Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Who Is Ice Cube?
O’Shea Jackson, popularly known as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, and filmmaker. He is credited for his efforts in writing the lyrics for the N.W.A’s 1988 album, Straight Outta Compton, which popularized the gangsta rap music genre.
After falling out with the group, Ice Cube went solo and has since released 28 albums, which comprise 10 studio albums, 12 soundtrack albums, and 6 compilation albums.
Quick Facts
| Full Name: | O’Shea Jackson |
| Popular Name: | Ice Cube |
| Gender: | Male |
| Birth Date: | June 15, 1969 |
| Age: | 53 years |
| Parents: | Hosea Jackson and Doris Jackson |
| Siblings: | Clyde Jackson |
| Birth Place: | Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | African-American |
| Education: | George Washington Preparatory High School, William Howard Taft High School, and Phoenix Institute of Technology |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Wife/Spouse: | Kimberly Woodruff |
| Children: | O’Shea Jackson Jr., Shareef Jackson, Darrell Jackson, and Karima Jackson |
| Dating: | N/A |
| Net Worth: | USD 160 million |
| Source of Wealth: | Rapping and Record Producing, Acting and Voice Acting, Screenwriting, Film Directing and Production, Television Production, and Other Ventures |
| Height: | 5′ 8″ (1.73 m) |
| Weight: | 90 kg; In pounds: 198 lbs. |
Early Life and Career Information
Ice Cube was born on June 15, 1969, in Los Angeles, California, to Hosea Jackson and Doris Jackson. His father was a machinist and UCLA groundskeeper, whereas his mother was a hospital clerk and custodian.
Ice Cube kicked off his career in the entertainment industry by forming the rap group, C.I.A, along with his friend, Sir Jinx. He then joined N.W.A, where he gained wider prominence for his rapping and music composing skills. However, he fell out with the group and decided to go solo.
To date, the rapper has a total of 28 albums to his name, including the following 10 studio albums:
• AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990)
• Death Certificate (1991)
• The Predator (1992)
• Lethal Injection (1993)
• War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc) (1998)
• War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc) (2000)
• Laugh Now, Cry Later (2006)
• Raw Footage (2008)
• I Am the West (2010)
• Everythang’s Corrupt (2018)
Ice Cube’s popularity in the entertainment industry shot even higher when he decided to venture into the film industry. The rapper has featured in, as well as contributed to the making of several acclaimed movies, including:
• Boyz n the Hood (1991),
• Trespass (1992),
• The Glass Shield (1994),
• Friday (1995),
• Anaconda (1997),
• Three Kings (1998),
• Next Friday (2000),
• Friday After Next (2002),
• Are We There Yet? (2004),
• First Sunday (2008),
• Ride Along (2012),
• Ride Along 2 (2015), and
• Fist Fight (2017)
Ice Cube’s Net Worth
As of 2023, Ice Cube’s net worth was an estimated $160 million. Ice Cube has earned a significant portion of his wealth from his long career in the music and film industries. The rapper and filmmaker also makes some decent cash out of lucrative endorsement deals and other profitable business ventures.
Ice Cube’s first notable paycheck was with the N.W.A. He is credited for writing Dr. Dre and Eazy E’s rhymes, as well as half of the lyrics for N.W.A’s breakthrough album, Straight Outta Compton. The rapper earned $32,000 from his efforts. While these earnings may appear insignificant, they could translate to huge amounts today if adjusted for inflation.
However, after a few years with N.W.A, Ice Cube began to feel that his earnings weren’t commiserate with his contributions to the group. The ensuing misunderstandings saw him leave N.W.A and go solo. Ice Cube did rapping for a few years before making his film debut in 1991.
The following are Ice Cube’s estimated music earnings over the years:
• 1990 – Earned an estimated $1 million from his album, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. The album has since been certified platinum by the RIAA.
The same year, Ice Cube is believed to have earned an estimated $1 million from the album Kill at Will. The album has also been certified platinum by the RIAA.
• 1991 –Ice Cube partnered with various artists to release the soundtrack album, Boyz n the Hood, where he earned roughly $500,000. The album went on to be certified gold.
1991 also raw the rapper release yet another album, Death Certificate, where he is believed to have taken home an estimated $1 million.
• 1992 – Ice Cube’s most notable project in 1992 is the album, The Predator.
The Predator remains one of Ice Cube’s best-selling albums of the ‘90s, as the rapper made a cool $2.3 million out of it. It has since been certified platinum a record three times by the RIAA and once by BPI.
• 1993 – Earned an estimated $1 million from his album, Lethal Injection. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
• 1994 – Ice Cube’s earnings from his compilation album, Bootlegs & B-Sides, were a staggering $500,000. But the gold-certified album wasn’t Ice Cube’s highest-earning gig in 1994.
The same year, the rapper also took home a whopping $2.05 million from the soundtrack album, Murder Was the Case.
• 1995 – Earned an estimated $2 million from the soundtrack album, Friday. The album has since achieved platinum status twice.
• 1998 – Earned an estimated $1.05 million from his album, War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc). The album has been certified platinum and gold by RIAA and Music Canada, respectively
The same year saw Ice Cube earning $1 million each from the soundtrack albums, The Players Club and I Got Hook-Up. Both albums were a collaboration with various artists and have since been certified platinum by RIAA.
• 1999 – Earned $500,000 from the gold-certified compilation album, Next Friday.
Other high-grossing albums by Ice Cube include, War & Peace Vol. 2 (The War Disc) and War & Peace Vol. 2 (The War Disc).
In addition to rapping and acting, Ice Cube has also written, directed, and produced scores of commercially successful films. He is also associated with the clothing line Solo by Cube, which deals in hooded sweatshirts with built-in headphones.
Ice Cube’s fame has also seen him enter into profitable brand partnership deals with several valuable brands throughout the course of his rapping and acting career. Most notably, he is the spokesperson for Coors Light beer, a position he has held since 2011.
As you might expect, investments in real estate have also contributed immensely to Ice Cube’s net worth. He is associated with a home in Marina Del Rey. He purchased the property in May 2016 from Jean-Claude Van Damme, at a cost of $7.25 million. Ice Cube and his wife owns another prestigious mansion in Encino, California. The couple acquired the 7-bedrooms mansion in 1996 for $2.36 million.
Life Lessons from Ice Cube
1. Leave your mark
Ice Cube is one of the earliest artists that gave birth to gangsta rap. Only a handful of musicians are credited for inventing a music genre.
2. Know your worth
When he felt that his efforts weren’t been appreciated at N.W.A, Ice Cube didn’t hesitate to leave the group. As it turns out, that’s a decision he has never regretted.
3. Have a finger in every pie
It isn’t such a bad idea to get involved in numerous profitable ventures as long as you stay on top of your game. Not only has Ice Cube earned a name for himself as a rapper, but also as an actor and filmmaker.
Famous Quotes by Ice Cube
“I really appreciate family. I really can’t imagine life without them!”
“I think the worst thing you can do about a situation is nothing.”
“Sports without music is just a game. Music makes it entertaining.”
“The silver and black may have another home, but the Raiders will always belong to the people of Los Angeles.”
“Truth is the ultimate power. When the truth comes around, all the lies have to run and hide.”
Final Word
Ice Cube is one of the few celebrities to have commanded the entertainment scene for more than three decades. Though he is 53 now, the rapper-cum-actor hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
