During the video shoot for his upcoming release, “Drop Girl” (featuring 2 Chainz and Red Foo), Ice Cube discussed collaborating with The Bomb Squad on his 1990 solo debut, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. In an exclusive conversation with HipHopDX, Ice Cube says that being a West Coast emcee collaborating with an East Coast production team at that time was “a big step.”
“I didn’t think it was risky,” Ice Cube says. “I didn’t think it was taking a risk at all. I thought I was lucky at the fact that they wanted to work on my project. They were the hottest producers on the East Coast without a doubt. I felt like I couldn’t get [Dr. Dre] who was the hottest producer on the West Coast, so having them, I was lucky. I was a big fan of their music. I was a big fan of [Public Enemy]. I was a big fan of the music they produced. It all was kind of like a dream come true. It all came together.”
After beginning his career as part of the seminal, N.W.A, Ice Cube left group in the summer of 1989. Reportedly he’d hoped that Dr. Dre would still produce his solo debut. When Dr. Dre was not available to produce the album, Cube then attempted to enlist 3rd Bass producer, Sam Sever for AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. Server reportedly ditched the meeting, which afforded Cube the opportunity to collaborate with Public Enemy.
Ice Cube also discussed his approach to creating new music.
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“I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel at all,” Cube said to DX exclusively. “I’m just trying to be up to date with my topics, with my flow. Just kind of remembering what Hip Hop was initially here for—it was to talk about what was going on. So, West Coast hardcore gangster shit.”
Additional reporting by Jessica Rew & Marcos Velasquez
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