Ice Cube is a multi-talented rapper, actor, and producer who got his start with the legendary rap group N.W.A.
Although this rapper has a multitude of projects and companies under his belt, he is still best known for his music.
In recent years, Ice Cube has been focusing on how he can give back to the Black community through his businesses and entertainment.
Ice Cube may be known for his menacing scowl, he’s been all smiles since expanding his career.
How Tall Is Ice Cube?
Ice Cube is 5’8” and was born O’Shea Jackson on June 15th of 1969.
This Los Angeles native was born to Doris and Horsea Jackson, a hospital clerk and a UCLA groundskeeper.
Ice Cube first rose to fame thanks to his contributions to the rap group N.W.A., which included fellow legendary rappers Eazy-E, MC Ren, DJ Yella, DJ Speed, The D.O.C, Arabian Prince, and Dr. Dre.
Their debut album is still held in high regard by music historians, including hits such as Straight Outta Compton, Gangsta Gangsta, and Express Yourself.
By 1990, Ice Cube knew his time with the popular rap group was coming to an end and decided the best step for his musical career would be to go solo.
Following his departure from N.W.A, Ice Cube released his albums AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted in 1990 and Death Certificate in 1991.
Death Certificate sold two million copies, while his subsequent six solo albums have sold collectively 10 million copies.
Even while Ice Cube has been adding to his own discography, Ice Cube brought fame to multiple rappers he has met.
Some of the most popular rappers Ice Cube has discovered include Mack 10, K-Dee, Yoyo, and Del the Funky Homosapien.
Ice Cube has also toured with a large variety of the most popular acts of the 1980s and 1990s, such as Cypress Hill, Dr. Dre, The D.O.C., Public Enemy, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Ice Cube began his career in film when he starred in the 1991 classic, Boyz N the Hood and found major success in film again with Friday in 1995.
Friday would go on to spawn an entire trilogy of films, such as Next Friday and Friday After Next. In 2005, Ice Cube starred in Are We There Yet?
Why Did Ice Cube Leave N.W.A?
Ice Cube left N.W.A. because he wasn’t getting paid, especially when compared to the amount that their manager Jerry Heller was making.
Even after selling three million albums, Ice Cube was only left with $32,000.
Meanwhile, Heller was living in an estimated $500,000 home and driving around a Corvette.
During this time, Ice Cube was still forced to live at home with his mother and ride around on his Suzuki SideKick.
Ice Cube felt that Heller had vastly too much control over how little of the work he was actually doing.
His level of control forced the rap group to do whatever made him the most money, even going as far as to ignore requests that the rappers made when wanting to appear on Jesse Jackson’s chat show.
Because there was no money involved, Heller refused to let the group be seen on Voices of America.
Ice Cube felt that this decision was incredibly short-sighted on his former manager’s part and was the final nail in the coffin for the rapper.
When Ice Cube finally decided to take the leap of faith and start his solo career, the majority of people saw it as career suicide.
All the decisions could have ended in complete disaster, but leaving N.W.A was one of the best decisions that Ice Cube made in his early career.
Instead, this moment taught Ice Cube to trust his instinct and not allow himself to be sold short again.
From his perspective, Ice Cube felt that his only option was to stay true to himself and live with his decision no matter how it went because he believes, “As long as you can live with yourself, that’s all that matters.”
Since leaving N.W.A., Ice Cube has created better opportunities for people like him.
Does Ice Cube Own A Basketball League?
Yes, Ice Cube owns BIG3, which is a 3-on-3 basketball league that consists mostly of former National Basketball Association stars and international sensations.
BIG3 was founded in 2017, and it is the first and only Black-owned and operated professional sports league recognized by the United States Black Chambers, Inc. and ByBlack.
According to their legendary rapper founder, BIG3 was created to provide opportunities for Black players, investors, fans, and partners.
Through the success that BIG3 has found, Ice Cube hopes to build up other Black entrepreneurs.
BIG3 games consist of 3-player teams who play on a half-court in order to reach 50 points and win by at least two points with a 14-second shot clock.
When NFTs became popular, BIG3 created the Forever Experience Action Tokens, which offered real-life experience and owner-like perks to fans who invested in the project.
There are currently 12 teams in the league, such as the 3-Headed Monsters, 3’s Company, the Aliens, the Ball Hogs, Bivouac, the Enemies, the Ghost Ballers, the Killer 3’s, the Power, Tri-State, Trilogy, and the Triplets.
The players on their rosters include Michael Beasley, Elijah Stewart, Joe Johnson, Gerald Green, Isaiah Briscoe, Kevin Murphy, Glen Rice, Quincy Miller, Brandon Rush, Derrick Byars, Karlis Lasmanis, Deshawn Stephen, Leandro Barbosa, and Jeff Ayres.
BIG3 even has big-name coaches like Hall of Famer Rick Barry, Gary Payton, George Gervin, Nancy Lieberman, Julius Erving, and Lisa Leslie.
There are also All-Stars like Gilbert Arenas and Charles Oakley.
So far, BIG3 has gone through six seasons since its founding in 2017.
Those interested in watching these games from home can find them on CBS on the weekends during their summer season.
What Record Label Is Ice Cube Signed With?
Ice Cube has been signed with Interscope Records since 2017, following years of recording under his own label Lench Mob Records.
This legendary rapper decided to make the switch because of the impact that Interscope Records has made on hip-hop music and the legacy behind the music company.
Interscope Records has been known for releasing platinum-selling records for fellow rap music icons like Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Kendrick Lamar.
The first project that Interscope Records and Ice Cubes released together was a 25th-anniversary edition of Death Certificate, which Ice Cube felt needed to come out at that time because “our company is dealing with many of the same issues” and the rapper hoped that “young millennials feeling powerless in the ‘hood can channel their own anger and frustration by listening to this record.”
Ice Cube appreciates that he no longer has to worry about financing his own projects.
With a larger budget, Ice Cube feels he is able to more accurately create the kind of music he wants to hear in the world.
The decision to join Interscope Records came only a year after Ice Cube and the rest of N.W.A. were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in June of 2016.
