If there’s one thing Ice Cube enjoys, it’s breaking new ground.
The legendary rapper and actor has had a career full of firsts. With NWA, Ice Cube became one of the pioneers of gangsta rap, a story-based subgenre of hip-hop detailing urban gang culture. Movies he’s starred in, like John Singleton’s “Boyz n the Hood,†and produced, like “Friday†and “Barbershop,†are staples within the modern American film canon. And now of course, Ice Cube’s legacy extends far beyond music, and even entertainment.
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A 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Ice Cube is legitimate entertainment-industry royalty.
And though he’s been performing live since he was 14, Ice Cube says he’s ready to have just as much fun as he did when he first started when he performs on Sept. 15 at the Factory in Chesterfield.
“I promised myself I would always have fun with the music and it’s still fun to this day,†he says.
Ice Cube’s show comes a few months before the release of his 11th studio album, “Man Down.†The album dives deep into his stances on being a man today. Ice Cube has never been afraid to speak his mind. His in-your-face, blunt lyrics reshaped how rappers told stories about urban communities. Recently, Ice Cube came under fire on social media after posting a TikTok encouraging Black voters to be more intentional at the polls. Some accused Ice Cube of attempting to confuse Black voters and supporting the Republican party. He denied being affiliated with any political party on X (formerly Twitter).
The rapper remains unapologetic about how he uses his platforms.
“You find areas where you can put a message or how you feel about certain things going on in society and do it in a way that’s still hip-hop,†he says. “It’s not preachy, but it’s just dropping game.â€
He’s been doing that for decades in his music, and the West Coast rapper says his ºüÀêÊÓƵ show will cover his career.
“We’re going to go over almost 40 years of music, from NWA to the present,†he says. “And we’re going to have a good time.â€
Ice Cube’s musical journey began in 1983 as a member of the rap group Stereo Crew, which would later become CIA or Criminals in Action. Later in 1987 Ice Cube would join NWA, the iconic hip-hop group out of Compton, Calif. The group — which included Dr. Dre, rapper Eazy-E, DJ Yella, MC Ren, Arabian Prince, the D.O.C. and DJ Speed — rose to prominence in the late ’80s after the release of its debut album “Straight Outta Compton†shook pop culture and society.
Singles like “Straight Outta Compton†and “F—k tha Police†vividly described scenes from predominantly Black, urban communities. While mainstream society painted the group’s lyrics as misogynistic and controversial, NWA gave a voice to disenfranchised citizens and used hip-hop as a platform to tell the world about the police brutality, racial profiling and oppressive struggles crippling Black communities in the United States.
Ice Cube went solo in 1990. On his 1991 album “Death Certificate,†his song “My Summer Vacation†mentions ºüÀêÊÓƵ multiple times. The premise for the song originated before Ice Cube joined NWA. He attended a trade school in Arizona and would hear stories about guys from Los Angeles being profiled when they landed at airports in different cities. Officers assumed they were traveling from LA with drugs to sell. Later, undercover detectives would “jack†— search and rough up — NWA and their entourage at different airports to see if they were traveling with illegal substances.
Ice Cubes says the young rappers weren’t selling dope. But the stories inspired “My Summer Vacation,†where cops rough up people in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. The jacking incident described didn’t actually take place here though. Ice Cube says he set the song in ºüÀêÊÓƵ because the city had a sense of realness that mirrored his home in LA.
“ºüÀêÊÓƵ is a town that I equate to real people that’s down for whatever in a sense,†he says. “You come with roses; they come with roses. You come with guns; they come with guns. It’s that type of town.â€
This year is the 30th anniversary of Ice Cube releasing his EP “Bootlegs and B-Sides.†The 12-track project contains remixes to some of the rappers most beloved records including “Check Yo Self†and “It Was a Good Day.†Prior to its release, Ice Cube says he’d become fond of remixes while working in the studio alongside fellow NWA member, rapper and producer Dr. Dre. He’d already had success with his 1990 EP “Kill at Will.†However, he’d also seen what bootleggers and piracy were doing to the entertainment industry. With “Bootlegs and B-Sides,†Ice Cube embraced the changing tide of music.
“I embraced the word and embraced the term and I wasn’t so critical of bootleggers,†he says. “It is what it is. When you got something hot, everybody wants it.â€
Although he’s been in the industry for a long time now, Ice Cube says age has never been a factor for him. He knows there are young people who aspire to be his age, 55, just as he hopes to one day grow old. For him, it’s about having confidence in his ability to still get the job done, whether it’s behind the mic, in the executive office, in the director’s chair or on stage at the Factory.
Plus, Ice Cube has a knack for survival and second chances. The rapper has had multiple near-death experiences and walked away unharmed, including being hit by a car and nearly drowning as a kid. He originally bombed his audition for “Boyz n the Hood,†only to nail it the second time. He says he doesn’t know why there’s been so much divine intervention throughout his life, unless its to share his story.
“Maybe God wanted these messages to get out and needed me as the vessel to make that happen,†he says.