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.
Steady Mobbin'
Ice Cube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Better known as a deuce and we all wanna smother shit
Bent, front and back glass got tint
Tryin' to get our hands on some dollars and cents
And fools can't hold us
Every chance we get, we hittin' up the rollers
Comin' up short of the green guys
And I might start slangin' bean pies
With "U Can't Touch This" on the front
I'm 'bout to get rich
Cause life ain't nuttin but money and fuck a bitch
They drop like dominoes
And if you didn't know, Ice Cube got drama hoes
So after the screwin'
I bust a nut and get up and put on my white Ewings
I'm out the door
All you might get is a rubber on the floor
Cause I'm ready to hit the road like Mario Andretti
Bitch, cause I'm steady mobbin'
Have you ever seen such a sight in your life? (Steady mobbin')
Bustin' caps in the mix
Rather be judged by twelve than carried by six
Cause I'm gettin' major
Fuck Pac Tel, move to Sky Pager
Told all my friends:
Don't drink 8 Ball, cause St. Ide's is givin ends
Fools get drunk and wanna compete
Slapboxin in the street
Niggas get mad, tempers are flarin'
Cause they got a few bitches starin'
Just for the nappy heads
But scandalous bitches, make for happy Feds
I make it my duty to cuss 'em
Out, cause I just don't trust em
And if you tell on me I'm bombin' on Betty
Bitch shoulda known I was steady mobbin'
Have you ever seen such a sight in your life? (Steady mobbin')
Since one-time so hot
Got me a stash spot in my hooptie for the Glock
Cause I'm rollin' on rims
Eating soul food, neckbones from M&M's
Grumbbin' like a motherfucker
Greasy-ass lips, now I gots to take a shit
Saw Sir Jinx bailin'
When I hit a left on Ruthelen, "Whattup loc?"
Don't you know that niggas get smoked
That take they life for a joke, get in nigga
I take you to the pad soon
Went to mom's house and dropped a load in the bathroom
Jumped back in my low rider
Comin' out feelin' about ten pounds lighter
Went to Bone's house so I can get the gat
Looking for the place where all the hoes kick it at
Lench Mob ain't nuttin but tramps
But hoes lickin' nuts like stamps
One fool brought the music for the yams
But Ice Cube had more amps, get in bitch
Cause I had the jam on
And I don't want to hear shit about a tampon
Give me the nappy and make me happy
The ho said 'Pappy could you slap me
On the ass hard and fast
And could please try not to leave a gash?'
I said yeah, but I don't play sex
Without puttin' on the latex
Slipped on the condom
Fucked around and dropped the bomb son
And it came out sort of like confetti
In for the night, no longer steady mobbin'
The lyrics to Ice Cube's song Steady Mobbin' describe the life of a gangster in the streets who is surviving in any way possible. The song talks about being in a car with his crew, with the goal of getting money, but always coming up short. Ice Cube talks about the illegal ways he might have to get money, like selling bootleg t-shirts or even bean pies. The song is a commentary on the harsh realities of life in the streets, describing violence, drugs, and sex as commonplace occurrences. In the second verse, Ice Cube talks about avoiding the police, getting a stash spot for his gun, and avoiding being carried by six (referring to a coffin) by being judged by twelve (referring to a jury).
Line by Line Meaning
Four or five niggas in a mothership
Four or five guys are traveling in a car, which they call their spaceship.
Better known as a deuce and we all wanna smother shit
This car is a Buick Electra 225, but they call it a deuce, and they all want to rob and kill people.
Bent, front and back glass got tint
The car's front and rear windows are darkened.
Tryin' to get our hands on some dollars and cents
They are trying to earn some money.
And fools can't hold us
The police can't catch them.
Every chance we get, we hittin' up the rollers
They rob people whenever they have a chance.
Comin' up short of the green guys
They are not making enough money.
And I might start slangin' bean pies
He might start selling bean pies, which is a reference to the Nation of Islam.
Or the bootleg t-shirt of the month
He might start selling bootleg t-shirts that have the current popular slogan on them.
With "U Can't Touch This" on the front
This is an example of the type of design he might use on his t-shirts.
I'm 'bout to get rich
He is hopeful that his illegal activities will lead to him becoming wealthy.
Cause life ain't nuttin but money and fuck a bitch
He believes life is all about money, and he doesn't value relationships with women.
They drop like dominoes
Women are attracted to him, and they have sex with him one after another.
And if you didn't know, Ice Cube got drama hoes
Ice Cube attracts women who have a lot of drama in their lives.
So after the screwin'
After having sex with a woman.
I bust a nut and get up and put on my white Ewings
After having sex, he puts on his white Ewing shoes.
I'm out the door
He leaves the woman's house.
All you might get is a rubber on the floor
The only thing the woman might have left from him is a used condom on the floor.
Cause I'm ready to hit the road like Mario Andretti
He is ready to leave and drive fast, using Mario Andretti as a comparison.
Bitch, cause I'm steady mobbin'
He is a gangster and is always ready for illegal activity.
Bustin' caps in the mix
He is shooting at people.
Rather be judged by twelve than carried by six
He would rather be arrested and face a trial than be killed in a shootout.
Cause I'm gettin' major
He is becoming more successful in his illegal activities.
Fuck Pac Tel, move to Sky Pager
He has switched from Pac-Tel to Sky Pager for his beepers.
Told all my friends:
He advised his friends.
Don't drink 8 Ball, cause St. Ide's is givin ends
He is promoting St. Ides malt liquor to his friends instead of 8 Ball.
Fools get drunk and wanna compete
When people get drunk, they want to fight.
Slapboxin in the street
They are boxing in the street without gloves.
Niggas get mad, tempers are flarin'
People get angry and become violent.
Cause they got a few bitches starin'
They are fighting over women who are watching the fight.
Just for the nappy heads
They are fighting because of their hairstyle.
But scandalous bitches, make for happy Feds
Women who are willing to inform on him make the FBI happy.
I make it my duty to cuss 'em
He insults women who are willing to inform on him.
Out, cause I just don't trust em
He doesn't trust these women.
And if you tell on me I'm bombin' on Betty
If someone informs on him, he will retaliate against them.
Bitch shoulda known I was steady mobbin'
They should have known that he is a gangster and expected him to react violently.
Since one-time so hot
The cops are being too aggressive.
Got me a stash spot in my hooptie for the Glock
He has hidden his gun in his car.
Cause I'm rollin' on rims
His car's wheels are damaged.
Eating soul food, neckbones from M&M's
He is eating food from a fast food restaurant called M&M's.
Grumbbin' like a motherfucker
He is feeling uncomfortable because he needs to defecate.
Greasy-ass lips, now I gots to take a shit
He has greasy lips from eating and now needs to defecate.
Saw Sir Jinx bailin'
He saw Sir Jinx driving away.
When I hit a left on Ruthelen, "Whattup loc?"
When he turned onto Ruthelen street, he greeted a friend.
Don't you know that niggas get smoked
People who don't know the street danger will be killed.
That take they life for a joke, get in nigga
People who joke about gang violence are in danger.
I take you to the pad soon
He is taking his friend to his house soon.
Went to mom's house and dropped a load in the bathroom
He defecated at his mother's house.
Jumped back in my low rider
He got back into his car with damaged wheels.
Comin' out feelin' about ten pounds lighter
After defecating, he feels much better.
Went to Bone's house so I can get the gat
He went to Bone's house to get his gun.
Looking for the place where all the hoes kick it at
He is looking for the location where women hang out.
Lench Mob ain't nuttin but tramps
He claims that the Lench Mob, his rap group, consists only of women who are easy to have sex with.
But hoes lickin' nuts like stamps
The women in his group are enthusiastic about performing oral sex.
One fool brought the music for the yams
One member of the group brought music to play while they had sex.
But Ice Cube had more amps, get in bitch
Ice Cube had a better sound system, so everyone should come to his car.
Cause I had the jam on
He had the best music playing.
And I don't want to hear shit about a tampon
He doesn't want to hear any complaints from women who are menstruating.
Give me the nappy and make me happy
He wants a woman to perform oral sex on him, and he doesn't care about her hairstyle.
The ho said 'Pappy could you slap me
The woman asked him to slap her.
On the ass hard and fast
She wanted to be aggressively spanked.
And could please try not to leave a gash?'
She didn't want to be injured while being spanked.
I said yeah, but I don't play sex
He agrees to her request, but he doesn't take sex casually.
Without puttin' on the latex
He insists on using a condom.
Slipped on the condom
He put on a condom.
Fucked around and dropped the bomb son
He ejaculated.
And it came out sort of like confetti
He ejaculated a large amount of semen.
In for the night, no longer steady mobbin'
He has finished his illegal activities and is going home for the night.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: O'shea Jackson, Roger Ball, Alan Edward Gorrie, George Clinton, Jr., Ronald Dunbar, William Nelson, Bernard Worrell, Jr., William Earl Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Norb-E
Four or five niggas in a mothership
Better known as a deuce and we all wanna smother shit
Bent, front and back glass got tint
Tryin' to get our hands on some dollars and cents
And fools can't hold us
Every chance we get, we hittin' up the rollers
Comin' up short of the green guys
And I might start slangin' bean pies
Or the bootleg t-shirt of the month
With "U Can't Touch This" on the front
I'm 'bout to get rich
Cause life ain't nuttin but money and fuck a bitch
They drop like dominoes
And if you didn't know, Ice Cube got drama hoes
So after the screwin'
I bust a nut and get up and put on my white Ewings
I'm out the door
All you might get is a rubber on the floor
Cause I'm ready to hit the road like Mario Andretti
Bitch, cause I'm steady mobbin'
Have you ever seen such a sight in your life? (Steady mobbin')
Bustin' caps in the mix
Rather be judged by twelve than carried by six
Cause I'm gettin' major
Fuck Pac Tel, move to Sky Pager
Told all my friends:
Don't drink 8 Ball, cause St. Ide's is givin ends
Fools get drunk and wanna compete
Slapboxin in the street
Niggas get mad, tempers are flarin'
Cause they got a few bitches starin'
Just for the nappy heads
But scandalous bitches, make for happy Feds
I make it my duty to cuss 'em
Out, cause I just don't trust em
And if you tell on me I'm bombin' on Betty
Bitch shoulda known I was steady mobbin'
Have you ever seen such a sight in your life? (Steady mobbin')
Since one-time so hot
Got me a stash spot in my hooptie for the Glock
Cause I'm rollin' on rims
Eating soul food, neckbones from M&M's
Grumbbin' like a motherfucker
Greasy-ass lips, now I gots to take a shit
Saw Sir Jinx bailin'
When I hit a left on Ruthelen, "Whattup loc?"
Don't you know that niggas get smoked
That take they life for a joke, get in nigga
I take you to the pad soon
Went to mom's house and dropped a load in the bathroom
Jumped back in my low rider
Comin' out feelin' about ten pounds lighter
Went to Bone's house so I can get the gat
Looking for the place where all the hoes kick it at
Lench Mob ain't nuttin but tramps
But hoes lickin' nuts like stamps
One fool brought the music for the yams
But Ice Cube had more amps, get in bitch
Cause I had the jam on
And I don't want to hear shit about a tampon
Give me the nappy and make me happy
The ho said 'Pappy could you slap me
On the ass hard and fast
And could please try not to leave a gash?'
I said yeah, but I don't play sex
Without puttin' on the latex
Slipped on the condom
Fucked around and dropped the bomb son
And it came out sort of like confetti
In for the night, no longer steady mobbin'
Robert
One of the best storytellers in the history of Hip-Hop!!🎤🎧
Bout Dat Music Group
facts
Black superman
He's the best storyteller all time. West West
Twan Jones Da Producer
My favorite Cube song. This song brings back a feeling that I cant explain about the 90s. Great feeling.
Diandre Yarborough
No other song has more lyrics that pop up in my head throughout the day than this one.... "Coming out feeling about 10 pounds lighter" this song is straight comedy
NaTalya _80sfandoll_
I was a baby but I love the 90s rap and especially the 80s
Dywane Harris
Steady Mobbin 2022
Erich Von Manstein
Facts cuz
J. Jones
I still walk around talkin bout "Ice Cube had mo amps get in bitch"
UrNan
He played this masterpiece last night on his ozzy tour and was nothing but goosebumps 🔥🥶🔥🥶🔥🥶