The Essentials

Artist	Ice Cube
Producer	Rich Nice, Bobcat, The Bomb Squad, D-Mac, Muggs, DJ Pooh, Scott Storch, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Sir Jinx, Loren Hill, Carl Thompson, The 88X Unit, Teke Underduze, Deejon Underdue
Label Name	Priority/EMI
Song List	1: Go to Church (3:51) 2: A Bird in the Hand (2:12) 3: Ghetto Vet (4:38) 4: Greed (4:28) 5: Supreme Hustle (3:37) 6: It Was a Good Day (4:20) 7: Spittin' Pollaseeds (5:02) 8: Rollin' with the Lench Mob (3:44) 9: The Wrong Ni**a to F*ck Wit (2:49) 10: When Will They Shoot? (4:35) 11: Why We Thugs/Smoke Some Weed [Live] (6:15) 12: Givin' Up the Nappy Dugout (4:13) 13: A Gangsta's Fairytale (3:01) 14: Check Yo Self (3:42) 15: What Can I Do? (4:20) 16: War & Peace (2:58) 17: Dead Homiez (3:53) 18: Cold Places (4:13)
Format	CD
Release Date	2008 09 16
Genre	Rap
Style.Categories	Golden Age, West Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap, G-Funk, Gangsta Rap

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Replacing 2001's Greatest Hits, Ice Cube's 2008 compilation The Essentials sticks with the post-N.W.A solo releases -- no Westside Connection tracks here -- and updates with tracks from the West Coast legend's later releases. The bad news is that "Cold Pieces" is chosen off 2008's Raw Footage instead of the superior "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It," plus the great "Bop Gun" is missing -- but that's it for big blunders. "It Was a Good Day," "Check Yo Self," and the early burner "Dead Homiez" are all here, along with the slept-on classic "Greed" and the fan favorite "Rollin' with the Lench Mob." Release dates are shuffled into a running order that makes sense and while the liner notes are minimal, the essay from hip-hop writer Soren Baker is informed and insightful. Buy this along with the 2007 collection In the Movies and you've got a great portable collection, but the problem with compiling Cubes discography are the three vital albums -- AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Death Certificate, and The Predator -- that kicked off his solo career. Put a box around those three, throw in a disc of singles, and you've got the real essentials -- but this will do in a pinch. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide