Ice Cube’s Foray Into Filmmaking

At the time Ice Cube started breaking seriously into the film world, he was one of the most critically acclaimed rap artists of all time. After a starring role in John Singleton’s Oscar-nominated Boyz N The Hood, he proved proficient in acting and was pursued it as auxiliary to his music career. Who would have guessed he would be successful as he was? He began appearing in more roles showing off his chops, often appearing as roles executive deemed acceptable for rappers. He starred as a gang leader in a 1992 action movie, Trespass, and a murder in 1993’s The Glass Shield. It wasn’t until Friday that he took his film career into his own hands.

 

John Singleton was the one who pushed Ice Cube to write screenplays. Friday brandished an all-black cast, then up-and-coming comedian Chris Tucker, and expertly executed vision of a film. It was an instant classic in the canon of black filmmaking. It showed that Ice Cube was a good writer, not just a good writer for rap songs, but a good. writer. It was crucial in showing that rap artists who had the vision could execute their vision, be funny, and be honest without playing into troupes that were expected from them. The movie grossed $28 million on a budget of $3.5 million.

 

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Cube took roles in other critically accepted films like David O. Russell’s Three Kings to further his dramatic ability. In the late 1990’s Ice Cube founded his production company Cube Vision, started with Matt Alvarez, who also co-produced Friday, Dangerous Ground, and The Players Club alongside Cube. As a company they went on to produce a number of critically and commercially including Next Friday, Barbershop, Straight Outta Compton, as well a slew of TV shows and future films.

 

Understanding the trajectory of Ice Cube’s secondary ventures is important for a younger generation to pay attention to, because nothing is quite solid and success isn’t guaranteed and is often short-lasting. Instead of just acting and settling for roles, Ice Cube took his vision and made it a reality, trying a myriad of different options, taking endorsements, and not letting anyone tell him when or where or what was appropriate for what he wanted to do. In some ways, Ice Cube applied the Gangsta Rap attitude to filmmaking, essentially flipping off whoever thought rappers couldn’t or weren’t funny or capable of serious filmmaking, starting his own company so he can make his own films, etc. Cube always been The Wrong Nigga To Fuck Wit’.

 

 

Credit: Marcus Scott Williams