, and all the shit most rappers talk about."{{cite web|url=http://www.ballerstatus.com/2010/04/12/ice-cube-talks-dependence-on-technology-corporate-americas-greed-in-two-new-tracks/ |title=Ice Cube Talks Dependence On Technology, Corporate America's Greed in Two New Tracks |date=12 April 2010 |publisher=Ballerstatus.Com |access-date=2012-02-23}}

Young Maylay made guest appearances on the album.[http://www.icecube.com/users/icecube/blogs/407202 Icecube.com]{{dead link|date=February 2012}} Ice Cube confirmed that Dr. Dre would no longer be on the album in August.{{cite web |last=Burgess |first=Omar |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11899/title.dr-dre-no-longer-featured-on-ice-cubes-album |title=Dr. Dre No Longer Featured On Ice Cube's Album | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales |publisher=HipHop DX |date=2010-08-09 |access-date=2012-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928232725/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11899/title.dr-dre-no-longer-featured-on-ice-cubes-album |archive-date=2012-09-28 |url-status=dead }}

He received beats from West coast veteran producers such as DJ Quik, Dr. Dre, E-A-Ski, and Sir Jinx, not having worked on a solo album with the latter in nearly 20 years.

I Am The West, like several previous Ice Cube/Westside Connection albums, features interludes by Keith David.

The album's lead single "I Rep That West", was released on April 25, 2010.{{cite web|url=http://icecube.com/news/11721 |title=Debuts New Single TODAY |publisher=Ice Cube |access-date=2012-02-23}} The album's second single "Drink the Kool-Aid", was released on July 27, 2010.{{YouTube|bBIZtveX9Ns}}{{dead link|date=February 2012}} The album's third single "She Couldn't Make It On Her Own" featuring Doughboy and OMG, was released on August 31, 2010.{{cite web|url=http://icecube.com/store/product/ice-mp3-0009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713001806/http://icecube.com/store/product/ice-mp3-0009 |archive-date=2011-07-13 |title=She Couldn't Make It On Her Own (Clean) : Ice Cube |publisher=Icecube.com |date=2011-07-13 |access-date=2012-08-07}}{{cite web|url=http://www.karmalooptv.com/2010/09/ice-cube-she-couldnt-make-it-on-her-own-ft-omg-doughboy-music-video-premier|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724082733/http://www.karmalooptv.com/2010/09/ice-cube-she-couldnt-make-it-on-her-own-ft-omg-doughboy-music-video-premier|archive-date=2011-07-24 |title=Ice Cube "She Couldn'T Make It On Her Own" Introducing Omg & Doughboy Music Video Premier |publisher=Karmaloop TV |date=2010-09-20 |access-date=2012-02-23}} A music video for "Too West Coast" (produced by Hallway Productionz) was released on October 5, 2010.

{{Music ratings

| MC = 62/100{{Cite web |title=Critic Reviews for I Am the West - Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/i-am-the-west/ice-cube/critic-reviews |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=Metacritic |language=en}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |last=Jeffries |first=David |title=I Am the West - Ice Cube {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-am-the-west-mw0002002012 |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}

| rev2 = HipHopDX

| rev2score = 2.5/5{{Cite web |last=Tardio |first=Andres |date=September 27, 2010 |title=Ice Cube - I Am The West |url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.1527/title.ice-cube-i-am-the-west |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125121307/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.1527/title.ice-cube-i-am-the-west |archive-date=January 25, 2012 |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=HipHopDX |language=en}}

| rev3 = Los Angeles Times

| rev3score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}{{Cite web |last=Weiss |first=Jeff |date=September 28, 2010 |title=Album review: Ice Cube's 'I Am the West' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/pop-hiss/story/2010-09-28/album-review-ice-cubes-i-am-the-west |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}

| rev4 = Pitchfork

| rev4score = 4.4/10{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Ian |date=October 18, 2010 |title=Ice Cube: I Am the West |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14744-i-am-the-west/ |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}

| rev5 = RapReviews

| rev5score = 7.5/10{{Cite web |last=Juon |first=Steve 'Flash' |date=October 12, 2010 |title=Ice Cube :: I Am the West :: Lench Mob Records |url=https://www.rapreviews.com/2010/10/ice-cube-i-am-the-west/ |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=RapReviews |language=en-US}}

| rev6 = Rolling Stone

| rev6score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Dolan |first=Jon |date=October 18, 2010 |title=I Am the West |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/i-am-the-west-103390/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081135/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/i-am-the-west-20101018 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}

| rev7 = Slant

| rev7score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Huw |date=September 24, 2010 |title=Review: Ice Cube, I Am the West |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/ice-cube-i-am-the-west/ |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=Slant Magazine |language=en-US}}

}}

I Am the West was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 62 based on eight reviews.

AllMusic's David Jeffries praised the album, writing "most won't have the skills to follow his playbook, either on or off the field, but Cube's utterly unique I Am the West shows the younger generation how to cross 40 while retaining their freedom and baller status". Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews wrote: "on the tracks of I Am the West that work the best, he's still got the vintage gruff demeanor, lyrical ferocity and hard hitting beats to claim some significant ownership of the Pacific shoreline. At other times he desperately desires to have a contemporary sound, and that's where things fall apart, but those mistakes can be overlooked or easily skipped compared to the quality of the overall presentation". Jeff Weiss of Los Angeles Times stated: "on his ninth album, the independently released I Am the West, he retreats to self-satisfied taunts about his legendary status, the enervated state of the Left Coast, and his rivals, both real and imaginary".

In mixed reviews, Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone found Ice Cube's "rants get boring over track after track of bland Nineties G-funk (a promised collaboration with his estranged N.W.A homey Dr. Dre never came through)". Huw Jones of Slant concluded: "judging by moments like these, when Cube's performance is allowed to take center stage, I Am the West becomes an engaging hip-hop record". Ian Cohen of Pitchfork resumed: "so even if I Am the West is little more than another reminder of what Cube's day job was before becoming a Hollywood supermogul, if it does result in someone's hearing AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted or Death Certificate for the first time in 2010, it's done its job".

{{Track listing

| all_writing =

| title1 = A Boy Was Conceived

| note1 = Intro

| music1 = John Murphy

| length1 = 0:26

| title2 = Soul on Ice

| lyrics2 = O'Shea Jackson

| music2 = {{hlist|Chris Whitacre|Justin Henderson}}

| length2 = 3:39

| title3 = Life in California

| note3 = featuring Jayo Felony and WC

| lyrics3 = {{hlist|O. Jackson|James Savage|William Calhoun}}

| music3 = {{hlist|Dameon Garrett|Anthony Wheaton}}

| length3 = 4:02

| title4 = She Couldn't Make It on Her Own

| note4 = featuring OMG and Doughboy

| lyrics4 = {{hlist|O. Jackson|O'Shea Jackson Jr.|Darrell Finister II}}

| music4 = Shondrae Crawford

| length4 = 2:58

| title5 = Urbanian

| lyrics5 = O. Jackson

| music5 = Kevin Harris II

| length5 = 2:25

| title6 = Ya'll Know How I Am

| note6 = featuring OMG, Doughboy, WC and Young Maylay

| lyrics6 = {{hlist|O. Jackson|Jackson Jr.|Finister II|Calhoun|Chris Bellard}}

| music6 = Montay Humphrey

| length6 = 2:18

| title7 = Too West Coast

| note7 = featuring WC and Young Maylay

| lyrics7 = {{hlist|O. Jackson|Calhoun|Bellard}}

| music7 = {{hlist|Deejan Underdue|Teak Underdue}}

| length7 = 2:58

| title8 = I Rep That West

| lyrics8 = O. Jackson

| music8 = Amir Perry

| length8 = 4:31

| title9 = Drink the Kool-Aid

| lyrics9 = O. Jackson

| music9 = Brandon Alexander

| length9 = 3:09

| title10 = No Country for Young Men

| lyrics10 = O. Jackson

| music10 = {{hlist|Finister II|R.L. Jackson}}

| length10 = 4:13

| title11 = It Is What It Is

| lyrics11 = O. Jackson

| music11 = Humphrey

| length11 = 3:21

| title12 = Hood Robbin'

| lyrics12 = O. Jackson

| music12 = Tristan Jones

| length12 = 3:45

| title13 = Your Money or Your Life

| lyrics13 = O. Jackson

| music13 = Jones

| length13 = 3:23

| title14 = Nothing Like L.A.

| lyrics14 = O. Jackson

| music14 = {{hlist|Chaz Mishan|David Delazyn}}

| length14 = 3:20

| title15 = All Day, Every Day

| lyrics15 = O. Jackson

| music15 = {{hlist|D. Underdue|T. Underdue}}

| length15 = 2:21

| title16 = Fat Cat

| lyrics16 = O. Jackson

| music16 = Perry

| length16 = 2:54

| total_length = 49:43

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = iTunes bonus tracks

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length = 4:46

| title17 = Man vs. Machine

| note17 =

| writer17 = {{hlist|O. Jackson|J. Suecof}}

| extra17 = Infinity

| length17 = 2:27

| title18 = Pros vs. Joes

| note18 =

| writer18 = {{hlist|O. Jackson|Shon Adams|R. Mandell}}

| extra18 = E-A-Ski

| length18 = 2:19

}}

;Sample credits

• Track 4 contains a sample from "The Message" written by Clifton "Jiggs" Chase, Edward Fletcher, Melvin Glover and Sylvia Robinson and performed by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

{{div col}}

• O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson – lyrics, vocals, executive producer
• William "WC" Calhoun, Jr. – lyrics & vocals {{small|(tracks: 3, 6, 7)}}
• James "Jayo Felony" Savage – lyrics & vocals {{small|(track 3)}}
• Darrell "Doughboy" Finister II – lyrics & vocals {{small|(tracks: 4, 6)}}, producer {{small|(track 10)}}
• O'Shea "OMG" Jackson, Jr. – lyrics & vocals {{small|(tracks: 4, 6)}}
• Chris "Young Maylay" Bellard – lyrics & vocals {{small|(tracks: 6, 7)}}
• Keith David – voice
• Mike Epps – voice
• Domino – backing vocals {{small|(track 3)}}
• TigerDaWriter – backing vocals {{small|(track 3)}}
• Amir "Jiggolo" Perry – vocals {{small|(track 8)}}, producer {{small|(tracks: 8, 16)}}
• John Murphy – producer {{small|(track 1)}}
• Justin "Henny" Henderson – producer {{small|(track 2)}}
• Christopher John "Dow Jones" Whitacre – producer {{small|(track 2)}}
• Dameon "Dae One" Garrett – producer {{small|(track 3)}}
• Anthony "Sir Jinx" Wheaton – producer {{small|(track 3)}}
• Shondrae "Mr. Bangladesh" Crawford – keyboards & producer {{small|(track 4)}}
• Calvin Ewings – keyboards {{small|(track 4)}}
• Kevin "Track Bully" Harris II – producer {{small|(track 5)}}
• Montay Desmond "DJ Montay" Humphrey – producer {{small|(tracks: 6, 11)}}
• Deejan "Dee" Underdue – producer {{small|(tracks: 7, 15)}}
• Teak "Da Beatsmith" Underdue – producer {{small|(tracks: 7, 15)}}
• Brandon "B.A.M." Hodge – producer {{small|(track 9)}}
• R.L. "Rocko" Jackson – producer {{small|(track 10)}}
• Tristan "T-Mix" Jones – producer {{small|(tracks: 12, 13)}}
• Chaz Mishan – producer {{small|(track 14)}}
• David Delazyn – producer {{small|(track 14)}}
• David "Dizmix" Lopez – recording, mixing
• Mike Bozzi – mastering
• Will Ragland – art direction, design
• Eric Williams – photography

{{div col end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Discogs master|1158820|I Am The West|type=album}}

{{Ice Cube}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2010 albums

Category:Ice Cube albums

Category:Albums produced by Tha Bizness

Category:Albums produced by Bangladesh (record producer)