To declare Ice Cube a West Coast rap god is in no way diminishing his influence on hip hop by adding a regional distinction. It serves as a reminder that Cube – first with the group N.W.A and shortly after as a solo artist – was able to shift the culture at a time when the East Coast was the default setting for the genre.
“It’s cool to be an original – like Ice T and Eazy-E, rest in peace. At the end of the day, it’s great to be in the position where you are respected,” Cube said. “A lot of MCs want the fame and the fortune, but the respect is paramount. That’s the most important part to me – that my peers respect my get down in hip hop.”
He’s more than respected. He helped pave the way for the West Coast to have its own identity and legacy. Cube’s heavy influence within the lineage still looms. It’s fair to say that Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” is a direct descendent of Cube’s “No Vaseline” – which is considered by most to be one of the greatest diss tracks of all time.
Cube will be in St. Louis this weekend for a show at The Factory in Chesterfield on Sunday, September 15.
“I always look forward to coming to St. Louis,” Cube says. “STL fans – from day one – always supported me. Whether it was the music or the movies – and now basketball – and it is always cool to come back and do a show.”
He’ll be coming to town to perform the classics from his catalog that dates back to the 1980s, but he also has a new album coming out later this fall. It’s the first since 2018’s “Everythangs Corrupt.”
“It’s called ‘Man Down’ because real men gotta stand up nowadays,” Cube said. “It’s a record that’s really talking about ways we can do that – analyzing some of the ways we got off track as men. It’s not all about that. But if you like any of my records in the past, you are going to love this record for sure.”
“Man Down” comes 35 years after Cube and his fellow group members became household names with the release of their studio album “Straight Outta Compton.”
The year 1988 was pivotal in hip hop. It was the year that Big Daddy Kane, Eric B. and Rakim, KRS1, Slick Rick and MC Lyte were a part of the new horizon. Classic albums such as Public Enemy’s “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,” EPMD’s “Strictly Business” and Boogie Down Productions’ “By All Means Necessary.”
And yet the most memorable moment of them all came all the way from California.
“Back in the day, all the hip hop artists were coming out of New York,” Cube said. “We were looking for ways to break through – and the more provocative music actually started getting us attention.”
“Straight Outta Compton” was a peek inside of the gritty side of South Central Los Angeles and Compton. But what incited the “USA vs. NWA” atmosphere was their single, “[Expletive] Tha Police.”
“We were youngsters and we saw music as our only weapon against the system,” Cube said. “In our neighborhoods, we saw so many injustices. The way they were treating the young people in LA at the time just wasn’t right. Our songs were the only way we felt we could fight back.”
They became superstars. Cube left at the height of NWA’s fame to pursue a solo career. He was barely out of his teens when he embarked on a solo career that ultimately led to a successful film career – first as an actor, then as a writer, director and producer.
“Luckily, John Singleton discovered me,” Cube said. “It wasn’t like I had this master plan. It was kind of me recognizing opportunities and taking it serious.”
He made his acting debut in Singleton’s Academy Award-nominated feature film debut “Boyz In The Hood.” It made film stars of Cube and emerging leading men Cuba Gooding Jr. and Morris Chestnut.
“It was also me realizing, ‘I might not have ever done this before, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be good at it,’” Cube said. “I’ve always taken the attitude of ‘don’t hold yourself back’ and ‘don’t doubt yourself.’ Do what it takes and you should win. When I say that, I ain’t talking about doing nothing foul – I’m talking about putting in the work, putting in the time, putting in the effort and giving a damn.’”
Thanks to films like “The Friday” franchise, “The Players Club” and “The Ride Along” films with Kevin Hart, Cube is as recognizable in the film industry as in hip hop.
“I came in as an outsider with a different perspective and a lot of people dig it, I guess, because I had a lot of success,” Cube said. “What brings me the most joy about what I do is that people love it – and enjoy it over and over again. Like the movie Friday. That’s what it’s all about. I’m more of a creator and so I enjoy the process of creating. And when it’s done, I’m usually off to the next.”
He likens the feeling he gets when he successfully creates – whether in music or film – art that resonates to a mother watching her family enjoy the home cooked meal she prepared for them.
“Everybody eats, they’re full. They are taking plates home and they want leftovers,” Cube said. “They really enjoyed the meal. It’s that same kind of pride when I do a movie, or a record or whatever I’m doing. The fact that people dig it – and they can dig it for years to come is what gives me the most joy.”
That, and compelling the next generation to do the same.
“Me writing ‘Friday’ and putting that movie together, hopefully I inspired somebody – like a 50 Cent to do what he’s doing with ‘Power,’” Cube said. “As long as you are inspiring the next generation to go for it and bring their vision to the forefront, that’s about as special as it can be. If somebody see you do something and say, ‘Damn, if he can do it – I can do it,’ …man, it don’t get no better than that.”
He’s putting his hip hop hat on Sunday night and is urging St. Louis fans to come through.
“I’m delivering forty years of hits. From NWA all the way to the present day – and everything in between,” Cube said. “We’re rockin’ out. Don’t cheat yourself, treat yourself.”
Ice Cube will play The Factory in Chesterfield on Sunday, September 15. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For tickets or additional information, visit www.thefactorystl.com.