Ice Cube recently spoke about his perspective on Kanye West, who celebrated the tenth anniversary of his The College Dropout debut album February 10.
“I think he carved out his own niche in Hip Hop,” Ice Cube says in an interview with REVOLT. “I think the style that he started, which a lot of us called it backpack rappin’, it was underground. Kanye kind of brought it, to me, to a level where it was just as respected as any kind of Rap. He brought it from the underground and made it – not mainstream-mainstream, but mainstream Rap where it could hold its own up against Gangsta Rap, up against the Native Tongues, up against whatever style you want to talk about. I just think Kanye was the start of that niche right there.”
During the interview, Ice Cube also updated the status of the upcoming N.W.A biopic.
“The N.W.A movie is in full effect,” Cube said in an interview with Revolt. “We got F. Gary Gray directing, me and Dr. Dre producing, and Eazy-E’s estate on board. It’s gonna be on Universal Pictures. It’s time to tell the story of the world’s most dangerous group.”
In April 2013, Cube spoke about the N.W.A biopic. “[We talk] every now and then,” Cube said at the time. “We’re trying to put this N.W.A movie together. This is the real one.”
Cube has spoken about the film regarding the self-proclaimed “World’s Most Dangerous Group” for years, but Cube’s work in motion pictures extends beyond the biopic, including his recent co-starring role in Ride Along. During his REVOLT interview, Cube explained why he began working in movies.
“When rappers first started getting into movies, they started to say that [rappers] were taking jobs away from actors,” Cube says. “But, I wanted to be a person who gave jobs to people. Pass it along like somebody did to me.”
Cube says he is continuing to work on his upcoming album Everythangs Corrupt, which is set to be an independent release through his Lench Mob Records imprint.
RELATED: Ice Cube Provides Update On N.W.A. Movie, Current Relationship With Dr. Dre
this article corrupt.
Cube is right. Sort of. What about mos def and Kweli and common?
Common, Mos Def, and Kweli never sold millions or had chart topping hits like Kanye, Kanye became a mainstream icon.
Yeah but those guys all rap better than Kanye weak ass
Yeah, and kanye’s success has helped to make them more acceptable.
and now he doing songs with chief keef and young thug
IceCube is right!! Common Mos Def and Kweli are top teir emcees
O’Shea, stop making sack ass records. That youngin’s song is bullshit. You haven’t made a decent album since 1994.
Nah, Laugh Now & Terrorist Threats were decent albums. But I agree with what you’re saying.
What makes a rapper “backpack”? Can a southern rapper be backpack? Because I’m sure OutKast been mainstream backpack before Kanye blew up.
yes, they can, but at the time, they had enough gangsta edge. then they were probably the step right before, cause they were at the edges of gangsta rap. they were precursors to kanye in that respect though.
Kanye is responsible for the resurgence and nobody gives him credit for it. When Kanye came out 90% of the radio shit was all southern stuff that was already over done.
I agree 100%. i remember thinking this is what was happening when it happened. Before that backpack was underground and u couldn’t make a any waves unless it was gangsta rap.
Kanye brought backpack rap to mainstream just like ice cube brought the ghetto to his family movies.
Cube right tho. Not just only the music Kanye made niggas change the whole dress style. Niggas went from tall tees and big jeans to polos, button-ups and levis.
If Cube is sayin that Kanye brought back pack rap to the mainstream then I agree, if he is saying Kanye STARTED back pack rap he is wrong. “Back Pack” rap goes back to Digable Planets, PNB, Boogie Monsters, Bush Babies, Beats Rhymes Life days
Close, but inaccurate. Kanye brought balance to the game. Niggaz were pretty much pigeon holed by the industry. You either was on some street/gangster shit or a so-called conscious dude thinking you was gone spit a verse that was gone recalibrate the minds of black folks and miraculously change their reality. He tickled the fancy of dem street niggaz by referencing, and not judging – he brought a touch of southern honesty that we loved from MC’s like Cee Low and Andree 3000 – the overt sped up sample based production was infectious, fused with the Roc cadence style, while having a pulse on the collective psyche of his people, culminating in a Classic Album
– The world according to Rzdn aXr
Very well put…
I think this nigga is a little late
here we go again with the haters