Ice Cube (INTERVIEW)
Ice Cube
The “22 Jump
Street” Interview
with Kam Williams
The Cube Root of 22
As much as
technology, business and society have changed since the Eighties, one thing has
remained constant: Ice Cube has been a premier cultural watchdog, astutely
commenting on, examining and detailing the breadth of the American experience
in uncompromising terms with an unflinching honesty and a sobering perspective,
as well as a deft comedic touch that has endeared him to several generations of
fans.
Indeed, growing
up in crime and gang-infested South Central Los Angeles, he learned how to
navigate a world where the lines between right and wrong shifted constantly. Of
equal import, the L.A.
based entertainment mogul also found a lasting way to present the comedy that
exists in the midst of difficult situations.
After penning the
most memorable lyrics on N.W.A’s groundbreaking songs “Straight Outta Compton”
and “F— Tha Police,” Ice Cube left the group at the peak of its popularity
because he was not being paid correctly. That move led to one of the most
successful careers in music history. As a solo recording artist, Ice Cube has
sold more than 10 million albums while remaining one of rap’s most respected
and influential artists.
Beyond music, Ice
Cube has established himself as one of entertainment’s most reliable,
successful and prolific figures. In the film arena, he’s an accomplished
producer (Friday, Barbershop 2: Back In Business, Are We There Yet?), writer (Friday, The Players Club, The Janky
Promoters) and director (The Players
Club) who is best known for his acting.
One of the most
bankable actors in cinematic history, his films include the acclaimed Friday, Barbershop and Are We There
Yet? franchises, as well as star turns as a conflicted teen in Boyz N The Hood, as a greedy soldier in Three Kings and as an elite government
agent in xXx: State Of The Union. Ice Cube’s ability to bring a
natural, everyman aesthetic to any film genre makes his characters compelling
and memorable, whether he’s playing a confrontational career college student (Higher Learning) or a skeptical football
coach (The Longshots).
As a television
producer, he took the “Barbershop” and “Are We There Yet?” series to successful
network runs as well as the controversial “Black - White” reality series. He’s
also a pitchman for Coors Light and has been featured in various commercials
for the brand.
In 2012, he
appeared in the blockbuster film 21 Jump
Street and the independent thriller Rampart.
More recently, he enjoyed major success with the #1 box office hit Ride Along, which his company Cube
Vision produced. The picture has already
been greenlit for a sequel, proving once again that Cube is the king of the
franchise film category.
While Cube loves
making movies, his first passion will always be music. His forthcoming album, “Everythang’s Corrupt,” slated for a release later this year, will
be his 18th as either a solo artist or member of a group (N.W.A, Da
Lench Mob, Westside Connection). Here, he talks about reprising the role of
Captain Dickson in 22 Jump Street.
Kam
Williams: Hi Cube, thanks for the interview.
Ice Cube:
Oh, no problem, Kam.
KW:
I loved the film. Did you enjoy rejoining Channing [Tatum], Jonah [Hill] and
the rest of cast to shoot the sequel?
IC:
Yeah, we had a lotta fun. We shot it in Puerto Rico and New Orleans. You can’t
beat that, especially since we went in knowing that we’d been successful the
first time, and that we were going to make something just as cool.
KW:
You guys managed to measure up to the high bar you set with 21 Jump Street.
IC:
It’s always great when you’re able to give fans what they
expect and even a little more. I think some people were a little nervous about
the sequel because you never think you can get close to the original. But I
think the audience is going to love this one just much, if not more than the
first one.
KW:
Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What was the funniest thing that happened during the
shooting?
IC:
[Chuckles] Everybody asks that, but nothing unusual happened
on the set. Like I said, we had a lotta fun, but nothing out of the ordinary
happened. We just went to work, and everything that was funny was caught on
camera, so you should be able to see all the fun that was had in the movie.
KW:
Harriet Pakula-Teweles was wondering whether it’s hard to
play a supporting role after getting used to being the star, producer, scriptwriter and director?
IC:
No, I just want to be a part of good projects. I enjoyed
playing my role. It actually felt like a vacation to only have to act and not
have to worry about all the business stuff. I was happy for all that to be
somebody else’s headache.
KW:
Erik Daniels would like to know what advice the Ice Cube of
today would give to the Ice Cube of N.W.A.?
IC:
Keep doin’ what you’re doin’, fall in love with what you’re
creating, and everything else will fall into place.
KW:
Realtor to the Stars Jimmy Bayan would like to know what you
think of the deal Dr. Dre just cut to sell Beats Electronics to Apple?
IC:
I’m extremely excited for Dr. Dre, personally. He totally
deserves it. He’s a genius. He put me in the game. I wouldn’t be here without
Dr. Dre, so I was as happy for him as I was when Obama won to see somebody finally
take it all the way to the top.
KW:
Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks: How were you able
to parlay your music career success into a film career?
IC:
To be honest, I got discovered. I don’t really have a story
to share. [Director] John Singleton saw something in me and put me in Boyz ‘N
the Hood. I recognized how much of an opportunity it was and, from there, I
just worked hard, paid attention, and tried to figure out what it would take to
get to this spot right here. Things have worked out, not perfectly, but things
have pretty much worked out.
KW:
Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier says: I loved your
performance in Boyz ‘N the Hood. How often do you go back and watch that and
your other movies again?
IC:
Not a lot. I’m always kind of off to the next movie, and
focused on making sure that the one I’m currently working on is as good as the
one that’s already on TV. If I’m passing one of the movies, I usually catch 5
or 10 minutes here or there, and keep going.
KW:
Is it still a surprise when you’re channel surfing and you
suddenly see yourself on television?
IC:
I always have a “That’s cool!” moment. You never get tired
of seeing yourself on TV. It’s always extra cool… always a treat.
KW:
At those moments, do you just think about making the movie,
or do you think about being on the set, too?
IC:
I usually think about making the movie more than that actual
cut, because there’s so much that you don’t see that went into that shot. And I
always see the crew, and remember everybody off-camera. [Chuckles]
KW:
Documentary filmmaker Kevin Williams asks: Was it a hard decision
to leave N.W.A. and go solo, artistically?
IC:
It was hard because I was really connected to Dre and
everybody in the group, and it was so much fun. But I had to go once I saw what
was going on financially.
KW:
What is your favorite dish to cook?
IC:
I don’t do much cooking, but one of my favorite dishes to
eat is my wife’s macaroni and cheese.
KW:
The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would
you choose?
IC:
The ability to read minds.
KW:
The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest
childhood memory?
IC:
Getting an airplane I could ride around in when I was about
2½. I still have a picture of me in it.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what
do you see?
IC:
A tiger.
KW:
The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what
animal would you be?
IC:
An eagle.
KW:
The Viola Davis question: What’s the biggest difference between who you are at
home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet?
IC:
At home, I totally kick back. On the red carpet, I’m
working.
KW:
If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would
that be for?
IC:
I wish the world would become what God wanted it to be in
the first place, before we tampered with it.
KW:
The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend
the time?
IC:
Telling everybody I love that I love them.
KW:
The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book
you read?
IC:
“Q,” Quincy Jones’ autobiography.
KW:
The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened
to?
IC:
Flashlight by Parliament.
KW:
Let's say you’re throwing your
dream dinner party—who’s invited… and what would you serve?
IC:
God, and I’d serve whatever he wants.
KW:
The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone,
is there a remake you'd like to star in?
IC:
I don’t know if it’s considered a classic, but Scarface.
KW:
Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite
charity?
IC:
Besides my family and relatives? [LOL] The Minority AIDS
project, especially after Eazy [N.W.A. member Eazy-E] died.
KW:
Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
IC:
Nope, I’ve been asked just about everything.
KW:
Thanks again for the time, Cube, and best of luck with the
film.
IC:
Thanks, Kam.
To see a trailer for 22 Jump Street, visit: http://www.22jumpstreetmovie.com/site/videos
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