LOS ANGELES – Ice Cube may have chased tendencies to maintain up with as we speak’s rap sport for his newest launch, however as an alternative, he stayed loyal to the gritty West Coast gangsta sound that’s been his signature since his early N.W.A. days and flourishing solo profession.
Ice Dice caught to his streetwise storytelling roots whereas inserting some West Coast rap social gathering vibes on his eleventh studio album “Man Down,” which was launched on the identical day as Kendrick Lamar’s surprise project late final month. Ice Dice’s new album cracked the highest 10 of Billboard’s high rap albums chart — his first time in 14 years — debuting at No. 8.
The rap icon made “Man Down” to fulfill his loyal listeners. He is recognized for churning out basic hip-hop jams reminiscent of “It Was a Good Day,” “Verify Yo Self,” “No Vaseline” and “Regular Mobbin.”
“It’s important 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 newest challenge is his first since 2018’s “Everythang’s Corrupt.”
“The folks that acquired you listed below are the individuals you’re making the music for therefore to talk,” stated Ice Dice, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A. in 2016. “Not at all times for the brand new fan or the brand new child that’s simply stepping into music. That’s not who you ought to be reaching for for those who’ve been within the sport for nearly 4 a long time.”
In a current interview, Ice Dice spoke with The Related Press about his partnership with the NFL, the BIG3 basketball league and his ideas after the U.S. presidential election.
Ice Dice’s Contract with Black America progressive partnership with the NFL
Ice Dice first launched the Contract with Black America to political leaders from each events in 2020, and 4 years later, he’s nonetheless driving the dialog with the NFL.
He stated CWBA’s partnership with the league has gained traction since becoming a member of forces in 2022, creating alternatives for Black-owned companies. The partnership between Dice’s initiative and the NFL focuses on figuring out alternatives in finance, tech and manufacturing.
“Once they have a gap, they’ll give our folks that we’ve put in entrance of them a shot at getting a job,” stated Ice Dice, whose CWBA goals to handle the wealth hole between Black and white People and financial inclusion.
The CWBA seeks to take away limitations and open doorways.
“All we wish is a shot,” he stated. “All corporations must step up and earn that job. We simply say ‘Hey, tell us if you acquired a gap in tech. … and allow us to put just a few corporations in entrance of you. And let the most effective firm win. They’ve picked just a few of our corporations and now they’ve gotten contracts with the NFL, which is nice.”
Ice Dice hopes the CWBA will prolong past the NFL, encouraging different corporations to undertake the initiative as effectively. In 2020, he offered his proposal to each foremost political events, together with Donald Trump’s marketing campaign, a transfer that sparked criticism from those that thought he was supporting Trump on the time.
However that wasn’t the case, Ice Dice stated. Whichever social gathering helps CWBA, he’ll pay attention.
“Politically, they must present me an urge for food for working with me,” he stated. “I am not a politician. I by no means went to those political events and requested them for something. I am nonetheless down to assist.”
Extra films or nah?
Whereas Ice Dice has made a mark in music, he is achieved the identical in movie too.
However with Hollywood grappling with challenges just like the aftermath of two main strikes and the lingering results of the pandemic, Ice Dice has chosen the unbiased route for his upcoming initiatives. For now, he is not being reliant on main studios.
“It would be higher to make unbiased films and never undergo the studio system,” stated Ice Dice, who starred within the late John Singleton ‘s “Boyz within the Hood,” “Are We There But?“ and the ” Barbershop,” “ Ride Along ” and “Friday” franchise movies. He additionally wrote, starred in, produced and directed the 1998 movie “The Gamers Membership.”
“With unbiased films, I can do some nice work that’s not sterilized by the studio,” he stated. “Once they make a giant film, they spend some huge cash. Once they make a low funds film, they need to minimize it at each little nook and cranny to the place generally they minimize out the most effective components. It’s important to fight that.”
Large strikes for Ice Dice’s BIG3
Ice Dice created a haven for athletes who appeared to have left their professional basketball days behind. By his co-founded league, BIG3, he supplied them a second shot — a sanctuary to maintain their ardour for the sport alive.
His 3-on-3 basketball league is gearing up for its sixth straight yr, with an expanded 11-week season kicking off in summer season 2025. Since its launch in 2017, the league has developed, transitioning to a conventional city-based mannequin the place groups host house video games, shifting away from its unique road-game-only construction.
Earlier this yr, BIG3 offered its first franchise in Los Angeles to a bunch of buyers for $10 million. The video games stream on CBS by Paramount+, and a few stream on X.
“It’s rising day by day. We do have some nice new homeowners and determining with them the route of the league, the place ought to 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. Final yr, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown grew to become the primary energetic NBA participant to take part in a BIG3 sport.
“You’re stepping into the nuts and bolts of a big-time sports activities on the highest degree,” Ice Dice stated. “It’s thrilling to be there and it’s a problem day by day. It’s no place I’d quite be. To have an effect on sports activities on that degree, it’s fairly cool from any individual who needed to sneak within the Discussion board to see my first Laker sport.”
Presidential elections afterthoughts
If the post-presidential election blues nonetheless have you ever in a funk heading into the inauguration on Jan. 20, Ice Dice has a bit of recommendation: Cease stressing.
Worrying will not change the end result, he stated.
“Cease excited about the longer term a lot,” he stated. “The longer term is unknown. The longer term is anxiousness, the previous is despair. … You bought to consider sooner or later. No matter made you sturdy sufficient to get up to now, you will be sturdy sufficient to get you thru regardless of the future might deliver. The secret is to cease worrying about what’s going to occur and listen to what’s occurring. Work accordingly.”
Copyright 2024 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.
