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With today’s highly-diversified music landscape, there are always new avenues an artist can travel. But with that brings never-ending competition; as talented as many singers, bands and artists may be, career longevity is often not in the cards. But every so often, there are exceptions to the rule and Ice Cube is certainly a one-of-a-kind performer.

In addition to being a member of the legendary hip-hop act N.W.A. and an accomplished solo performer, Ice Cube has also acted in legendary films such as Boyz N The Hood, Friday, Dangerous Ground and Are We There Yet? He also plays Capt. Dickson in the highly anticipated film adaptation of 21 Jump Street which opens today so we thought it would be the perfect time to recap the amazing career of this rap renaissance man.
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“Straight Outta Compton” (1988) — When N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” dropped in the eighties, it was unlike anything most of us had ever heard and Ice Cube’s opening verse is one of the most legendary moments in hip-hop. The song was a glimpse into what it was really like to live in one of the most dangerous areas of the country and when paired with Cube’s film Boyz N The Hood it culturally shifted the perception of what life in America could be like.

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“It Was A Good Day” (1993)— While gangsta rap tended to focus on beefs and battles, Ice Cube’s most well-known song is simply about having a good day in South Central Los Angeles, playing basketball, hanging out with his friends and, of course, seeing the goodyear blimp which reads “Ice Cube’s a pimp.” Musically the Isley Brothers sample was the perfect backdrop for Cube to spit rhymes that were decisively different than the angry rants he perfected during his N.W.A. days.

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“Check Yo Self” (1993) — In many ways “Check Yo Self” is a continuation of “It Was A Good Day,” thematically although the day isn’t so good when Ice Cube is arrested by the LAPD and taken to prison during the track. Although his stint in the joint isn’t fun, it all ends happily when Cube manages to escape with a female guard. Additionally the song itself sees Cube putting his own spin on Grandmaster Flash’s classic song “The Message” and the video features the world’s longest pay phone interlude.

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“Bop Gun (One Nation)” (1994) — ”Bop Gun (One Nation)” sees Ice Cube teaming up with funk legend George Clinton and proving that his sound had no musical limits. Over a sample from Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under A Groove,” Cube rhymes in a completely new way and shows how versatile he is as a lyricist. This song also sees Cube emphasizing the positive aspects of partying and relaxation instead of the violence that he obsessed about during his early days and hints at the positive direction his career would follow during his countless artistic endeavors.

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Don’t forget to check out the Fanswers we did with Ice Cube for his new movie 21 Jump Street, in theaters now!
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