Ice Cube

O'Shea Jackson, known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. Born in Los Angeles, California, he first gained music recognition as a member of the gangsta rap group N.W.A and later established a successful solo recording career. Beyond music, he has built an active film career as an actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a member of N.W.A.

Ice Cube was born on June 15, 1969, to Doris, a hospital clerk and custodian, and Hosea Jackson, a machinist and University of California, Los Angeles groundskeeper. He grew up in the Westmont section of South Los Angeles alongside an older brother and a half-sister who was killed when he was 12. He began writing raps in ninth grade at George Washington Preparatory High School and later attended William Howard Taft High School. In late 1987, after recording early songs with N.W.A, he earned a one-year diploma in architectural drafting from the Phoenix Institute of Technology in Arizona before returning to Los Angeles.

In 1986, Ice Cube formed his first rap trio, C.I.A., alongside Sir Jinx. In 1987, he joined Eazy-E and Dr. Dre to form N.W.A. Serving as the group's lead rapper, he wrote most of the lyrics for the landmark 1989 album Straight Outta Compton, as well as Eazy-E's debut solo album Eazy-Duz-It. Following monetary disputes concerning management contracts and compensation under Jerry Heller, Ice Cube departed N.W.A in December 1989 and launched a lawsuit against Heller that was later settled out of court.

Ice Cube released his debut solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, in 1990, followed by the platinum-certified EP Kill At Will. His second studio album, Death Certificate, arrived in 1991 and featured the response track "No Vaseline". His third album, The Predator (1992), became his most commercially successful release, debuting at number one on both the pop and R&B/hip-hop charts and selling over three million copies in the United States. He followed this with Lethal Injection in 1993. Over his solo career, he released eleven studio albums, seven of which reached the top ten on the U.S. Billboard 200, alongside top-40 singles such as "It Was a Good Day" and "Check Yo Self".

In 1995, Ice Cube formed the rap trio Westside Connection with Mack 10 and WC, releasing the platinum album Bow Down in 1996 and Terrorist Threats in 2003. He released the two-part solo project War & Peace Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 between 1998 and 2000, followed by solo releases including Laugh Now, Cry Later (2006), Raw Footage (2008), and I Am the West (2010). Throughout his musical career, he collaborated with various producers and artists across genres, including Public Enemy's Bomb Squad, Dr. Dre, Korn, David Bowie, and Lil Jon.

Ice Cube began acting in the early 1990s, making his feature film debut in the 1991 drama Boyz n the Hood. He co-wrote and starred in the 1995 comedy film Friday, which spawned a franchise. In 1998, he made his directorial debut with The Players Club, which he also produced. His additional acting and producing credits include Three Kings, the Barbershop, Are We There Yet?, and Ride Along franchises, 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, the XXX franchise, Rampart, and The Book of Life. He also served as an executive producer for the 2015 biographical film Straight Outta Compton.