O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, … Read Full Bio ↴O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the seminal rap group N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitudes). After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he began both a successful solo music career and an acting career which included roles in films such as Boyz n the Hood (1991), Friday (1995), for which he also co-wrote the screenplay, and Barbershop (2002). Additionally, he has served as one of the producers of the Showtime television series Barbershop and the TBS series Are We There Yet?, both of which are based upon films in which he portrayed the main character.

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.

Here He Come
Ice Cube Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Verse 1: Ice Cube]
I am the one, that you heard about, read about
I am the one, that had to take the ghetto route
I am the one, don't make me pull this ghetto out
I'm comin' straight from the cave who let him out
Crazy nigga thought he was gone, but he ain't gone
Even King Kong took his black monkey ass home
When I hit the block, watch them scatter like roaches

So don't be fake, 'cause I know what a hoe is
Handle my business, no playin' 'cause I'm focused
You the definition of what a fuckin' joke is
When they see you comin', they play with your emotions
Fuck with my emotions and they find you in the oceans
Yeah I said oceans, yeah I mean plural
My boy got a knife to turn a boy into a girl
We'll fuck up your world, no boos to my drama
We'll include yo mama, if you f**k with my commas
I ain't tryin' to scary you
I ain't tryin' to hear you
I ain't tryin' to control that nigga in the mirror
I'll I'm tryin' to is bark before I fight
Before I take you down, might as well be polite

[Chorus]

[Verse 2: Ice Cube]
Now when I roll through the hood, lil' kids watch my every move
Tryin' to be a good example, don't make me bury you
If you sit on my swagger, bitch take some carellflu
Don't underestimate the damage caused by a '22
Pop yo' ass right behind the ear within' hear
Nothin' like a firecracker, hits you like a linebacker
Don't forget the grind factor, I am a grinder
And here's a reminder, ain't no tellin' where they find ya
Now what this got to do with the price of tea in China?
Nothin' motherfucker just don't act like a vagina
You won't catch the rath of this hardcore rhymer
Now you got 55 niggas right behind ya
Now you wanna talk it out, but we don't negotiate
Now you gotta do all kind of shit that we know you hate
Straight from the west and we got to be respected
Here it's going down, here 'em runnin' for the exit

[Chorus]

[Verse 3: Doughboy]
See this boy in this bitch gonna ape shit
Glitch Mob niggas takin' off like a spaceship
Pace those to Euros, eatin' those green and great chips
Get 'em by the bag, you can say we Feedo Lay chips
I'm so hungry that I can eat these niggas faces
Beat the plastic surgeons givin' Hollywood a face lift
Off the grape shit, and I'm feelin' like I'm faceless
The Mob you ain't in, nigga don't say shit
You ain't nothin' to play with, nigga I beat the basics
Cock and spray shit, quick to leave a nigga faceless
Playin' Superman, we get a brave nigga sprayed quick
Niggas can't fade this, music for the ages
Because we get it in like Young Crush
She be payin' big fishin'
In the water bitch you in the deep end
Boy I pull you deep in, underneath the deep end
Nigga have you sinkin', when I hear you creepin', hear you sayin'

[Chorus]

Hear 'em say, oh my God, here he come, here he come
Hear 'em say, oh my God, here he come, here he come

Hear 'em say, oh my God, here he come, here he come
Hear 'em say, oh my God, here he come, here he come

Overall Meaning

In "Here He Come," Ice Cube is loudly proclaiming his dominance in the rap game and boasting about his power as a gangster. His verses are aggressive and threatening, with lyrics about violence, murder, and intimidation. He raps about being the one that people have read and heard about, about taking the ghetto route, and about pulling his "ghetto" out. He also mentions his ability to make people scatter like roaches and his knowledge of what a "hoe" is. Cube seems to have no qualms about using violence to achieve his goals, as he talks about his friend who has a knife to turn a boy into a girl and about fucking up someone's world.

In the second verse, Cube adds to his bragging, talking about the attention he receives from kids as a role model and issuing a warning to those who mess with his "swagger." He talks about his ability to cause damage with a "22" and how he pops people behind the ear like a firecracker. He also mentions his grinding work ethic and asserts that there's no telling when someone might be found.

In the final verse, Doughboy takes over, rapping about going "ape shit" and eating faces. He talks about leaving a person faceless and how there's nothing to play with when it comes to his crew. He also adds in references to Superman and the deep end, before the chorus repeats with the phrase "Here He Comes" being shouted repeatedly.

Overall, "Here He Come" is a loud and aggressive song that showcases the gangster mentality of Ice Cube and his associates. It reveals the willingness to use violence to achieve one's goals and the respect that comes with being feared and revered in a certain community.

Line by Line Meaning

I am the one, that you heard about, read about
I am the person whom you have heard of and read about

I am the one, that had to take the ghetto route
I am the person who had to take the route through the ghetto

I am the one, don't make me pull this ghetto out
Don't make me show my aggression through violence

I'm comin' straight from the cave who let him out
I am coming straight from the place of darkness released into society

Crazy nigga thought he was gone, but he ain't gone
People think that I'm gone but I'm not

Even King Kong took his black monkey ass home
Even a fictional character like King Kong would refuse to associate with me due to my scary nature

When I hit the block, watch them scatter like roaches
I am so feared that people run away in my presence like cockroaches scattering

So don't be fake, 'cause I know what a hoe is
Don't pretend to be something you are not because I can tell what kind of person you are

Handle my business, no playin' 'cause I'm focused
I take care of my work without distractions

You the definition of what a fuckin' joke is
You are a complete joke

When they see you comin', they play with your emotions
People manipulate and torment you emotionally when they see you

Fuck with my emotions, and they find you in the oceans
If anyone tries to mess with my emotions, they will suffer the consequences in the form of physical harm

Yeah I said oceans, yeah I mean plural
Yes, I said oceans and I mean more than one, indicating how severe the punishment will be

My boy got a knife to turn a boy into a girl
My associate has a weapon to harm anyone who crosses me

We'll fuck up your world, no boos to my drama
We will disrupt and destroy your life without any remorse

We'll include yo mama, if you f**k with my commas
We will harm your mother if you interfere with my finances

I ain't tryin' to scary you
I am not trying to intimidate you

I ain't tryin' to hear you
I am not interested in what you say or think

I ain't tryin' to control that nigga in the mirror
I am not trying to control the person I see in the mirror

I'll I'm tryin' to is bark before I fight
I am just trying to warn people before I start a fight

Before I take you down, might as well be polite
I suggest being respectful before I engage in violence

Now when I roll through the hood, lil' kids watch my every move
When I travel through the neighborhood, children observe my activities

Tryin' to be a good example, don't make me bury you
I aim to set a positive example, but if you disrespect me, I will harm you

If you sit on my swagger, bitch take some carellflu
If you try to take credit for my style or attitude, be prepared to face the consequences

Don't underestimate the damage caused by a '22
Don't underestimate the power of a .22 caliber firearm

Pop yo' ass right behind the ear within' hear
I will shoot you in the head without hesitation

Nothin' like a firecracker, hits you like a linebacker
The impact will be sudden and forceful, like that of a firecracker or a football linebacker

Don't forget the grind factor, I am a grinder
Don't forget that I am willing to work hard and persist to achieve my goals

And here's a reminder, ain't no tellin' where they find ya
I am reminding you that I can be unpredictable and will find you if necessary

Now what this got to do with the price of tea in China?
This has nothing to do with the topic at hand

Nothin' motherfucker just don't act like a vagina
Nothing important, but stop acting like a coward

You won't catch the rath of this hardcore rhymer
You will face the anger of a skilled rapper

Now you got 55 niggas right behind ya
You have 55 people behind you, but they won't be able to save you

Now you wanna talk it out, but we don't negotiate
Now you want to talk, but we won't do negotiations

Now you gotta do all kind of shit that we know you hate
Now you have to do things you don't want to do because you disrespected us

Straight from the west and we got to be respected
We are from the west and demand respect

Here it's going down, here 'em runnin' for the exit
Things are about to get intense, and people are running away

See this boy in this bitch gonna ape shit
This guy is about to go crazy

Glitch Mob niggas takin' off like a spaceship
My associates are leaving rapidly like a spaceship

Pace those to Euros, eatin' those green and great chips
Exchange euros for chips and eat green and grape flavored chips

Get 'em by the bag, you can say we Feedo Lay chips
Buy them by the bag and they are like Feedo Lay chips

I'm so hungry that I can eat these niggas faces
I am so hungry that I feel like consuming someone's face

Beat the plastic surgeons givin' Hollywood a face lift
I am so violent that I could physically harm plastic surgeons who are giving celebrities facelifts

Off the grape shit, and I'm feelin' like I'm faceless
I am high on drugs and I feel like I have no identity

The Mob you ain't in, nigga don't say shit
If you are not part of our group, don't say anything

You ain't nothin' to play with, nigga I beat the basics
Don't underestimate me, I have mastered the basics of violence

Cock and spray shit, quick to leave a nigga faceless
I shoot people with my gun quickly and they end up unrecognizable

Playin' Superman, we get a brave nigga sprayed quick
If someone tries to play the hero, we will shoot them down instantly

Niggas can't fade this, music for the ages
People cannot handle our level of intensity and our music will be enjoyed for generations

Because we get it in like Young Crush
We do things with great passion, like Young Crush (an R&B singer)

She be payin' big fishin'
She spends large amounts of money

In the water bitch you in the deep end
You are in big trouble

Boy I pull you deep in, underneath the deep end
I will pull you further into trouble

Nigga have you sinkin', when I hear you creepin', hear you sayin'
I will make you fall further and when I hear you secretly moving, I will hear your scared words

Hear 'em say, oh my God, here he come, here he come
People are saying, oh my God here he comes