War & Peace, Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc)

1	Hello / MC Ren 3:52
2	Pimp Homeo (Insert) 0:35
3	You Ain't Gotta Lie (Ta Kick It) / Chris Rock 4:06
4	The Gutter Shit / Jayo Felony 4:29
5	Supreme Hustle 4:22
6	Mental Warfare (Insert) 1:02
7	24 Mo' Hours 3:27
8	Until We Rich / Krayzie Bone 4:14
9	You Can Do It / Mack 10 4:19
10	Mackin' & Driving (Insert) 0:27
11	Gotta Be Insanity 4:00
12	Roll All Day 3:16
13	Can You Bounce? 3:53
14	Dinner With the CEO (Insert) 0:49
15	Record Company Pimpin' 4:46
16	Waitin' Ta Hate 3:38
17	Nigga of the Century 4:14

Barnes & Noble

Before he made a mint playing lovable tough guys in Hollywood, Ice Cube was once best known as the brazen frontman for gangsta rap progenitors N.W.A. On WAR & PEACE VOL. 2, the now affable Cube proves he hasn't lost his street cred thanks to tough, no sellout rhyme standards, or his street smarts, judging by some very shrewd collaborations with Dr. Dre, Mack 10, and others. Although his latest doesn't exactly hold up to its literary counterpart, Cube offers 14 hard-hittin' tracks full of "life ain't nothin' but bitches and money" tall tales that will boom in jeeps throughout the summer. Standout tracks include "Hello," which includes shots from ex-NWA brethren Dr. Dre and MC Ren (with taut, crisp production by Dre); the comical "You Ain't Gotta Lie (Ta Kick It)," featuring comedian Chris Rock; and the uplifting "Until We Rich," featuring Krayzie Bone. After all these years in the rap game, it's nice to know we can still count on Ice Cube to deliver that original gangsta flavor. Brian Coleman

All Music Guide

The second volume of Ice Cube's War & Peace album finds the multi-talented veteran MC evolving beyond a mere gangsta rap artist. Of course, Ice Cube doesn't admit his maturity, starting the album off with an excellent song titled "Hello" featuring MC Ren and Dr. Dre. The Dre-produced song has the ex-NWA members rapping "I started this gangsta ****/and this is the ************ thanks I get?" and reinstating their thug stance. Besides this opening song, Cube also is heard later on the album rapping to "keep in gangsta," yet for as much as Cube flexes about being hard, he has actually evolved into a wiser, more composed artist than the hate-fueled gangsta found on his early albums. Some of the songs on War & Peace, Vol. 2 such as "Record Company Pimpin'" reflect the deep insight he is easily capable of injecting into his lyrics. Unfortunately, for every contemplative moment on this album, there are also plenty of songs such as "Can You Bounce?" and "Hello" that reduce themselves to simple, lucid attempts at hit singles. These songs -- along with the slightly more thought-out, radio-friendly "Until We Rich" -- are wonderful songs, rich in hooks and full of strong beats, but they don't really fit in with the rest of the album. The fact that Ice Cube churned out two albums of content during his lengthy absence from the rap world in the late '90s makes the two volumes of War & Peace overly eclectic. What made albums such as Straight Outta Compton and AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted such strong albums were consistency; Dr. Dre and the Bomb Squad, respectively, were able to map out an overall musical feel for these albums with their signature styles and unique motifs. Instead of having a fully realized sound such as the aforementioned albums, the revolving door of production on War & Peace that includes Dr. Dre, Puff Daddy, and One Eye for One Eye among others makes this album sound very undeceive in terms of style. Cube's rapping sounds great with plenty of ideas that extend outside of simple gangsta motifs and slick rhymes full of wit; however, the constant changes in the album from hook-laden hits to denser, message-filled songs and from stark, minimal beats to up-tempo dance-rap make this a sometimes brilliant yet ultimately spotty, multi-dimensional album that needs more focus. Jason Birchmeier