Ice Cube: hip-hopping from music to movies with major pizzazz

Interview, Nov, 2002 by David O. Russell

Since he burst onto the scene 14 years ago as a member of the hip-hop supergroup N.W.A--other members included Dr. Dre and the late Eazy-E--which is credited with launching gangsta rap, Ice Cube has been a pop culture pioneer. One of the first rappers to segue successfully into acting, with an unforgettable turn in 1991's Boyz N the Hood, he's since become a budding movie mogul: In little over a decade Cube has appeared in, written, produced or directed 17 films, fulfilling three of the first four roles on this month's Friday After Next. David 0. Russell, Cube's director in Three Kings (1999), talks to the trailblazer about working both sides of the camera, the concert stage and all the angles.

DAVID O. RUSSELL: What's up?

ICE CUBE: I've been working. I had two weeks of reshoots for Friday After Next and I've got two weeks of editing to do. And next I'm working on this motorcycle movie called Torque. I don't know if you saw The Fast and the Furious, but it's from. the same producers, and Torque is on the same tip. Big-time action, incredible stunts, a whole lot of cool shit.

DOR: Are you doing any music?

IC: Yeah. I'm doing the soundtrack to the Friday movie. And I'm doing a few concert dates in between all this.

DOR: Where are your concert dates?

IC: I got a concert in Anaheim with my buddies from the Westside Connection: Mack 10, WC. And then we go to Toronto and do a date.

DOR: Can you sing one of the songs to me? [Cube laughs] Or part of one?

IC: [laughs] Yeah. "Bow down when you come to my town / Bow down when I'm westward bound / Bow down, 'cause I ain't a hater like you / Bow down to a nigger that's greater than you."

DOE: What was the last line?

IC: "Bow down to a nigger that's greater than you."

DOR: That's perfect. Now, Interview wants to know what you think about L.A.

IC: I love L.A. It's a little hot and a little cold.

DOR: Explain.

IC: Well, you got your hot spots, and you got your cold spots. When I say hot, it could be a neighborhood where there's a lot of violence going on: South Central L.A. And cold could be what goes on at Wilshire Boulevard: It's more normal. Hot could be what's going on at Venice Beach. Cold could be what's going on at the park, where it might be a little calmer. You know what I'm saying? And L.A. has all those elements that a lot of places in the world don't have--you've got everything here: mountains, sea and desert. What more could you ask for?

DOR: Has L.A. changed since you were growing up?

IC: I know I've changed, and my life has changed, but I don't know if the world's changed. The first half of my life was in South Central Los Angeles, and the last half of my life has been in the San Fernando Valley.

DOR: That's where your new Friday movie happens, riqht?

IC: Nah, nah. We back in the 'hood on that one.

DOR: Oh, but the second one [Next Friday, 2000] was--

IC: --Yeah, the second one was in Rancho Cucamonga. But we back in the 'hood. This one takes place on Christmas Eve and that adds a whole dynamic, being able to take the Friday concept arid wrap it in a Christmas present. You know, there really haven't been any black Christmas movies.

DOR: That's a really good idea. Well, that one with Courtney Vance and Whitney [Houston], didn't that have Christmas in it? IC: The Preacher's Wife [1996]? Yeah, that's a black Christmas. I'm wrong. We got the second one. But we got the first 'hood Christmas, put it that way. [both laugh] What are you working on?

DOR: I'm writing a couple of movies, and there's one that you could be in, but that's a few years away. It's at least two years down the line.

IC: Give me the call. I will always be there to work with you.

David O. Russell will shoot Paramus, a film about existential detectives, this spring.