The Real Hip Hop: Ice Cube Biography

Ice Cube is one of the most versatile and enduring figures in all of hip hop.At the age of 30 he is one if not the best rap singers of all time.But not just that.Ice Cube (originally born as O'Shea Jackson) made career like actor, producer, screenwriter and director.After spending time with his movies Ice Cube returned to his rap career with vengeance.In 1999 - 2000 he worked on not just one but two albums.The first one was named "War & Peace" (Volume 1-The War Disc) and was released on November 17, 1998 on Priority Records.The second one named "War & Peace" (Volume 1-The Peace Disc) was released half an year later on March 17, 2000.Both albums include more than 2 hours of new music.

The second volume of the album opens with simple greeting - "Hell Low".Dr.Dre produced selection featuring Dr.Dre and MC Ren.The album also featured a comedic track named "You Ain't Gotta Lie" featuring Chris Rock.Another artists participating in this album are Krayzie Bone (on the single "Until We Rich"), Mack 10, Jayo Felony.Several tracks was produced by Chucky Thompson, Battlecat and Puffy to name few.

The War record featured songs like "Dr Frankenstein", "Once Upon A Time In The Projects2"
and of course the single "Pushin Weight".In this album participated the mega-platinum rockers - Korn.Them and Cube made the song named "Fuck Dying".Cube perform on Korn's "Family Values" tour.On that experience Cube said:"To expose Korn fans to my music is cool because most of them is only exposed to my movies".

Ice Cube's interest on rap was born in ninth grade.His friend Kiddo challenged him."One day
he asked me if I ever wrote a rap.I told him to write one I'll write another and we will see which one will come out better.And I won..." says Cube.His first crew was named C.I.A..It was formed with his friends and future partners Sir Jinx and K-Dee.Through Jinx cousin Cube meet Dr.Dre and together they began rhyming for night clubs in South Central.They were rappin' about what's going on in the neighborhood.Cube says:"Eazy-E had a partner named Ron-de-Vu,Dre was in the WCWC(World Class Wreckin Crew) and I was in C.I.A.So we decided to make an all star group and start do some dirty records."That group would become known as "Niggaz With Attitude"(NWA).

In early 1987 Ice Cube wrote "Boyz-N-The-Hood" for Eazy E and "Dopeman" and "8-Ball" for
NWA and they went into studio to record.Cube said:"I knew I was doin something new but I
wasnt sure if its good.So the rap game wasn't too solid at the time so I decided to go ahead and go to school."When Cube left for Phoenix Institute the records was just hitting the streets.A year later the songs of Eazy E and NWA sold hundreds of thousands of copies.Cube came back to write the rhymes for the albums of Eazy E named "Eazy Duz It" and "Straight Outta Compton".And after they hit the streets whe world would never be the same.

NWA's "Straight Outta Compton" had the biggest influence since The Sex Pistols' Never Mind
the Bollocks.Straight Outta Compton didn't break taboos as much as they blow them away.
The FBI Assistant director Milt Ahlerich sent a letter to the group.Part ot it is:"Advocating violence and assault is wrong and we in the law enforcement community take exception to such action".But the sales ot the album rocked past platinum."Straight Outta Compton had the biggest impact on the rap music than any other albums to this day" says Cube."We opened the door where you can say what you wanna say without having to hold back."

But in 1989 the things between Ice Cube and Jerry Heller-then NWA's manager began to sour.
Ice Cube was involved in the writing in 10 of 13 songs from the album "Straight Outta
Compton" and also the songs "Dopeman" "Express Yourself" and "8-Ball".Cube said:"I felt like
I deserve more than the $30,000 that was payed to me.The album sold over 3 million copies.
I was broked before I jumped into that shit so I was kind a walking away.I preferred it that way."Cube continues:"At the time the two producers that was worth to fuck witn was Dr.Dre and The Bomb Squad.So if I couldn't get Dre I had to go to the Bomb Squad."He broke east and start collaborating with Public Enemy.

Energized by the rush of liberation and by the exchanging ideas with Chuck D, Ice Cube
turned in the stunning album "Amerikka's Most Wanted".The chorus of the song "The Nigga You Love To Hate" was "Fuck you Ice Cube" and everybody was absolutely loving it.The album went gold in 10 days and platinum in just 3 months.The follow-up EK "Kill At Will" became gold
just as quickly.The song featured in this album "Dead Homiez" created an entirely new theme
for gangsta rappers.It seems like Cube was thinking seven steps ahead of the game.Cube says:"I was reading a lot of books about world , paying attention to world history and political views.Up to that point I was just rollin through life tryin to get money.But the books gave me freedom mentally to deal with this world."

On Halloween 1991 Ice Cube released his second solo LP, "Death Certificate".It sold over a
million copies and debuted as N2 on the Billboard Charts.This album spoke what it meant to
be a young black male in the ghetto, influenced by drugs, police brutality and state repression.
The album was released just months before the LA riots.On April 29 1992 "Death Certificate"
sounded prophetic.

That year "The Predator" debuted as N1 on the pop and R&B charts and went platinum in just
fourd days!The album featured some of Ice Cube's greatest hits like: "When Will They Shoot",
"I'm Scared", "Now I Gotta Wet'cha", "We Had To Tear This Muthafucka Up", "Wicked" and also "It Was A Good Day".

"Lethal Injection" was Cube's fourth album in four years.And although it came platinum Cube
felt that the rap game was changing subtly.He says:"At that time nobody want to hear that kind of rap.The G-Funk era was coming in.It was a whole different tone in that music.The people didn't want to take rap so serious."

By that time Cube was doing movies, directing videos and trying to produce other groups.He had directed over a dozen of videos and his film-making career was set to take off.

Ice Cube appeared in a lot of films.Based on his amazing performance in John Singleton's
"Boyz in the Hood" however, he was in demand.He went on to appear in "Trespass", "CB4"
"The Glass Shield", "Higher Learning", "Anaconda" and "3 Kings"-the film who also featured
the star George Clooney.After co-screenwriting the script "Friday" with DJ Pooh - a view of a day of the life of a couple of brothers from South Central, Ice Cube followed up with the movie "Next Friday".It turned out to be very successfull and outsold films like "Stuart Little", "The Green Mile" and "The Hurricane" in its first week.Cube also appeared in "Dangerous Ground" and "The Player's Club".Cube says:"People always are asking mu quest ions:When are you gonna stop rappin?What do you prefer - to do movies or to rap?I think that if I got opportunity I'll take it.THat's my personal opinion of all of that."

However Ice Cube formed group named Westside Connection with two of his homies-Mack10 and WC.Cube says:"I was tired doing solo albums and I want to feel the group thing.With Mack
and WC our chemistry was so tight that the Westside Connection was born."Cube continues:
"I was not really trippin on straight being from the west coast but when I was doing it I heard a lot of shit being told about the west coast so I stood up for it."With Bow Down's double platinum sales it seems there must have been bi-coastal unity after all.

Finally it comes time to return to the solo albums.Cube says:"When you're tryin to do records, make movies and produce a movie it's really hard to make good music.I just wanted to put all that stuff down and concentrate on my album.And now i really believe that "War and Peace" is my best record after "Dead Certificate."Cube finishes with:"People today always wanna hear some new rappers but when I really get down nobody puts a record together better than me.So as long as I stay consistent and keep my heart in my fans will love me and I'll be always on the top of the rap game."

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