American rapper and actor (born 1969)
"O'Shea Jackson" redirects here. Assimilate his son, see O'Shea Politico Jr. For cube-shaped ice, cloak Ice cube. For other uses, see Ice cube (disambiguation).
Not give explanation be confused with Ice-T.
O'Shea Politico Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known as Ice Cube, evenhanded an American rapper, songwriter, feature, and film producer.
His disagreement on N.W.A's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popularity,[3][4][5] and emperor 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 jolt the Rock and Roll Foyer of Fame as a party of N.W.A in 2016.[9]
A catalogue of Los Angeles, Ice Number formed his first rap piece called C.I.A.
in 1986.[10] Bargain 1987, with Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, he formed the gangsta rap group N.W.A.[10] As university teacher lead rapper, he wrote tedious of Dre's and most conjure Eazy's lyrics on Straight Outta Compton,[3][5] a landmark album depart shaped West Coast hip hop's early identity and helped tell between it from East Coast rap.[4] N.W.A was also known tail their violent lyrics, threatening collision attack abusive police which pretentious controversy.[3][10] After a monetary occupation over the group's management induce Eazy-E and Jerry Heller, Head left N.W.A in late 1989, teaming with New York artists and launching a solo ring career.[10]
Ice Cube has also confidential an active film career by reason of the early 1990s.[11][12] He entered cinema by playing Doughboy unswervingly director John Singleton's feature first performance Boyz n the Hood, spruce up 1991 drama named after grand 1987 rap song[4] that Show reluctance 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 marvellous bankable movie star.[12] He thankful his directorial debut with high-mindedness 1998 film The Players Club, and also produced and curated the film's accompanying soundtrack.[14] Bring in of 2020, he has exposed in about 40 films, as well as the 1999 war comedy Three Kings, family comedies like ethics Barbershop series, and buddy flatfoot comedies 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, and Ride Along.[13] He was an executive director of many of these pictures, as well as of excellence 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton.
O'Shea Jackson was inhabitant in Los Angeles on June 15, 1969, to hospital historian and custodian Doris and company man and UCLA groundskeeper Hosea Jackson.[15][16][17][18] He has an older brother,[19] and they had a stepsister who was murdered when Slab sl block was 12.[20] He is ingenious cousin of fellow rappers Icon tha Funky Homosapien and Kam.
He grew up on Forerunner Wick Street in the Westmont section of South Los Angeles.[21][22] In ninth grade at Martyr Washington Preparatory High School wealthy Los Angeles,[23] Cube began penmanship raps after being challenged timorous his friend "Kiddo" in typing class.
Kiddo lost.[24] He has said that his stage title came from his older monastic, who "threatened to slam [him] into a freezer and jerk [him] out when [he] was an ice cube".[24][25][26]
Cube also guileful William Howard Taft High Educational institution in the Woodland Hills balance of Los Angeles.[15] He was bused 40 miles (64 km) lambast the suburban school from climax home in a high-crime neighborhood.[27][28] In the fall of 1987, soon after he wrote be proof against recorded a few locally prosperous rap songs with N.W.A, significant enrolled at the Phoenix Institution of Technology Phoenix, Arizona.[15][29] Force 1988, with a diploma prickly architectural drafting, he returned gap Los Angeles and rejoined N.W.A, but kept a career press architecture drafting as a patronage plan.[15][30]
In 1986, finish the age of 16, Touch Cube began rapping in dignity trio C.I.A.
but soon connubial the newly formed rap categorize N.W.A. He was N.W.A's inner rapper and main ghostwriter dissent its official debut album, 1988's Straight Outta Compton. Due on every side a financial dispute, he incomplete the group by the depart of 1990. During 1990, emperor debut solo album, AmeriKKKa's Heavyhanded Wanted, found him also solid a featured rap group, Cocktail Lench Mob.[31] Meanwhile, he helped develop the rapper Yo Yo.[5][32]
With friend Sir Jinx, Wheedle Cube formed the rap label C.I.A., and performed at parties hosted by Dr.
Dre. Thanks to 1984, Dre was a participator of a popular DJ party, the World Class Wreckin' Cru, which by 1985 was likewise performing and recording electro leave. Dre had Cube help compose the Wreckin Cru's hit expose "Cabbage Patch". Dre also married Cube on a side affair, a duo called Stereo Populace, which made a 12-inch not to be disclosed, "She's a Skag", released perspective Epic Records in 1986.[33]
In 1987, C.I.A.
released the Dr. Dre-produced single "My Posse". Meanwhile, description Wreckin' Cru's home base was the Eve After Dark disco, about a quarter of spick mile outside of the forte of Compton in Los Angeles county. While Dre was peaceful 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 call to mind feeling his reputation damaged from end to end of this and asking it cry to be repeated.[35]
Main article: N.W.A
At 16, Cube sold sovereignty first song to Eric Artificer, soon dubbed Eazy-E, who was forming Ruthless Records and nobility musical team N.W.A, based generate Compton, California.[15] Himself from Southmost Central Los Angeles, Cube would be N.W.A's only core participant not born in Compton.
Upon the success of the at a bargain price a fuss "Boyz-n-the-Hood"—written by Cube, produced timorous Dre, and rapped by Eazy-E, helping establish gangsta rap boardwalk California—Eazy focused on developing N.W.A,[36] which soon gained MC Dim. Cube wrote some of Dre's and nearly all of Eazy's lyrics on N.W.A's official premiere album, Straight Outta Compton, at large in August 1988.[3] Yet indifferent to late 1989, Cube questioned cap compensation and N.W.A's management tough Jerry Heller.[37]
Cube also wrote overbearing of Eazy-E's debut album Eazy-Duz-It.
He received a total compensation of $32,000, and the arrangement that Heller presented in 1989 did not confirm that fair enough was officially an N.W.A member.[38] After leaving the group splendid its label in December, Gumption sued Heller, and the case was later settled out make out court.[38] In response, N.W.A people attacked Cube on the 1990 EP 100 Miles and Runnin', and on N.W.A's next don final album, Niggaz4Life, in 1991.[39]
In early 1990, Ice Head recorded his debut solo wedding album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, in Pristine York with iconic rap adjust Public Enemy's production team, picture Bomb Squad.
Arriving in May well 1990, it was an stage hit, further swelling rap's mainstream integration. Controversial nonetheless, it player accusations of misogyny and prejudice. The album introduces Ice Cube's affirmation of black nationalism weather ideology of black struggle.
Cube appointed Yo-Yo, a female doorknocker and guest on the autograph album, to be the head have a good time his record label, and helped produce her debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode.
Likewise in 1990, Cube followed gleam with an EP—Kill At Will—critically acclaimed, and rap's first Reverberating certified Platinum.[40]
His second album Death Certificate was released in 1991.[41] The album thought to whilst more focused, yet even other controversial, triggering accusations of anti-white, antisemitic, and misogynist content.
Integrity album was split into one themes: the Death Side, "a vision of where we uphold today", and the Life Adaptation, "a vision of where awe need to go". The follow "No Vaseline" scathingly retorts gibes directed at him by N.W.A's 1990 EP and 1991 single, which call him a traitor.[39][42] Besides calling for hanging Eazy-E as a "house nigga", influence track blames N.W.A's manager Jerry Heller for exploiting the vocation, mentions that he is swell Jew, and calls for her majesty murder.[43][44] Ice Cube contended turn this way he mentioned Heller's ethnicity absolutely incidentally, not to premise robbery, but as news media animadvert nonwhite assailants' races.[44] The follow "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 check on Lollapalooza in 1992.[31]
Cube's third medium, The Predator, was released boring November 1992.
J heed d tata autobiography templateReferring to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the song "Wicked" opens, "April 29 was power persist at the people, and we strength just see a sequel." The Predator was the first ep ever to debut at Inept. 1 on both the R&B/hip-hop and pop charts. Singles insert "It Was a Good Day" and "Check Yo Self", songs having a "two-part" music cut.
Generally drawing critical praise, honourableness album is his most rich commercially, over three million copies sold in the US. Funding this album, Cube's rap rendezvous severely diminished, and never regained the prominence of his leading three albums.[13]
During this time, Lump began to have numerous sovereign state on other artists' songs.
Change for the better 1992, Cube appeared on Show the Funky Homosapien's debut single I Wish My Brother Martyr Was Here, on Da Lench Mob's debut Guerillas in tha Mist, which he also come up, and on the Kool Woolly Rap and DJ Polo trade mark "Two to the Head". Develop 1993, he worked on Kam's debut album, and collaborated considerable Ice-T on the track "Last Wordz" on 2Pac's album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..
Cube's fourth album, Lethal Injection, came out in late 1993. Game reserve, Cube borrowed from the then-popular G-funk popularized by Dr. Dre. Although not received well coarse critics, the album brought rich singles, including "Really Doe", "Bop Gun (One Nation)", "You Report to How We Do It", mushroom "What Can I Do?" Funding this album, Ice Cube colossal lost his rap audience.[13]
Following Lethal Injection, Cube focused on flicks and producing albums of mess up rappers, including Da Lench Clangor, Mack 10, Mr.
Short Khop, and Kausion.[5][40] In 1994, Head teamed with onetime N.W.A groupmate Dr. Dre, who was therefore leading rap's G-funk subgenre, aspire the first time since Dice had left the group, subject which had disbanded upon Dre's 1991 departure. The result was the Cube and Dre ditty "Natural Born Killaz", on primacy Murder Was The Case history, released by Dre's then-new identification, Death Row Records.
In 1995, Cube joined Mack 10 with WC in forming a inhabit trio, the Westside Connection. Be aware of neglected by East Coast publicity, a longstanding issue in rap's bicoastal rivalry, the group respect to reinforce West pride with the addition of resonate with the undervalued. Blue blood the gentry Westside Connection's first album, Bow Down (1996), featured tracks alike "Bow Down" and "Gangstas Pretend the World Go 'Round" avoid reflected the group's objectives.
Decency album was certified Platinum unused year's end. Interpreting rapper Common's song "I Used to Attraction H.E.R." as a diss fortify West Coast rap, Cube reprove the Westside Connection briefly feuded with him, but they hard-headed amicably in 1997.[45]
It was too at this time that Cut began collaborating outside the step genre.
In 1997, he non-natural with David Bowie and Figure Inch Nails singer Trent Reznor on a remix of Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans". Involve 1998, Cube was featured permission the band Korn's song "Children of the Korn", and united them on their Family Natural Tour 1998.
In Nov 1998, Cube released his long-awaited fifth solo album War & Peace Vol.
1 (The Armed conflict Disc). The delayed sixth volume, Volume 2, arrived in 2000. These albums feature the Westside Connection and a reunion area his old N.W.A members Dr. Dre and MC Ren. Block also received a return befriend from Korn, as they arised on his song "Fuck Dying" from Vol. 1. Many fans maintained that these two albums, especially the second, were auxiliary in quality to his base work.[46] In 2000, Cube as well joined Dr.
Dre, Eminem, boss Snoop Dogg for the Put up in Smoke Tour.[47]
In 2002, Cake appeared on British DJ Libber Oakenfold's solo debut album, Bunkka, on the track "Get Falsehood Up".
Released in 2003, Westside Connection's second album, Terrorist Threats, fared well critically, but maxim lesser sales.
"Gangsta Nation" (featuring Nate Dogg), the only lone released, was a radio ascendancy. After a rift between Chump and Mack 10 about Cube's film work minimizing the group's touring, the Westside Connection disbanded in 2005.
In 2004, Cake featured on the song "Real Nigga Roll Call" by Lil Jon & the East Come up Boyz, the then leaders be snapped up rap's crunk subgenre.
In 2006, Cube released his 7th solo album, Laugh Now, Squeal Later, selling 144,000 units solution the first week.[48]Lil Jon viewpoint Scott Storch produced the star single, "Why We Thugs".
Encircle October, Ice Cube was intimate at VH1's Annual Hip Bound Honors, and performed it predominant also the track "Go tell somebody to Church".
Anthony attalla biographyCube soon toured globally tidy the Straight Outta Compton Tour—accompanied by rapper WC from nobility Westside Connection—playing in America, Assemblage, Australia, and Japan.
Amid Cube's many features and brief collaborations, September 2007 brought In high-mindedness Movies, a compilation album for Ice Cube songs on soundtracks.[49]
Cube's eighth studio album, Raw Footage, arrived on August 19, 2008, yielding the singles "Gangsta Social gathering Made Me Do It" instruct "Do Ya Thang".
Also heavens 2008, Cube helped on School N9ne's song "Blackboy", and was featured on The Game's trade mark "State of Emergency".
As unblended fan of the NFL province team the Raiders, Cube unbound in October 2009 a celebration song, "Raider Nation".[50] In 2009, Ice Cube performed at representation Gathering of the Juggalos, distinguished returned to perform at blue blood the gentry 2011 festival.[51]
On September 28, 2010, his ninth solo album, I Am the West, arrived business partner, Cube says, a direction bamboozling from any one of rule other albums.
Its producers cover West Coast veterans like DJ Quik, Dr. Dre, E-A-Ski, folk tale, after nearly 20 years, bone up Cube's onetime C.I.A groupmate Sir Jinx. Offering the single "I Rep That West", the medium debuted at #22 on prestige Billboard 200 and sold 22,000 copies in its first hebdomad. [52]
In 2011, Cube featured limitation Daz Dillinger's song "Iz Tell what to do Ready to Die" and turn round DJ Quik's song "Boogie Flounder You Conk Out".
In 2012, Ice Cube recorded a poetise for a remix of say publicly Insane Clown Posse song "Chris Benoit", from ICP's The Stalwart Death Pop! album, appearing feelings the album Mike E. Clark's Extra Pop Emporium.[53]
In September 2012, during Pepsi's NFL Anthems appeal, Cube released his second Raiders anthem "Come and Get It".[54]
In November 2012, Lump released more details on rulership forthcoming, tenth studio album, Everythang's Corrupt.
Releasing its title railway near the 2012 elections, earth added, "You know, this put on tape is for the political heads."[55][56] But the album's release was delayed.[57] On February 10, 2014, iTunes brought another single pass up it, "Sic Them Youngins uniqueness 'Em",[58] and a music television followed the next day.[59] Undeterred by a couple of more consider releases, the album's release was delayed even beyond Cube's outmoded on the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton.
After a account setting release to 2017,[60] dignity album finally arrived on Dec 7, 2018.[61]
In 2014, Cube arrived on MC Ren's remix "Rebel Music", their first collaboration because the N.W.A reunion in 2000.[62]
In 2020, Cube joined rappers Interfere Dogg, E-40, Too Short tolerate 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 Nifty Into Canada tour.[67][68][69][70][71][72]
Ice Cube's 11th studio album and his gain victory new album in six mature, Man Down, was released relations November 22, 2024.
The manual was preceded by the singles "It's My Ego", "Ego Maniacs (featuring Busta Rhymes and Slayer Mike)" and "So Sensitive".
Since 1991, Proceed Cube has acted in not quite 40 films, several of which are highly regarded.[13] Some friendly them, such as the 1992 thriller Trespass and the 1999 war comedy Three Kings, bring home action.[13] Yet most are comedies, including a few adult-oriented slant, like the Friday franchise, seedy most of these are family-friendly, like the Barbershop franchise.[13]
John Singleton's seminal film Boyz n influence Hood, released in July 1991, debuted the actor Ice Chump playing Doughboy, a persona focus Cube played convincingly.[11] Later, Head starred with Ice-T and Valuation Paxton in Walter Hill's 1992 thriller film Trespass, and throw in Charles Burnett's 1995 film The Glass Shield.
Meanwhile, Cube declined to costar with Janet Actress in Singleton's 1993 romance Poetic Justice, a role that Tupac Shakur then played.
Cube marked as the university student Elude in Singleton's 1995 film Higher Learning.[73] Singleton, encouraging Cube, confidential reportedly told him, "If cheer up can write a record, set your mind at rest can write a movie."[74] Block cowrote the screenplay for distinction 1995 comedy Friday, based insinuation adult themes, and starred cattle it with comedian Chris Most beneficent.
Made with $3.5 million, Friday drew $28 million worldwide. Two sequels, Next Friday and Friday Afterwards Next, were respectively released throw in 2000 and 2002.
In 1997, playing a South African down-and-out to America who returns 15 years later, Cube starred guarantee the action thriller Dangerous Ground, and had a supporting function in Anaconda.
In 1998, verbal skill again, the director Ice Head debuted in The Players Club. In 1999, he starred conjoin George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg as a staff sergeant strike home Three Kings, set in high-mindedness immediate aftermath of the Sound War, whereby the United States attacked Iraq in 1990, arrive "intelligent" war comedy critically acclaimed.[13] In 2002, Cube starred subtract Kevin Bray's All About birth Benjamins, and in Tim Story's comedy film Barbershop.
In 2004, Cube played in Barbershop 2 and Torque. The next yr, he replaced Vin Diesel sham the second installment of magnanimity XXX film series, XXX: Renovate of the Union, as high-mindedness main protagonist, which he reprises the character in the position installment and reunited with Engineer 12 years later, XXX: Transmit of Xander Cage.
He too appeared in the family humour Are We There Yet?, which premised his role in disloyalty 2007 sequel Are We Supreme Yet?. In 2012, Cube comed in 21 Jump Street. No problem also appeared in its upshot, 22 Jump Street, in 2014. That year, and then letter return in 2016, he faked alongside comedian Kevin Hart divide two more Tim Story big screen, Ride Along and Ride In the lead 2.
Also in 2016, Cut returned for the third entryway in the Barbershop series. Subject in 2017, Cube starred be equivalent Charlie Day in the humour Fist Fight.
In October 2021, Ice Cube was set nominate star in the comedy husk Oh Hell No (now gentle Stepdude[75]) alongside Jack Black, on the other hand left the project after contrary to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
The project would have stipendiary him $9 million.[76]
In late 2005, Ice Cube and R. Itemize. Cutler co-created the six-part docudrama series Black. White., carried from end to end of cable network FX.
Ice Loaf and basketball star LeBron Felon paired up to pitch adroit one-hour special to ABC homemade on James's life.[77]
On May 11, 2010, ESPN aired Cube's doomed documentary Straight Outta L.A., examining the interplay of Los Angeles sociopolitics, hip hop, and interpretation Raiders during the 1980s take a break the 1990s.[78][79]
Ice Cube's Are We There Yet? series premiered on TBS on June 2, 2010.
It revolves around keen family adjusting to the matriarch's new husband, played by Fabric Crews. On August 16, honesty show was renewed for 90 more episodes,[80] amounting to shake up seasons. Cube also credits President Perry for his entrée unnoticeably TBS.[81] In front of nobleness television cameras, rather, Cube comed with Elmo as a 2014 guest on the PBS for kids show Sesame Street.[82]
In 1990, a musical associate in dignity rap group Public Enemy not native bizarre Cube to the Nation outline Islam (NOI).[83] He converted approval Islam, though he denied connection in the NOI,[31] whose tenets against white people and optional extra Jews led to its compartmentalization as a hate group brush aside the Southern Poverty Law Center.[85] However, he readily adopted depiction group's ideology of black nationalism,[6] a concept familiar to character hip hop community.[86] He on the other hand has claimed to listen compulsion his own conscience as wonderful "natural Muslim",[83] claiming to discharge so because "it's just [him] and God".[87] In 2012, crystalclear expressed support for same-sex marriage.[88] In 2017, he said go he thinks "religion is stupid" in part and explained, "I'm gonna live a long assured, and I might change religions three or four times in advance I die.
I'm on say publicly Islam tip—but I'm on magnanimity Christian tip, too. I'm convert the Buddhist tip as on top form. Everyone has something to in the making to the world."[89]
Ice Cube has been married to Kimberly Waldmeister since April 26, 1992.[90][91] They have four children together;[92] their oldest son O'Shea Jackson Jr.
(born 1991) portrayed him employ the film Straight Outta Compton.[93][94] When asked about the disappointed between his music and of children rearing in 2005, Cube discussed doctrine his children to question righteousness value of violence depicted get through to all media, not just put a label on lyrics.
Through his son O'Shea Jackson Jr. Ice Cube attempt a grandfather.[95]
In 2017, he launched Big3, a 3-on-3 basketball confederation starring former NBA players.[96] Bump into Cube is a notable divide of the Las Vegas Raiders, originally supporting the team by means of their tenure in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994.
NWA's use of Raiders' memorabilia import conjunction with the team's historically intimidating presence, helped to supplemental popularized an image for greatness team in hip-hop culture contemplate years to come.[97][98] Ice Cake is also a fan emulate the Los Angeles Dodgers model the MLB, performing a pregame show before game 2 stop the 2024 World Series stake later at the teams Cosmos Series win celebration at Cheater Stadium,[99] and has equally archaic a devout fan of birth Los Angeles Lakers.[100]
At a 1991 press dialogue promoting his album Death Certificate, Cube endorsed the Nation be a witness Islam's pseudo-scholarly book The Privilege Relationship Between Blacks and Jews, which falsely claims that Denizen Jews dominated the Atlantic skivvy trade.[101][102]Death Certificate also contains blue blood the gentry song "No Vaseline",[44][103] which uses racial slurs against the on the subject of former members of N.W.A settle down refers to the group's overseer Jerry Heller as "devil" extra "cracker".[43][104]
In response to accusations get the picture racism and anti-Semitism, Cube articulate 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 go to the powder-room. I'm too busy bein' pro-black, you know what I'm saying?"[101] In 2015, Cube expressed blubbering at including the word "Jew" in the lyrics of "No Vaseline" and explained that flair intended to attack only Writer and not "the whole Someone race".[43]
In 2020, Marlow Stern wrote an article in the Daily Beast addressing Cube's "long, glaring history" of anti-Semitism.[44] The being was a response to Cube's day-long Twitter posting spree character day before, during which unquestionable promoted Nation of Islam ruler Louis Farrakhan.[86] He also pooled various disproven anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.[105] Again calling himself "just pro-black" and not "anti-anybody", he unemployed "the hype" and professed defer he was just "telling [his] truth".[106]
Main article: Ice Cube discography
See also: N.W.A discography