Ice Cube plans to drop a new album — his first in six years — this spring. The anticipated project, titled Man Down, has been in the works for more than a year.
“We’re almost finished with it, we’re about 85 percent finished with it. We’re just doing the boring contract paperwork stuff,” Cube told HipHopDX about the project in a recent update. “We got our plan to roll it out with a couple songs and then hit you with the album hopefully around May,” added the West Coast Hip Hop icon.
Cube first revealed that he was in the studio crafting a new solo effort last year while appearing on Chuck D’s Rapstation network. “I’m digging what I’m doing… It’s a pretty good record. I like it. It’s dope,” said the entertainer. His previous album, Everythang’s Corrupt, was released in 2018.
Two years ago, Cube teamed up with Snoop Dogg, E-40 and Too Short as the rap supergroup Mount Westmore. They released their first LP, Bad MFs, on Gala Music that summer, though the project was repackaged and given an eponymous title when it surfaced on all steaming platforms in December 2022.
“It’s fun to be in a group. This is my third group; N.W.A, Westside Connection, and now Mount Westmore,” Cube told Billboard at the top of 2023. He added, “It’s always fun because you’re not carrying the whole load. You got f**kin’ Hall of Famers you can pass it to. That could be a point where you relax, but with us, we don’t relax. We know we’re all going to be on point and show each other why we’re here. We don’t take each other for granted. We all know we gotta shine.”
Earlier this month, it was announced that N.W.A. is among the stars who will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy in February. “The Academy is honored to pay tribute to this year’s Special Merit Award recipients — a remarkable group of creators and industry professionals whose impact resonates with generations worldwide,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, in a press release.
The Special Merit Awards Ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on Feb. 3.