Ice Cube facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ice Cube
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Ice Cube in 2024
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O'Shea Jackson
June 15, 1969 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Education | Taft High School Phoenix Institute of Technology |
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| Years active | 1986–present |
| Organization | Lench Mob Records Cube Vision Big3 |
| Spouse(s) |
Kimberly Woodruff
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 4, including O'Shea Jr. |
| Relatives | Del tha Funky Homosapien (cousin) Kam (cousin) |
| Musical career | |
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O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), who is known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, and filmmaker. He first became famous as a member of the hip-hop group N.W.A. His powerful lyrics on the group's 1989 album Straight Outta Compton helped make gangsta rap a popular style of music.
As a solo artist, Ice Cube released successful albums like AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990) and Death Certificate (1991). These albums were known for their political messages. In 2016, he was welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A.
Ice Cube is also a successful actor. He has appeared in nearly 40 movies, including the drama Boyz n the Hood (1991) and the popular comedy Friday (1995). He also starred in family-friendly movies like the Barbershop series.
Contents
Early Life and Getting Started
O'Shea Jackson was born in Los Angeles, California, on June 15, 1969. He grew up in South Los Angeles with his parents, Doris and Hosea Jackson, and an older brother. He is also the cousin of rappers Del tha Funky Homosapien and Kam.
He started writing raps in the ninth grade. He said he got his stage name from his older brother. His brother once joked that he would put him in a freezer and pull him out as an "ice cube."
After high school, Ice Cube studied architectural drafting at the Phoenix Institute of Technology. He earned a diploma in 1988. He saw this as a backup plan in case his music career didn't work out.
Music Career
N.W.A and Rise to Fame
In 1986, when he was 16, Ice Cube started a rap group called C.I.A. with his friend Sir Jinx. Soon after, he joined Dr. Dre and Eazy-E to form the group N.W.A. Ice Cube became the group's lead rapper and wrote many of the lyrics for their famous album, Straight Outta Compton.
The album was a huge success and helped define West Coast hip hop. The group's lyrics often talked about life in their community and social problems, which caused some controversy. In late 1989, Ice Cube left N.W.A because of a disagreement over money.
A Successful Solo Career
In 1990, Ice Cube released his first solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. It was an instant hit. His next album, Death Certificate (1991), was even more focused and talked about social issues. It was split into two parts: the "Death Side," which described problems in society, and the "Life Side," which offered a vision for a better future.
His third album, The Predator (1992), became the first album to be #1 on both the pop and R&B/hip-hop charts at the same time. It included his hit songs "It Was a Good Day" and "Check Yo Self". This album was his most commercially successful, selling over three million copies in the U.S.
Working with Other Artists
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Throughout the 1990s, Ice Cube worked with many other artists. In 1995, he formed the group Westside Connection with rappers Mack 10 and WC. Their goal was to bring more attention to West Coast hip-hop. Their first album, Bow Down (1996), was very successful.
He also released more solo albums, including Lethal Injection (1993), War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc) (1998), and War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc) (2000). In 2000, he toured with Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg on the famous Up in Smoke Tour.
Later Music and Mount Westmore
Ice Cube continued to release music in the 2000s and 2010s. His albums from this time include Laugh Now, Cry Later (2006), Raw Footage (2008), and I Am the West (2010).
In 2020, he formed a new supergroup called Mt. Westmore with fellow rappers Snoop Dogg, E-40, and Too Short. The group released their first album in 2022. Ice Cube released his eleventh solo album, Man Down, in November 2024.
Acting Career in Movies and TV
Ice Cube has had a long and successful career as an actor, appearing in comedies, dramas, and action films.
From Dramas to Comedies
Ice Cube's first movie role was in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, where he played the character Doughboy. His performance was highly praised. He later starred in the thriller Trespass (1992) and the drama Higher Learning (1995).
In 1995, he co-wrote and starred in the comedy Friday. The movie was a huge hit and led to two sequels, Next Friday (2000) and Friday After Next (2002). This role helped show his talent for comedy and made him a bankable movie star.
He also starred in the popular Barbershop film series and the family comedies Are We There Yet? (2005) and Are We Done Yet? (2007). He showed his action-hero side in films like XXX: State of the Union (2005) and the Ride Along series with comedian Kevin Hart.
Producing and Other Projects
Besides acting, Ice Cube has also worked behind the scenes. He made his directing debut with the 1998 film The Players Club. He has also produced many of the films he starred in, including the Friday and Barbershop movies.
In 2015, he was a producer for Straight Outta Compton, a movie about the story of his former group, N.W.A. He has also created TV shows, such as Are We There Yet?, which was based on his movie.
Personal Life
Ice Cube married Kimberly Woodruff in 1992. They have four children. Their oldest son, O'Shea Jackson Jr., is also an actor and played his father in the movie Straight Outta Compton.
In 1990, Ice Cube converted to Islam. He has said that he considers himself a "natural Muslim" because he follows his own conscience.
In 2017, he started Big3, a 3-on-3 basketball league featuring former NBA players. He is a big fan of the Las Vegas Raiders football team and the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.
Discography
Solo studio albums
- AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990)
- Death Certificate (1991)
- The Predator (1992)
- Lethal Injection (1993)
- War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc) (1998)
- War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc) (2000)
- Laugh Now, Cry Later (2006)
- Raw Footage (2008)
- I Am the West (2010)
- Everythang's Corrupt (2018)
- Man Down (2024)
Collaborative studio albums
- Straight Outta Compton (with N.W.A) (1989)
- Bow Down (with Westside Connection) (1996)
- Terrorist Threats (with Westside Connection) (2003)
- Snoop Cube 40 $hort (with Mount Westmore) (2022)
Filmography
Films
| Year | Film | Functioned as | Role | |||
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| 1991 | Boyz n the Hood |  |
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Darin "Doughboy" Baker |
| 1992 | Trespass | |
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Savon |
| 1993 | CB4 | |
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Himself (cameo) |
| 1994 | The Glass Shield | |
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Teddy Woods |
| 1995 | Higher Learning | |
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Fudge |
| Friday | |
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Craig Jones | |
| 1997 | Dangerous Ground | |
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Vusi Madlazi |
| Anaconda | |
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Danny Rich | |
| 1998 | The Players Club | |
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Reggie |
| I Got the Hook Up | |
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Gun runner | |
| 1999 | Three Kings | |
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Sgt. Chief Elgin |
| Thicker Than Water | |
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Slink | |
| 2000 | Next Friday | |
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Craig Jones |
| 2001 | Ghosts of Mars | |
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James 'Desolation' Williams |
| 2002 | All About the Benjamins | |
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Bucum |
| Barbershop | |
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Calvin Palmer | |
| Friday After Next | |
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Craig Jones | |
| 2004 | Torque | |
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Trey Wallace |
| The N-Word | |
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Himself | |
| Barbershop 2: Back in Business | |
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Calvin Palmer | |
| 2005 | Are We There Yet? | |
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Nick Persons |
| Beauty Shop | |
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N/A | |
| Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars | |
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N/A | |
| XXX: State of the Union | |
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Darius Stone / XXX | |
| 2007 | Are We Done Yet? | |
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Nick Persons |
| 2008 | First Sunday | |
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Durell Washington |
| The Longshots | |
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Curtis Plummer | |
| 2009 | Janky Promoters | |
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Russell Redds |
| 2010 | Lottery Ticket | |
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Jerome "Thump" Washington |
| 2011 | Rampart | |
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Kyle Timkins |
| 2012 | 21 Jump Street | |
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Capt. Dickson |
| 2014 | Ride Along | |
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Detective James Payton |
| 22 Jump Street | |
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Capt. Dickson | |
| The Book of Life | |
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The Candle Maker (voice) | |
| 2015 | Straight Outta Compton | |
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N/A |
| 2016 | Ride Along 2 | |
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Detective James Payton |
| Barbershop: The Next Cut | |
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Calvin Palmer | |
| 2017 | XXX: Return of Xander Cage | |
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Darius Stone / XXX |
| Fist Fight | |
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Strickland | |
| 2020 | The High Note | |
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Jack Robertson |
| 2023 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | |
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Superfly (voice) |
| 2025 | War of the Worlds | |
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Will Radford |
Television
| Year | Film | Functioned as | Role | Notes | |||
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| 1994 | The Sinbad Show | |
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Himself | Episode: "The Mr. Science Show" |
| 2002 | The Bernie Mac Show | |
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Himself | Episode: "Goodbye Dolly" |
| 2005 | BarberShop: The Series | |
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| WrestleMania 21 | |
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Himself | ||
| 2006 | Black. White. | |
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| 2007 | Friday: The Animated Series | |
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| 2010 | 30 for 30 | |
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Episode: "Straight Outta L.A." | |
| 2010–2013 | Are We There Yet? | |
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Terrence Kingston | Recurring role (20 episodes) |
| 2017 | The Defiant Ones | |
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Himself | Documentary |
| 2025 | The Studio | |
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Himself | Episode: "Casting" |
Video games
| Title | Year | Role | Other notes | Ref. |
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| Call of Duty: Black Ops | 2010 | Chief Petty Officer Joseph Bowman / SOG multiplayer announcer | Voice and likeness actor |
See also
In Spanish: Ice Cube para niños
