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.
Trespass
Ice Cube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The red dot's on your dome, from the light ray
Boom bam bust oh shit kid, your head is a pile of puss
I'm kickin' up much dust, the nigga ya can't trust
This is my shit, my hood, my turf
My gold, my grip, whatever the fuck it's worth
I don't need nobody comin' in my territory
tryin' to rip a nigga off and fuck your fuckin' sob stories
Take a good look at my motherfuckin' jacker
About to feel the wrath, of a greedy ass cracker
Pale as snow, so you know the hoe stand out
Comin' in my hood with his hand out
Tryin' to get over on the black, but the motherfuckin' mack
will put a fuckin' slug in his back
And with the boom ping ping, it ain't no thing to blast
on greedy motherfuckers that trespass
[Chorus]
Olly olly outcome free, here come the G
I'm saggin', and Enter the Dragon like Bruce Lee
I gots to get mo' money mo' money
Can't get pussy with no money
See I'm kind of greedy, cause all my heroes
got zeroes in back of a one
Here's my gun, about to get paid at last
But now I'm gettin' covered, in dirt and grass, kick it
The madder I get, the higher the debt, the deeper you get
The thicker the sweat
Cause I'm a nigga with fat clout
But ya in, but ya gotta get back out
No easy job, for some suckers is out to rob
Cross hair on your dome and your mind's blown
You want to go home, ain't that a bitch?
Cube, dig the ditch (yep)
[Chorus]
I got a full time job of takin' suckers out
Breakin' 'em off, yea word, I love revokin' clout
Test me, stress me, who could the best be?
The Teflon nine go through vests G
But when you're greedy you don't care about life itself
You're chasin' extreme wealth
You can't be trusted cause trust ain't in the fuckin' game
Scandalous is your fuckin name
I'm the motherfucker you're stuck wit
Ice Cube "Wrong nigga to fuck wit!"
I'm rich, pitchin' a bitch about gettin' mo'
The big fish, swimmin' in big dough
The G backstabber, I got ta have a
Lexus Coupe, when I troop
with the ski mask, gotta get the cash
My homeboy ain't home, so fuck it I'll trespass
Ice Cube's song "Trespass" is a vivid description of territorialism, greed, and violence in the context of a hiphop gangsta scenario. Throughout the song, Ice Cube describes his hood, his grip, his gold, and how he protects them from outsiders who might try to rip him off. He warns those who come into his territory, with their hands out to take advantage of him, to beware of the "greedy ass cracker" who will shoot them in the back. He tells how he is driven by the desire to make money at any cost, even if it means taking out anyone who stands in his way.
The lyrics of the song are highly expressive, using graphic imagery and slang to convey the message. It's a brutal, in-your-face narrative of survival in a world where violence is the norm, and trust is a rare commodity. The chorus, "Olly olly outcome free, here come the G, I'm saggin', and Enter the Dragon like Bruce Lee, I gots to get mo' money mo' money, Can't get pussy with no money," characterizes the priorities of the singer. Money is everything, and he's willing to do anything to get it.
Overall, Ice Cube's "Trespass" is a reflection of the violent, territorial ghetto culture present in America. Through his lyrics, Cube is able to express the reality of his environment and the measures taken to survive within it.
Line by Line Meaning
How many bullets can your back hold, suckin' from the H-K
Asking how much violence a person can withstand before they break down, compared to being shot repeatedly by a gun
The red dot's on your dome, from the light ray
Refers to the laser sight of a gun pointed at someone's head
Boom bam bust oh shit kid, your head is a pile of puss
Describing the result of being shot in the head, which creates a bloody mess
I'm kickin' up much dust, the nigga ya can't trust
Expressing a sense of deception from people around him and emphasizing that he cannot trust anyone but himself
This is my shit, my hood, my turf
Declaring that he has ownership of the area he lives in and will not tolerate anyone trying to invade it
My gold, my grip, whatever the fuck it's worth
Asserting that whatever he possesses, it's his and has value to him
I don't need nobody comin' in my territory tryin' to rip a nigga off and fuck your fuckin' sob stories
Dismissing other people's attempts to take what he has, whether by force or by sympathy stories
Take a good look at my motherfuckin' jacker
Referring to his gun, which he is displaying and warning others about
About to feel the wrath, of a greedy ass cracker
Refers to a Caucasian person who is trying to take advantage of him, and he is warning them of the consequences
Pale as snow, so you know the hoe stand out
Referring to the person's skin color, which makes them easily noticeable as a stranger in the neighborhood
Comin' in my hood with his hand out
Describing the unwanted behavior of someone trying to obtain something without permission or payment
Tryin' to get over on the black, but the motherfuckin' mack will put a fuckin' slug in his back
Saying that the black community won't take kindly to outsiders trying to rip them off, and that violent retaliations are possible
And with the boom ping ping, it ain't no thing to blast on greedy motherfuckers that trespass
Describing how easy it is for him to shoot people who are invading his territory and trying to steal from him
Olly olly outcome free, here come the G
Referring to himself as the 'G', meaning 'gangsta', and he is declaring himself as the winner of his turf war
I'm saggin', and Enter the Dragon like Bruce Lee
Comparing his appearance and attitude to the Bruce Lee movie 'Enter the Dragon,' showcasing the confidence and swagger that he has
I gots to get mo' money mo' money, Can't get pussy with no money
Highlighting the importance of having money to gain respect and sexual partners
See I'm kind of greedy, cause all my heroes got zeroes in back of a one
Admitting that he is motivated by financial success and citing that even his idols are focused on money
Here's my gun, about to get paid at last
Metaphorically comparing his gun to his ticket to success, and that he is willing to use it to achieve his financial goals
But now I'm gettin' covered, in dirt and grass, kick it
Imagining his own death and that his legacy will ultimately be tied to the ground he has lived on
The madder I get, the higher the debt, the deeper you get, The thicker the sweat
Explaining how his increasing anger is making his problems worse and that it's causing him to emotionally suffer
Cause I'm a nigga with fat clout, But ya in, but ya gotta get back out
Acknowledging that he is a powerful figure, but reminding his competition that they will be eventually overpowered and driven back out
No easy job, for some suckers is out to rob
Saying that it's not easy to stay successful when other people are trying to steal from him
Cross hair on your dome and your mind's blown, You want to go home, ain't that a bitch?
Describing the experience of someone being targeted and shot in the head, leading to confusion and wanting to escape
Cube, dig the ditch (yep)
Agreeing that violence can lead to deadly consequences and that he is willing to accept that outcome
I got a full time job of takin' suckers out, Breakin' 'em off, yea word, I love revokin' clout
Describing his approach to dealing with competition, which is to eliminate them and assert his dominance
Test me, stress me, who could the best be? The Teflon nine go through vests G
Challenging whoever wants to compete with him, stating that his gun is capable of penetrating bulletproof vests
But when you're greedy you don't care about life itself, You're chasin' extreme wealth
Acknowledging that being greedy can cloud a person's judgement and that it could lead to them taking unnecessary risks
You can't be trusted cause trust ain't in the fuckin' game, Scandalous is your fuckin name
Declaring that the people who compete with him aren't trustworthy and will try to undermine him however they can
I'm the motherfucker you're stuck wit, Ice Cube "Wrong nigga to fuck wit!"
Asserting that he is a force to be reckoned with, and citing his own song as a warning to others
I'm rich, pitchin' a bitch about gettin' mo', The big fish, swimmin' in big dough
Stating that he is wealthy and that he will continue to complain about needing more money and more success
The G backstabber, I got ta have a Lexus Coupe, when I troop with the ski mask, gotta get the cash
Describing himself as being ruthless and willing to do anything to get his hands on money and nice cars
My homeboy ain't home, so fuck it I'll trespass
Implying that he will do whatever he wants, even if it means breaking the law or trespassing on someone else's property to get what he wants
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: CUBE ICE, TRACY LAUREN MARROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind