Arts & Entertainment
Ice Cube: The ‘21 Jump Street’ Interview
A
s much as technolo-
gy, business and
society
have
changed since the Eighties,
one thing has remained con-
stant: Ice Cube has been a
premier cultural watchdog,
astutely commenting on,
examining and detailing the
breadth of the American
experience in uncompro-
mising 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 pres-
ent the comedy that exists in
B e y o n d
music,
Ice
Cube
has
established
himself as one
of entertain-
ment’s most
reliable, suc-
cessful
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, Barber-
shop and Are We There Yet?
franchises, as well as star
turns as a conflicted teen in
Boyz N The Hood, as a
Kam.
C ELEBRITY
I NTERVIEW
by Kam
Williams
versial “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 inde-
pendent thriller Rampart.
More recently, he enjoyed
major success with the #1
box office hit Ride Along,
which his company Cube
Vision produced. The pic-
ture has already been
greenlit for a sequel, prov-
It’s always great when you’re able to give fans
what they expect and even a little more
the midst of difficult situa-
tions.
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 pop-
ularity 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.
greedy soldier in Three
Kings and as an elite gov-
ernment agent in xXx: State
Of The Union. Ice Cube’s
ability to bring a natural,
everyman aesthetic to any
film genre makes his char-
acters 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 contro-
ing 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, “Every-
thang’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 repris-
ing the role of Captain
Dickson in 22 Jump Street.
Kam Williams: Hi Cube,
thanks for the interview.
Ice Cube: Oh, no problem,
KW: I loved the film. Did
you enjoy rejoining -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 some-
thing 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 hap-
pened during the shooting?
IC: [Chuckles] Every-
body 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, pro-
Ice Cube
ducer, 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
See CELEBRITY on
page 11
June 11, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 7