O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on
N.W.A's 1989 album ''
Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to
gangsta rap
Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture, values, and experiences of urban gangs and street hustlers, frequently discussing unpleasant realities of the world in general th ...
's widespread popularity,
[Steve Huey]
"N.W.A: ''Straight Outta Compton''"
'' AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited 14 Jun 2020.[Loren Kajikawa, "Compton via New York", ''Sounding Race in Rap Songs'' (Oakland: ]University of California Press
The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...
, 2015)
pp 91–93
[Todd Boyd, ''Am I Black Enough for You?: Popular Culture from the 'Hood and Beyond'' (Bloomington & Indianapolis: ]Indiana University Press
Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. IU Press publishes ...
, 1997)
p 75
skims Ice Cube's early successes in music, whil
indexing "Ice Cube"
reveals analysis of his political rap. and his
political rap solo albums ''
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'' (1990), ''
Death Certificate'' (1991), and ''
The Predator'' (1992) were all critically and commercially successful.
[Lakeyta M. Bonnette, ''Pulse of the People: Political Rap Music and Black Politics'' (Philadelphia: ]University of Pennsylvania Press
The University of Pennsylvania Press, also known as Penn Press, is a university press affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
History
The press was originally incorporated with b ...
, 2015)
p 71
[Allen Gordon, "Ice Cube: ''Death Certificate'' (Street Knowledge/Priority, 1991)", in Oliver Wang, ed., ''Classic Material: The Hip-hop Album Guide'' (Toronto: ECW Press, 2003)]
p 87
[Preezy Brown]
"18 socio-political lyrics from Ice Cube's 'Death Certificate' that still resonate in 2016"
'' Vibe.com'', Prometheus Global Media, LLC., 1 Nov 2016. He was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A in 2016.
A native of Los Angeles, Ice Cube formed his first rap group called
C.I.A. in 1986.
[Steven Otfinoski, "Ice Cube", ''African Americans in the Performing Arts'' (New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003)]
p 108
In 1987, with
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Eazy-E is often re ...
and
Dr. Dre, he formed the gangsta rap group N.W.A.
As its lead rapper, he wrote some of Dre's and most of Eazy's lyrics on ''Straight Outta Compton'',
a landmark album that shaped
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip-hop is a regional genre of Hip-hop, hip-hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast of the United States. West Coast hip-hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during th ...
's early identity and helped differentiate it from
East Coast rap.
N.W.A was also known for their violent lyrics, threatening to attack abusive police which stirred controversy.
After a monetary dispute over the group's management by Eazy-E and
Jerry Heller, Cube left N.W.A in late 1989, teaming with New York artists and launching a solo rap career.
Ice Cube has also had an active film career since the early 1990s.
[David J. Leonard, "Ice Cube", in Mickey Hess, ed., ''Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture'' (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2007)]
p 311
He entered cinema by playing Doughboy in director
John Singleton's feature debut ''
Boyz n the Hood'', a 1991 drama named after a
1987 rap song that Ice Cube wrote.
[Gail Hilson Woldu, ''The Words and Music of Ice Cube'' (Westport, CT & London, UK: Praeger Publishers, 2008)]
pp 44–45
He also co-wrote and starred in the 1995 comedy film ''
Friday
Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO 8601-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth ...
'',
which spawned a successful franchise and reshaped his public image into a bankable movie star.
He made his directorial debut with the 1998 film ''
The Players Club'', and also produced and curated the film's accompanying
soundtrack
A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
. As of 2020, he has appeared in about 40 films, including the 1999 war comedy ''
Three Kings'', family comedies like the
''Barbershop'' series, and buddy cop comedies ''
21 Jump Street'', ''
22 Jump Street
''22 Jump Street'' is a 2014 American adult buddy cop action comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, written by Jonah Hill, Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman and produced by and starring Hill and Channing T ...
'', and ''
Ride Along''.
He was an executive producer of many of these films, as well as of the 2015 biopic ''
Straight Outta Compton''.
Early life

O'Shea Jackson was born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
on June 15, 1969, to hospital clerk and custodian Doris and machinist and
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
groundskeeper Hosea Jackson.
He has an older brother, and they had a half-sister who was murdered when Cube was 12. He is a cousin of fellow rappers
Del tha Funky Homosapien and
Kam. He grew up on Van Wick Street in the
Westmont section of
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of Downtown Los Angeles, downtown.
It is de ...
. In ninth grade at
George Washington Preparatory High School
George Washington Preparatory High School is a public four-year high school of Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located in the Westmont, California, Westm ...
in Los Angeles,
Cube began writing raps after being challenged by his friend "Kiddo" in typewriting class. Kiddo lost.
He has said that his stage name came from his older brother, who "threatened to slam
iminto a freezer and pull
imout when
ewas an ice cube".
Cube also attended
William Howard Taft High School in the
Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles.
He was bused to the suburban school from his home in a high-crime neighborhood. In the fall of 1987, soon after he wrote and recorded a few locally successful rap songs with
N.W.A, he enrolled at the Phoenix Institute of Technology
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
.
In 1988, with a diploma in
architectural drafting, he returned to Los Angeles and rejoined N.W.A, but kept a career in architecture drafting as a backup plan.
Music career
Early work
In 1986, at the age of 16, Ice Cube began rapping in the trio
C.I.A. but soon joined the newly formed rap group
N.W.A. He was N.W.A's lead rapper and main ghostwriter on its official debut album, 1989's ''
Straight Outta Compton''. Due to a financial dispute, he left the group by the start of 1990. During 1990, his debut solo album, ''
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'', found him also leading a featured rap group,
Da Lench Mob.
Meanwhile, he helped develop the rapper
Yo Yo.
1986: C.I.A.
With friend
Sir Jinx, Ice Cube formed the rap group
C.I.A., and performed at parties hosted by
Dr. Dre. Since 1984, Dre had been a member of a popular DJ crew, the
World Class Wreckin' Cru, which by 1985 was also performing and recording electro rap. Dre had Cube help write the Wreckin Cru's hit song "Cabbage Patch". Dre also joined Cube on a side project, a duo called Stereo Crew, which made a 12-inch record, "She's a Skag", released on
Epic Records in 1986.
In 1987, C.I.A. released the
Dr. Dre-produced single "
My Posse". Meanwhile, the Wreckin' Cru's home base was the Eve After Dark nightclub, about a quarter of a mile outside of the city of Compton in Los Angeles County. While Dre was on the turntable, Ice Cube would rap, often parodying other artists' songs. In one instance, Cube's rendition was "My Penis", parodying Run-DMC's "
My Adidas". In 2015, the nightclub's co-owner and Wreckin' leader
Alonzo Williams would recall feeling his reputation damaged by this and asking it not to be repeated.
[World Class Wreckin' Cru Founder Alonzo Williams Addresses Dr. Dre Gay Rumors & 'Straight Outta Compton'](_blank)
Allhiphop.com, August 24, 2015
1986–1989: N.W.A.
At 16, Cube sold his first song to Eric Wright, soon dubbed
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Eazy-E is often re ...
, who was forming
Ruthless Records
Ruthless Records was an American independent record label founded by Eric "Eazy-E" Wright and Jerry Heller in Compton, California on March 3, 1987. All of the Ruthless trademarks have been owned by Comptown Records, Inc. since 1987. Several ...
and the musical team
N.W.A, based in
Compton, California
Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth ci ...
.
Himself from
South Central Los Angeles, Cube would be N.W.A's only core member not born in Compton.
Upon the success of the song "
Boyz-n-the-Hood"—written by Cube, produced by Dre, and rapped by Eazy-E, helping establish gangsta rap in California—Eazy focused on developing N.W.A, which soon gained
MC Ren. Cube wrote some of Dre's and nearly all of Eazy's lyrics on N.W.A's official debut album, ''
Straight Outta Compton'', released in January 1989. Yet by the end of the year, Cube questioned his compensation and N.W.A's management by
Jerry Heller.
[''Ice Cube: Attitude'' (McIver, 2002) ]
Cube also wrote most of Eazy-E's debut album ''
Eazy-Duz-It''. He received a total pay of $32,000, and the contract that Heller presented in 1989 did not confirm that he was officially an N.W.A member.
[''Ice Cube: Attitude'', Joel McIver, p.70, Foruli Classics, 2012] After leaving the group and its label in December, Cube sued Heller, and the lawsuit was later settled out of court.
In response, N.W.A members attacked Cube on the 1990 EP ''
100 Miles and Runnin''', and on N.W.A's next and final album, ''
Niggaz4Life'', in 1991.
1989–1993: Early solo career, ''AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'', ''Death Certificate'', and ''The Predator''
In early 1990, Ice Cube recorded his debut solo album, ''
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'', in New York with iconic rap group
Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...
's production team,
the Bomb Squad. Arriving in May 1990, it was an instant hit, further swelling rap's mainstream integration. Controversial nonetheless, it drew accusations of misogyny and racism. The album introduces Ice Cube's affirmation of black nationalism and ideology of black struggle.
Cube appointed
Yo-Yo, a female rapper and guest on the album, to be the head of his record label, and helped produce her debut album, ''
Make Way for the Motherlode''. Also in 1990, Cube followed up with an
EP—''
Kill At Will''—critically acclaimed, and rap's first EP certified
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
.
His second album ''
Death Certificate'' was released in 1991.
The album was thought to be more focused, yet even more controversial, triggering accusations of anti-white, antisemitic, and misogynistic content. The album was split into two themes: the Death Side, "a vision of where we are today", and the Life Side, "a vision of where we need to go". The track "
No Vaseline" scathingly retorts insults directed at him by N.W.A's
1990 EP and
1991 album, which call him a traitor.
[Sacha Jenkins, Elliott Wilson, Jeff Mao, Gabe Alvarez & Brent Rollins, "Mo' beef, mo' problems: #7, N.W.A vs. Ice Cube", '' Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists'' (New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1999)]
p 238
Besides calling for hanging Eazy-E as a "house nigga", the track blames N.W.A's manager
Jerry Heller for exploiting the group, mentions that he is a Jew, and calls for his murder.
Ice Cube contended that he mentioned Heller's ethnicity merely incidentally, not to premise attack, but as news media mention nonwhite assailants' races.
The track "Black Korea", also deemed racist,
was also thought as foreseeing the
1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles riots were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, United States, during April and May 1992. Unrest began in South Los Angeles, South Central Los Angeles on April 29, after ...
.
While controversial, ''Death Certificate'' broadened his audience; he toured with
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
in 1992.
[
Cube's third album, '' The Predator'', was released in November 1992. Referring to the ]1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles riots were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, United States, during April and May 1992. Unrest began in South Los Angeles, South Central Los Angeles on April 29, after ...
, the song " Wicked" opens, "April 29 was power to the people, and we might just see a sequel." ''The Predator'' was the first album ever to debut at No. 1 on both the R&B/hip-hop and pop charts. Singles include " It Was a Good Day" and " Check Yo Self", songs having a "two-part" music video. Generally drawing critical praise, the album is his most successful commercially, over three million copies sold in the US. After this album, Cube's rap audience severely diminished, and never regained the prominence of his first three albums.
During this time, Cube began to have numerous features on other artists' songs. In 1992, Cube appeared on Del the Funky Homosapien's debut album '' I Wish My Brother George Was Here'', on Da Lench Mob's debut '' Guerillas in tha Mist'', which he also produced, and on the Kool G Rap and DJ Polo song " Two to the Head". In 1993, he worked on Kam's debut album, and collaborated with Ice-T on the track "Last Wordz" on 2Pac's album '' Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.''.
1993–1998: ''Lethal Injection'' and forming Westside Connection
Cube's fourth album, '' Lethal Injection'', came out in late 1993. Here, Cube borrowed from the then-popular G-funk
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, (or funk rap) is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the early 1990s. The genre is heavily influenced by the synthesizer-heavy 1970s funk sound of Parliament-Funkadelic (aka P-F ...
popularized by Dr. Dre. Although not received well by critics, the album brought successful singles, including " Really Doe", " Bop Gun (One Nation)", " You Know How We Do It", and "What Can I Do?" After this album, Ice Cube effectively lost his rap audience.
Following ''Lethal Injection'', Cube focused on films and producing albums of other rappers, including Da Lench Mob, Mack 10, Mr. Short Khop, and Kausion. In 1994, Cube teamed with onetime N.W.A groupmate Dr. Dre, who was then leading rap's G-funk
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, (or funk rap) is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the early 1990s. The genre is heavily influenced by the synthesizer-heavy 1970s funk sound of Parliament-Funkadelic (aka P-F ...
subgenre, for the first time since Cube had left the group, and which had disbanded upon Dre's 1991 departure. The result was the Cube and Dre song " Natural Born Killaz", on the '' Murder Was The Case'' soundtrack, released by Dre's then-new label, Death Row Records
Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. D ...
.
In 1995, Cube joined Mack 10 and WC in forming a side trio, the Westside Connection. Feeling neglected by East Coast media, a longstanding issue in rap's bicoastal rivalry, the group aimed to reinforce West pride and resonate with the undervalued. The Westside Connection's first album, '' Bow Down'' (1996), featured tracks like "Bow Down" and "Gangstas Make the World Go 'Round" that reflected the group's objectives. The album was certified Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
by year's end. Interpreting rapper Common
Common may refer to:
As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin.
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Com ...
's song " I Used to Love H.E.R." as a diss of West Coast rap, Cube and the Westside Connection briefly feuded with him, but they resolved amicably in 1997.
It was also at this time that Cube began collaborating outside the rap genre. In 1997, he worked with David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
and Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
singer Trent Reznor on a remix of Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans
"I'm Afraid of Americans" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released as a Single (music), single from his album ''Earthling (David Bowie album), Earthling'' on 14 October 1997 through Virgin Records. The song was co-written by ...
". In 1998, Cube was featured on the band Korn's song " Children of the Korn", and joined them on their Family Values Tour 1998.
1998–2006: ''War & Peace Vol. 1 & 2'' and Westside Connection reunion
In November 1998, Cube released his long-awaited fifth solo album '' War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc)''. The delayed sixth album, '' Volume 2'', arrived in 2000. These albums feature the Westside Connection and a reunion with his old N.W.A members Dr. Dre and MC Ren. Cube also received a return favor from Korn, as they appeared on his song "Fuck Dying" from ''Vol. 1''. Many fans maintained that these two albums, especially the second, were lesser in quality to his earlier work. In 2000, Cube also joined Dr. Dre, Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
, and Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
for the Up in Smoke Tour.
In 2002, Cube appeared on British DJ Paul Oakenfold's solo debut album, '' Bunkka'', on the track "Get Em Up".
Released in 2003, Westside Connection's second album, '' Terrorist Threats'', fared well critically, but saw lesser sales. "Gangsta Nation" (featuring Nate Dogg
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American rapper and singer. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals on several hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning him the ...
), the only single released, was a radio hit. After a rift between Cube and Mack 10 about Cube's film work minimizing the group's touring, the Westside Connection disbanded in 2005.
In 2004, Cube featured on the song " Real Nigga Roll Call" by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, the then leaders of rap's crunk subgenre.
2006–2012: ''Laugh Now, Cry Later'', ''Raw Footage'', and ''I Am the West''
In 2006, Cube released his seventh solo album, '' Laugh Now, Cry Later'', selling 144,000 units in the first week. Lil Jon
Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, DJ, and record producer. Regarded as a progenitor of the club-oriented hip-hop subgenre crunk, his production and voice presence were inst ...
and Scott Storch produced the lead single, " Why We Thugs". In October, Ice Cube was honored at VH1's Annual Hip Hop Honors, and performed it and also the track "Go to Church". Cube soon toured globally in the Straight Outta Compton Tour—accompanied by rapper WC from the Westside Connection—playing in America, Europe, Australia, and Japan.
Amid Cube's many features and brief collaborations, September 2007 brought '' In the Movies'', a compilation album of Ice Cube songs on soundtracks.
Cube's eighth studio album, '' Raw Footage'', arrived on August 19, 2008, yielding the singles " Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It" and " Do Ya Thang". Also in 2008, Cube helped on Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper and singer. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold ...
's song " Blackboy", and was featured on The Game's song "State of Emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...
".
As a fan of the NFL football team the Raiders, Cube released in October 2009 a tribute song, "Raider Nation". In 2009, Ice Cube performed at the Gathering of the Juggalos, and returned to perform at the 2011 festival.
On September 28, 2010, his ninth solo album, '' I Am the West'', arrived with, Cube says, a direction different from any one of his other albums. Its producers include West Coast veterans like DJ Quik, Dr. Dre, E-A-Ski
Shon Adams, better known by his stage name E-A-Ski, is an American rapper and producer from Oakland, California. He served as both a rapper and producer for No Limit Records, producing on Master P's early records and also releasing some of h ...
, and, after nearly 20 years, again Cube's onetime C.I.A groupmate Sir Jinx. Offering the single "I Rep That West", the album debuted at #22 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and sold 22,000 copies in its first week. Also in 2010, Cube signed up-and-coming recording artist named 7Tre The Ghost, deemed likely to be either skipped or given the cookie-cutter treatment by most record companies.
In 2011, Cube featured on Daz Dillinger
Delmar Drew Arnaud (born May 25, 1973), known professionally as Daz Dillinger or simply Daz (formerly Dat Nigga Daz), is an American rapper and record producer. As a member of Death Row Records in the early 1990s, he is credited with the label ...
's song "Iz You Ready to Die" and on DJ Quik's song "Boogie Till You Conk Out".
In 2012, Ice Cube recorded a verse for a remix of the Insane Clown Posse song " Chris Benoit", from ICP's '' The Mighty Death Pop!'' album, appearing on the album '' Mike E. Clark's Extra Pop Emporium''.
In September 2012, during Pepsi
Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
's NFL Anthems campaign, Cube released his second Raiders anthem "Come and Get It".
2012–present: ''Everythang's Corrupt'', Mount Westmore and ''Man Down''
In November 2012, Cube released more details on his forthcoming, tenth studio album, '' Everythang's Corrupt''. Releasing its title track near the 2012 elections, he added, "You know, this record is for the political heads." But the album's release was delayed. On February 10, 2014, iTunes brought another single from it, " Sic Them Youngins on 'Em", and a music video followed the next day. Despite a couple of more song releases, the album's release was delayed even beyond Cube's work on the 2015 film '' Straight Outta Compton''. After a statement setting release to 2017, the album finally arrived on December 7, 2018.
In 2014, Cube appeared on MC Ren's remix " Rebel Music", their first collaboration since the N.W.A reunion in 2000.
In 2020, Cube joined rappers Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
, E-40, Too Short and formed the supergroup Mt. Westmore. The group's debut album was released on June 7, 2022.
Throughout early 2024, Ice Cube is set to tour across Canada as part of his Straight Into Canada tour.
Ice Cube's eleventh studio album and his first new album in six years, '' Man Down'', was released on November 22, 2024. The album was preceded by the singles "It's My Ego", "Ego Maniacs (featuring Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...
and Killer Mike)" and "So Sensitive".
Film and television career
Since 1991, Ice Cube has acted in nearly 40 films, several of which are highly regarded. Some of them, such as the 1992 thriller '' Trespass'' and the 1999 war comedy '' Three Kings'', highlight action. Yet most are comedies, including a few adult-oriented ones, like the ''Friday'' franchise, whereas most of these are family-friendly, like the ''Barbershop'' franchise.
Narrative
John Singleton's seminal film '' Boyz n the Hood'', released in July 1991, debuted the actor Ice Cube playing Doughboy, a persona that Cube played convincingly. Later, Cube starred with Ice-T and Bill Paxton in Walter Hill's 1992 thriller film '' Trespass'', and in Charles Burnett's 1995 film '' The Glass Shield''. Meanwhile, Cube declined to costar with Janet Jackson in Singleton's 1993 romance ''Poetic Justice
Poetic justice, also called poetic irony, is a literary device with which ultimately virtue is rewarded and misdeeds are punished. In modern literature, it is often accompanied by an ironic twist of fate related to the character's own action, h ...
'', a role that Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
then played.
Cube starred as the university student Fudge in Singleton's 1995 film '' Higher Learning''. Singleton, encouraging Cube, had reportedly told him, "If you can write a record, you can write a movie." Cube cowrote the screenplay for the 1995 comedy ''Friday
Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO 8601-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth ...
'', based on adult themes, and starred in it with comedian Chris Tucker. Made with $3.5 million, ''Friday'' drew $28 million worldwide. Two sequels, '' Next Friday'' and '' Friday After Next'', were respectively released in 2000 and 2002.
In 1997, playing a South African exiled to America who returns 15 years later, Cube starred in the action thriller '' Dangerous Ground'', and had a supporting role in '' Anaconda''. In 1998, writing again, the director Ice Cube debuted in '' The Players Club''. In 1999, he starred alongside George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg as a staff sergeant
Staff sergeant is a Military rank, rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services.
History of title
In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administr ...
in '' Three Kings'', set in the immediate aftermath of the Gulf War
, combatant2 =
, commander1 =
, commander2 =
, strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems
, page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
, whereby the United States attacked Iraq in 1990, an "intelligent" war comedy critically acclaimed. In 2002, Cube starred in Kevin Bray's '' All About the Benjamins'', and in Tim Story's comedy film '' Barbershop''.
In 2004, Cube played in '' Barbershop 2'' and ''Torque
In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically \boldsymbol\tau, the lowercase Greek letter ''tau''. Wh ...
''. The next year, he replaced Vin Diesel in the second installment of the ''XXX'' film series, '' XXX: State of the Union'', as the main protagonist, which he reprises the character in the third installment and reunited with Diesel 12 years later, '' XXX: Return of Xander Cage''. He also appeared in the family comedy '' Are We There Yet?'', which premised his role in its 2007 sequel '' Are We Done Yet?''. In 2012, Cube appeared in '' 21 Jump Street''. He also appeared in its sequel, ''22 Jump Street
''22 Jump Street'' is a 2014 American adult buddy cop action comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, written by Jonah Hill, Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman and produced by and starring Hill and Channing T ...
'', in 2014. That year, and then to return in 2016, he played alongside comedian Kevin Hart
Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. The accolades he has received include the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and nominations for two Grammy Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards.
After winning se ...
in two more Tim Story films, '' Ride Along'' and '' Ride Along 2''. Also in 2016, Cube returned for the third entry in the ''Barbershop'' series. And in 2017, Cube starred with Charlie Day in the comedy '' Fist Fight''.
In October 2021, Ice Cube was set to star in the comedy film ''Oh Hell No'' (now titled ''Stepdude'') alongside Jack Black
Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include a Children's and Family Emmy ...
, but left the project after refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. The project would have paid him $9 million.
Documentary
In late 2005, Ice Cube and R. J. Cutler co-created the six-part documentary series '' Black. White.'', carried by cable network FX.
Ice Cube and basketball star LeBron James paired up to pitch a one-hour special to ABC based on James's life.
On May 11, 2010, ESPN aired Cube's directed documentary '' Straight Outta L.A.'', examining the interplay of Los Angeles sociopolitics, hip hop, and the Raiders during the 1980s into the 1990s.
Serial television
Ice Cube's '' Are We There Yet?'' series premiered on TBS on June 2, 2010. It revolves around a family adjusting to the matriarch's new husband, played by Terry Crews
Terry Alan Crews (born July 30, 1968) is an American actor, television host, and former professional American football, football player. He played Julius Rock in the UPN/The CW Television Network, CW sitcom ''Everybody Hates Chris'', which air ...
. On August 16, the show was renewed for 90 more episodes, amounting to six seasons. Cube also credits Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of Madea, Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her ...
for his entrée to TBS. In front of the television cameras, rather, Cube appeared with Elmo as a 2014 guest on the PBS children's show ''Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
.''
Personal life
In 1990, a musical associate in the rap group Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...
introduced Cube to the Nation of Islam (NOI).[Martin Cizmar]
"Ice Cube is one of rap's original gangsters, but he is also one of hip hop's most unconventional political activists"
''Willamette Week
''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture.
History
Early history
'' ...
,'' Aug 23, 2016, updated Oct 3, 2016. He converted to Islam, though he denied membership in the NOI, whose ideology against white people and especially Jews led to its categorization as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. However, he readily adopted the group's ideology of black nationalism, a concept familiar to the hip hop community.[Dawn-Marie Gibson, "Embracing the Nation: Hip-hop, Louis Farrakhan, and alternative music", in Andre E. Johnson, ed., ''Urban God Talk: Constructing a Hip Hop Spirituality'' (Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2013), p]
140
141
He nevertheless has claimed to listen to his own conscience as a "natural Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
", claiming to do so because "it's just imand God". In 2012, he expressed support for same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...
. In 2017, he said that he thinks "religion is stupid" in part and explained, "I'm gonna live a long life, and I might change religions three or four times before I die. I'm on the Islam tip—but I'm on the Christian tip, too. I'm on the Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
tip as well. Everyone has something to offer to the world."
Ice Cube has been married to Kimberly Woodruff since April 26, 1992. They have four children together; their oldest son O'Shea Jackson Jr. (born 1991) portrayed him in the film '' Straight Outta Compton''. When asked about the balance between his music and parenting in 2005, Cube discussed teaching his children to question the value of violence depicted in all media, not just song lyrics. Through his son O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ice Cube became a grandfather in August, 2017.
In 2017, he launched Big3
Big3 (stylized BIG3) is a 3x3 basketball, 3-on-3 basketball league founded by the hip-hop musician and actor Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz. The league consists of 12 teams whose rosters include both former National Basketb ...
, a 3-on-3 basketball league starring former NBA players. Ice Cube is a notable fan of the Las Vegas Raiders, originally supporting the team during their tenure in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
from 1982 to 1994. NWA's use of Raiders' memorabilia in conjunction with the team's historically intimidating presence, helped to further popularized an image for the team in hip-hop culture for years to come. Ice Cube is also a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
of MLB, performing a pregame show before game 2 of the 2024 World Series and later at the team's World Series win celebration at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
, and has equally been a devout fan of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Conspiracy theories and antisemitism
At a 1991 press conference promoting his album '' Death Certificate'', Cube endorsed the Nation of Islam's pseudo-scholarly book '' The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews'', which falsely claims that European Jews dominated the Atlantic slave trade
The Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of Slavery in Africa, enslaved African people to the Americas. European slave ships regularly used the triangular trade route and its Middle Pass ...
. ''Death Certificate'' also contains the song " No Vaseline",[JTA]
"Rapper Ice Cube scuffles with rabbi outside casino, hit with $2ml lawsuit"
''The Jerusalem Post
''The Jerusalem Post'' is an English language, English-language Israeli broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1932 during the Mandate for Palestine, British Mandate of Mandatory Palestine, Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''Th ...
'', JPost.com, Jpost Inc., May 30, 2015. which uses racial slurs against the other former members of N.W.A and refers to the group's manager Jerry Heller as "white man", "white boy", "Jew", "white Jew", "devil
A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
" and " cracker".
In response to accusations of racism and anti-Semitism
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
, Cube said in 2008, "I ain't got time to be fuckin' anti-Semitic, anti-this, anti-that, anti-Korean. I ain't got time for that shit. I'm too busy bein' pro-black, you know what I'm saying?" In 2015, Cube expressed regret at including the word "Jew" in the lyrics of "No Vaseline" and explained that he intended to attack only Heller and not "the whole Jewish race".
In 2020, Marlow Stern wrote an article in the '' Daily Beast'' addressing Cube's "long, disturbing history" of anti-Semitism. The article was a response to Cube's day-long Twitter posting spree the day before, during which he promoted Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. He also shared various disproven anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Again calling himself "just pro-black" and not "anti-anybody", he dismissed "the hype" and professed that he was just "telling istruth".
Discography
Solo studio albums
* '' AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'' (1990)
* '' Death Certificate'' (1991)
* '' The Predator'' (1992)
* '' Lethal Injection'' (1993)
* '' War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc)'' (1998)
* '' War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc)'' (2000)
* '' Laugh Now, Cry Later'' (2006)
* '' Raw Footage'' (2008)
* '' I Am the West'' (2010)
* '' Everythang's Corrupt'' (2018)
* '' Man Down'' (2024)
Collaborative studio albums
* '' Straight Outta Compton'' (with N.W.A) (1989)
* '' Bow Down'' (with Westside Connection) (1996)
* '' Terrorist Threats'' (with Westside Connection) (2003)
* '' Snoop Cube 40 $hort'' (with Mount Westmore
Mount Westmore is an American hip hop music, hip hop Supergroup (music), supergroup composed of California-based rappers Snoop Dogg, E-40, Too Short, and Ice Cube. Formed in late 2020, the group's debut album, ''Bad MF's'' (2022) was initially r ...
) (2022)
Filmography
Films
Television
Video games
Tours
* Steady Mobbin' Tour (1992)
* The Predator Tour (1993)
* Family Values Tour 1998 (1998)
* Up in Smoke Tour (2000)
* Raw Footage Tour (2008)
* I Am the West Tour (2011)
* Truth to Power: 4 Decades of Attitude Tour (2025)
Awards and nominations
Film awards
Ice Cube has received nominations for several films in the past. To date, he has won two awards:
*2000: Blockbuster Entertainment Award: Favorite Action Team (for '' Three Kings'')
*2002: MECCA Movie Award: Acting Award
Music awards
VH1 Hip Hop Honors
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2006
, Himself
, Honoree
,
BET Hip-Hop Awards
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, Himself
, I Am Hip Hop award
,
The BET Honors
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, Himself
, Entertainer Award
,
Grammy Awards
, -
, style="text-align:center;", 2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, Himself (as a member of N.W.A.)
, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...
,
Other
* Hollywood Walk of Fame Star 2017
*The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member of N.W.A. 2016
* Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
Ice Cube Impact Award 2023
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ice Cube
1969 births
Living people
20th-century African-American male actors
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American rappers
20th-century Muslims
21st-century African-American male actors
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American rappers
21st-century Muslims
African-American film producers
African American–Jewish relations
African-American male rappers
21st-century American male rappers
20th-century American male rappers
African-American Muslims
African-American record producers
African-American screenwriters
African-American songwriters
African-American television producers
American draughtsmen
American hip-hop record producers
American male film actors
American male screenwriters
American male songwriters
American male television actors
American male video game actors
American male voice actors
American music industry executives
American music video directors
American philanthropists
Big3 people
Capitol Records artists
Converts to Islam
EMI Records artists
Film producers from California
Gangsta rappers
Interscope Records artists
Male actors from California
Male actors from Los Angeles
Members of the Nation of Islam
Mount Westmore members
N.W.A members
People from Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles
Priority Records artists
Race-related controversies in music
Rappers from Los Angeles
Record producers from California
Ruthless Records artists
Screenwriters from California
Songwriters from California
Television producers from California
West Coast hip-hop musicians
Westside Connection members
William Howard Taft Charter High School alumni
Muslims from California
American conspiracy theorists