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.
You Can Do It
Ice Cube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get your ass up and hurr' up, uh
Ice Cube, baby
Ninety-nine, baby
I'm on the grind, baby
All the time, baby
Show me something
I can do it, put your ass into it (uh-huh)
You can do it, put your back into it (yeah)
I can do it, put your ass into it
Put your back into it
Put your ass into it
Tick, tick, boom
Hear me banging down these back streets
Bumpin' Blackstreet, treated like a athlete
Life ain't a track meet (no) it's a marathon
Fuck the cemetery that a nigga get buried on
We be clubbin' 'til the day we die
Nigga, ask the bartender if you think we lie
But if you think we high, nigga, think again
'Cause when it's sink or swim
You got to think to win
And if I drink this Henn', everybody'll know it
'Cause I ain't going for it, so pray to the Lord
That I don't pull out, cuss out, and bust out
Go the nigga route
Make the trigger shout, uh
You can try to smoke an ounce to this
While I pronounce this shit, baby, bounce them tits
Mama, move them hips, baby, shake them cheeks
I got dick for days, you got ass for weeks (yeah, yeah)
Don't stop, get it, get it (that's real)
Don't stop, nigga, hit it (I will)
I'm gon' do it (do it), gon' do it (do it)
Gon' do it, do it, do it (uh-uh)
You can do it, put your back into it (come on)
I can do it, put your ass into it (come on)
You can do it, put your back into it (come on)
I can do it, put your ass into it
Put your back into it
Put your ass into it
Now all I wanna do is have fun with my loved ones (what?)
The thug ones, relatives and my cousins
And I got 'em by the dozen
When they buzzin', quick to say fuck your husband
This is for my niggas locked away
Extra love for the ones who ain't got no date
But when we get checkmate with Ice Cube the great
As soon as I get a word, we can rush the safe
Fuck them license plates because life is great
It don't matter if you're rich and your folks ain't straight
I'm still coming with that underground gangsta shit
No matter how many niggas say we ain't the shit, bitch
Don't stop, get it, get it (that's real)
Don't stop, nigga, hit it (I will)
I'm gon' do it (do it), gon' do it (do it)
Gon' do it, do it, do it (uh-uh)
You can do it, put your back into it (come on)
I can do it, put your ass into it (come on)
You can do it, put your back into it (come on)
I can do it, put your ass into it
Put your back into it
Put your ass into it
I do hardcore rhymin', hard time grindin'
Gorilla pimp hoes while other niggas wine and dine 'em
Gotta love this thug shit, S-Class in the mud shit
Pockets on flood shit, OG, lyrical Blood shit
I don't rent, I buy shit, niggas jealous of my shit
Wonder where this young nigga get all the fly shit
While you're rootin' and recruitin', niggas 6-8 hoopin'
I was in the hood shootin', plus I had the white whoopin'
I come from Pyrex bowls and oversized jars
I'm past up stripes, I got stars and bars
No time for playa hatin', Mack paper chasing
Kicked out the substation to the hip hop nation
The mo' hits the mo' bigga with illegal weight figga
Done develop the status of a platinum plus nigga
Bust the first bad ho, fo' sho, I can hit it
I keep pushing, don't quit it, don't stop 'til I get it, uh
Don't stop, get it, get it (that's real)
Don't stop, nigga, hit it (I will)
I'm gon' do it (do it), gon' do it (do it)
Gon' do it, do it, do it (say what?)
You can do it, put your back into it (uh-huh)
I can do it, put your ass into it (come on)
You can do it, put your back into it (come on)
I can do it, put your ass into it
You can do it, put your back into it (come on)
I can do it, put your ass into it (come on)
You can do it, put your back into it (come on)
I can do it, put your ass into it
Don't stop, get it, get it (that's real)
Don't stop, nigga, hit it (I will)
I'm gon' do it (do it), gon' do it (do it)
Gon' do it, do it, do it
You can do it, put your back into it (come on)
I can do it, put your ass into it (come on)
You can do it, put your back into it (come on)
I can do it, put your ass into it
Put your ass into it
We be clubbin'
(Freaky gyration, is close to fornication)
We be clubbin'
(Freaky gyration, is close to fornication)
Yeah
(Freaky gyration, is close to fornication)
Ice Cube, Westside Connect gang
You know how we do it
We put it down constantly
Constantly
Uh, uh, uh, uh
Get your ass up and hurr' up
Ice Cube's song You Can Do It is a motivational track that highlights the hustle and determination needed to achieve one's goals. The lyrics urge listeners to put in the effort and work hard in order to succeed. Ice Cube employs powerful metaphors to emphasize this message, comparing life to a marathon rather than a track meet, and highlighting the importance of determination in challenging situations. The song reminds us that even when it may seem impossible, success is ultimately achievable if one puts their mind to it.
The chorus of the song, "You can do it, put your back into it, I can do it, put your ass into it," is a call to action for listeners to give their all in order to achieve their dreams. Ice Cube's lyrics suggest that success isn't just about talent or luck but rather the sheer amount of effort we put in. Throughout the song, Ice Cube offers a raw and honest perspective on his own journey to success, demonstrating the importance of dedication, resilience, and integrity in achieving one's dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, yeah
Ice Cube is hyping up the audience with enthusiasm.
Get your ass up and hurr' up, uh
Ice Cube is commanding the audience to get up and be motivated.
Ninety-nine, baby
The song was made in 1999.
I'm on the grind, baby
Ice Cube is working hard and pushing himself to achieve success.
All the time, baby
Ice Cube works hard all the time.
Show me something
Ice Cube is challenging the audience to prove themselves.
You can do it, put your back into it (uh)
You have the ability to do what you want, just try hard with determination.
I can do it, put your ass into it (uh-huh)
Ice Cube can do anything, and if he can do it, so can you.
Put your back into it
Put effort in.
Put your ass into it
Fully commit.
Tick, tick, boom
Time is running out, so get started.
Hear me banging down these back streets
Ice Cube is working hard to get his music heard.
Bumpin' Blackstreet, treated like a athlete
Ice Cube is listening to Blackstreet and working hard like an athlete.
Life ain't a track meet (no) it's a marathon
Success takes time and effort, it's not a quick race.
Fuck the cemetery that a nigga get buried on
Ice Cube doesn't want to fail and be buried in a cemetery.
We be clubbin' 'til the day we die
Ice Cube enjoys going to clubs and having fun.
But if you think we high, nigga, think again
Don't underestimate Ice Cube and his ability to work hard.
'Cause when it's sink or swim
When it's do or die, you have to try your hardest.
You got to think to win
If you want to succeed, you have to think about what you're doing.
And if I drink this Henn', everybody'll know it
If Ice Cube drinks Hennessy, everyone will know about it.
'Cause I ain't going for it, so pray to the Lord
Ice Cube won't give up, and isn't afraid to resort to prayer.
That I don't pull out, cuss out, and bust out
Ice Cube won't stop and won't give up.
Go the nigga route
Ice Cube won't choose the easy path.
Make the trigger shout, uh
Ice Cube is ready to take action and make things happen.
You can try to smoke an ounce to this
Ice Cube's music is so good, you can even smoke marijuana to it.
While I pronounce this shit, baby, bounce them tits
Ice Cube is rhyming as the audience dances.
Mama, move them hips, baby, shake them cheeks
Ice Cube is encouraging the audience to dance.
I got dick for days, you got ass for weeks (yeah, yeah)
Ice Cube finds himself attractive, and is noticing the beautiful women in the audience.
Don't stop, get it, get it (that's real)
Don't stop working hard until you reach your goals.
Don't stop, nigga, hit it (I will)
Keep going, and keep working on your dreams.
I'm gon' do it (do it), gon' do it (do it)
Ice Cube is determined to achieve his dreams.
Now all I wanna do is have fun with my loved ones (what?)
Ice Cube wants to have fun with his family and friends.
The thug ones, relatives and my cousins
Ice Cube's family and friends are also in the thug lifestyle.
And I got 'em by the dozen
Ice Cube has many family members and friends.
When they buzzin', quick to say fuck your husband
When they're drunk or high, they may act recklessly.
This is for my niggas locked away
Ice Cube is thinking of his friends who are currently in jail.
Extra love for the ones who ain't got no date
Ice Cube feels sorry for his friends who don't have any friends or loved ones.
But when we get checkmate with Ice Cube the great
When they succeed with Ice Cube, they'll feel great.
As soon as I get a word, we can rush the safe
As soon as Ice Cube gets information on where to go, they'll rob a safe.
Fuck them license plates because life is great
They don't care about getting caught, because they're enjoying life.
It don't matter if you're rich and your folks ain't straight
Even if you're rich, your family may still have problems.
I'm still coming with that underground gangsta shit
Ice Cube is still making gangsta rap music.
No matter how many niggas say we ain't the shit, bitch
Ice Cube won't let anyone bring him down.
I do hardcore rhymin', hard time grindin'
Ice Cube works hard, creating great music even in difficult situations.
Gorilla pimp hoes while other niggas wine and dine 'em
Ice Cube treats women like objects, rather than respecting them.
Gotta love this thug shit, S-Class in the mud shit
Ice Cube loves the thug lifestyle, even if it means driving a fancy car in bad neighborhoods.
Pockets on flood shit, OG, lyrical Blood shit
Ice Cube has a lot of money and is a respected rapper.
I don't rent, I buy shit, niggas jealous of my shit
Ice Cube buys expensive items, and other rappers envy him.
Wonder where this young nigga get all the fly shit
Other rappers don't understand how he can afford his expensive items.
While you're rootin' and recruitin', niggas 6-8 hoopin'
While other rappers are looking for recruits, Ice Cube is already popular.
I was in the hood shootin', plus I had the white whoopin'
Ice Cube is from the ghetto and had to sell drugs to survive.
I come from Pyrex bowls and oversized jars
Ice Cube used Pyrex bowls and oversized jars to cook and package drugs.
I'm past up stripes, I got stars and bars
Ice Cube has moved beyond his previous gang member lifestyle.
No time for playa hatin', Mack paper chasing
Ice Cube doesn't have time to worry about haters, he's too busy making money.
Kicked out the substation to the hip hop nation
Ice Cube has been rejected before, but he still loves hip hop.
The mo' hits the mo' bigga with illegal weight figga
The more popular his music gets, the more successful he'll be with selling drugs.
Done develop the status of a platinum plus nigga
Ice Cube has become a very successful rapper.
Bust the first bad ho, fo' sho, I can hit it
Ice Cube wants to have sex with the first attractive woman he sees.
I keep pushing, don't quit it, don't stop 'til I get it, uh
Ice Cube won't stop until he achieves his goals.
We be clubbin'
Ice Cube likes going to clubs.
(Freaky gyration, is close to fornication)
The dancing at clubs can lead to sexual activity.
Ice Cube, Westside Connect gang
Ice Cube represents the Westside Connect gang.
You know how we do it
Ice Cube and his gang are known for their lifestyles.
We put it down constantly
Ice Cube and his gang are always working hard and achieving.
Constantly
All the time
Uh, uh, uh, uh
Ad-libs
Get your ass up and hurr' up
Ice Cube is encouraging the audience again to become motivated and start working hard.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Miller, Ellis Williams, Robert Allen, Afrika Bambaataa, Arthur Baker, John Robie, Ralf Hutter, Emil Schult, O'shea Jackson, Donald Lavert Saunders, Dedrick Rolison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SierraMWymer
This is Cube at his finest right hurr!,🔥
@zo9876
that opening will always be iconic
@ItzARapPodCast
Why did Mack 10 do that to this beat!!!😳😳😳💪🏾🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@Aretrovixen
never stops hittin sooo hard
@askywithanalibi4948
2019? Put your back in to it
@kimberlywade884
2020
@lastbaratheon8043
Love this song and Next Friday.🔥👌
@a.g.8259
Das beste Album👌💃
@erikasaucedo9559
This is what we are supposed to be dancing to!! Hey NYC March 2020, take care God bless you and be safe!!! Let's fight this virus together!
@NiaMSnow
I had to rock this in my apartment, I'm sure my neighbors will thank me tomorrow morning