Okay Cube, here’s the deal. You are a LEGEND with a capital L. There’s no denying that. But you, my man, are suffering from an image problem. Your latest album, Raw Footage, is set to drop at month’s end into a market where the vast majority of the public is familiar with you from the craptasticness of Are We Done Yet? I applaud your efforts not to re-rock a Jhrei curl and tour on nostalgia, but your new stuff doesn’t feel genuine to who you are now: a survivor, entrepreneur and father of four. We all know you can buy yourself a new Jag anytime you feel like it, but A, you consult your financial planner first, and B, it ain’t with a bag full of cash like your new video for “Do Ya Thang” portrays. I’d rather see a video of you carting your kids around to soccer practice, going to a business meeting and hanging with friends in the studio than forcing some super hard image like some kid on the come up, because you’ve already got all the cred you could ever want, and we like you best just being yourself.
Thu., Aug. 21, 8 p.m., 2008