Draft:Before Hip-Hop
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This draft's references do not show that the subject meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion for music. The draft requires either:
Declined by Balabush 2 days ago.
or multiple published secondary sources that:
Please add references that meet these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia. It is often easier to prove the notability of an album or artist than an individual song or band member. If the subject is not yet notable, consider improving a relevant existing article instead. | |
Comment: Wikipedia cannot source itself. Further, please review the requirements of WP:NSONG and add sourcing to demonstrate how it passes that. Sulfurboy (talk) 06:07, 3 August 2026 (UTC)
- Comment: Does not appear to meet WP:NSONG. The cited sources are the artist's own website, PR reposts, user-generated databases, and blog reviews without established editorial reputations. Balabush (talk) 03:13, 2 August 2026 (UTC)
| Before Hip-Hop | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ice Cube | ||||
| Released | September 5th, 2025 | |||
| Recorded | 2025 | |||
| Genres | Political Rap, Reality Rap, Hip-Hop. | |||
| Length | 3:50 | |||
| Label | Lench Mob Records | |||
| Producers | HallWay Productionz & Gavin Finn | |||
| Ice Cube chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Before Hip-Hop" Video on YouTube | ||||
"Before Hip-Hop" Is a Single by American Rapper Ice Cube. The song was released on his 12th album "Man Up" and released as the Lead Single for Man Up on September 5th, 2025, 6 days before the album released. The single was released via Lench Mob Records/Hitmaker Distribution. It Was written by Ice Cube, and production was handled by HallWay Productionz including Gavin Finn.[1]
Backstory
[edit]Before Hip-Hop is a song that aims to dispel misinformed narrative that blames hip hop for Community problems, which Ice Cube wouldn't be the only one to do so.[2] Also used as a powerful tool to show the misconceptions that hip-hop faces. Cube states, “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,” says Ice Cube. “‘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.”[3][4]
Music Video
[edit]The song was accompanied by a Music Video directed by American Director Gabriel Hart.[5] The Music Video shows the era around the 1960s-1970s and archival footage, street visuals, and performance shots of Ice Cube.[6]
Critical reception
[edit]AllMusic review's suggests "The Song is like listening to what the album is, what i mean is it sounds like what the album has, from reality to the truth."[7]
Tracklisting
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Before Hip-Hop" | O'Shea Jackson | HallWay Productionz & Gavin Finn | 3:50 |
References
[edit]- ↑ Grant, Shawn (2025-09-06). "Ice Cube Releases New Single "Before Hip Hop" from Man Up". Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ "Rap industry leaders say hip-hop should not be the 'scapegoat' for the growing violence". NBC News. 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ DDSocial (2025-09-05). "Cube aims to dispel the misinformed narrative that blames hip hop for our community's problems. The single, a powerful tool in correcting these misconceptions, lays bare the real history of systemic injustice and violence that long predates the genre". Ice Cube. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ Vega, Pilar (2025-08-07). "Social Inequality Protests and Hip-Hop Consciousness: Widening Gaps Inspiring Conscious Rap Globally". Diverse Daily. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
- ↑ Grant, Shawn (2025-09-06). "The single, accompanied by a video directed by Gabriel Hart (Video GOD)". Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ "Ice Cube – 'Before Hip Hop' - Ice Cube Unveils Powerful New rap video "Before Hip Hop"". 2025-09-05. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ Before Hip Hop - Ice Cube | AllMusic, retrieved 2026-08-03
or multiple published secondary sources that:
Please add references that meet these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia.
It is often easier to prove the notability of an album or artist than an individual song or band member. If the subject is not yet notable, consider improving a relevant existing article instead.