Moviepedia

Recently, we've done several changes to help out this wiki, from deleting empty pages, improving the navigation, adding a rules page, as well as merging film infoboxes.

You can check out the latest overhauls that we have done on this wiki so far, as well as upcoming updates in our announcement post here.

READ MORE

Moviepedia
Advertisement
Ice Cube
Ice-Cube 2014-01-09-Chicago-photoby-Adam-Bielawski
Ice Cube at a screening for Ride Along in Chicago in January 2014
Born O'Shea Jackson
June 15, 1969 (1969-06-15) (age 55)
South Los Angeles, California
Occupation rapper, actor, record producer, filmmaker
Years active 1984–present
Spouse Kimberly Woodruff (m. 1992)
Children O'Shea Jr., Darrel, Shareef, and Kareema
Website
http://www.icecube.com

O'Shea Jackson (born June 15, 1969), better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, and filmmaker. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitudes). After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music and films. Additionally, he has served as one of the producers of the Showtime television series Barbershop and the TBS series Are We There Yet?, both of which are based upon the films in which he portrayed the main character.

Ice Cube is noted as a proficient lyricist and storyteller and is regarded as a brutally honest rapper; his lyrics are often political or socio-political, as well as violent and aggressive, and he is considered one of the founding artists in gangsta rap. He was ranked #8 on MTV's list of the 10 Greatest MCs of All Time, while fellow rapper Snoop Dogg ranked Ice Cube as the greatest MC of all time. AllMusic has called him one of hip-hop's best and most controversial artists, as well as "one of rap's greatest storytellers". In 2012, The Source ranked him #14 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.

Film and television career[]

Following his role as 'Doughboy' in Boyz n the Hood, in 1992 he starred alongside Ice-T, and Bill Paxton in Walter Hill's action film, Trespass, and then in The Glass Shield.

Ice Cube was offered a co-star role with Janet Jackson for the 1993 romantic film Poetic Justice, but he refused to play the role, which was given to Tupac Shakur instead.

John Singleton had encouraged Ice Cube to try his best at screenwriting, telling him, "If you can write a record, you can write a movie." With this encouragement, Ice Cube wrote the screenplay for what became the 1995 comedy Friday, in which he also starred, alongside then up-and-coming comedian Chris Tucker. Friday earned $28 million worldwide on a $3.5 million budget, and spawned two sequels, Next Friday and Friday After Next. (On March 9, 2011 he announced that he was making the final sequel called Last Friday.) That year, he also starred in his second collaboration with John Singleton, Higher Learning, as world-weary university student "Fudge"; a role for which he earned award nominations.

In 1997, Ice Cube starred in the action thriller Dangerous Ground as a South African exiled to America who returns 15 years later. He also had a supporting role in the film Anaconda that same year. He wrote, executive produced, and made his directorial debut in The Players Club in 1998. and in 1999 starred alongside George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg in the critically acclaimed Three Kings. In 2000, he wrote, produced and appeared in the Friday sequel Next Friday. In 2002, Ice Cube starred in the commercially successful movie Barbershop, as well as All About the Benjamins and the third film in the Friday trilogy, Friday After Next (which he again wrote and produced). In 2004, he appeared in Barbershop 2: Back in Business, and Torque; in 2005 he starred in the action movie XXX: State of the Union, as well as the family comedies Are We There Yet? and Are We Done Yet?, co-starring Nia Long.

In early April 2007, Ice Cube was a guest on Angie Martinez' Hot97 radio show and stated that he was interested in bringing back Chris Tucker as Smokey in a possible Friday sequel, but that was only possible "if New Line cuts the cheque." In an interview with BlackFilm.com, Ice Cube stated that he would be interested in involving all major characters from the Friday franchise in a possible sequel, but added "I know I'm not going to get Chris [Tucker] back, but I'd love to get everybody else back." As of December 2011, Chris Tucker has agreed to be in "Last Friday".

In the Movies is a compilation album of Ice Cube songs that have appeared in movie soundtracks, which was released on September 4, 2007.

Ice Cube and basketball star LeBron James have paired up to pitch a one-hour special to ABC based on James' life. Ice Cube's Are We There Yet? television series premiered on TBS on June 2, 2010. Based on the 2003 feature film of the same name, the show revolves around a family adjusting to the matriarch's new husband (Terry Crews) and trying to deal with normal family situations. On August 16, 2010, Are We There Yet? was renewed for 90 additional episodes. In an August 2010 interview with UrbLife.com, Ice Cube expressed excitement about the show being picked up for the run, which will pan out to around six seasons. He also credits Tyler Perry for opening the door for him at TBS. He also had a role in 21 Jump Street and in its sequel 22 Jump Street. In 2014 he appeared with Elmo as a guest on PBS children's show Sesame Street.

Films[]

Year Title Role Other notes
1991 Boyz n the Hood Darin "Doughboy" Baker Main Role
1992 Trespass Savon
1993 CB4 Himself Cameo
1994 The Glass Shield Teddy Woods Main Role
1995 Higher Learning Fudge
Friday Craig Jones
1997 Dangerous Ground Vusi Madlazi
Anaconda Danny Rich
1998 The Players Club Reggie Minor Role
I Got the Hook Up Gun Runner
1999 Three Kings Sgt. Chief Elgin Main Role
Thicker Than Water Slink Supporting Role
2000 Next Friday Craig Jones Main Role
2001 Ghosts of Mars James 'Desolation' Williams
2002 All About The Benjamins Bucum
BarberShop Calvin Palmer
Friday After Next Craig Jones
2004 Torque Trey Wallace
BarberShop 2: Back in Business Calvin Palmer
2005 Are We There Yet? Nick Persons
XXX: State of the Union Darius Stone
2007 Are We Done Yet? Nick Persons Main Role
2008 First Sunday Durell Washington Main Role
The Longshots Curtis Plummer
2009 Janky Promoters Russell Redds
2010 Lottery Ticket Jerome "Thump" Washington Supporting Role
2011 Rampart Kyle Timkins
2012 21 Jump Street Capt. Dickson
2014 Ride Along Detective James Payton Lead Role
22 Jump Street Capt. Dickson Supporting Role
The Book of Life The Candle Maker Voice role
2016 Ride Along 2 Detective James Payton Lead Role
Barbershop 3 Calvin Palmer Filming/Lead Role
Last Friday Craig Jones In Development
Advertisement