Ice Cube goes "Raw" for new album

03/12/2008 4:00 AM, Reuters


Veteran rapper Ice Cube is putting the finishing touches on his new album, "Raw Footage," and plans to celebrate by cybercasting his concert at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin on Saturday.

The gig will stream on Ice Cube's online television channel, UVNTV.com, which he created with partner DJ Pooh.

"Raw Footage," Ice Cube's ninth solo album, is due in stores on June 17 via his own Lench Mob Records. It includes guest appearances from Musiq, Nas, Scarface and WC.

His previous release, 2006's "Laugh Now, Cry Later," sold 547,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and ended a six-year gap between albums. Ice Cube, 38, has become better known in recent years for acting in such comedy features as "Are We There Yet?" and "First Sunday."

Reuters/Billboard