Ice Cube was the first member of the seminal Californian rap group N.W.A. to
leave, and he quickly established himself as one of hip-hop's best and most
controversial artists. From the outset of his career, he courted controversy,
since his rhymes where profane and political. As a solo artist, his politics and
social commentary sharpened substantially, and his first two records, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and Death Certificate, were equally praised and reviled
for their lyrical stance, which happened to be considerably more articulate than
many of his gangsta peers. As his career progressed, Ice Cube's influence began
to decline, particularly as he tried to incorporate elements of contemporary
groups like Cypress Hill into his sound, but his stature never diminished, and
he remained one of the biggest rap stars throughout the '90s.
For such a revolutionary figure, Ice Cube (b. O'Shea Jackson) came from a
surprisingly straight background. Raised in south-central Los Angles, where both
of his parents had jobs at UCLA, Cube didn't become involved with B-Boy culture
until his late teens. He began writing raps while in high school, including
"Boyz N Da Hood." With his partner Sir Jinx, Cube began rapping in a duo called
CIA at parties hosted by Dr. Dre, and he eventually met Eazy-E, then leading a
group called HBO, through Dre. Eazy asked Cube to write a rap, and he presented
them with "Boyz N Da Hood," which was rejected. Eazy-E decided to leave CIA and
he, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre formed the first incarnation of N.W.A. Cube left to
study architectural drafting at Phoenix, Arizona in 1987, returning the
following year after he obtained a one-year degree. He arrived just in time for
N.W.A.'s debut album, Straight Outta Compton. Released late in 1988, Straight
Outta Compton became an underground hit over the course of 1989, and its extreme
lyrical content -- which was over-the-top both lyrically and politically --
attracted criticism, most notably from the FBI.
N.W.A. may have been rivaling Public Enemy as the most notorious group in
hip-hop, but Ice Cube was having deep conflicts with their management, resulting
in him leaving the band in late 1989. He went to New York with his new posse, Da
Lench Mob, and recorded his first solo album with Public Enemy's production
team, the Bomb Squad. Released in the spring of 1990, his debut AmeriKKKa's Most
Wanted was an instant hit, going gold within its first two weeks of release.
While the record's production and Cube's rhythmic skills were praised, his often
violent, homophobic and misogynist lyrics were criticized, particularly by the
rock press and moral watchdogs. Even admist such controversy, the album was
hailed as a groundbreaking classic within hip-hop, and it established Cube as an
individual force. He began his own corporation, which was run by a woman, and he
produced the debut album from his female protégée, Yo-Yo. At the end of 1990, he
released the EP Kill At Will, which was followed in the spring by Yo-Yo's debut,
Make Way for the Mother lode. That summer, his acting debut in John Singleton's
acclaimed urban drama Boyz N the Hood was widely praised.
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted may have been controversial, but it paled next the furor
surrounding Cube's second album, Death Certificate. Released late in 1991, Death
Certificate was simultaneously more political and vulgar than its predecessor,
it caused more outrage. In particular, "No Vaseline," a vicious attack on N.W.A.
manager Jerry Heller, was perceived as anti-Semitic, and "Black Korea" was taken
as a racist invocation to burn down all Korean-owned grocery stores. The songs
provoked a public condemnation from the trade publication Billboard. It was the
first time an artist had been singled-out by the magazine. The furor over Death
Certificate didn't prevent it from reaching number two and going platinum.
During 1992, he toured with the second Lollapalooza tour in a successful attempt
to consolidate his white rock audience. He also converted to the Nation of Islam
during 1992, which was evident on his next album, The Predator. Upon its release
in December of 1992, The Predator became the first album to debut at number one
on both the pop and R&B charts. The steady-rolling single "It Was a Good Day"
and the Das Efx collaboration "Check Yo Self" made the album Cube's most
popular.
However, Ice Cube's hold on the mass rap audience was beginning to slip. His
former colleague, Dr. Dre, was dominating hip-hop with his stoned G-Funk, and
Cube tried to keep pace with 1993's Lethal Injection. While the album debuted at
number five and went platinum, its funkier sound wasn't well-received. Lethal
Injection was Cube's last official album for several years. In 1994, he wrote
and produced Da Lench Mob's debut Guerillas in the Mist, and produced Kam's
debut Neva Again, releasing a remix and rarities collection Bootlegs & B-Sides
at the end of the year. In 1995, he kept quiet, appearing in Singleton's film
Higher Learning and making amends with Dre on their duet "Natural Born Killaz."
The following year, he acted in the comedy Friday, which he wrote himself. He
also formed the Westside Connection with Mack 10 and WC, releasing their debut
album, Bow Down, at the end of the year. It went gold within its first month of
release. In the spring of 1997, Cube starred in the surprise hit horror film,
Anaconda. War and Peace--The War Disc followed in 1998; its sequel, The Peace
Disc, followed two years later. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide.