http://www.believermag.com/issues/200312/?

read=interview_cube

Once upon a time, the name Ice Cube was analogous to explicit lyrics,
guns, women as bitches, South Central, and attitude. Bad attitude. Not
to mention mind-blowing rap music wrapped in raw emotions. But
those were Ice Cubes teen years, before he married Kimberly Jackson,
became father to four kids, and turned into a true Hollywood player. A
legend long before he turned thirty, Ice Cube, together with his fellow
N.W.A. members, revolutionized not only the rap/hiphop genre, but all
music, by making it OK for musicians to speak their minds and then
some.
Over the last decade, Ice Cube, whose given name is Oshea Jackson, has
made more waves in the film business than in the music business. This is
no coincidence. Ice Cubes Hollywood game plan has been to produce
reasonably budgeted films featuring themes and characters the
audience would actually go and see. The Friday franchise, of which he is
the backbone and originator, has made over $200 million. After
revamping the Barbershop script and tailoring his role as barbershop
owner Calvin, the film grossed almost $80 million. And that was before
the DVD release.
As an actor, Ice Cube is well on his way to the Hollywood A-list. His
performances in Boyz N the Hood and Three Kings were astounding.
Next year, Ice Cube is replacing Vin Diesel in the XXX sequel. He has a
starring role in the upcoming film Torque (January 2004) and is in
preproduction of his own script, Are We There Yet? His new
album, Terrorist Threats, will be out on December 9th.
On a recent Monday afternoon, Ice Cube talked to the Believer, for
almost two hours, from his home somewhere outside L.A.
Linda Saetre

*
THE BELIEVER: What musical forms influenced you early in your
career?
ICE CUBE: Soul, funk, a little disco. I grew up in the seventies and disco
was big. That influenced me the most. Also, you know, comedians of the
day. People like Richard Pryor, even people like Muhammad Ali. All
these people are pre-rap, you know what I mean? You heard someone
like Richard Pryor saying the things he said on stageand getting a
reaction. You figured if youre rapping and if youre saying exactly whats
on your mind, you would get a similar reactionand it happened. So I
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wouldnt discredit what the comedians of the day, even Eddie Murphy,
contributed to the music and us having the attitude we had.
All the bragging and the bravado of Muhammad Ali, man, thats where
the rappers started getting the attitude from. Seeing black men up there
basically saying what they had on their mind, and it subconsciously gave
us the courage to do what we were starting to do.
(remplacer interview sur Lauryn Hill ?)

Ice Cube - Actor/Musician

By McClain J., Kansas City, MO and Angela R., Gilbert, AZ
Email me when McClain J. contributes work

http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/interviews/article/5368/Ice-Cube-Actor-Musician/

Ice Cube is an appropriate nickname for a man as multifaceted as OShea Jackson. From shaping
gangster rap in the90s to writing and starring in movies, this 35-year-old native of South Central Los
Angeles has become a force in Hollywood. Whether you have his CDs or plan to see his latest movie,
Ice Cube demands attention.

[]

A[ngela]: Id like to know whom you admired most growing up and who had the greatest influence
on you?

I was fortunate to have my father and brother with me. My brother is nine years older than myself. I
looked up to both of them because they were always available, always there with anything I needed
to help me get through the day, you know, living in South Central Los Angeles and trying not to get
caught in all the traps it had. So I have to say my father and my brother had the biggest influence on
me.

You know, I love people like entertainers and athletes but, my pops always told me, those famous
people dont put no food on your table.

Keep everything in perspective. You know, they get paid for what they are doing, you kind of give up
your emotions for free so, you know, that always put everything in perspective about who is really
having an influence on my life.

M[cClain]: What is the biggest obstacle youve had to face?

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Thats hard to sum up, but its kind of always trying to show people that you can do it.

A lot of people love to doubt everybody but themselves, or you have to come in with accolades
before they respect what you can do. So, growing up being in the business is alwaysgive me a
chance to show you I can do what I say I can do. Thats been the biggest obstacle.

A: Do you think music (or any creative works for that matter) should be censored?

No, I think censorship is dangerous. Because it pulls out questions - who are the censors? What do
they know? You know what I mean, thats really what it boils down to.

I think all art should have age limits, you know? There is nothing wrong with putting age limits on
things. Categories, a rating system for movies - there is nothing wrong with that.

Yeah, you know, kids do see bad things when it comes to art and media, but that dont necessarily
make them bad people in the end.

Censorship is bad because you have people censoring people, and what do they know?

M: What is the biggest misconception about being Ice Cube and who are some of the big influences
on your film career?

The biggest misconception is that I am just Ice Cube. Ice Cube is my ego. Ice Cubes my nickname.
People real close to me dont call me Ice Cube, you know what I mean?

So, always the misconception is, you know, I am what I put out only. I am not saying thats not apart
of me. It is, but its not the only part of me. Its the part that I have to put out, you know. So, thats
the biggest misconception.

Influences as far as my film career, people like John Singleton, he directed Boys in the Hood,
Shaft and 2 Fast and 2 Furious. He put me in my first movie. He told me to write movies. He
said, You can write a rap, you can write a movie. That kind of opened up a door in my head, I never
even thought about it like that, you know. So, he is a big influence on me. He is the one who planted
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the seed in me thats kind of grown into what it is now. He is the one that I give all the credit to when
it comes to my film career. Thats where it started.

A: What would you say is the biggest challenge facing minorities in the film industry?

You know, the same old thing, racism. It goes back to what I said, trying to prove that you can do
what you say you can do.

Thats to me the biggest obstacle, because when you have open-minded people and they give
minorities a shot, usually they do pretty good.

Its just trying to get past the same old hurdles that this country has always faced in this business.
The same old problems, you got to get through them. Some people can see through that, some
people cant, but you just got to keep on convincing people that you can doit.

A: So are you saying that people expect you to write a certain thing or make movies about a certain
topic?

I am pretty sure they do. Its still a business. Its not like anything you think of, you can go and make.
You know, people have ideas on the kind of movies they want you to make, and its a business deal.
So, you have to kind of see what they are looking for, and put your twist on it.

Comedies in Hollywood are easier to get made than dramas. Hollywood would rather make the
people laugh than cry, thats just the way it is. So, you know, you will see a lot of comedies come
through more than dramas (real stories about human suffering and the like).

M: Can you tell us something about your latest movie?

Ive got a movie coming out January 21 called Are We There Yet? I play a guy by the name of Nick
who is doing the bachelor thing. He doesnt want to be tied down, no commitments. He doesnt
really like kids, he is that kind of dude. Then he meets this girl and it is love at first sight, but she has
two kids, an eight-year-old and a 10-year-old. He dont like them and they definitely dont like him
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because he is the new guy. So I, Nick, come up with a plan because my friends tell me, man, if the
kids hate you, the mother wont date you.

M: Did you write this movie?

Yeah. Yeah, you know, for everything I do, I try to put my hand on it because a lot of these movies
are just not written for, you know, me. You know what I mean? Some will be a little too corny or
whatever, so I try to put my twist on it. Usually the people who put their hand on their projects have
better luck than the people who just show up for a movie, shoot it and hope it do well.

A: Youre writing family comedies now, but your early work was very controversial, not just because
of the profanity but because of your political views. Have these views changed as you have gotten
older and more successful? Does having a lot of money change how you think politically?

Well, you know, just think - you both are 17, right? Well, at the age of 10, I am pretty sure you
thought you had a lot of stuff figured out. And at 13, you say, when I was 10, I had it somewhat right,
but now I know a little more. Now that you are 17, you really think youve got it figured out.

And I was, I kind of - I didnt go about things the right way. If I knew what I know now, I would have
went about things differently - well, when you get older, thats what you think.

The music that I did when I was younger, yeah, I wholeheartedly stand by it, thats what I was feeling,
thats what I said, thats what was recorded.

As you get older, you start to realize, if you want to make an impact on people, you cant just yell
the world sucks from the highest mountaintop. I have to do things, I have to do things that really
affect people.

So what I did was become an example:Look where Ice Cube came from. Look what he has done with
himself, you know, not only in the record career, movie career whatever. Look, he took it on himself,
he started writing. He started doing these things himself.

Man, I can write - I know I got a movie -I know - you know, and its to try to inspire people on a whole
different level. Because there is only so much yelling you can do.
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At some point you got to actually do things that affect what you are talking about to try to change it.
And my thing was, before I got into Hollywood, it looked a lot different than it do now. And I believe
that I have had something to do with changing that.

M: Overall how would you describe your music?

I would describe my music as reality-based gangster rap. I mean, thats really what it is.

A: Every day I do something embarrassing like tripping or making poor choices and then regretting
them. Can you say what you are embarrassed about or regret?

Oh, man. Biggest thing, thats a tough one. You know, we have to come back to that because I want
to think about that one real good. I am the kind of guy who, when its done, its done.

I cant really worry about what I cant change. But let me think.

A: It doesnt have to be serious.

Let me see, I fell off the stage once. I think thats one of the most embarrassing things you can do,
because you have 18, 000 people looking. We were in Chicago and when we came out there was too
much smoke at the front of the stage and they had these monitors which play the music back for you
on the stage so you can hear yourself.

And the smoke covered the monitor, so when I came out and tried to get real close to the edge of
the stage, I stepped over the monitor and went into the pit.

But you know, I kept rapping, I kept the mic on, but thats got to be one of the most embarrassing
things that ever happened to me, because so many people saw it, and you lose all your cool points
when you fall offstage.
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M: A lot of people write just to entertain. You seemed to write your music because you had
something to say. Are you now trying to say things to your audience through your films, or are they
more focused on providing entertainment?

You know, the films are more focused on, right now, providing entertainment. The records are
always entertaining, too.

You know, when you see a film, its all entertainment. But with the records, its my vision. I dont
have to run it by the studio. I dont need the director to like it. I dont need the other people involved
to like it, but to get big Hollywood movies made it takes over 100people.

When I am in the studio, its just me, I dont have to run it by nobody. It would be my feelings. Now,
rap is 90 percent ego and 10 percent knowledge that you can really live by. You know what I mean,
so thats how people got to take it -its an art form, its music about bragging and boasting about how
bad you are. That is the essence of where it came from.

So, movies are straight entertainment, I dont have as much leeway because so many people have to
sign off on it for me to put it out. Even Steven Spielberg waited till he got to a certain point before he
started doing movies like Schindlers Listand World War II movies and things like that. So you have
to kind of get a status in Hollywood before they start giving you millions of dollars to do your dream
project.

A: Can you describe an incident where you experienced racial discrimination, and how you dealt with
it?

I got bussed to school, my mom didnt want me in our neighborhood because they knew the
neighborhood eat up so many youngsters. And so they figured, yeah, well bus him off to school and
give him a better chance at an education, stand and focus on education and not get into
neighborhood school stuff.

So, I went up there and basically they didnt want us out there. You know, a lot of kids got bussed
from the inner city to the valley and the community, the faculty really didnt want us out there. Some
of them could disguise that and kind of do their job, but some of them couldnt. Some of them would
let you know in so many ways. You know, so, I kind of faced a little bit every day.

But, as a kid, as a youngster, I didnt care. Because to me that werent the hardest thing I was facing.
The hardest thing was when the bus dropped me off at 4 oclock and I had to walk through the
neighborhood to get back to my house. You know, that was more stressful than any of that other
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stuff. Because that other stuff you know, they can only do so much. The teacher could not like you,
give lower grades or whatever. And I was just not the kind of person to let that kind of stuff get to
me. I always felt like, you know, I am going to find a way. I got to keep finding a way.

So, I was just worried too much, worried about my neighborhood. So, it was real things every day
that could affect you, but when you are black, you just cant afford the luxury of letting it bother you
to the point where you cant move or function or you cant succeed.

A: In a school setting like that, did you have any teachers who encouraged you?

Oh, yeah. There were teachers who was happy to see us and was happy to see us trying to get a
better education than what was available in the neighborhood school, and there was a difference.

M: Did you have a favorite class or teacher in the school?

My government class was one of my favorite classes. Because growing up, all that kind of stuff dont
concern kids really - Republican this, Democrat that. Until somebody really break it down to you and
show you how this stuff really works and how it affects, you know, out of South Central L. A. (or
wherever you come from), you are not interested in that. Because you have bigger things to worry
about.

I learned a lot in my government class. I learned a lot about how the world works, how this country
works, you know. I have always liked that, because I thought I was actually given real stuff that I can
use in my life.

M: With the 21stcenturys focus on materialism, how do you feel spirituality should fit in with our
lives?

To me, thats first, you know, being spiritual has to be first. People have to look at their body as the
best thing that they will ever own. You never own nothing better than your body. I mean all these
trinkets - I have six cars, but I can only drive one at a time. You know, you got this nice car, but you
cant see yourself in it. Only other people can see you driving down the street. At some point it
becomes like it dont matter. It always matters when you dont have it and you want it, and when
you get it, you really realize it dont matter.
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M:Is that what made you want to be a member of the Nation of Islam, which you joined in 1992?

Well, you know, I dont like putting labels on religion. Not on my spirituality, you know. I think me
and God have a relationship that you cant even label. You cant call it nothing, you know, because I
am not going to use any middle man to get to God. I can talk to him like I am talking to you. Thats
really the essence of it.

Trying to go to God brokers and all these people who say they can lead you to the path, those people
have problems in their lives. So I dont put a label on my relationship with God, because I just think
its really idiotic. Its much more than any label can describe, you know what I mean?

A: In the movie Three Kings, you got a cinematic glimpse of life in Iraq. How has your experience in
that role affected your view of the current war in Iraq?

Doing that movie, I understood more about Iraq than I did when the 91 Gulf War was going on. I
understood that just like any government, there are people inside that country who dont like the
leader. And it showed me what they were going through from the inside out.

This new thing [Iraq war], I think its just something totally different. It seems like the people there
got a bad taste in their mouths from 91 on whether we supported them enough when they were
trying to overtake Saddam, and a lot of people got bitter, so I think this time the support that the
country believed it would get didnt come because, you know, people are like Man, you left us
hanging one time. We are not going to let you leave us hanging again. I dont think Three Kings
applies to what is going on now. For the most part, that attitude came and went.

M: Do you have a motto that you live by?

Mind your own business. I mean, its simple, life is simple, you know, people make it hard. If you deal
with your own business, for one thing, you dont have time to get into other peoples business, plus
your business is in order. I know some people who all they can do is talk about what other people are
doing and how other people are doing it wrong and the intricate parts of other peoples lives, and
then their life is messed up.
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So, if you are handling your own business, you shouldnt have a problem. You know, I tell parents, be
good to your kids, because if you ruin things right now, when you get old, your kids are going to be
the ones who got to take care of you. You know, you want a good relationship right there. What goes
around, comes around, you guys - you know, parents got to know that, and remember that.

M: I think your kids are pretty lucky based on what I have heard.

I have got some good kids, I cant complain one bit about what they are turning out to be. They are
giving me no problems. They have two feet on the ground. Theyre not big-headed, they are not
spoiled and now they do what they are supposed to at their age. You know, thats cool.

A: Do you have any advice to teens who are considering having children?

Its better to wait, because the earlier you have it, the earlier your life stops and you start taking care
of another person. You know, no more fun, basically. I am not saying you are not having fun raising a
kid but why do it so early?

Have fun while you are a kid. Know what life is about, then you can do that. You know, you do it
early, your options go down, no doubt.

You know, the person without the kid and without the ties is experiencing life better than a person
with a kid because thats when life gets real.

M: What is the one piece of advice you would give to teens?

Slow down. Have fun. Be a teen. Because once you become grown, you can never go back. Once
youre grown, youll always be grown. You know, all grown-ups wish they were teen-agers, aint that
something? I wonder why: because its fun. Now is the time for you not to be so serious about the
things that life has, the obstacles out there.

All you have to do now is be serious about what and who you want to be. And serious about your
school work, you know, thats easy, thats the easy part. The hard [part]is when you are out in the
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world, you dont know who you are, you dont know who you want to be, but you are grown and
nobody has sympathy for you. Nobody is trying to help you.

You know, now you are a kid, everybody is trying to help you. Get that help, get better, get smart,
dont fall on obstacles, try to sidestep them and slowdown. Dont try to be grown so quick. You got a
lifetime to be grown.

A: All right. So, growing up, was there any one experience that really shaped or influenced your life?

I had a half-sister who got killed in 1981. And I was just 12, so that was my wake-up call in life, and
what it is really about, you know.

Gotta prevent stuff from happening to you. You know, thats what youngsters and adults have to
think about. Not Oh, if this happens Im going to do this, but preventing it from happening to you.
So, you have to be alert about your life and which way it is going.

M: What do you feel is the leading cause of teen violence today?

It all comes down to what its always comedown to, with not only teens but adults. Respect, you
know. Everybody puts a lot on what that word really mean, how they perceive respect. A lot of
people look at respect in different ways. But to me, thats the biggest cause of any kind of violence in
the world. This is one person taking it upon himself to disrespect another person and then violence
starts. So, I think thats the biggest cause.

Its not TV, its not movies, you know. A bully doesnt respect the guy he is picking on, you know what
I mean? The guy who goes out with your girlfriend dont respect you. Its those things that start
violence - its the guy who, you know, skids out in front of you, the guy who calls you a name, you
know. Thats all the stuff that leads to violence between people.

A: You have achieved so much, but what is one of your greatest disappointments and how did you
deal with that?
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This business is all based on ... if you are in the record business, did you go platinum? Did you go
double platinum? Did you go quadruple platinum? You know, its really measured on how many
records you sold, and I have always been on independent labels. And an independent label is not
going to sell as many as the major labels.

So even though the money has been right, the sales could have been better. So thats it. Its nothing
big, its just if I had been on a major label and sold more records, I guess. But, you know, to me, who
cares if you sell a lot of records and you dont get paid? So, I guess it all worked out.

M: A lot of teens equate success with money, but what does success mean to you?

Good health, man. Nothing better than good health. You have good health, you are very successful.
We have got a roof, we have got food, we have got clothes, we have got transportation.

Everything else is just a bigger version of that. More money you get, the more money you spend. Its
kind of easy for me to say from this point of view, but, you know, I have been poor, and I have had
money and ultimately when I measured it, its really all about are you healthy? Because no matter
how rich you are, if your body is not healthy, then you are not going to enjoy that money anyway,
and theyre not going to put it in the casket with you when they puts you in the ground. So health is
the most important thing in life.

A: Im a real bookaholic and read all the time. My favorite book so far is The Human Stain by Philip
Roth or perhaps Crime and Punishment. What are a couple of books you think every teenager should
read?

You know, Im more of a pick-up-the newspaper kind of guy. You know, a Newsweek, Time magazine
type of guy. I think reading is important in any form. I think a person whos trying to learn to like
reading should start off reading about a topic they are interested in, or a person they are interested
in.

One of the first books I ever read was the autobiography of Malcolm X. I read it because I had heard
about him so much, and I wanted to know who this dude was. So, it was something I was interested
in, and it kept me reading.

The key is to find something that clicks in you and makes you love to read. So start off with the thing
you are interested in. I mean if you like sports, go get the sports pages and read up on what
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happened last night. Read about it instead of letting the ESPN man tell you what happened. Thats
going to get you used to liking reading.

M: You mentioned Malcolm X and I was wondering what historic figure or person interests you
most?

God. After that, Jesus Christ, Moses, Muhammad. I mean, if you had a chance to talk to anybody,
who else could you pick? It wouldnt be some actor.

A: You probably get thousands of fan letters and e-mails a week. Whats the weirdest or funniest mail
you ever received?

I had a person send me a jean suit, like jean pants and a jean jacket. And it had all my articles, photos
and pictures from magazines sewn all over it with plastic covering, so it wouldnt get damaged.

And I have still got this thing because it is the craziest thing I ever got. You know, a jean suit with all
your accomplishments all over it ... like, how egotistical would it to be to wear that, you know what I
mean?

M: Is there any chance you would ever run for a public office?

No. No. No. I am really not interested. You know, to me I think its like - I would rather do the lecture
tours. I think I can help people more that way, instead of the politics game.

A: What are some causes or charities that you work for?

You know, we are really involved in a minority AIDS project. And I have a nephew who is autistic so
we try to give a lot to any kind of autistic foundation. These are the few that are close to my heart
and we just try to do what we can on that leve