Today, The Shade Room commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop and its effect on music and culture. Recently, rap veteran Ice Cube sat down with the publication’s Director of Social Content for TSR Teens, Taylor Bickham, and goneover his effect on Hip Hop culture. Additionally, the 54-year-old shared his ideas on Hip Hop today and even spilled the tea on what tookplace with the ‘Friday’ movie franchise and who he blames for delaying a brand-new followup from striking theaters.
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Ice Cube Explains The Difference Between Hip Hop Music & Street Violence
Taylor Bickham: Busta [Rhymes] got the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 BET Awards. His speech talked a lot about the music market and how individuals requirement to love on each other. I desired to get your ideas as somebody that is a trendsetter in Hip Hop. How do you feel the category has altered, and where can it grow?
Ice Cube: We constantly got to different the music from the streets… Street st ain’t hip hop. Battling is the essence of the videogame… But whenever that gets physical, it goes from hip hop to simply routine old street st… So constantly believe there’s space for fights, constantly believe there’s space for diss records. Beef is part of it — however assoonas it goes past that, it’s crossing the line, and it’s simply routine old street st.
So what we have to stop doing is blurring the lines — stating since of this music, this things is occurring in the street. It’s not always real. Music is really taking things off the street and putting it in a innovative method. If someone goesback, then that’s on them… I simply desire us not to blur the lines… We have to comprehend that we can’t provide street st no credit. It’s endedupbeing a part of the music, and it’s neverever been part of the music.
A artist may get shot, and a artist may get eliminated… a artist may shoot someone or kill someone, however it still goes to street st. Anybody can do that. So I simply desire us to keep it in pointofview [because the sentiment now is that] if it weren’t for this music, none of this things would be occurring. And I’m going to inform you that’s not real. It was all takingplace priorto the music.
The Rapper Shares His Thoughts About Using Hip Hop Lyrics During Criminal Cases
Taylor Bickham: So what about when artists talk about their experiences, and they put it through their music and lyrics? Then individuals take that, and they put it in court.
Ice Cube: You shouldn’t talk about criminaloffense — absolutelynothing else requires to be stated. You shouldn’t talk about the criminaloffenses you’ve done… to noone. On record, on the phone, in the womb, in a prison cell — anywhere! It’s unlawful company. So if you put it on a record, yeah, you’re going to be in court. It’s proof. You’re confessing your criminalactivity.
Taylor Bickham: They justrecently asked fellow rapartist Bow Wow how he feels hip hop is going and who he feels will be played 20 to 30 years from now. So, I’m asking you the verysame thing in terms of hip hop today. Who are the individuals, if any, that you feel are going to relocation the needle when it comes to hip hop?
Ice Cube: I wear’t understand… At the end of the day, a lot has to occur for artists now to be pertinent 20 years from now. So it’s tough to state who’s the one. But I’m going to inform you what the components [to longevity] are.
Taylor Bickham: Tell me.
Ice Cube: You have to be an artist that stands for something. If you’re an artist and stand for something, then you have a opportunity. If you’re an artist chasing strikes, chasing the radio, and chasing this noise and that sound… and you puton’t talk adequate, you won’t be around.
RELATED: Law Banning Use Of Rap Lyrics As Evidence In Criminal Cases Is Introduced To Congress
Ice Cube Talks About His Son O’Shea Jackson Jr.
Taylor Bickham: You have a child following in your steps relatingto acting. But likewise, I’ve been desiring to understand, can he rap?
Ice Cube: Yeah, he can rap. He can bust. He put out a mixtape a while ago. “OMG” is what he called himself. Oh, My Goodness.
Taylor Bickham: Are you people going to go on trip together? What does that appearance like?
Ice Cube: Umm… He’s a motionpicture star now! He doesn’t go out on the roadway no more. [I be like,] “Want to go to the program with me?” He’s like, “Nah, male… I got this thang to do.” But I’m extremely proud of him. He’s in Spain now doing “Den Of Thieves 2