Ice Cube ignites Kendrick comparisons in bold new track

Ice Cube boldly bridges generational hip-hop gaps in his new single “It’s My Ego,” but his history of confronting social issues through music spans more than three decades, pioneering the path Kendrick Lamar walks today.

As a founding member of N.W.A, Cube helped craft “F—- Tha Police” in 1988, creating what became the definitive protest anthem against police brutality. The FBI’s response with a warning letter to the group demonstrated music’s power to shake institutional foundations.

His 1990 solo debut “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted” tackled systemic racism head-on, with tracks like “The N—— You Love to Hate” and “Turn Off the Radio” challenging both government oppression and media manipulation. “I made being conscious cool when everybody was just talking about partying,” Cube noted during his appearance on SiriusXM’s “Rock the Bells Radio” interview.

The 1991 release of “Death Certificate” proved even more controversial, with songs like “Black Korea” and “No Vaseline” addressing racial tensions, economic inequality, and music industry exploitation. The album was banned in Oregon and faced retail restrictions nationwide.

“We had to say what nobody else would,” Cube explained about his early work. “When I see Kendrick talking about ‘Alright’ becoming a protest anthem, I see that same spirit. We were both speaking truth when it wasn’t comfortable.”

His 1992 album “The Predator,” released during the LA riots, captured the city’s racial tension through tracks like “Wicked,” while “Check Yo Self” warned young Black men about system traps designed to incarcerate them.

Cube is one of the firsts in a line of many hip-hop artists that have taken the responsibility of using their music to share social commentary to the masses.

Public Enemy’s Chuck D mastered politically charged rap with albums like “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” and “Fear of a Black Planet,” with “Fight the Power” becoming an anthem that challenged institutional racism and media manipulation of Black culture.

Tupac Shakur carried the torch through the 90s, using tracks like “Brenda’s Got a Baby” and “Dear Mama” to address poverty, single parenthood and systemic oppression, while “Changes” became a timeless reflection on racial inequality that still resonates today.

J. Cole has maintained this tradition in the modern era, with albums like “4 Your Eyez Only” and “The Off-Season” tackling police brutality, wealth inequality and mental health in the Black community, earning him recognition as one of hip-hop’s most thoughtful voices.

Common’s two-decade career has consistently addressed social issues, from “I Used to Love H.E.R.” examining hip-hop’s commercialization to “Letter to the Free” confronting America’s prison industrial complex, earning him both Grammy and Academy Award recognition.

Nas has devoted his career to sophisticated social commentary, from “Illmatic’s” raw portrayal of project life to “King’s Disease III’s” examination of Black excellence and generational wealth, proving conscious rap’s enduring relevance across three decades.

“Every album was a newspaper from the streets,” Cube reflected. “What Kendrick does with songs like ‘The Blacker the Berry’ – that’s what we were doing with ‘True to the Game.’ Telling the uncomfortable truth about America.”

Now, with “It’s My Ego,” Cube continues his legacy of social commentary while acknowledging his influence on a new generation of conscious rappers. “The tools might change, but the message stays the same,” he notes. “The system still needs to be called out.”