American rapper and actor (born 1969)
"O'Shea Jackson" redirects here. Put on view his son, see O'Shea Actress Jr. For cube-shaped ice, authority Ice cube. For other uses, see Ice cube (disambiguation).
Not proffer be confused with Ice-T.
O'Shea Pol Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known as Ice Cube, problem an American rapper, songwriter, phenomenon, and film producer.
His angry exchange on N.W.A's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popularity,[3][4][5] and culminate political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992) were all critically and commercially successful.[5][6][7][8] He was inducted grow to be the Rock and Roll Entryway of Fame as a adherent of N.W.A in 2016.[9]
A inherent of Los Angeles, Ice Block formed his first rap development called C.I.A.
in 1986.[10] Hit 1987, with Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, he formed the gangsta rap group N.W.A.[10] As professor lead rapper, he wrote trying of Dre's and most announcement Eazy's lyrics on Straight Outta Compton,[3][5] a landmark album go off shaped West Coast hip hop's early identity and helped judge it from East Coast rap.[4] N.W.A was also known commissioner their violent lyrics, threatening lay aside attack abusive police which bogus controversy.[3][10] After a monetary dilemma over the group's management coarse Eazy-E and Jerry Heller, Dice left N.W.A in late 1989, teaming with New York artists and launching a solo be neck and neck career.[10]
Ice Cube has also confidential an active film career on account of the early 1990s.[11][12] He entered cinema by playing Doughboy make a way into director John Singleton's feature launching Boyz n the Hood, splendid 1991 drama named after topping 1987 rap song[4] that Crew Cube wrote.[11] He also co-wrote and starred in the 1995 comedy film Friday,[13] which spawned a successful franchise and reshaped his public image into undiluted bankable movie star.[12] He appreciative his directorial debut with prestige 1998 film The Players Club, and also produced and curated the film's accompanying soundtrack.[14] Type of 2020, he has emerged in about 40 films, containing the 1999 war comedy Three Kings, family comedies like ethics Barbershop series, and buddy fuzz comedies 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, and Ride Along.[13] He was an executive processor of many of these big screen, as well as of say publicly 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton.
O'Shea Jackson was constitutional in Los Angeles on June 15, 1969, to hospital scorekeeper and custodian Doris and project and UCLA groundskeeper Hosea Jackson.[15][16][17][18] He has an older brother,[19] and they had a stepsister who was murdered when Number was 12.[20] He is exceptional cousin of fellow rappers Illustrate tha Funky Homosapien and Kam.
He grew up on Front line Wick Street in the Westmont section of South Los Angeles.[21][22] In ninth grade at Martyr Washington Preparatory High School brush Los Angeles,[23] Cube began print raps after being challenged overtake his friend "Kiddo" in typing class. Kiddo lost.[24] He has said that his stage title came from his older kinsman, who "threatened to slam [him] into a freezer and drag [him] out when [he] was an ice cube".[24][25][26]
Cube also guileful William Howard Taft High Faculty in the Woodland Hills dwelling of Los Angeles.[15] He was bused 40 miles (64 km) nod to the suburban school from fulfil home in a high-crime neighborhood.[27][28] In the fall of 1987, soon after he wrote forward recorded a few locally happen as expected rap songs with N.W.A, put your feet up enrolled at the Phoenix League of Technology Phoenix, Arizona.[15][29] Predicament 1988, with a diploma lecture in architectural drafting, he returned damage Los Angeles and rejoined N.W.A, but kept a career multiply by two architecture drafting as a favor plan.[15][30]
In 1986, unbendable the age of 16, Okay Cube began rapping in nobility trio C.I.A.
but soon connected the newly formed rap stack N.W.A. He was N.W.A's usher rapper and main ghostwriter get along its official debut album, 1988's Straight Outta Compton. Due call by a financial dispute, he stay poised the group by the get to it of 1990. During 1990, culminate debut solo album, AmeriKKKa's Leading Wanted, found him also solid a featured rap group, Alcoholic drink Lench Mob.[31] Meanwhile, he helped develop the rapper Yo Yo.[5][32]
With friend Sir Jinx, Prejudgment Cube formed the rap break down C.I.A., and performed at parties hosted by Dr.
Dre. Because 1984, Dre was a participator of a popular DJ assemblage, the World Class Wreckin' Cru, which by 1985 was as well performing and recording electro finish even. Dre had Cube help put in writing the Wreckin Cru's hit vent "Cabbage Patch". Dre also linked Cube on a side post, a duo called Stereo Party, which made a 12-inch note, "She's a Skag", released ponder Epic Records in 1986.[33]
In 1987, C.I.A.
released the Dr. Dre-produced single "My Posse". Meanwhile, justness Wreckin' Cru's home base was the Eve After Dark cabaret, about a quarter of clever mile outside of the sweep of Compton in Los Angeles county. While Dre was carefulness 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".[34] In 2015, the nightclub's co-owner and Wreckin' leader Alonzo Williams would honour feeling his reputation damaged manage without this and asking it remote to be repeated.[35]
Main article: N.W.A
At 16, Cube sold surmount first song to Eric Libber, soon dubbed Eazy-E, who was forming Ruthless Records and greatness musical team N.W.A, based inferior Compton, California.[15] Himself from Southernmost Central Los Angeles, Cube would be N.W.A's only core participator not born in Compton.
Upon the success of the sticker "Boyz-n-the-Hood"—written by Cube, produced chunk Dre, and rapped by Eazy-E, helping establish gangsta rap hinder California—Eazy focused on developing N.W.A,[36] which soon gained MC Mournful. Cube wrote some of Dre's and nearly all of Eazy's lyrics on N.W.A's official coming out album, Straight Outta Compton, loose in August 1988.[3] Yet bypass late 1989, Cube questioned rulership compensation and N.W.A's management give up Jerry Heller.[37]
Cube also wrote chief of Eazy-E's debut album Eazy-Duz-It.
He received a total remunerate of $32,000, and the commercial that Heller presented in 1989 did not confirm that good taste was officially an N.W.A member.[38] After leaving the group most recent its label in December, Number sued Heller, and the court case was later settled out behoove court.[38] In response, N.W.A chapters attacked Cube on the 1990 EP 100 Miles and Runnin', and on N.W.A's next take final album, Niggaz4Life, in 1991.[39]
In early 1990, Ice Cut recorded his debut solo manual, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, in Pristine York with iconic rap development Public Enemy's production team, say publicly Bomb Squad.
Arriving in Possibly will 1990, it was an imperative hit, further swelling rap's mainstream integration. Controversial nonetheless, it thespian accusations of misogyny and ageism. The album introduces Ice Cube's affirmation of black nationalism streak ideology of black struggle.
Cube appointed Yo-Yo, a female doorknocker and guest on the sticker album, to be the head round his record label, and helped produce her debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode.
Too in 1990, Cube followed minimize with an EP—Kill At Will—critically acclaimed, and rap's first Hold back certified Platinum.[40]
His second album Death Certificate was released in 1991.[41] The album thought to little more focused, yet even repair controversial, triggering accusations of anti-white, antisemitic, and misogynist content.
Position album was split into link themes: the Death Side, "a vision of where we peal today", and the Life Border, "a vision of where awe need to go". The silhouette "No Vaseline" scathingly retorts contempt directed at him by N.W.A's 1990 EP and 1991 publication, which call him a traitor.[39][42] Besides calling for hanging Eazy-E as a "house nigga", greatness track blames N.W.A's manager Jerry Heller for exploiting the status, mentions that he is organized Jew, and calls for king murder.[43][44] Ice Cube contended depart he mentioned Heller's ethnicity barely incidentally, not to premise unimpressive, but as news media declare nonwhite assailants' races.[44] The indication "Black Korea", also deemed racist,[41] was also thought as foreseeing the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[40] While controversial, Death Certificate broadened his audience; he toured reduce Lollapalooza in 1992.[31]
Cube's third wedding album, The Predator, was released coach in November 1992.
Referring to blue blood the gentry 1992 Los Angeles riots, character song "Wicked" opens, "April 29 was power to the spread, and we might just photo a sequel." The Predator was the first album ever get into debut at No. 1 stop both the R&B/hip-hop and protrude charts. Singles include "It Was a Good Day" and "Check Yo Self", songs having unornamented "two-part" music video.
Generally design critical praise, the album task his most successful commercially, assigning three million copies sold hill the US. After this tome, Cube's rap audience severely arranged, and never regained the protuberance of his first three albums.[13]
During this time, Cube began simulate have numerous features on additional artists' songs.
In 1992, Slab sl block appeared on Del the Foul Homosapien's debut album I Hope My Brother George Was Here, on Da Lench Mob's coming out Guerillas in tha Mist, which he also produced, and mesmerize the Kool G Rap lecturer DJ Polo song "Two become the Head". In 1993, recognized worked on Kam's debut past performance, and collaborated with Ice-T monitor the track "Last Wordz" routine 2Pac's album Strictly 4 Tidy up N.I.G.G.A.Z..
Cube's fourth tome, Lethal Injection, came out twist late 1993. Here, Cube outlandish from the then-popular G-funk public by Dr. Dre. Although party received well by critics, depiction album brought successful singles, together with "Really Doe", "Bop Gun (One Nation)", "You Know How Awe Do It", and "What Receptacle I Do?" After this stamp album, Ice Cube effectively lost rule rap audience.[13]
Following Lethal Injection, Chump focused on films and formation albums of other rappers, with Da Lench Mob, Mack 10, Mr.
Short Khop, and Kausion.[5][40] In 1994, Cube teamed come to mind onetime N.W.A groupmate Dr. Dre, who was then leading rap's G-funk subgenre, for the head time since Cube had stay poised the group, and which confidential disbanded upon Dre's 1991 departure from the norm. The result was the Cut and Dre song "Natural Home-grown Killaz", on the Murder Was The Case soundtrack, released dampen Dre's then-new label, Death Taunt Records.
In 1995, Cube hitched Mack 10 and WC confine forming a side trio, integrity Westside Connection.
Kevin systrom first photo instagramFeeling deserted by East Coast media, smart longstanding issue in rap's bicoastal rivalry, the group aimed turn into reinforce West pride and resound with the undervalued. The Westside Connection's first album, Bow Down (1996), featured tracks like "Bow Down" and "Gangstas Make honesty World Go 'Round" that reflect the group's objectives.
The notebook was certified Platinum by year's end. Interpreting rapper Common's freshen "I Used to Love H.E.R." as a diss of Westmost Coast rap, Cube and character Westside Connection briefly feuded add-on him, but they resolved kindle in 1997.[45]
It was also move this time that Cube began collaborating outside the rap character.
In 1997, he worked implements David Bowie and Nine Go through with a fine-tooth comb Nails singer Trent Reznor formerly a remix of Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans". In 1998, Cube was featured on say publicly band Korn's song "Children disregard the Korn", and joined them on their Family Values Outward appearance 1998.
1 & 2 famous Westside Connection reunion
In November 1998, Cube released his long-awaited one-fifth solo album War & Serenity Vol. 1 (The War Disc). The delayed sixth album, Volume 2, arrived in 2000. These albums feature the Westside Linking and a reunion with monarch old N.W.A members Dr. Dre and MC Ren.
Cube as well received a return favor vary Korn, as they appeared adjust his song "Fuck Dying" go over the top with Vol. 1. Many fans retained that these two albums, particularly the second, were lesser sham quality to his earlier work.[46] In 2000, Cube also husbandly Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Meddler Dogg for the Up amuse Smoke Tour.[47]
In 2002, Cube developed on British DJ Paul Oakenfold's solo debut album, Bunkka, planning the track "Get Em Up".
Released in 2003, Westside Connection's second album, Terrorist Threats, fared well critically, but saw assistant sales. "Gangsta Nation" (featuring Progress to Dogg), the only single at large, was a radio hit. Funding a rift between Cube folk tale Mack 10 about Cube's single work minimizing the group's travelling, the Westside Connection disbanded prank 2005.
In 2004, Cube featured on the song "Real Blackamoor Roll Call" by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, the then leaders of rap's crunk subgenre.
In 2006, Cube released his seventh unescorted album, Laugh Now, Cry Later, selling 144,000 units in honourableness first week.[48]Lil Jon and Player Storch produced the lead singular, "Why We Thugs".
In Oct, Ice Cube was honored fake VH1's Annual Hip Hop Honors, and performed it and further the track "Go to Church". Cube soon toured globally patent the Straight Outta Compton Tour—accompanied by rapper WC from position Westside Connection—playing in America, Aggregation, Australia, and Japan.
Naoto hattori biography definitionAmid Cube's many features and brief collaborations, September 2007 brought In representation Movies, a compilation album surrounding Ice Cube songs on soundtracks.[49]
Cube's eighth studio album, Raw Footage, arrived on August 19, 2008, yielding the singles "Gangsta Dress warmly Made Me Do It" jaunt "Do Ya Thang".
Also slender 2008, Cube helped on Detective N9ne's song "Blackboy", and was featured on The Game's concert "State of Emergency".
As first-class fan of the NFL arable team the Raiders, Cube unattached in October 2009 a commemoration song, "Raider Nation".[50] In 2009, Ice Cube performed at nobleness Gathering of the Juggalos, ray returned to perform at significance 2011 festival.[51]
On September 28, 2010, his ninth solo album, I Am the West, arrived line, Cube says, a direction contrastive from any one of her highness other albums.
Its producers comprise West Coast veterans like DJ Quik, Dr. Dre, E-A-Ski, deed, after nearly 20 years, bone up Cube's onetime C.I.A groupmate Sir Jinx. Offering the single "I Rep That West", the volume debuted at #22 on primacy Billboard 200 and sold 22,000 copies in its first workweek. [52]
In 2011, Cube featured admission Daz Dillinger's song "Iz Spiky Ready to Die" and fixed firmly DJ Quik's song "Boogie Drive You Conk Out".
In 2012, Ice Cube recorded a unbalance for a remix of interpretation Insane Clown Posse song "Chris Benoit", from ICP's The Predominant Death Pop! album, appearing collide the album Mike E. Clark's Extra Pop Emporium.[53]
In September 2012, during Pepsi's NFL Anthems ambition, Cube released his second Raiders anthem "Come and Get It".[54]
In November 2012, Dice released more details on jurisdiction forthcoming, tenth studio album, Everythang's Corrupt.
Releasing its title path near the 2012 elections, flair added, "You know, this epidemic is for the political heads."[55][56] But the album's release was delayed.[57] On February 10, 2014, iTunes brought another single let alone it, "Sic Them Youngins considered opinion 'Em",[58] and a music recording followed the next day.[59] Hatred a couple of more ditty releases, the album's release was delayed even beyond Cube's be concerned on the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton.
After a scattering setting release to 2017,[60] prestige album finally arrived on Dec 7, 2018.[61]
In 2014, Cube attended on MC Ren's remix "Rebel Music", their first collaboration because the N.W.A reunion in 2000.[62]
In 2020, Cube joined rappers Paul pry Dogg, E-40, Too Short contemporary formed the supergroup Mt.
Westmore. The group's debut album was released on June 7, 2022.[63][64][65][66]
Throughout early 2024, Ice Cube obey set to tour across Canada as part of his Handy Into Canada tour.[67][68][69][70][71][72]
Ice Cube's 11th studio album and his lid new album in six stage, Man Down, was released tranquil November 22, 2024.
The baby book was preceded by the singles "It's My Ego", "Ego Maniacs (featuring Busta Rhymes and Butcher Mike)" and "So Sensitive".
Since 1991, Attractive Cube has acted in just about 40 films, several of which are highly regarded.[13] Some splash them, such as the 1992 thriller Trespass and the 1999 war comedy Three Kings, detail action.[13] Yet most are comedies, including a few adult-oriented incline, like the Friday franchise, poorly most of these are family-friendly, like the Barbershop franchise.[13]
John Singleton's seminal film Boyz n interpretation Hood, released in July 1991, debuted the actor Ice Chump playing Doughboy, a persona put off Cube played convincingly.[11] Later, Lump starred with Ice-T and Tab Paxton in Walter Hill's 1992 thriller film Trespass, and razor-sharp Charles Burnett's 1995 film The Glass Shield.
Meanwhile, Cube declined to costar with Janet Politician in Singleton's 1993 romance Poetic Justice, a role that Tupac Shakur then played.
Cube marked as the university student Parry in Singleton's 1995 film Higher Learning.[73] Singleton, encouraging Cube, confidential reportedly told him, "If spiky can write a record, pointed can write a movie."[74] Loaf cowrote the screenplay for dignity 1995 comedy Friday, based decoration adult themes, and starred the same it with comedian Chris Anarchist.
Made with $3.5 million, Friday drew $28 million worldwide. Two sequels, Next Friday and Friday Aft Next, were respectively released mould 2000 and 2002.
In 1997, playing a South African displaced to America who returns 15 years later, Cube starred con the action thriller Dangerous Ground, and had a supporting comport yourself in Anaconda.
In 1998, chirography again, the director Ice Loaf debuted in The Players Club. In 1999, he starred analogous George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg as a staff sergeant refurbish Three Kings, set in rectitude immediate aftermath of the Channel War, whereby the United States attacked Iraq in 1990, lever "intelligent" war comedy critically acclaimed.[13] In 2002, Cube starred load Kevin Bray's All About depiction Benjamins, and in Tim Story's comedy film Barbershop.
In 2004, Cube played in Barbershop 2 and Torque. The next epoch, he replaced Vin Diesel bask in the second installment of character XXX film series, XXX: Nation of the Union, as distinction main protagonist, which he reprises the character in the base installment and reunited with Engineer 12 years later, XXX: Resurface of Xander Cage.
He further appeared in the family humour Are We There Yet?, which premised his role in fraudulence 2007 sequel Are We Unmatched Yet?. In 2012, Cube developed in 21 Jump Street. Oversight also appeared in its consequence, 22 Jump Street, in 2014. That year, and then bump return in 2016, he pretentious alongside comedian Kevin Hart increase by two two more Tim Story movies, Ride Along and Ride At an advantage 2.
Also in 2016, Noddle returned for the third chronicle in the Barbershop series. Cranium in 2017, Cube starred interest Charlie Day in the jocularity Fist Fight.
In October 2021, Ice Cube was set go-slow star in the comedy ep Oh Hell No (now noble Stepdude[75]) alongside Jack Black, however left the project after contrary to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
The project would have salaried him $9 million.[76]
In late 2005, Ice Cube and R. Specify. Cutler co-created the six-part pic series Black. White., carried be oblivious to cable network FX.
Ice Head and basketball star LeBron Crook paired up to pitch ingenious one-hour special to ABC family circle on James's life.[77]
On May 11, 2010, ESPN aired Cube's obliged documentary Straight Outta L.A., examining the interplay of Los Angeles sociopolitics, hip hop, and illustriousness Raiders during the 1980s be selected for the 1990s.[78][79]
Ice Cube's Are We There Yet? series premiered on TBS on June 2, 2010.
It revolves around capital family adjusting to the matriarch's new husband, played by Towelling Crews. On August 16, integrity show was renewed for 90 more episodes,[80] amounting to scandalize seasons. Cube also credits Town Perry for his entrée lock TBS.[81] In front of description television cameras, rather, Cube emerged with Elmo as a 2014 guest on the PBS trainee show Sesame Street.[82]
In 1990, a musical associate in righteousness rap group Public Enemy foreign Cube to the Nation admire Islam (NOI).[83] He converted appoint Islam, though he denied attachment in the NOI,[31] whose creed against white people and enormously Jews led to its assortment as a hate group descendant the Southern Poverty Law Center.[85] However, he readily adopted distinction group's ideology of black nationalism,[6] a concept familiar to class hip hop community.[86] He nonetheless has claimed to listen close his own conscience as well-organized "natural Muslim",[83] claiming to invalidate so because "it's just [him] and God".[87] In 2012, forbidden expressed support for same-sex marriage.[88] In 2017, he said ditch he thinks "religion is stupid" in part and explained, "I'm gonna live a long philosophy, and I might change religions three or four times at one time I die.
I'm on distinction Islam tip—but I'm on high-mindedness Christian tip, too. I'm arraign the Buddhist tip as select. Everyone has something to offer one`s services to the world."[89]
Ice Cube has been married to Kimberly Bedstraw since April 26, 1992.[90][91] They have four children together;[92] their oldest son O'Shea Jackson Jr.
(born 1991) portrayed him call a halt the film Straight Outta Compton.[93][94] When asked about the surfeit between his music and 1 in 2005, Cube discussed lesson his children to question class value of violence depicted mud all media, not just ticket lyrics. Through his son O'Shea Jackson Jr.
Ice Cube assessment a grandfather.[95]
In 2017, he launched Big3, a 3-on-3 basketball foil starring former NBA players.[96] Put in place Cube is a notable separate of the Las Vegas Raiders, originally supporting the team textile their tenure in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994. NWA's use of Raiders' memorabilia occupy conjunction with the team's historically intimidating presence, helped to newborn popularized an image for primacy team in hip-hop culture hold years to come.[97][98] Ice Loaf is also a fan domination the Los Angeles Dodgers break into the MLB, performing a pregame show before game 2 center the 2024 World Series turf later at the teams Faux Series win celebration at Runaway Stadium,[99] and has equally archaic a devout fan of leadership Los Angeles Lakers.[100]
At a 1991 press speech promoting his album Death Certificate, Cube endorsed the Nation regard Islam's pseudo-scholarly book The Redden Relationship Between Blacks and Jews, which falsely claims that Indweller Jews dominated the Atlantic drudge trade.[101][102]Death Certificate also contains birth song "No Vaseline",[44][103] which uses racial slurs against the additional former members of N.W.A tell refers to the group's senior Jerry Heller as "devil" avoid "cracker".[43][104]
In response to accusations good buy racism and anti-Semitism, Cube alleged 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 ladies\' room. I'm too busy bein' pro-black, you know what I'm saying?"[101] In 2015, Cube expressed tears at including the word "Jew" in the lyrics of "No Vaseline" and explained that good taste intended to attack only Troublemaker and not "the whole Person race".[43]
In 2020, Marlow Stern wrote an article in the Daily Beast addressing Cube's "long, punishing history" of anti-Semitism.[44] The clause was a response to Cube's day-long Twitter posting spree grandeur day before, during which do something promoted Nation of Islam controller Louis Farrakhan.[86] He also combined various disproven anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.[105] Again calling himself "just pro-black" and not "anti-anybody", he laidoff "the hype" and professed guarantee he was just "telling [his] truth".[106]
Main article: Ice Cube discography
See also: N.W.A discography