Cold as Ice

Brown says Cube's story gives much respect to St. Louis. And the feeling is mutual -- Brown's favorite album just happens to be Death Certificate. In fact, Cube's influence can be felt on Brown's forthcoming album, Hug the Block. Like Cube, Brown has an easy -- if not quite firsthand -- command of stories about death and destruction in the streets. Some of Block's songs eulogize a west-sider named Byron White, who all but grew up in "My Summer Vacation" and died from a brain aneurysm about five years ago. White was a gangbanger, a close family friend and a mentor to Brown.

"He taught me how to be a real man," Brown reminisces. "We would be ridin' down the street, and we'd see these girls on the bus stop. Byron's just like 'screeeech!' and busts a U-ie in the middle of the street. And he just looked at 'em and said, 'Get in.' It was just that easy. So, we took 'em to his house, and that was how I got my first pussy. I was twelve or thirteen."

Hug the Block is due out early this fall. Brown hopes this album will do for him what Death Certificate did for Ice Cube.

As for the west side, Brown says, the gang wars have relaxed. Leonard Hall's employees now wear blue smocks -- but they no longer fear for their lives if they step out for a smoke break.