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Ice Cube Releases ‘Before Hip Hop (Premix)’ Featuring LL COOL J and Chuck D

The collaboration positions hip hop as reportage of injustice rather than the source of it.

Overview

  • The new version reimagines the lead track from Ice Cube’s Man Up, the 12th studio album released September 12 on Lench Mob Records/Hitmaker Distro.
  • The song is available on digital streaming platforms on October 9 with an accompanying visualizer.
  • Ice Cube frames the release as a rebuttal to claims that rap fuels social problems, saying the music has been reporting the struggle, not causing it.
  • The visualizer underscores that inequality and injustice predate the genre, reinforcing the track’s message.
  • Promotion aligns with Ice Cube’s Truth To Power: 4 Decades of Attitude tour, which continues with arena dates through mid-October.