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.
Nothing Like L.A
Ice Cube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can show you the paws my balls
The Taj Mahals to the strip in M.I.A.
I can show the waterfalls in Spain and Prague
To the beach in St. Tropes
I can show you the world girl the world girl
But ain't nothing else like L.A.
I can show you the world girl the world girl
Nothing like L.A.
When they come to L.A. they got the wrong impression
When they come to L.A. they gotta learn they lesson
When they come to west coast it's such an obsession
When they come to play it out I'm just an exception
When it comes to girl I need your affection
Every time you walk by you get my inspection
All you gotta do now is make your selection
And it won't be hard to win this election
[Chorus]
I done been around the world I ain't impress
I can't wait till we hit L.A.X
Yea Tokyo is cool and yea I feel the UK
But can't nothing can fuck with California
Especially L.A. and I'm feeling the bay
But ain't nothing like rolling down P.C.H.
Top down west bound it's all good
You don't go Hollywood when you're from Hollywood
Let's go to the hood and fuck with the haters
Then head to the Staples Center and hang with the Lakers
Number six is cool but number twenty four is the champ
And even D Wade and Chris Bosh know that
[Chorus]
The B.E.T. awards and even the Grammy's
They always pick L.A. over Miami
I love Miami I ain't dissing Miami
But where would you rather get robbed for your Grammy?
Ain't nothing like Sunset Boulevard
Compton and Watts if you wanna be hard
We got it all what you thought not at all
If you sick of this shit than take a Tylenol
It's just me and my woman verses all of y'all
And we taking a bow for our curtain call
The angels are lost they don't wanna be found
If God is looking for 'em I can show him around
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Ice Cube's "Nothing Like L.A." paint a picture of the artist's love for his hometown and how it cannot be replaced by any other city in the world. In the chorus, the rapper boasts of his ability to show his girl several iconic destinations worldwide, such as the Taj Mahal in India, the strip in Miami, waterfalls in Spain and Prague or the beach in St. Tropes, but asserts that there is nothing like L.A. The artist has traveled the world and acknowledges that while cities like Tokyo, the UK, and Miami are "cool," nothing compares to the Golden State, and he's anticipating being able to land in L.A. International Airport. Ice Cube seems especially proud of the fact that he does not have to play into the stereotypical Hollywood scene when he's home - he can go hang out with the common people of Compton and Watts if he wants to be hard.
The verses highlight how outsiders view L.A. - some of them come in with the wrong impression of what it is all about. When people come in to party and play, Ice Cube is simply an exception, focused on finding a girl that he loves and building a relationship with her. The rapper says that girls in L.A. are pretty and has to inspect them every time one walks by. When it comes to Hollywood, Ice Cube states that he and his woman are different from everyone else and should be celebrated, taking a bow for their performance.
Line by Line Meaning
I can show you the paws my balls
I can be honest and vulnerable with you, showing you all sides of myself.
The Taj Mahals to the strip in M.I.A.
I can show you fancy and exotic places around the world.
I can show the waterfalls in Spain and Prague
I can show you beautiful and scenic places around Europe.
To the beach in St. Tropes
I can take you to luxurious and glamorous beaches in France.
I can show you the world girl the world girl
I can offer you experiences that are unparalleled and unique.
But ain't nothing else like L.A.
Despite all the places I can show you, there is no place like Los Angeles.
When they come to L.A. they got the wrong impression
When people first come to Los Angeles, they often have misconceptions about it.
When they come to L.A. they gotta learn they lesson
People need to learn the reality of what Los Angeles is really like.
When they come to west coast it's such an obsession
Many people are obsessed with the west coast, especially Los Angeles.
When they come to play it out I'm just an exception
In the entertainment industry, I am a unique and exceptional talent.
When it comes to girl I need your affection
When it comes to relationships, I value and need your love and closeness.
Every time you walk by you get my inspection
I pay close attention to you and am always watching you with admiration.
All you gotta do now is make your selection
You only need to choose me and I will be yours.
And it won't be hard to win this election
You just need to choose me and it will be an easy decision.
I done been around the world I ain't impress
I have traveled and seen many things, but they do not impress me as much as Los Angeles.
Yea Tokyo is cool and yea I feel the UK
I acknowledge that Tokyo and the UK are cool places to be.
But can't nothing can fuck with California
Nothing can compare to California, especially Los Angeles.
Especially L.A. and I'm feeling the bay
I especially love Los Angeles but also have a fondness for the San Francisco Bay Area.
But ain't nothing like rolling down P.C.H.
Driving down Pacific Coast Highway is an unparalleled experience.
Top down west bound it's all good
Driving with the top down and heading west is always a great time.
You don't go Hollywood when you're from Hollywood
Despite living in Hollywood, you can still keep it real and grounded.
Let's go to the hood and fuck with the haters
Let's go to less affluent areas and prove the naysayers wrong.
Then head to the Staples Center and hang with the Lakers
After visiting the hood, let's go to the famous Staples Center and hang with the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team.
Number six is cool but number twenty four is the champ
Kobe Bryant, who wore jersey number 24 for the Lakers, is a true champion and legend.
And even D Wade and Chris Bosh know that
Even other basketball players like Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh recognize Kobe's greatness.
The B.E.T. awards and even the Grammy's
Two famous awards shows, the BET Awards and the Grammy Awards.
They always pick L.A. over Miami
These awards shows tend to favor Los Angeles over Miami.
I love Miami I ain't dissing Miami
I have no ill will towards Miami and actually enjoy it there.
But where would you rather get robbed for your Grammy?
Los Angeles is a safer place to be because it is less likely that you will be robbed of your award there.
Ain't nothing like Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a unique and iconic street in Los Angeles.
Compton and Watts if you wanna be hard
If you want to prove yourself as tough, visit Compton and Watts, two rough neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
We got it all what you thought not at all
Los Angeles has everything you could ever want, even things you didn't think were possible.
If you sick of this shit than take a Tylenol
If you are tired of Los Angeles and its lifestyle, try to relieve your discomfort with Tylenol.
It's just me and my woman verses all of y'all
It's just me and my partner against the world, against anyone who does not support us.
And we taking a bow for our curtain call
We are taking a bow to celebrate our success, as if it is the end of a performance.
The angels are lost they don't wanna be found
The lost souls and dreamers in Los Angeles are not looking to be found or saved.
If God is looking for 'em I can show him around
If God is looking for these lost souls, I can give Him a tour of where to find them in Los Angeles.
Nothing like L.A.
There is truly nothing like Los Angeles.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALEXANDER IZQUIERDO, O'SHEA JACKSON, DAVID DELAZYN, CHAZ MISHAN, STEFAN JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Samson Okoro
'The angels are lost they don't wanna be found, if God is looking for them i can show him around' this has got to be one of the hardest creative lines ever created to prop a place in hip hop history.
ol' school Tony Carter
I rather be judged by 12 the be carried by 6 is Cube best coined line tho.
Amit Beri
THIS LINE IS THE PERFECT TRIBUTE TO KOBE AND GIGI..RIP ANGELSπππ
Juan Anselmo Eyi Eyi
Cube don't often come up with something like this... this is it.. this is it.. this is it cube. hands down
Freethinker
Number 6 is cool, but 24 is the champ... Rip Kobe Bryant
Let's finish it
π
Amit Beri
NO24 IS AND WILL BE THE GREATEST LEGEND ππ
Tyson
WS 95 who is the 3rd person?
Ehren Sohn
That's why I'm listening to that song
Eazy -E
Whoβs number 6?