Ice Cube went from being a celebrated founding member of NWA to a social activist to what many would describe as a sellout. Today, we’re diving deep into some of his most controversial moments. For those of you who can’t stand our videos, check yourself before you wreck yourself.
In his 1991 album “Death Certificate,” there’s a 47-second track called “Black Korea.” In the lyrics, Ice Cube criticizes Asian store owners for treating Black men unfairly and even threatens to burn down their stores if they don’t show respect to the Black community. This led to the Korean-American Grocers Association, which represented thousands of Southern California stores, boycotting St. Ides, a popular malt liquor endorsed by Ice Cube and other Black rappers. They demanded the brand remove Ice Cube from its ads. Initially, St. Ides refused, but when stores pulled the malt liquor from their shelves, they eventually caved to the association’s demands.
Ice Cube felt justified in his lyrics for “Black Korea.” He was inspired by the tragic events of March 16, 1991, involving Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old Black girl from South Central Los Angeles. Latasha was at a convenience store owned by 49-year-old Korean-American Soon Ja Du. She picked up a $1.79 bottle of juice and put it in her bag, heading to the cash register with $2 in her hand to pay. Soon accused her of stealing, even though the money was visible in the store’s videotape. A physical altercation over the backpack ensued. As Latasha tried to leave, Soon shot her in the back of the head, killing her. Police later confirmed that Latasha wasn’t shoplifting
Soon was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter by a jury, and the judge handed her a 10-year prison sentence. However, the sentence was suspended. Instead, Soon was put on probation, ordered to pay $500 in restitution, and had to complete 400 hours of community service. Additionally, she was required to reimburse Latasha’s family for any out-of-pocket medical and funeral expenses. This case highlighted yet again the unfair treatment of Black people, sparking mixed reactions when Ice Cube was dropped by St. Ides. Some believed the brand made the right choice because his song “Black Korea” included violent lyrics against Asians. Others felt his words were a justified reaction to Latasha’s murder.
Auntie Regina wants you to think about something. Have you ever seen these Korean-owned stores in white or wealthy neighborhoods? Just pause and consider that. They want to sell us hair products but won’t let us open our own stores. They lock us out, wanting our money but not our presence. Many Black people have likely experienced being followed around in these stores. If you don’t like Black people or think we’re thieves, why bring your business to our neighborhoods?
Eventually, Ice Cube apologized, met with the president of the Korean-American Grocers Association, and worked hard to foster dialogue between Black people and Koreans. He got his endorsement deal back and agreed to donate money to charity. He even appeared on the cover of Korea Times magazine with the headline “Ice Cube: The Peacemaker.” But not all his fans were happy. Some called him a sellout, accusing him of turning his back on his community to keep his endorsement money.
In his 1991 song “No Vaseline,” Ice Cube rapped, “I never have dinner with the president,” taking a jab at his former NWA group member E for attending a White House dinner during George H.W. Bush’s administration. Fast forward to 2020, and Ice Cube seemed to have changed his tune when he traveled to Washington to meet with then-President Donald Trump’s campaign team to promote his “Contract with Black America,” a plan aimed at economically uplifting African-Americans. This move coincided with Trump’s efforts to gain more Black voters.
Following the meeting, Trump’s senior adviser Katrina Pearson tweeted about Ice Cube’s willingness to work with their administration. When people online found out that Ice Cube had been meeting with Republicans, they were quick to label him a sellout and a pawn in Trump’s political game. Other public figures like Steve Harvey and Chrisette Michele faced similar backlash for engaging with Trump’s team.
Ice Cube didn’t hesitate to defend himself. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he clarified that he never went to the White House; he met with Trump’s team in Washington, and never met Trump himself. He considered the meeting successful, as some aspects of his “Contract with Black America” were included in the administration’s Platinum Plan. Ice Cube also mentioned having a Zoom call with Joe Biden’s team, noting that unlike Trump’s team, Biden’s team didn’t publicize the meeting, so no one knew about it.
“Both campaigns contacted me. One campaign said we love what you have, but let’s really dig into it after the election. And one campaign said we love what you have; would you mind talking to us about it?” Ice Cube explained. His goal was simply to see his plan implemented, regardless of which administration won the election. Despite his intentions, many in the Black community continued to call him a sellout and an Uncle Tom. Ice Cube took to Twitter, stating that he’d been called a sellout his entire life and it didn’t bother him because he knew who he was. But maybe, just maybe, there might be some truth to the criticism he’s been receiving.
In 2018, Kendrick Lamar removed a white female fan from the stage for repeatedly using the n-word while singing along to one of his songs. As the video circulated online, Ice Cube weighed in on a program called The Project. He said, “Don’t invite people on your stage if you don’t want them singing your songs. This could have been avoided if the fans stayed in their seats and the artist stayed on stage. We didn’t pay to see anyone else sing anyway.” While his point had some merit, many felt he was deflecting and not holding the fan accountable for her actions.
In December 2021, Faizon Love revealed to Comedy Hype that he was only paid $2,500 for his role as Big Worm in the 1995 film Friday. John Witherspoon, who played Willie Jones, received $5,000, and Chris Tucker, who played Smokey, earned $10,000. Despite the film’s modest budget, it eventually grossed nearly $300 million. Given Ice Cube’s significant role in the production and his co-writing of the script, people naturally blamed him for underpaying the actors. One online user tweeted, “Yo, it’s wild how Ice Cube acts like he’s for the people and has been robbing his own people. Pay them people!” Responding to the uproar, Ice Cube tweeted, “I don’t rob anybody. The 1995 Friday movie cost $2.3 million to make and was shot in 20 days. Faizon worked one day, maybe two. All the actors got paid scale to do the movie. They could have simply said no, but they didn’t. So miss me with that sh-oh.” Clearly, the criticism hit a nerve.
A.J. Johnson, who played Ezel, shared his own experience on Vlad TV. When it came time to film Next Friday, Ice Cube asked him if he wanted to reprise his role. They agreed and shook hands to seal the deal. However, a few weeks later, A.J. received a call informing him that filming for Next Friday had already started without him. He drove to the set to speak with Ice Cube but found out he had been barred from the location. Oh, hell no.
All the information about how Ice Cube treated the cast has left many people confused, especially considering his strong political activism for black people. Many can’t understand why he would treat his black co-stars poorly. As one person online put it: when it comes to Ice Cube, he’s all about the money.
In a July 2020 interview with the PBD podcast, Ice Cube was asked about Diddy’s scandals. He said that Diddy was cool to work with and that he never had any bad interactions with him. When asked about the recent accusations against Diddy, Ice Cube mentioned that he hadn’t had contact with Diddy since 1994 and wasn’t surprised by the allegations because the hip-hop world is like the Wild West. He added, “I believe he’s being targeted. Somebody has the power to make this domino effect happen.” He admitted he didn’t know much about the accusations and called it all speculation.
It’s important to note that this conversation was posted on July 15, 2024, two months after CNN released bombshell footage of Diddy assaulting Cassie in a hotel. So the question is: didn’t Ice Cube see the same news we did?
Ice Cube has a tendency to put his foot in his mouth. But the real question is: is all the criticism against him justified, or is he just misunderstood?