Ice Cube

Birth Date:

June 15, 1969

Birth Name:

O’Shea Jackson

Birth Place:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Nick Name:

Ice Cube

Film Debut:

Boyz n the Hood 1991

Breakthrough Film:

Boyz n the Hood 1991

Biography

Ice Cube, born O’Shea Jackson on June 15, 1969, in Los Angeles, California, is an American rapper, actor, writer, producer, and filmmaker. He grew up in South Central Los Angeles and developed an interest in writing and hip-hop while attending high school. He began his music career as a member of the group C.I.A. before helping form the influential rap group N.W.A. Alongside Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, he helped create the group’s landmark album Straight Outta Compton in 1988. Ice Cube later launched a successful solo career with albums including AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, Death Certificate, and The Predator. His stage name, Ice Cube, became the name by which he was known worldwide. He is also sometimes referred to simply as “Cube.”

Ice Cube made his acting debut in 1991 when director John Singleton cast him as Doughboy in the coming-of-age drama Boyz n the Hood. The film was a critical and commercial success and introduced Cube as a serious screen performer. His performance received considerable attention and established him as an actor outside the music industry. He followed the film with roles in Trespass, The Glass Shield, and Higher Learning. In 1995, he starred as Craig Jones in the comedy Friday, a film he also co-wrote and produced. Friday became an important part of his acting career and developed into a successful franchise. He continued expanding his film career with roles in Anaconda, Three Kings, Ghosts of Mars, and Barbershop.

During the 2000s and 2010s, Ice Cube became a versatile Hollywood performer and filmmaker. He starred in family comedies such as Are We There Yet? and its sequel, as well as the action comedy 21 Jump Street and its sequel, 22 Jump Street. He also appeared in Barbershop: The Next Cut and voiced characters in animated films. Beyond acting, Cube has worked as a screenwriter, director, and producer, including through his company Cube Vision. In 2015, he portrayed himself in the biographical film Straight Outta Compton, which dramatized the rise of N.W.A. Ice Cube’s career has therefore combined music, acting, writing, and filmmaking, making him a prominent figure across several areas of American entertainment.

Movie Portfolio