Today, The Shade Room celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop and its influence on music and tradition. Recently, rap veteran Ice Cube sat down with the publication’s Director of Social Content for TSR Teens, Taylor Bickham, and mentioned his influence on Hip Hop tradition. Additionally, the 54-year-old shared his ideas on Hip Hop at this time and even spilled the tea on what occurred with the ‘Friday’ movie franchise and who he blames for delaying a brand new sequel from hitting theaters.
RELATED: Ice Cube Shares That He’s Trying To Get His ‘Friday’ Franchise Out Of Warner Bros.-Says They Rejected Two Of His Scripts For Another Potential Film
Ice Cube Explains The Difference Between Hip Hop Music & Street Violence
Taylor Bickham: Busta [Rhymes] obtained the Lifetime Achievement Award on the 2023 BET Awards. His speech talked so much in regards to the music trade and the way folks want to like on one another. I wished to get your ideas as somebody that may be a trailblazer in Hip Hop. How do you’re feeling the style has modified, and the place can it develop?
Ice Cube: We all the time received to separate the music from the streets… Street s**t ain’t hip hop. Battling is the essence of the sport… But each time that will get bodily, it goes from hip hop to simply common outdated road s**t… So all the time suppose there’s room for battles, all the time suppose there’s room for diss information. Beef is an element of it — however as soon as it goes previous that, it’s crossing the road, and it’s simply common outdated road s**t.
So what we’ve got to cease doing is blurring the strains — saying as a result of of this music, these things is occurring on the street. It’s not essentially true. Music is definitely taking stuff off the road and placing it in a inventive manner. If someone reverts, then that’s on them… I simply need us to not blur the strains… We have to know that we will’t give road s**t no credit score. It’s change into a component of the music, and it’s by no means been half of the music.
A musician would possibly get shot, and a musician would possibly get killed… a musician would possibly shoot someone or kill someone, but it surely nonetheless goes to road s**t. Anybody can do this. So I simply need us to maintain it in perspective [because the sentiment now is that] if it weren’t for this music, none of these things can be occurring. And I’m going to inform you that’s not true. It was all occurring earlier than the music.
The Rapper Shares His Thoughts About Using Hip Hop Lyrics During Criminal Cases
Taylor Bickham: So what about when artists discuss their experiences, and so they put it via their music and lyrics? Then folks take that, and so they put it in court docket.
Ice Cube: You shouldn’t discuss crime — nothing else must be stated. You shouldn’t discuss in regards to the crimes you’ve finished… to no person. On report, on the telephone, within the womb, in a jail cell — anyplace! It’s unlawful enterprise. So should you put it on a report, yeah, you’re going to be in court docket. It’s proof. You’re admitting your crime.
Taylor Bickham: They lately requested fellow rapper Bow Wow how he feels hip hop goes and who he feels will probably be performed 20 to 30 years from now. So, I’m asking you a similar factor in phrases of hip hop at this time. Who are the folks, if any, that you simply really feel are going to maneuver the needle in relation to hip hop?
Ice Cube: I don’t know… At the tip of the day, so much has to occur for artists now to be related 20 years from now. So it’s arduous to say who’s the one. But I’m going to inform you what the elements [to longevity] are.
Taylor Bickham: Tell me.
Ice Cube: You need to be an artist that stands for one thing. If you’re an artist and stand for one thing, then you might have an opportunity. If you’re an artist chasing hits, chasing the radio, and chasing this sound and that sound… and also you don’t discuss sufficient, you received’t be round.
RELATED: Law Banning Use Of Rap Lyrics As Evidence In Criminal Cases Is Introduced To Congress
Ice Cube Talks About His Son O’Shea Jackson Jr.
Taylor Bickham: You have a son following in your footsteps concerning appearing. But additionally, I’ve been eager to know, can he rap?
Ice Cube: Yeah, he can rap. He can bust. He put out a mixtape some time in the past. “OMG” is what he known as himself. Oh, My Goodness.
Taylor Bickham: Are you guys going to go on tour collectively? What does that appear to be?
Ice Cube: Umm… He’s a film star now! He doesn’t exit on the street no extra. [I be like,] “Want to go to the show with me?” He’s like, “Nah, man… I got this thang to do.” But I’m very proud of him. He’s in Spain now doing “Den Of Thieves 2” [and] having a ball. You know, dwelling his greatest life.
The Rapper Talks Preparing His Son For His First Acting Role
Taylor Bickham: I noticed a video the place you advised somebody that… he needed to undergo the method [for his first acting role in “Straight Outta Compton.”] I believe generally folks really feel such as you have been like, “You! Come on.”
Ice Cube: The coach’s son or the coach’s child… they get it too — worse, They need to undergo hell. So it was that very same philosophy as a result of, for one, I wished him to be good. I wished him to create a profession for himself along with his efficiency. So we had him examine in Los Angeles. We had him examine in New York. [Then] he received bit by the appearing bug [and] he was going to check with or with out us. And he did that for 2 years… [But] he did all the things we requested him to do and extra earlier than it was time to shoot it. I’m proud he did all that as a result of he’s a terrific actor.
Taylor Bickham: Yeah, he’s nice. It was arduous for me to look at “Straight Outta Compton” as a result of he appears identical to you.
Ice Cube: It was arduous for me to look at. There was one time once we have been modifying the film — they do the edits, you give them the notes, and so they do extra edits. Sometimes you go in and sit there with them, after which generally, they ship you the progress of the film. So you’re watching the film on a regular basis. You watch the film 35 occasions earlier than it’s lower.
Taylor Bickham: I believe the general public assumes that you simply all have been capable of watch it on the finish.
Ice Cube: No, you need to maintain slicing [scenes] and shaving. It’s like a sculpture… you retain shaving [and] shaving till it’s excellent. So you need to watch it so much. And [as] I’m watching the documentary, I needed to shake my head like, ‘No, no, no, no, this, this is not us. It feels like us. But it’s not us. That’s not Easy E; that’s not Dre. [But it] looks like us.’
So I used to be like, if this movie can do me like this… the viewers ain’t received an opportunity. They’re going to fall into it.
RELATED: O’Shea Jackson Jr. Defends Fellow ‘Nepo Babies’ Amid Widespread Criticism
Ice Cube Spills The Tea Of What Happened With Warner Brothers & The Movie “Friday”
Taylor Bickham: I really feel just like the tradition desires to know, what occurred with ‘Friday’? Is a brand new movie coming?
Ice Cube: I’ve been eager to do it… for years. The factor with me and Warner Brothers [is]… it’s my film, however they’ve the distribution rights. So they’ve the best to distribute the film and the sequels…
Now, with the primary ‘Friday’ film… what was finished was it was known as a unfavorable pickup. It means they offer us all the cash to make the film, they get out of the best way, and we carry them again a completed film. Ever since ‘Next Friday’ and ‘Friday After Next,’ they wish to give me notes. They wish to inform me what it ought to be. And I’m like, “Y’all don’t even know what’s going on… How are you going to tell me?” So, quick ahead, I give them the script in 2013, and so they don’t prefer it. They bug the s**t out of me… 4 or 5 years after that, like, “Can you write another one?”… I write it, and it was nice, and we should always have shot it. [But] they begin f*****g round once more with the notes — dragging on eight to 9 months…to a yr. You know, it’s not getting over the hump — John Witherspoon passes away. Tiny Lister Jr. passes away. Anthony [AJ] Johnson handed away. And in order that deads the script we had as a result of they have been all in it.
So… I misplaced it as a result of, you already know, they let these nice folks move away who actually wished to do the final one… so it’s sort of, like, in a stall proper now. But you by no means know. The new folks [at Warner Bro’s] might come to their senses…
Ice Cube’s Special Message For Those Dealing With Gatekeepers
If you recall, Ice Cube additionally sat down for an unique interview with The Shade Room, revealed in July. At the time, he revealed that he can be happening a “F**k The Gatekeepers Podcast Tour” to carry consciousness to the dearth of media protection his basketball league, the Big3, is receiving. During the earlier interview, Cube additionally blamed NBA executives for his or her alleged function.
RELATED: (EXCLUSIVE) Ice Cube Says The NBA Is Responsible For Limited Big3 Media Coverage: ‘They’ve Been Told Not To Cover Us’
During this sitdown, the 54-year-old shared his extra ideas.
Ice Cube: I wish to say this about my gatekeepers as a result of I would like folks to know what’s happening. But they’re on the market — everyone has to cope with them. Identify your personal gatekeepers… [you] won’t wish to name him out, however you want a method on the way you’re going to recover from that gate. You have to strategize the way you’re going recover from that gate with out [them]. They’re gatekeepers, however they will’t keep up 24 hours a day — you need to catch [them] sleeping and deal with your small business.
Regardless of Ice Cube’s present obstacles as a black-owned enterprise proprietor, one factor they can not take from him is his influence on Hip Hop music at this time. Check out your entire interview under!
Roommates, what’s your favourite Ice Cube bop?
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