Rapper Ice Cube

Grammy and Oscar recipient Ice Cube has built an illustrious film and television career spanning 30 years, from family-friendly road trip movies (Are We There Yet?) to redefining Black comedy in Hollywood through 1995’s Friday and pulling an adorable baby dinosaur out of magician’s hat during Sesame Street cameo appearance. Going beyond his initial label as a rapper, Cube has also successfully formed relationships with musicians outside his genre such as David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor – having moved beyond being known solely as ‘gangsta rapper‘ tag to form successful partnerships outside this genre as well.

Cube was raised in South Central by his single mother who worked as a hospital clerk, while his father served as groundskeeper at UCLA. As a teenager he started rapping under the influence of local heroes such as Westside Connection’s Mack 10 and WC; eventually forming Cru in Action along with Sir Jinx and K-Dee in 1986 which later transformed into the legendary N.W.A – an association he would leave later due to dissatisfaction over how much they were being paid as rappers.

Following his departure from N.W.A, Cube released AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted as both a commercial and critical success in 1990. On this album, the emcee spoke out against violence and drug addiction in inner-city America; further questioned why more Black people than college were in prison [“The N***a You Love to Hate”) while turning nursery rhymes into cautionary tales (“A Gangsta’s Fairytale”). Furthermore, some claimed Cube may have been anti-women due to some references made within AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’s coverage of misogyny that had made many accusing the rapper as being anti-women.

Death Certificate, his 1991 follow-up album, proved more controversial. While not diving as deeply into politics as its predecessor had done, some lyrics still criticized white people in some form or fashion. Cube has since apologized for those remarks saying he was simply venting his frustration with injustice in America.

In 1992, Cube joined forces with female rapper Yo-Yo to release their hit single It Was A Good Day on Billboard charts and was certified gold within one week – becoming one of the rare instances when both pop and R&B charts simultaneously reached number one for any rap song!

Next year, Cube collaborated with Beastie Boys’ Mikey Way on Raw Footage album. This unique record combined G-funk with classic soul samples for an inimitable sound that reached #1 on both charts simultaneously and launched Check Yo Self into fame when used in an Issa Rae HBO show; second single This Is My Life also saw great success and reached No 34 on Hot 100; track also used in 1999 movie The Players Club as its final US hit song charting charted chart