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.
The Gutter Shit (featuring Jay
Ice Cube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I been servin' niggas since 1985
Niggas want the gutter
Ice Cube, Jay-O Felony
My nigga Gangsta, Squeek Rule
Keep it gangsta why'all, keep it gangsta
(chorus) {:14}
Niggas want that gutter shit
Ain't the rugged shit {repeat}
(verse one) {:25}
Keep it gangsta why'all, I want to thank you all
Niggas comin' with that bullshit, it's gankin' why'all
We can ride to this kinda shit and bank them all
Nigga ball 'till you fall motherfucker that's all
Can't none of why'all hang with me putin' in work
Turn this motherfucker up unless you goin' to church
Nowadays, crazy ass bitches want they bills paid
But can't even make a good thang of cool-aid (ha ha)
But chicken heads get chicken feed (bahk bakh)
(a) Lil' dick and weed (bahk bakh)
Everything that a chicken need (bahk bakh)
Tryin' to pot I get real as Chris Rock
Make a bitch hot, turn into Fort Knox (bitch know)
It's Ice Cube comin' straight from the gutter
Westcoast Don, you fags undastata (?)
[Jayo] (verse two) {:59}
There is sa-lethal in the gas chamber
I'm full of anger, nigga the west is in the house
But you still in for some danger
And when i'm through, I take your bitch and finger bang her
But if she looks tossed up, i'll slang her
Beat you like mama dearest with a clothes hanger
'cause the gang a niggas be tryin' to spit
But you can't spit it like this
I come equipped to rip, any battle
And leave him strung in his crew
but they put me in the twist like Trump
I can collapse or puncture, the lungs of anyone
Give him a chance to spit his last word, unerve
then he done
20/20 ain't good enough
Rappers they ain't seein' me, this Jay-O Felony
And nobody can stand three of me
Caution keep MC's out of my reach, i'm on a mission
And be gettin' to your fuckin' hide to be called a physician
Immediately, I puts it down at a show (Jay-O)
But loked to choke the shit out a fool, nigga dat's on doo low
[Ice Cube]
Keep it gansta why'all, keep it gangsta (keep it gangsta)
Keep it gansta why'all, keep it gangsta (keep it gangsta)
Keep it gansta why'all, keep it gangsta (all my life)
Keep it gansta why'all, keep it gangsta (all my life)
(verse three) {1:50}
I'm sick of these rap niggas lyin' 'bout they rich (what?)
Lyin' 'bout they bitch (what?)
Lyin' 'bout they dick (what?)
I'm sick of these rap niggas lyin' 'bout they hits (huh?)
Lyin' 'bout they whips (huh?)
Lyin' 'bout they six (yeah)
I'm sick of these rap niggas lyin' 'bout they clothes (brrrmmph!)
Lyin' 'bout they hoes (uhh)
Lyin' 'bout they rows (uhh)
I'm sick of these rap niggas lyin' 'bout they house (punk!)
Lyin' about they clout (yeah)
Lyin' up in they mouth (yeah yeah)
It's the Mah-hurage-ny, my niggas; kamekaze
Illuminaughty, bitch hoes in they body
We the riders, we push like mahz-er-aties
Do karatees, on hatters, and you hotties
Fuck the party, come on, my niggas focus
We the richest, pretend that we the brokest
Niggas notice, as soon as you're checking quotas
We the coldest, so go and tell the rollers (biotch!)
[Gangsta] (verse four) {2:30}
Who dat? next out the game, in blue kahks
Gangsta's the name, niggas wonderin' how I do that
By the thug way, package and transportin' the drug way
Only means of makin' a livin', the Crip and Blood way
I'm on grates when i'm grindin'
I'm on stakes when i'm dinnin'
And on sunday's on the wine
Is you can't calm the savage beast (never)
And I can make your birds rise like geese, K-Mac tell 'em
You sell 'em, I swell 'em, loke (sell 'em loke)
Hard or soft determines how much a nigga sell 'em for
We got the fish scale texture (fish scale)
Now if you cook it yourself you get extras
Dub that shit to death with this dub thang
Only a few niggas left with this love mang
So we cop together (yeah), put it in the beeker
Rock together (uhh), claim blocks together
And fuck cock together, nigga (brrrph!)
[Ice Cube] (chorus) {3:11}
Niggas want that gutter shit
Fuck that other shit, that play it for your mother shit
Ain't the rugged shit {repeat}
(Squeek Rule)
[Squeek Rule] (verse five) {3:22}
Look in my eyes
I see the dollar sign dogg, and my dick start to rise
Got to handle money, got to stack the money (tell 'em)
Buzzin' like a bee 'cause I crave for the honey
Million dollar tickets make bitches look wicked
So you innocent hoes, ain't got to like ta kick it
I know you knows (uhh), 'cause now my decimals (yep)
Done fiend for the green, keep you itchin' in your panty hose
Your eyes full of gleem (brrrmmph!)
You want to get on my team, and live my dream
Captain of the ship is what i'm boastin'
Hit the three wheel motion, i'm the shit when i'm coastin' (uh huh)
Down the boulevard, flossin' hard
Lights hit the chrome, don't go lick 'em like a movie star
Money makes me a savage (what it do?)
Shit, I brake down the world for the cabbage (Squeek Rule)
[Ice Cube]
Keep it gansta why'all, keep it gangsta
Keep it gansta why'all, keep it gangsta
Keep it gansta why'all, keep it gangsta (all my life)
Keep it gansta why'all, keep it gangsta (all my life)
(chorus) {4:11}
Niggas want that gutter shit
Fuck that other shit, that play it for your mother shit
Ain't the rugged shit {repeat}
The lyrics of Ice Cube's "The Gutter Shit" describe the rapper's desire to keep the gangsta style of music alive. He mentions his longevity in the rap game, serving other rappers since 1985. Cube encourages listeners to keep it gangsta, and thanks his gangsta associates, including Jay-O Felony, Gangsta, and Squeek Rule. He expresses a disinterest in the mainstream or "mother" songs, preferring instead the gritty, rugged music that speaks to life on the streets.
In verse one, Cube stresses the importance of putting in work and keeping it real. He mocks women who can't even make good Kool-Aid yet want their bills paid by men. He asserts his dominance and challenges others to hang with him. In verse two, Jay-O Felony boasts about his skills as a rapper, threatening to take other rappers' women and comparing himself to a lethal gas chamber. Gangsta picks up the mic for verse four, describing his life as a drug dealer and the way he markets and sells his product. In verse five, Squeek Rule speaks to his desire to stack money and live the high life.
Overall, the song is a celebration of the gangsta rap style and the lifestyles it portrays. The lyrics emphasize the struggle, competition, and excitement of the streets, and reinforce the importance of loyalty, hard work, and integrity.
Line by Line Meaning
I been servin' niggas since 1985
Ice Cube has been providing drug-related services to people since 1985.
Niggas want that gutter shit
People crave for the rough and raw music genre.
Fuck that other shit, that play it for your mother shit
Disgusted by people who make pleasant music that won't offend anyone.
Ain't the rugged shit
Emphasizing that the gutter music is the genuine form of music and other types of music are fake.
Keep it gangsta why'all, I want to thank you all
Thanking everyone for maintaining their authenticity.
Niggas comin' with that bullshit, it's gankin' why'all
Tired of people with phoney personalities.
We can ride to this kinda shit and bank them all
People can dance to this music and enjoy it while making money at the same time.
Nigga ball 'till you fall motherfucker that's all
Keep working until you fall, no excuses.
Can't none of why'all hang with me putin' in work
No one can compete with Ice Cube's work ethic.
Turn this motherfucker up unless you goin' to church
Volume should be high if religion isn't a priority.
Nowadays, crazy ass bitches want they bills paid
Modern women want their bills paid by men.
But can't even make a good thang of cool-aid (ha ha)
These women cannot even prepare a simple dish such as making Kool-Aid.
But chicken heads get chicken feed (bahk bakh)
Women who are foolish and misled only receive a small portion of benefits.
Lil' dick and weed (bahk bakh)
Men with small penises only have marijuana to offer.
Everything that a chicken need (bahk bakh)
These men only offer what low-quality women need.
Tryin' to pot I get real as Chris Rock
If challenged, Ice Cube becomes just as bold as Chris Rock.
Make a bitch hot, turn into Fort Knox (bitch know)
Money is desirable and makes women feel important.
It's Ice Cube comin' straight from the gutter
Ice Cube comes from the low-income area where real music is said to originate.
Westcoast Don, you fags undastata (?
Emphasizing his status as a West Coast leader.
There is sa-lethal in the gas chamber
Comparing his anger and aggression to a dangerous animal shelter.
I'm full of anger, nigga the west is in the house
He feels furious and is known to represent the West Coast.
But you still in for some danger
He makes a warning to anyone trying to confront him.
And when i'm through, I take your bitch and finger bang her
He intends to embarrass his rivals by seducing their women.
But if she looks tossed up, i'll slang her
If the woman is disheveled, he will still have intercourse with her.
Beat you like mama dearest with a clothes hanger
Comparing his beating to the iconic movie scene from Mommie Dearest.
I come equipped to rip, any battle
He is confident in his ability to win any competition.
And leave him strung in his crew
The competitors will be embarrassed and humiliated before being defeated together.
but they put me in the twist like Trump
He is being accused or put in an awkward position like Donald Trump.
I can collapse or puncture, the lungs of anyone
Emphasizing his power to defeat anyone.
20/20 ain't good enough
Perfect vision won't save anyone from his wrath.
Rappers they ain't seein' me, this Jay-O Felony
No one has the talent and skills to beat Jay-O Felony.
And nobody can stand three of me
Three Jay-O Felonies would be invincible.
Who dat? next out the game, in blue kahks
Introducing the next rapper (Gangsta) who is dressed in blue pants.
Gangsta's the name, niggas wonderin' how I do that
Introducing Gangsta as the performer with an impressive style.
By the thug way, package and transportin' the drug way
Gangsta specializes in illegal distribution.
Only means of makin' a livin', the Crip and Blood way
Joining either the Crips or Bloods is the only way he can make a living.
I'm sick of these rap niggas lyin' 'bout they rich (what?)
Gangsta dislikes rappers who pretend to be wealthy.
Lyin' 'bout they bitch (what?)
He dislikes rappers who lie about their women.
Lyin' 'bout they dick (what?)
He dislikes rappers who lie about their intimacy.
I'm sick of these rap niggas lyin' 'bout they hits (huh?)
Gangsta is tired of rappers pretending to be successful.
Lyin' 'bout they whips (huh?)
He dislikes rappers who lie about their cars.
Lyin' 'bout they six (yeah)
He dislikes rappers who lie about their influence.
Everythin' that they know, I tell 'em how to say it
Gangsta can teach other how to rap.
Money makes me a savage (what it do?)
Gangsta becomes violent when money is involved.
I brake down the world for the cabbage (Squeek Rule)
He does whatever it takes to make money.
Look in my eyes
Squeek Rule dares people to look him in the eyes.
I see the dollar sign dogg, and my dick start to rise
Money is sexually appealing to him.
Got to handle money, got to stack the money (tell 'em)
He needs to manage his money and accumulate wealth.
Buzzin' like a bee 'cause I crave for the honey
He compares himself to a bee who is passionate about gathering nectar.
Million dollar tickets make bitches look wicked
Expensive items make women look glamorous.
So you innocent hoes, ain't got to like ta kick it
He knows that modest women do not like to associate with him.
I know you knows (uhh), 'cause now my decimals (yep)
He is certain that women are aware of his wealth.
Done fiend for the green, keep you itchin' in your panty hose
There's a need for money, and even women feel it.
Your eyes full of gleem (brrrmmph!)
Your eyes are filled with enthusiasm.
You want to get on my team, and live my dream
Women aspire to be a part of his luxurious life.
Captain of the ship is what i'm boastin'
He is proud of his achievements and his leadership abilities.
Hit the three wheel motion, i'm the shit when i'm coastin' (uh huh)
He is very good and self-assured when he is driving.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES SAVAGE, MARCUS MOORE, O'SHEA JACKSON, TERRY GREY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind