>... Ice Cubes solo "I aint the 1"
>which was a story song but was a weaker link on the lp.

WHAT?

I actually consider that song a highlight. Better than "Express Yourself" (which isn't bad) and MUCH better than "Somethin Like that", "Somethin 2 Dance 2" and "Quiet on the Set" (which kinda are)

I'd consider the solo comparison a push

to your larger point Ren just wasn't as savvy and was always a strong 2nd or co-lead without the chops (rhymes, personality, or bidness sense) to sustain himself as a strong lead for a prolonged period of time

Ren went super-radical and suffered for it (stradding hard gangster and pseudo-noi-ish militant was weird), Cube rode the wave of whatever would get him the most $$ (hardest nigga alive one day, hood prphet the next, we be clubbin next, don mega, all that) and lasted longer

it ain't that deep