Ice Cube was born O'Shea Jackson in 1969. He grew up in a middle-class home in South-Central Los Angeles, where he first began rapping in high school. After studying architecture in Phoenix, Ariz., Ice Cube returned to Los Angeles in 1987 and released a few 12-inches (including "My Posse") with his crew the CIA. He also worked with the World Class Wrecking Crew before joining the controversial rap group N.W.A. (Niggaz With Attitudes), which many believe has taken Gansta Rap to where it is today. N.W.A also included Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, MC Ren, and the Arabian Prince.

Though N.W.A. was very successful, selling millions of albums thanks to the media controversy generated by their trademark violent, sexist, homophobic lyrics, Ice Cube felt he was not being treated fairly by the group's management (Eazy and Jerry Heller). As a result, Cube quit N.W.A. in 1989 and moved to New York, where he formed a backing group called Da Lench Mob and recorded a solo album, 1990's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. Though his album was as vulgar as those by N.W.A., it earned critical praise for its style and production (done by Public Enemy's Bomb Squad), and went gold within a week of its release. Riding on his crest of fame, Cube produced an album for female rapper Yo-Yo, Bonnie to his Clyde, and appeared in the hit movie Boyz N the Hood.

Ice Cube later patched things up with Dr Dre, and they produced some work together on Murder Was the Case. He has starred in many receint movies such as Three Kings.