Ice Cube is one of the founding artists of gangsta rap, and much of his musical output has contained harsh socio-political commentary. He was ranked number 8 on MTV's list of the 10 Greatest MCs of All Time, while fellow rapper Snoop Dogg ranked Ice Cube as one of the greatest MC of all time. AllMusic has called him one of hip-hop's best and most controversial artists, as well as "one of rap's greatest storytellers". In 2012, The Source ranked him number 14 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. In 2014, About.com ranked him number 11 on their list of the "50 Greatest MCs of All Time"
He released his solo debut album, "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted," in 1990 to critical and commercial success, although upon its release he was accused of racism and misogyny. He has since released 1991's "Death Certificate", 1992's "The Predator", 1993's "Lethal Injection", 1998's "War & Peace Vol 1 (The War Disc)", 2000's "War & Peace Vol 2 (The Peace Disc)", 2006's "Laugh Now, Cry Later", 2008's "Raw Footage", and 2010's "I Am the West."
Ice Cube was raised in South Central by his parents, both of whom were employed at UCLA. He began writing raps while attending George Washington Preparatory High School in Westmont, California, most notably "Boyz 'N Tha Hood", which later became famous when done by N.W.A in 1986. Cube finished his schooling at William Howard Taft Charter High School in Woodland Hills, a predominately white neighborhood in San Fernando Valley, some 40 miles from the high-crime neighborhood where his family stayed.
Cube and a friend, Sir Jinx, rapped as a partnership called C.I.A. at parties hosted by Dr. Dre. After a brief stint in a group called "HBO", Cube showed Eazy-E "Boyz 'N Da Hood," and the pair, plus Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, The Arabian Prince and MC Ren, formed N.W.A.
Cube took one year off to earn a degree in architectural drafting in Phoenix in 1987 but returned in time to participate in N.W.A's debut album, Straight Outta Compton. The album attracted much notoriety for the group, from the FBI and concerned citizen and parent groups. Cube did the lead verse for the album's infamous track "Fuck tha Police."
Ice Cube left N.W.A due to financial and personality conflicts in 1989. With Da Lench Mob and the Bomb Squad (Public Enemy's producers), Cube recorded his debut album in New York City. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was released in 1990 and was an instantaneous hit as rap's popularity increased in mainstream society.
His 1991 follow-up, Death Certificate, was even more controversial. A few songs in the album featured Cube's hate of Uncle Sam and his politics, and a bonus track named "No Vaseline" was a diss to his former N.W.A bandmates. Also that year, he converted to the Nation of Islam. The album was re-released in 2003 with the bonus track "How to Survive in South Central," originally from the 1991 "Boyz N the Hood" soundtrack.
Controversy stirred about racist lyrics in his material: "Black Korea" (a song against Korean shopowners), referring to a former boss as "white Jew" in "No Vaseline", and songs such as "Enemy and Cave Bitch" (songs against "devils", a popular derogatory term at the time for white people). Partially to help deflect criticisms, Cube appointed a female rapper named Yo-Yo (who guested on AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted) to the head of his own record label and helped produce her debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode.
That was followed by Cube's acting breakout as the grown-up version of Darrin "Doughboy" Baker in the 1991 coming of age crime drama "Boyz in the Hood." Writer and director John Singleton, another LA native, penned the role specifically Cube. Ice Cube was later named "Most Promising Actor" at the 4th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards in 1992, beating out his co-star Cuba Gooding Jr. and newcomer Brad Pitt from "Thelma and Louise."
Cube toured on Lollapalooza in 1992 and widened his fan base. He released The Predator in November (1992) which debuted at #1 on both the pop and rnb charts, the first album in history to do so. For that album, Cube decided to load some G-funk style beats which at that time was the big thing and some remix tunes which brought a new style to Cube, in which previously he had released some hardcore and extreme work. Singles from The Predator included "Today was a Good Day" and "Check Yo Self (remix)" which all had a 2 part music video.
After The Predator, Cube's audience began to diminish. Lethal Injection (1993) was not very well-liked by critics, and Dr. Dre and the West Coast G-Funk sound was dominating hip-hop. It wasn't until later that the album became popular. Taking a break from his own albums, Cube assisted on debuts from Da Lench Mob (Guerillas in the Mist) and Kam (Neva Again). He later dueted with Dr. Dre on "Natural Born Killaz."
Around this time in 1993, Ice Cube also worked with soon-to-be-acclaimed rapper Tupac Shakur with his album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. and appeared on a track with 2pac.
In 1994 Ice Cube released Bootlegs & B-Sides.
During this time, hip-hop started making a transition from the West Coast Funk Hip-Hop to a more gritty East Coast hip-hop. With Mack 10 and WC, Cube formed the Westside Connection in 1996, releasing their debut album Bow Down later that year. This album was in due to Ice Cube's theory that the East Coast lacked respect for West Coast hip-hop. Songs like "Bow Down", and "Gangstas Make The World Go 'Round" make reference to this. Sales were brisk, but it did not establish a large audience. This album was later perceived as a classic, especially on the West Coast. Cube released several more solo albums; however, he is now known more for his movies than his music.
In 1998 Ice Cube released War & Peace Vol 1: The War Disc
In 2000 Ice Cube released War & Peace Vol 2: The Peace Disc
In 2003 Ice Cube along with W.C. & Mack 10 released Terrorist Threats as the West Side Connection.
In December 2004, after a long break from recording, he reached #2 in the UK singles chart with the club favourite, "You Can Do It" (featuring Mack 10 and Ms Toi), released as a single 5 years after it was first included on movie soundtracks such as
Ice Cube was influenced by and took his name from African American pimp-turned-author Iceberg Slim, who published his autobiography Pimp in 1969. At one point, Ice Cube was scheduled to play the lead role in a movie adaptation of Pimp, but the project appears to be halted.
Cube's oldest son, O'Shea Jackson Jr., made his feature film debut in the 2015 N.W.A biopic "Straight Outta Compton," portraying his father.
Cash Over Ass
Ice Cube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got this bitch-ass nigga right here
Ya know, fuckin' with this tramp-ass bitch
Puttin' her before the scrill' all the time, ya know what I'm sayin?
Man I got this nigga transcripts, and every-mother-fuckin' thing
Tellin' this bitch all my mother-fuckin' business
Puttin' ass over cash everyday
Nigga fuck that, this West side
Be gone you fuckin' peon, got the Don furious
Talkin' on the phone got the Federal curious
I'm serious! I don't give a fuck where he is
Snatch him out the factory, bring his ass back to me
How the fuck you think I got the name Bossalini? Punk
Mack God Rap Genie, you can't see me
Up in this game ever since you was a lame
Y'all train at my school, nigga I rule
You never make me holla, smokin' on a fifteen dollar
From across the water, watch your daughter
She might catch the Holy Ghost from this rap sermon
While you vermin smokin' Sherman, I'm rollin' somethin' German, bitch
Money earnin' makin' mo' money (ching ching)
Enemies look so funny, with they clothes bummy
Don't need no honey, that's right
Cause I'm thinkin with my big head, fuck what my dick said!
[Chorus]
We puttin' cash over ass, each and every day
Go on let the players play (the hustlers)
(We some money makin' motherfuckers, I know that you love us!)
We puttin' cash over ass, each and every day
Go on let the players play (the hustlers)
(We some money makin' motherfuckers, I know that you love us!)
Now who's that nigga got these bitches lookin' silly? Me!
I'm the Big Willie for rilly, the real dilly
You can ask Phillie cause I got a year's supply (Yup!)
You must want to die, don't get the lye
After dark up at Griffith Park, shallow grave
For the mark check his heart, the game about to start
Big things automatic pu-tang (automatic)
Keep your mind off them bitches, eyes on your riches
If it twitches give it stitches
If it jiggles or switches, fuck and take pictures, now
I'm livin' in a two-point zone, and I'm still bumpin'
Call me in the clutch, ain't lost my touch
Nigga what? on the microphone
If I drove it in the video, bitch, I can drive it home
Tight as a Corleone
You got to get your own, baby get on, now
[Chorus]
Get your ass up and go to work, cause you know
On payday, nigga that shit gon' hurt
Fuckin' with a skirt instead of handlin' your bizness
Rich dude, now you got to make three wishes
I'm suspicious, of any motherfucker puttin' fuck over finance
'Specially fuckin up my plans
I'm the boss, I can be late
But you'll never see her and me, over currency
Givin you the third degree, cause you got
Too many broke bitches and you like bankin' for a penny
Stop fuckin' on them dumb-dums
Find one with some ass and some income
Who want to win? Who want to spin?
Who want to make, twenty-five eight? Me
Ice Cube the great, pushin' rhymes like weight
[Chorus: x2]
Never put that hoe, in front of that dough nigga
For what? (Never, fuck a bitch nigga)
For what? She ain't gon' love you if you ain't got no dough fool
(Bitch fuckin' with me got to be workin', gettin' paid ya know what I'm sayin'?)
Gotta come up, scrilla scrilla y'all (Never ass over cash nigga)
Scrilla scrilla why'all (We greedy)
Cha-ching! (She can get some CD's, push some keys)
Cha-ching! (Ha ha ha, make the bitches shake they tit-ties)
Cha-ching, cha-ching! (Over my knee)
Cha-ching, cha-ching! (Never ass over cash)
Never ass over cash
In "Cash Over Ass," Ice Cube raps about the importance of putting money before women, criticizing men who put relationships ahead of financial success. He expresses his frustration with a man who puts a woman before making money, which in his view, is only delaying success. Cube alludes to the idea that this man is not only wasting his time on a woman, but endangering the money he has by letting the woman have access to his transactions. Ice Cube further implies that he is a successful businessman and should not be fucked with, as he can have anyone brought to him, including this man who he refers to as a "peon." He also references violent acts he has committed in connection to his business dealings. The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of money over relationships as the hook repeats the phrase "we puttin' cash over ass, each and every day." You can interpret the song to be Cube's explanation of his dedication to the hustle.
The lyrics of the song exemplify the gangster rap style with very rough and explicit lyrics that insist on a man's loyalty to his business dealings. Cube also makes several references to other gangster rappers like Tupac and Notorious B.I.G who also put emphasis on the importance of making money.
Line by Line Meaning
Whats up Cube dog?
Starting conversation with Cube dog
I got this bitch-ass nigga right here
I have this worthless man here
Ya know, fuckin' with this tramp-ass bitch
You know, messing with this promiscuous woman
Puttin' her before the scrill' all the time, ya know what I'm sayin?
Prioritizing her over money all the time, do you understand?
Man I got this nigga transcripts, and every-mother-fuckin' thing
I have this man's records and everything about him
Tellin' this bitch all my mother-fuckin' business
Sharing all my personal information with this woman
Puttin' ass over cash everyday
Choosing sex over money every day
Nigga fuck that, this West side
To hell with that, this is the West side
Be gone you fuckin' peon, got the Don furious
Disappear, you insignificant person, the boss is angry
Talkin' on the phone got the Federal curious
Speaking on the phone attracts the attention of the Federal officials
I'm serious! I don't give a fuck where he is
I'm serious! I don't care where he is
Snatch him out the factory, bring his ass back to me
Take him from the factory and bring him to me
How the fuck you think I got the name Bossalini? Punk
Do you think I got the name Bossalini by being weak? Fool
Mack God Rap Genie, you can't see me
Mack God Rap Genie, you can't beat me
Up in this game ever since you was a lame
I've been in this game since before you were even good
Y'all train at my school, nigga I rule
You train under me, I am the boss
You never make me holla, smokin' on a fifteen dollar
You never impress me, I'm smoking a cheap cigar
From across the water, watch your daughter
From the other side of the ocean, watch your daughter
She might catch the Holy Ghost from this rap sermon
She might get excited from this rap message
While you vermin smokin' Sherman, I'm rollin' somethin' German, bitch
While you smoke low-quality drugs, I'm smoking something high-quality
Money earnin' makin' mo' money (ching ching)
Making money and generating more money
Enemies look so funny, with they clothes bummy
Enemies look ridiculous, wearing their ragged clothes
Don't need no honey, that's right
Don't need any women, that's right
Cause I'm thinkin with my big head, fuck what my dick said!
Because I'm thinking logically, ignoring my impulses!
We puttin' cash over ass, each and every day
We choose money over sex, every day
Go on let the players play (the hustlers)
Let the hustlers continue doing their thing
(We some money makin' motherfuckers, I know that you love us!)
We are people who make money, and I know you love us!
Now who's that nigga got these bitches lookin' silly? Me!
Who is making these women look foolish? Me!
I'm the Big Willie for rilly, the real dilly
I'm the big shot, the real deal
You can ask Phillie cause I got a year's supply (Yup!)
You can ask Phillie, I have a supply for a year
You must want to die, don't get the lye
You must want to die, don't get deceived
After dark up at Griffith Park, shallow grave
After dark at Griffith Park, a shallow grave
For the mark check his heart, the game about to start
Check his heart, the game is starting
Big things automatic pu-tang (automatic)
Big things happen automatically
Keep your mind off them bitches, eyes on your riches
Don't focus on women, focus on money
If it twitches give it stitches
If it moves, hurt it
If it jiggles or switches, fuck and take pictures, now
If it jiggles or switches, have sex with it and take pictures
I'm livin' in a two-point zone, and I'm still bumpin'
I have nothing to worry about, and I'm still listening to music
Call me in the clutch, ain't lost my touch
Call me when you need help, because I'm still good at it
Nigga what? on the microphone
What's up? On the microphone
If I drove it in the video, bitch, I can drive it home
If I drove it in the music video, I can drive it in real life too
Tight as a Corleone
Tight like the Corleone family from The Godfather
You got to get your own, baby get on, now
You have to get your own, do it now
Get your ass up and go to work, cause you know
Get up and go to work, because you know
On payday, nigga that shit gon' hurt
On payday, that payment is going to hurt
Fuckin' with a skirt instead of handlin' your bizness
Messing around with a woman instead of taking care of your business
Rich dude, now you got to make three wishes
Being rich, now you have to make three wishes
I'm suspicious, of any motherfucker puttin' fuck over finance
I'm suspicious of anyone who prioritizes sex over money
'Specially fuckin up my plans
Especially when it ruins my plans
I'm the boss, I can be late
I'm the boss, I can be late
But you'll never see her and me, over currency
But you'll never see her with me for the sake of money
Givin you the third degree, cause you got
Asking many questions, because you have
Too many broke bitches and you like bankin' for a penny
Too many poor women, and you still want to save money
Stop fuckin' on them dumb-dums
Stop having sex with unintelligent women
Find one with some ass and some income
Find one with a good butt and some money
Who want to win? Who want to spin?
Who wants to be successful? Who wants to spend?
Who want to make, twenty-five eight? Me
Who wants to make money 24/7? I do
Ice Cube the great, pushin' rhymes like weight
Ice Cube the great, pushing rap lyrics like drugs
Never put that hoe, in front of that dough nigga
Never prioritize sex over money, man
For what? (Never, fuck a bitch nigga)
Why? (Never, have sex with a woman, man)
For what? She ain't gon' love you if you ain't got no dough fool
Why? She won't love you if you don't have money, idiot
(Bitch fuckin' with me got to be workin', gettin' paid ya know what I'm sayin'?)
(Women with me have to be working, getting paid, you know what I mean?)
Gotta come up, scrilla scrilla y'all (Never ass over cash nigga)
Gotta make money, never prioritize sex over money, man
Scrilla scrilla why'all (We greedy)
Making money, we are greedy
Cha-ching! (She can get some CD's, push some keys)
Money, (she can make CD's or sell drugs)
Cha-ching! (Ha ha ha, make the bitches shake they tit-ties)
Money, (laughing, making women shake their breasts)
Cha-ching, cha-ching! (Over my knee)
Money, (over my knee)
Cha-ching, cha-ching! (Never ass over cash)
Money, never prioritize sex over money
Never ass over cash
Never prioritize sex over money
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: O'SHEA JACKSON, RYAN GARNER, LIONEL, JR. "SHORT KHOP" HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Reto Sonderegger
one of the best album ever
Colucci 070
@MP PHAROAH for REAL!
MP PHAROAH
People look at me crazy when I say this Cubes most consistent and best album. That’s just my opinion tho 🔥🔥🔥
harold acrie
one of his most underated songs
De Anthony Thomas
@djoxxxa88 😂😂😂💯
Moeeshang Pate
#FACTZ
djoxxxa88
If I ever hear this song live, probably would die at the end
We Boogie
harold acrie right..i think i was timing..song is super even now...the whole concept..
Gregory Hogan
this song changed my way of thinking, Thanks Cube
Joel G.
Real Talk Doggy Dogg! This song changed my life!