LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ice Cube will have chased tendencies to reserve up with as of late’s rap contest for his unedited leave, however in lieu, he stayed unswerving to the gritty West Coast gangsta tone that’s been his signature since his early N.W.A. days and flourishing solo profession.
Ice Dice caught to his streetwise storytelling roots past placing some West Coast rap birthday celebration vibes on his eleventh studio novel “Man Down,” which used to be exempt at the identical life as Kendrick Lamar’s surprise project overdue closing future. Ice Dice’s unutilized novel cracked the supremacy 10 of Billboard’s supremacy rap albums chart — his first year in 14 years — debuting at Negative. 8.
The rap icon made “Man Down” to fulfill his unswerving listeners. He’s identified for churning out vintage hip-hop jams corresponding to “It Was a Good Day,” “Check Yo Self,” “No Vaseline” and “Steady Mobbin.”
“You have to serve your clientele,” Ice Dice stated about “Man Down,” which options Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, E-40, Killer Mike, Xzibit, and Cypress Hill’s B-Actual. His unedited venture is his first since 2018’s “Everythang’s Corrupt.”
“The people that got you here are the people you’re making the music for so to speak,” stated Ice Dice, who used to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A. in 2016. “Not always for the new fan or the new kid that’s just getting into music. That’s not who you should be reaching for if you’ve been in the game for almost four decades.”
In a up to date interview, Ice Dice spoke with The Related Press about his partnership with the NFL, the BIG3 basketball league and his ideas later the U.S. presidential election.
Ice Dice first presented the Contract with Black America to political leaders from each events in 2020, and 4 years next, he’s nonetheless riding the dialog with the NFL.
He stated CWBA’s partnership with the league has received traction since becoming a member of forces in 2022, developing alternatives for Unlit-owned companies. The partnership between Dice’s initiative and the NFL specializes in figuring out alternatives in finance, tech and manufacturing.
“When they have an opening, they’ll give our people that we’ve put in front of them a shot at getting a job,” stated Ice Dice, whose CWBA goals to handle the wealth hole between Unlit and white American citizens and financial inclusion.
The CWBA seeks to take away limitations and not hidden doorways.
“All we want is a shot,” he stated. “All companies have to step up and earn that job. We just say ‘Hey, let us know when you got an opening in tech. … and let us put a few companies in front of you. And let the best company win. They’ve picked a few of our companies and now they’ve gotten contracts with the NFL, which is great.”
Ice Dice hopes the CWBA will lengthen past the NFL, encouraging alternative corporations to undertake the initiative as smartly. In 2020, he introduced his proposal to each primary political events, together with Donald Trump’s marketing campaign, a advance that sparked complaint from those that idea he used to be supporting Trump on the year.
However that wasn’t the case, Ice Dice stated. Whichever birthday celebration helps CWBA, he’ll concentrate.
“Politically, they would have to show me an appetite for working with me,” he stated. “I’m not a politician. I never went to these political parties and asked them for anything. I’m still down to help.”
Week Ice Dice has made a mark in tune, he’s completed the similar in movie too.
However with Hollywood grappling with demanding situations just like the aftermath of 2 primary moves and the lingering results of the pandemic, Ice Dice has selected the separate course for his later tasks. For now, he’s no longer being reliant on primary studios.
“It’d be better to make independent movies and not go through the studio system,” stated Ice Dice, who starred within the overdue John Singleton ‘s “Boyz in the Hood,” “Are We There Yet?“ and the ” Barbershop,” “ Ride Along ” and “Friday” franchise motion pictures. He additionally wrote, starred in, produced and directed the 1998 movie “The Players Club.”
“With independent movies, I can do some great work that’s not sterilized by the studio,” he stated. “When they make a big movie, they spend a lot of money. When they make a low budget movie, they want to cut it at every little nook and cranny to where sometimes they cut out the best parts. You have to combat that.”
Ice Dice created a haven for athletes who perceived to have left their professional basketball days in the back of. Via his co-founded league, BIG3, he presented them a 2d shot — a sanctuary to reserve their hobby for the sport alive.
His 3-on-3 basketball league is gearing up for its 6th directly while, with an expanded 11-week season kicking off in summer season 2025. Since its initiation in 2017, the league has developed, transitioning to a conventional city-based style the place groups host house video games, shifting clear of its fresh road-game-only construction.
Previous this while, BIG3 bought its first franchise in Los Angeles to a gaggle of traders for $10 million. The video games flow on CBS thru Paramount+, and a few flow on X.
“It’s growing every day. We do have some great new owners and figuring out with them the direction of the league, where should we be and planting our flag,” Ice Dice stated about BIG3, which has starred former NBA gamers like Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette. Latter while, Boston Celtics famous person Jaylen Brown turned into the primary lively NBA participant to take part in a BIG3 contest.
“You’re getting into the nuts and bolts of a big-time sports at the highest level,” Ice Dice stated. “It’s exciting to be there and it’s a challenge every day. It’s no place I’d rather be. To affect sports on that level, it’s pretty cool from somebody who had to sneak in the Forum to see my first Laker game.”
If the post-presidential election blues nonetheless have you ever in a funk heading into the forming on Jan. 20, Ice Dice has a bit of of recommendation: Cancel stressing.
Being worried received’t exchange the result, he stated.
“Stop thinking about the future so much,” he stated. “The presen is unknown. The presen is nervousness, the future is melancholy. … You were given to consider going forward. No matter made you robust enough quantity to get up to now, you’ll be robust enough quantity to get you thru regardless of the presen might carry. The hot button is to prevent being concerned about what’s moving to occur and listen to what’s taking place. Paintings accordingly.”