The panoramic view from the office of rap mogul Ice Cube’s Los Angeles office, while understated, reflects an impressive two-decade run in the music, television and film industries. I mean let’s face it; you just don’t get views like this without first paying your dues, which Cube certainly has done.
As he kicked back to enjoy the scenery while puffing on a cigar, he opened up and shared the perspective of a man who has seen and done it all, and is now ready to pass on the torch to his talented children. But don’t let his thoughts of leaving a legacy behind fool you. Cube has no plans to step aside — especially not when he still has something to say. This was vintage Ice Cube, straight no chaser … just the way we like it.
When you released your I Am the West album back in September, there was a lot of talk about the title. What was the significance of the title?
I was celebrating our contribution [to] hip-hop from the West Coast … celebrating what we do best and not really trying to run from it. Sometimes the thing about being too West Coast is you’re not going to get no light from nowhere else. People feel like the West Coast isn’t getting any light, so we have to change our style. But, that ain’t true. I Am the West is embracing everything we are. I am one out of probably five or six people who can call their album I Am the West. It’s only right [because] I have been repping the West for so long.
How do you think your message has evolved?
A message is only as good as the person delivering it. I want to evolve to the point where people [are] hearing me. I don’t want to evolve past the point of people hearing what I have to say and my message in whatever particular record you are listening to. All of my records aren’t message-driven records. All my albums aren’t message-driven albums. I wouldn’t call I Am the West a message-driven album. I would call Raw Footage a message-driven album. It depends on how I feel. I just don’t want to evolve past the people hearing what I have to say. To me, that’s not evolving, that’s dissolving. It’s really all about making sure that people are hearing you. You[‘ve] got to do what you[‘ve] got to do in this climate to make sure you are heard.
We recently saw you perform in Los Angeles and were blown away by the crowd’s passionate response. How does it feel to still get love like that after almost two decades in the industry?
It feels good. It feels like I’m doing something right. I’m giving the people what they want and expect. Hopefully, [I’m] giving them their money’s worth … whatever project I do. … Some projects [that] I do, people ain’t going to be down with. Some projects I do, some people are going to love. It all varies with each person. I think people just appreciate the fact that I’m always giving them something they can be a part of. I’m not just a person you see a lot and don’t hear [anything] from. I think people just appreciate my work ethic. They just sit back and wait for the next thing to drop.
