During a newly-released interview with Variety, actor/rapper Ice Cube was asked about the “We got something to say” mantra featured in Straight Outta Compton, and whether or not Hip Hop still has something to say after all these years.
According to Cube, Hip Hop artists today have become caught up in what he referred to as “escapism rap.” He added that rappers “have taken the easy way out” by resorting to escapism rap.
“I think it’s always going to have the potential to have something to say,” Ice Cube said. “It’s really up to the artists. The ‘something to say’ has been really kind of drained out of hip-hop. It started to lose its steam in about ’93 and escapism rap became the top dog. When I say ‘escapism rap,’ I mean talking about weed, getting high, cars, women, jewelry, money — a whole bunch of excess. Don’t worry about your real problems, just go to the strip club and smoke them away. So that started to take over and we ain’t really came out of that, because all that stuff is fun. It’s cool to do. There ain’t no struggle in it. It ain’t hard. Anybody can do it. So I think hip-hop heads have taken the easy way out.”
Towards the end of the interview, Ice Cube was asked if Straight Outta Compton could have been more honest, given that the movie didn’t touch on Dr. Dre’s alleged assault on journalist Dee Barnes, and other notable events in the history of N.W.A.
In response to the question, the rapper touched on the inability to fit everyone’s story in such a short amount of time.
“I believe trying to put 10 years or more into two-and-a-half hours, there’s no way in the world you’re going to be able to tell everybody’s story,” he said. “I didn’t put this together by myself. I put this together with the blessing of [MC] Ren, [DJ] Yella, Easy[-E]’s widow Tomica [Woods], Dr. Dre — and Gary wasn’t going to just take my version of what happened. He did his own research and his own interviews. So to me, the movie is an accurate account of N.W.A, the rise and fall of the group. I’m pretty sure you can probably make nine, 10 different versions of the N.W.A movie. They’ve done about seven Elvis movies. So I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of different versions of what this movie could have been, and everybody is more than welcome to have a crack at it. But to me, we put together the best N.W.A movie that’s ever going to be put together, and if we left some people out, we left some stories out, there’s just too much to tell in two hours and 20 minutes.”
For additional Straight Outta Compton coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
Cube stop lying bruh y’all tried to play easy in that movie. Eazy didn’t get he respect he deserves
Log off Ace…..smh
Take notes. He’s one of a few that can speak on the evolution of rap (escapism for instance), for he was one of few who molded this gangsta shit. And the movie was dope, one of my favorite movies of 2015. It was accurate enough for me, I lived thru those early days.
Jerry Heller managed dre and the world class wrecking crew and ice cubes group before he ever meet eazy e. Eazy E never got emotional over the success of the chronic he made more money off of the chronic than dre did.
Fuck outta here dick rider & stop spreading falsehood!!! Eazy E didn’t make more money than Dre on the chronic…firstly, Dre was paid as an artist, producer and label head(executive) you dumb fuck! Have u forgotten he was Co founder of DEathrow???
Eazy E wasnt portrayed the way he was supposed to be but that’s Dre’s fault. ANYWAY Cube said some real ish “When I say ‘escapism rap,’ I mean talking about weed, getting high, cars, women, jewelry, money — a whole bunch of excess. Don’t worry about your real problems, just go to the strip club and smoke them away. So that started to take over and we ain’t really came out of that, because all that stuff is fun. It’s cool to do. There ain’t no struggle in it. It ain’t hard. Anybody can do it. So I think hip-hop heads have taken the easy way out.” Big WAKE UP call to all Future stans and Drake stans, pretty much everybody except Lupe.
For the people who call Ice Cube a “fake gangster rapper,” the difference is he told you that BACK THEN. Dre too. When they asked you in interviews he would say things like “I’m like CNN just reporting the news.” Dr. Dre had the clip on The Show Soundtrack when he said “we’re not about to really go out and shoot somebody this is entertainment. It’s our fuckin jobs.” Fast forward to niggas like Rick Ross, Lil Wayne etc. Rick Ross talking about “google Kenneth Boobie Williams, we got niggas on America’s Most Wanted” and all that dumb shit as if it was him. Lil’ Wayne on the interview with 20/20 some years back with Katie Couric talking about “I’m a gangsta Ms. Katie.” Back then, a good writer who wrote about it would tell you and not claim it if it wasn’t the case so they weren’t “fake.” It’s only fake if you try to carry that persona into interviews and real life.
I see your point E.
So this coming fromfrom the guy who is possibly the fakest gangster rapper of all time
K, I really wish you losers would grow up and stop with the fake shit. Just cause he doesn’t Gang bang anymore doesn’t mean that he never did, Secondly people grow up and you should too. Its doesn’t make him a sellout because he expanded his career it makes him smart. If you Jacob had the same oppourtunity to expand your CAREER and your MONEY you would too. So drop all the fake bravdo bullshit and just be real because you look like moron when you talk out you asses.
How so? ….
Have u ever listened to his solo albums
Stop lying you fake gangsta rapper. You never smashed an office with a baseball bat. MC Ren didnt get attention at al. It was all about Eazy. Maybe you and womenbeater Dre felt guilty how you treated Eazy back then. Now go back to do some immature stupid hollywood movies. Burn Hollywood Burn
Bro Ice Cube did go smash that dudes office Go check ur history
Nigga plz!
You guys acting like you know how Hollywood works and what goes into writing a script. Seriously, these comments are THE WORST.
I think they definitely could have put it in. It wasnt referenced because it was not what they wanted to do…
Simple