Ice Cube continues to be reveling within the occasions which have simply transpired. On April 15, the trailblazing West Coast MC and actor left his mark with a hand and footprint ceremony exterior of the TCL Chinese Theatre, the place pals, household and followers gathered exterior to have fun his storied profession. The similar day, he introduced the Truth to Power: 4 Decades of Attitude Tour, his first headlining tour in over a decade, which is able to permit Cube to dig deeper into his catalog for his “day-ones.”
Those who’ve been driving with Cube for the reason that late ‘80s, when N.W.A came out firing on all cylinders with 1988’s Straight Outta Compton, have bore witness to Cube’s evolution from a younger, hungry gangsta rapper to a bona fide film star, with roles in Boyz n the Hood, Barbershop, Friday and 21 Jump Street, to call just a few. Friday was Cube’s screenwriting debut and have become a cult basic and one of the crucial iconic stoner comedies of all time.
Days faraway from the distinction and a day after 4/20, Cube spoke with The Hollywood Reporter on his time within the leisure trade, the long-awaited fourth Friday film Last Friday and addressing deaths of the film’s unique forged members within the upcoming sequel.
Shortly after getting the distinction, you recommended that the film trade is one thing you by no means thought you’d be part of. What have been a few of these boundaries and the way did you overcome them?
I’m lucky as a result of I used to be found by John Singleton, and he put me in an incredible film and an incredible function. But any time you’re coming from music into the film trade, there’s skepticism, though I don’t know why. Early Hollywood, you had to have the ability to sing, dance, act and faucet dance most likely [laughs]. You needed to do all of it. But the trade nonetheless type of makes you undergo just a little little bit of skepticism, so to talk, if you get into it from the music trade. So these hurdles, the hurdles of individuals’s minds and them limiting me in their very own thoughts. I needed to let individuals know that, for one, I respect the trade. There’s no greater canvas than a film display for artists. I needed to present that I respect the trade and that I used to be a author and producer and extra than simply an actor that was put in a film by an incredible director.
The subsequent Friday movie, Last Friday, is lastly coming. You’ve misplaced a number of of the unique forged members, together with Pops, Deebo and Ezal. How will that have an effect on the movie?
It’s one thing you must tackle. These are beloved individuals, not simply characters in a film, We’re speaking about John Witherspoon (Pops), Tiny Lister (Deebo) and AJ Johnson (Ezal). We received to deal with it. But we nonetheless making a film and nonetheless making a comedy, and it’s nonetheless gonna be enjoyable. It’s individuals you need to kick it with. It’s individuals you need to catch as much as and see what’s happening. Then there’s room to introduce new characters. I at all times noticed this like Star Wars; individuals can pop out and in any time.
It’s about revisiting a household that’s going by way of it now in 2025. It’s actually catching up.
Is it going to choose up with you as an grownup who has his circle of relatives?
Now, I can’t offer you that a lot [laughs]. I can’t let you know that a lot. It’s like if you’re cooking within the kitchen and might’t no one come within the kitchen in the event that they not cooking, so wait on your plate [laughs]. Smell it, however you don’t must style it but.
I believe the magic of flicks like that is in the event you don’t see the punches coming, you simply benefit from the film with out figuring out an excessive amount of. The followers, they already comprehend it’s coming, in order that they already like, “Alright Cube. Don’t fuck this up.”
Does that put extra stress on you?
There’s no stress as a result of I’m working with the very best within the enterprise. With every film you do, you must make it good and nice. You can’t simply anticipate individuals to spend their money and time on one thing that’s not value it. The enjoyable of constructing individuals snigger is definitely working with issues in present instances and other people and personalities that draw laughter, some actuality, so that you’re gonna have enjoyable.
What’s the very best half about attending to convey this movie again?
Hearing individuals snigger within the theater. Hearing how a lot individuals take pleasure in it. Having quotable strains that they take to their common life, like “Bye Felicia,” or one thing like that. That’s when a film is nice to me. It’s not how a lot cash you make. No, it’s what number of instances individuals can watch it and luxuriate in it. That’s actually the measuring stick.
When making the primary movie, did you this is able to turn into such a cult basic?
It felt like we was doing one thing that Hollywood type of counted out in a method. There was a film referred to as CB4. It appeared intently on the rap trade and hardcore rap. We had had motion pictures like Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society. We had these hardcore motion pictures about our neighborhood, however we by no means had a film the place we type of laughed on the conditions as an alternative of cry.
It was like, “Yo, let’s have fun with it. Let’s turn everything on his ear and laugh at this stuff.” Because if we made Friday as a drama, it might be fairly heavy. But it being a comedy, it was necessary to indicate that our life wasn’t a nightmare like they confirmed in a few of these motion pictures. We needed to indicate that we have been really having enjoyable just a little bit with a few of this loopy stuff.
Chris Tucker’s Smokey was an enormous a part of the unique movie. Is he going to make any return?
He’s at all times invited. That’s all I can say.
