Stanisland Magazine

O’Shea returns with his new single, taken from his upcoming album Man Up

Last updated: 8th September 2025

Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Sr.) has revealed the first single from his forthcoming album Man Up.

Before Hip-Hop chronicles what the genre was often blamed for, despite such happenings predating its inception. The long play is set to drop soon, with a tentative release date of 29th September 2025.

Before Hip-Hop Highlights Bias Attitudes

Before Hip-Hop is a bass heavy tune filled with anecdotes on life before the genre. But it goes further, tracking timelines of a range of felonies and lifestyles prior to its perceived influence on society.

In a statement, the rapper says: “It’s easy and lazy to look at what’s going on in a lot of communities and blame hip hop for everything.  But the reality is the violence, pain, and broken systems were already here.”

During the golden age of rap, it was often argued its lyrics and videos inspired gang violence, heavy drug use and misogyny. Though rappers fired back, referencing both sound and image in motion pictures, often glamourised. The difference? Race.

Those who opposed hip-hop had a racial axe to grind. They couldn’t and wouldn’t compare white led movies to rap artists; they were stuck in their ways and had already made up their mind.

He later said: “Before Hip Hop’ is calling out the revisionist, showing how crime and injustice existed long before hip hop music.  We didn’t cause it — we just called it.”

Review and Verdict

It’s a welcome observation that needed to be brought to the frontlines of music discussion.

However, the execution and manner in which the track is dispatched feel dated. This is true of much of Ice Cube’s recent work, though the subject matter is of course always poignantly topical.