Twenty years ago, Ice Cube was the face — and voice — of the Angry Black Male in America. As the writer in the group N.W.A. he courted controversy with his feisty, expletive-filled songs snarling and muttering about “tha police,” and was the rapper the FBI loved to hate.
Fast forward to present day, Cube has established himself as a legend among the hip-hop community and a very recognizable name in the Hollywood hierarchy and has come a long way from the mean streets of Compton. He has starred in a series of acclaimed films, established several comedy franchises including the ‘Friday’ trilogy and the ‘Barbershop’ series and also has his own production company called Cube Vision.
One of the few rappers to successfully transition from music to movies, Cube (real name O’Shea Jackson) got his first acting opportunity in 1991 when director John Singleton cast him as Doughboy in the urban flick ‘Boys N the Hood’.
“He saw something in me, others didn’t,” states Cube about Singleton. “He gave me that opportunity.” That opportunity led to more roles in movies such as ‘Trespass’, ‘Higher Learning’, ‘Ghost of Mars, ‘Three Kings’ ‘xXx: State of the Union’ and ‘Anaconda’ with Jennifer Lopez, but it wasn’t until he co-produced ‘Player’s Club’ and ‘Friday’ through Cube Vision that people took notice. The hit comedy caper directed by F. Gary Gray (‘The Italian Job’) was a hilarious flick and began a successful franchise as Cube went on to make two more sequels.
“After the success of ‘Friday’ and ‘The Players Club’ I just wanted to do it completely on my own so I put my own team together and started Cube Vision. ‘Next Friday’ was actually our first movie and then ‘All About the Benjamins’, ‘Barbershop’ and ‘Friday After Next’. We just wanted to put together movies how we see them. We got the idea that you don’t have to spend $100 million to make $100 million. If you’ve got a good story and can keep your budget down, you get a chance to do another one,” says Cube.
The Rapper-turned-Hollywood-mogul who has completed work on yet another Cube Vision produced flick with Tracy Morgan titled ‘First Sunday’ has good reason to be proud of his achievements. “I take pride in having my own company. I don’t want to mess it up because we have the opportunity to make a lot of movies real fast.”
Now the Nicest Black Man in America, which is exactly how he comes off in person, Cube talks to Samantha Ofole-Prince about music and movies.
SOP: You have mentioned in the past that movies such as ‘Uptown Saturday Night’ and ‘Let’s Do It Again’ are firm favorites of yours and your latest flick ‘First Sunday’ somewhat echoes those movies with its buddy type caper factor, was that the initial attraction for you in getting behind and onboard as producer and actor?
IC: Yeah. Those movies make you feel good. As a youth I remember them so vividly as making me feel good. I wanted to know these characters and never wanted the movie to go off. Those are the kind of movies that you want to see over and over again and that’s what I want to create and that’s our job. It’s all about how much the audience enjoys it and how many times can they watch it and still enjoy it. I love ‘Titanic’ and it was a great movie that won Oscars but I watched it only once and I don’t want to watch a movie once if I love it.
SOP: With the success of your movies is it easier for you to knock on the doors of Hollywood studios? Are things any easier for Cube Vision with your successful track record?
IC: I don’t know if it ever gets easier. You meet these new executives and they change every few months and you have to establish a new relationship and basically they have to believe in you. I thought numbers should tell the whole story but sometimes they don’t. It’s never easy and I just think it’s something you are going to have to do with each person on each project and tell them that this is the one you should put your money on.
SOP: You seem to have more comedies than dramas beneath your belt so would it be fair to say comedies are easier to green light in Hollywood?
IC: Comedies are easier to get made because if an executive is having a bad day when you come in and pitch a comedy you get him smiling and laughing (he’s like ‘hell yeah, cut the check,’) but when you start telling him a sad story about cancer it’s a no.
SOP: Which one has been your most successful movie to date profit wise? ‘Friday’? ‘Barbershop’? ‘Are We There Yet’?
IC: We have done well. Every movie we have made hasn’t lost money at Cube Vision.
SOP: Hasn’t Tyler Perry sort of changed the game with his record openings with much bigger numbers and attracting different audiences who wouldn’t normally go to the theatres?
IC: If you are a numbers guys you are probably looking at all these. My audiences are relatively young. I can’t do what he is doing and I am sure he will have a pretty hard time doing what I am doing so it is what it is. My thing is do you enjoy the movie when you see it and if you did then I did my job.
SOP: Where does music play in your life these days? What part of your life is it? Is it 50/50 or 80/20?
IC: If you put a percentage on it then I would say movies take up more of my time but I enjoy making music more than movies. I have an album I am working on called ‘Raw Footage’ and it will be out this summer and I have song right now called ‘Gangster Rap Made Me Do it.’ It’s kinda like when Flip Wilson said; “The Devil made me do it”. Kinda like no matter what you do in life just blame it on gangster rap and people will understand.
SOP: If you enjoy making music more than movies why are movies taking up all your time?
IC: The movie business right now for me is more visual than the records. I’ve never been at a major label at all and even my last record ‘Laugh Now Cry Later’ was an independent record that we did in 2006. It’s just not as high profile as my movies. People think music is free and they have all these gadgets you can download music on but what happens when there is no music to download? That is the future if we keep going in this direction.
SOP: Seeing that you sold so many units of your last album, are you surprised that you can still cross over because you have now established yourself as Ice Cube the actor?
IC: Not really. I have always done music. I never stopped whether it was Westside Connection, guest appearances or soundtracks and I still tour. My hip hop fans just wait till I get tired of playing with kids [laughs]. They know that I will do a certain amount of movies a year to creatively satisfy myself and I will still do hip hop and it’s never gonna change and I will still do it hardcore like I’ve been doing.
SOP: What’s the 2008 slate for your company Cube Vision?
IC: Producing a movie called ‘Come Back’ which is a drama. We are about to start filming on the 14th and I am producing and staring in it. Right now it’s a cast of a lot of unknown new talent. We’ve got other things that could be made, but we have to see how that goes because we are running out of time. Everybody is so scared of the writers strike right now.
SOP: What about the possibility of an N.W.A. tour?
IC: It’s all up to Dre. He’s the producer that has to produce.
SOP: You have mentioned in the past how you would love to work with Robert DeNiro and Denzel Washington and as your career escalates have you made any strides to make that happen?
IC: I haven’t made any strides to make that happen and maybe I can do more. I don’t want to work with people just to work with them. If we have a project that we are both right for that’s how it should come together because that’s what I have based my career on — the scripts and not the people.
SOP: With Valentine’s Day coming up next month – what’s the most romantic thing you have ever done for your wife? Are you a romantic guy?
IC: I am a romantic guy but my wife says I could do more. I think sending hand written cards and notes as it seems special and she has kept those cards a long time.
SOP: Are you going to get involved in the election this year? Supporting anyone?
IC: I don’t support them till they do something. It’s hard for them to get my support before they actually do something. I’m a show me guy.
SOP: What do you think of Obama’s chances of becoming the first black United States president?
IC: It would be great if the country is ready for that. We should put him in there if he’s the right guy and nothing else should matter.
