Ice Cube

O'Shea Jackson (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His efforts on N.W.A's 1989 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap's popularity, and his political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992) were all critically and commercially successful. 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. In 1987, with Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, he formed the gangsta rap group N.W.A. His first acting role was in the hood film Boyz n the Hood (1991), named after a 1987 N.W.A. song he wrote. He also co-wrote and starred in the 1995 comedy film Friday, which spawned a franchise and reshaped his public image into an actor. His film credits including the comedies Three Kings (1999), the Barbershop and Are We There Yet? franchises, 21 Jump Street (2012), 22 Jump Street, Ride Along (both 2014) and Ride Along 2 (2016). He has also appeared in the XXX franchise (2005–2017), the crime drama Rampart (2012), the animated fantasy The Book of Life (2014), and the thriller War of the Worlds (2025). 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. In ninth grade at George Washington Preparatory High School in Los Angeles, Cube began writing raps after being challenged by his friend "Kiddo" in typewriting class. He has said that his stage name came from his older brother, who "threatened to slam [him] into a freezer and pull [him] out when [he] was an ice cube".

Cube also attended William Howard Taft High School in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles. In Q3 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. He earned a one-year diploma in architectural drafting and he returned to Los Angeles and rejoined N.W.A, keeping 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.

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.

1986–1990: N.W.A

At 16, Cube sold his first song to Eric Wright, soon dubbed Eazy-E, who was forming Ruthless Records and the musical team N.W.A, based in Compton, California. 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.

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. After leaving the group in January 1990, Cube sued Heller, and the lawsuit was later settled out of court.

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. 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.

It was also at this time that Cube began collaborating outside the rap genre. In 1997, he worked with David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails singer Trent Reznor on a remix of Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans". 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, and Snoop Dogg 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), 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 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's song "Blackboy", and was featured on The Game's song "State of Emergency".

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, 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 No. 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'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's NFL Anthems campaign, Cube released his second Raiders anthem "Come and Get It".

2012–present: Everythang's Corrupt, Mount Westmore, Man Down and Man Up

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, E-40, Too Short and formed the supergroup Mount Westmore. The group's debut album was released on June 7, 2022.

Throughout early 2024, Ice Cube toured 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 and Killer Mike)" and "So Sensitive". On August 29, 2025, Ice Cube announced that his twelfth studio album, Man Up, would be released in 2025 and will be preceded by the first single "Before Hip Hop" on September 5, 2025.

Film and television career

Since 1991, Ice Cube has acted in nearly 40 films, several of which are highly regarded. 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, 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 in Three Kings, set in the immediate aftermath of the Gulf War, whereby the United States attacked Iraq in 1990, an "intelligent" war comedy critically acclaimed. ) alongside Jack Black, but left the project after refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19. 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. On August 16, the show was renewed for 90 more episodes, amounting to six seasons. Cube also credits Tyler Perry 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.

Personal life In 1990, a musical associate in the rap group Public Enemy introduced Cube to the Nation of Islam (NOI). He converted to Islam, though he denied membership in the NOI. However, he readily adopted the group's ideology of black nationalism, He nevertheless has claimed to listen to his own conscience as a "natural Muslim", In 2012, he expressed support for same-sex marriage. 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 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, 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 from 1982 to 1994. N.W.A's use of Raiders' memorabilia in conjunction with the team's historically intimidating presence, helped to further popularize an image for the team in hip-hop culture for years to come. Ice Cube is also a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers 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, and has equally been a devout fan of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Accusations of 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. Death Certificate also contains the song "No Vaseline", 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" and "cracker".

In response to accusations of racism and antisemitism, Cube said in 2008, "I ain't got time to be fuckin' antisemitic, 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?" 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. Again calling himself "just pro-black" and not "anti-anybody", he dismissed "the hype" and professed that he was just "telling [his] truth".

Discography

Solo studio albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990) Kill at Will (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) Man Up (2025)

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) (2022)

Filmography Films Year Film Functioned as Role Director Producer Screenwriter Actor 1991 Boyz n the Hood Darin "Doughboy" Baker 1992 Trespass Savon 1993 CB4 Himself (cameo) 1994 The Glass Shield Teddy Woods 1995 Higher Learning Fudge Friday Craig Jones 1997 Dangerous Ground Vusi Madlazi Anaconda Danny Rich 1998 The Players Club Reggie I Got the Hook Up Gun runner 1999 Three Kings Sgt. Chief Elgin Thicker Than Water Slink 2000 Next Friday Craig Jones 2001 Ghosts of Mars James 'Desolation' Williams 2002 All About the Benjamins Bucum Barbershop Calvin Palmer Friday After Next Craig Jones 2004 Torque Trey Wallace The N-Word Himself Barbershop 2: Back in Business Calvin Palmer 2005 Are We There Yet? Nick Persons Beauty Shop Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars XXX: State of the Union Darius Stone / XXX 2007 Are We Done Yet? Nick Persons 2008 First Sunday Durell Washington Drillbit Taylor Himself; Archive footage The Longshots Curtis Plummer 2009 Janky Promoters Russell Redds 2010 Lottery Ticket Jerome "Thump" Washington 2011 Rampart Kyle Timkins 2012 21 Jump Street Capt. Dickson 2014 Ride Along Detective James Payton 22 Jump Street Capt. Dickson The Book of Life The Candle Maker (voice) 2015 Straight Outta Compton 2016 Ride Along 2 Detective James Payton Barbershop: The Next Cut Calvin Palmer 2017 XXX: Return of Xander Cage Darius Stone / XXX Fist Fight Strickland 2020 The High Note Jack Robertson 2023 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Superfly (voice) 2025 War of the Worlds Will Radford Anaconda Himself Ride Along 3 James Peyton

Television Year Film Functioned as Role Notes Producer Screenwriter Director Actor 1994 The Sinbad Show Himself Episode: "The Mr. Science Show" 1997 The Jamie Foxx Show Westside Connection Episode: "Westside" 2002 The Bernie Mac Show Himself Episode: "Goodbye Dolly" 2005 BarberShop: The Series WrestleMania 21 Himself 2006 Black. White. 2007 Friday: The Animated Series 2010 30 for 30 Episode: "Straight Outta L.A." 2010–2013 Are We There Yet? Terrence Kingston Recurring role (20 episodes) 2017 The Defiant Ones Himself Documentary 2025 The Studio Himself Episode: "Casting"

Video games Year Title Role Other notes 2010 Call of Duty: Black Ops Chief Petty Officer Joseph Bowman / SOG multiplayer announcer Voice and likeness actor

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 three awards:

2000: Blockbuster Entertainment Award: Favorite Action Team (for Three Kings) 2002: MECCA Movie Award: Acting Award 2026: Golden Raspberry Award: Worst Actor (for War of the Worlds)

Music awards VH1 Hip Hop Honors

Himself Honoree BET Hip-Hop Awards

Himself I Am Hip Hop award The BET Honors

Himself Entertainer Award Grammy Awards

Himself (as a member of N.W.A.) Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 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 Ice Cube Impact Award 2023