Mad close to the Deegan, the records were spinning. Hip-Hop was only a few seconds old. They weren’t quite rapping yet, but they were “EQin’’ it. However, since every time the beat drops … the party is still poppin’, and every party for the last five decades has introduced new dance styles and moves. If […]
The post Celebrating Hip-Hop’s 50th: The Evolution Of Hip-Hop Dances From 1970-1999 appeared first on SOHH.com.
A couple of years ago, I wrote about why hip-hop doesn’t really do covers of past songs and albums like other genres. I still think it’s pretty good, but last week, rap fans got an object lesson in how harshly a cover can get judged when Logic put a melodic spin on Ice Cube’s 1992 classic “It Was A Good Day.”
While Logic doesn’t see hip-hop as a competition, plenty of rap fans were appalled that he would deign to recreate such a seminal song from the hip-hop canon. However, he shrugged off the backlash on TikTok, claiming that he’d already received the most important co-sign: One from Ice Cube himself.
Replying to a comment that suggested he do a whole album of similar covers, Logic posted a whole new video saying, “It’s funny you should say that because I thought about doing that… Everybody’s all pissed off at me because I did a f*cking Ice Cube cover. Meanwhile, I texted Ice Cube and he’s like, ‘Man, keep on doing you, brotha.’ Who gives a fuck [about the backlash]?”
He also agreed about a potential covers album, positing he could use it for a good cause. “I should do a whole f*cking album, and just do a whole album of f*cking hard-ass ’90s records and call it Logic Greatest Hits, and get all them paid, and get them publishing, and take care of all the legends and the GOATs and the greats from the 90s.”
@logic Replying to @evil.morty.420 logic greatest hits coming soon!
While it seems that Logic may need a refresher on how publishing royalties work, it’s hard to be mad at him for working to flip a pretty negative situation into a helpful one, even if it doesn’t quite work the way he seems to think (many early pioneers of hip-hop do not own their publishing, so they probably wouldn’t get paid much, if at all, by a covers album). And while that may make some rap fans angry, it certainly does seem as though it’d generate some buzz.
To see Logic perform his own songs, you can check him out on tour with Juicy J.
They were once tearing up with charts together in Westside Connection, but a falling out caused a divide between Mack 10 and Ice Cube. The California rappers are respected icons in their own rights, but when they came together with WC to create their supergroup, Hip Hop fans ate it up. Their classics “Bow Down,” “Gangstas Make the World Go Round,” and “Hoo-Bangin’” remain favorites, but don’t look forward to a reunion anytime soon.
The trio did reunite for their sophomore effort Terrorist Threats, but that was short-lived. There were rumors of infighting, and Mack later revealed why he got into with Cube. It apparently stemmed from interactions with Cube’s brother-in-law, who Mack said wasn’t handling his money appropriately. Unfortunately, he further shared in a recent interview with Bootleg Kev that they haven’t mended their disagreement.
“I f*ck with who f*ck with me, you dig? That’s where I’m at with it,” said Mack.
If you f*ck with me, I f*ck with you. But if it’s f*ck me, it’s f*ck you.” He added that he hasn’t “seen [Cube] or talked to him in damn near 20 years, so there it is.” He also dropped off a few thoughts about Mount Westmore, Cube’s latest supergroup that includes Snoop Dogg, E-40, and Too $hort. He admitted to hearing “bits and pieces of it,” but hasn’t thoroughly checked them out. “Westside Connection was a movement. It was a little different.”
Meanwhile, in 2020, Mack 10 seemed open to a Westside Connection reunion. While speaking with the Murder Master Music Show, he was questioned about its potential. “That’s the question of the year bro!” he answered. “I don’t know man! I’m down, I’m sure Dub is down. “That’s the question of the year bro! Somebody probably gotta ask Cube what it is gonna take because I really don’t know.”
He added that fans consistently questioned him about it. “They ask me in traffic and everywhere,” said Mack. “And my answer is the same every day, I don’t know. I really don’t know.” Would you be down to hear another record from Westside Connection?
The latest iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has arrived. The official teaser for their new film starring hip-hop icon Ice Cube and soundtracked by A Tribe Called Quest dropped on March 6. Old School Meets New School The new iteration of the beloved Ninja Turtles has arrived. On March 6, Paramount Pictures released […]
The post Ice Cube, A Tribe Called Quest & More Give 90s Throwback Vibes In “TMNT: Turtle Mayhem” Teaser appeared first on SOHH.com.
As Joe Budden doubles down on his ire about Logic, the DMV rapper delivered what looks to be a response to ongoing discussions. Logic has been a polarizing talent in Hip Hop as fans and his peers debate his lyrics and delivery. He’s recently shared albums College Park and Vinyl Days, and while his fans are thrilled about his emergence from retirement, Joe Budden wants less of Logic on the mic. The latter shared his rendition of Ice Cube’s 1990s classic “It Was a Good Day,” where he crooned the fan favorite. Reactions were a mixed bag; it looks like Logic responded in a simple tweet.
The rapper shared a photo of himself seemingly toasting to the good life while playing dominoes. The caption read, “Then we played bones, and I’m yellin domino”—a bar from Cube’s track. Logic took a calm approach despite Budden giving a scathing hot take on his podcast. He has been going in on Logic for years, and it’s clear that not only is Budden not a fan, but he’s also ready for Logic to hang it up.
“And then when we think he can’t get any worse, you have the bright idea of doing an Ice Cube flip,” Budden said this week. Logic also faced pushback about using the n-word during his cover, although the word was in Cube’s original lyrics. The fast-rhyming rapper is biracial and speaks of his background often. However, his use of the n-word is something that Budden doesn’t seem to accept.
“Logic is just not himself. I just think that Logic should be himself. He panders to the Black community every other second,” he said. Well, that’s the problem with panders, is that they always gotta find something new to pander to.” After receiving backlash for the harsh delivery, Budden returned to double down on his sentiments.
Actor and filmmaker O’Shea Jackson Jr., Cube’s son, also caught wind of Logic’s cover. He joked about the rapper singing the line about Cube having sex with a woman named Kim—which happens to be Jackson’s mother. He teased that if the rapper said that again about his mama, Jackson would have to come see him face-to-face. Check out the cover above and let us know your thoughts on this rendition.
Legendary artist Ice Cube began his rise to fame as a member of N.W.A. with the debut of their album “Straight Outta Compton” in 1988. Two years later, Cube would embark on a solo career with his first album “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted” followed by “Death Certificate” in 1991, “The Predator” in 1992, and “Lethal Injection” in 1993. This run of albums was one of the greatest of all time and solidified the Los Angeles rapper as one of the most celebrated artists in West Coast Hip-Hop history. However, in 1991, Ice Cube also began his acting career, which has since spanned decades and become just as illustrious as his musical endeavors. Let’s take a look back at some of Ice Cube’s greatest acting roles.
Ice Cube’s first role as an actor when he played “Doughboy” in the classic film, “Boyz in the Hood”. It was directed by John Singleton. The film’s cast was star-studded. It featured actors such as Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, and Angela Bassett. Despite Cube’s inexperience in acting at this point, his performance is one of the most celebrated and remembered in the entire film.
In the film, Cube’s character Doughboy serves as a foil for Tre, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. While Tre has a strong connection with his father, and is taught about the proper values and respect within the world, Doughboy does not have that luxury and shows the pitfalls men can fall into without proper male role models. Doughboy ends up a member of the Crips and is arrested and forced to serve time in prison for stealing. Ice Cube’s background as a rapper who actually grew up in Southern Los Angeles adds a believability to the role. This could not have been captured with many other actors.
In the climax of the film, Doughboy kills Ferris, avenging his brother Ricky’s death after Tre decides not to retaliate against Ferris. After the murder, Ice Cube delivers a classic line. He says American media “don’t know, don’t show, or don’t care about what’s going on in the hood”. In “Boyz in the Hood”, Cube proved that he could act in a serious, major role. His performance probably ranks as one of the greatest film debuts of all time.
Perhaps Ice Cube’s greatest and most remembered performance came in the 1995 film “Friday”, directed by F. Gary Gray. “Friday” is one of the best comedies in the last thirty years. The lines from the film are still quoted regularly today. Many moments of the film have become relics of Black culture. In the film, Ice Cube plays “Craig”. He is a down on his luck young adult who was just fired from his job on his day off.
Craig, alongside his best friend Smokey, played by Chris Tucker, decide to spend their Friday off getting high on Craig’s front porch. Throughout the film, Craig and Smokey encounter crackheads, overly sexual preachers, and girls in their neighborhood they have interest in. Craig and Smokey are also terrorized by Deebo, played by Tommy Lister Jr. throughout the film, whose violence and affinity for stealing cause problems for everyone in the neighborhood.
Ice Cube’s performance in “Friday” is much different from his more serious portrayal of “Doughboy” in “Boyz in the Hood”. Cube was able to show his comedic side throughout the film. His chemistry with Chris Tucker elevated the film to exceptional heights. It was in “Friday” that Ice Cube showed the acting world how much range he had and allowed for him to escape the “typecasting” void that many celebrities turned actors can fall into if they are not able to diversify their performances on screen. The success of “Friday” led to two sequels in “Next Friday” in 2000 and “Friday After Next” in 2002. However, it is the original film that is the most beloved and celebrated by society today, which is in large part due to Ice Cube’s performance.
In 2002, Ice Cube also starred as the lead role in “Barbershop”. His performances throughout the entire “Barbershop” series rank as some of his best. In the original film, directed by Tim Story, Cube plays “Calvin”, a young man who inherited a struggling barber shop in the south side of Chicago from his father and is forced to decide if he should keep the shop or sell it. “Barbershop” mixes the genres of comedy and drama. Ice Cube’s roles in the “Friday” series and in “Boyz in the Hood” influence and morph his portrayal of Calvin.
It is in “Barbershop” that Ice Cube gives a full display of his acting abilities as he combines humor with drama. Cube also shifts away from his portrayal of younger, coming-of-age-esque characters. Instead, he is portrayed as a mentor and leader to other characters in the film. While both “Doughboy” and “Craig” were young adults in need of guidance, Calvin is a character who provides guidance to other characters in the film. This is especially true of his relationship with Ricky, who is played by Michael Ealy.
“Barbershop” was a display of Ice Cube’s growth as an actor with age. He proved that he could enmesh his comedic and dramatic portrayals into a mix of both. This created a more two-dimensional film. “Barbershop” was an instant commercial success, grossing $77 million in the box office on a $12 million production budget. The film also received many positive reviews from critics. It’s lasting legacy was proven when “Barbershop: The Next Cut” was released fourteen years after the original film in 2016.
In more recent years, Ice Cube starred in “Ride Along”, directed by Tim Story, alongside Kevin Hart. In “Ride Along”, Ice Cube plays a veteran cop named James. He gives Hart’s character Ben a chance to upgrade from being a security card to a police officer. The dynamic between Cube and Hart in this film is similar to his role alongside Chris Tucker. Hart is the over-the-top comedy figure, while Ice Cube is the straight man with moments of humor in different places.
“Ride Along” also features a second film in which Ice Cube and Laurence Fishburne star together. Fishburne portrays Omar, the lead villain of the film. The LA native is able to combine a realistic portrayal of a tough guy while providing lots of comedic moments. “Ride Along” was a great box office success, as it grossed $154.5 million on a $25 million production budget. The success of the initial film also led to a sequel, “Ride Along 2”. It was directed by Tim Story and featured Ice Cube and Kevin Hart in similar roles. “Ride Along 2” also grossed over $100 million at the box office.
While Ice Cube may be primarily known for his musical success, his acting career is also full of legendary performances and classic movies. Even with his creation of the “BIG3” basketball league in 2017, Ice Cube has proven that his genius extends far beyond the musical realm. Ice Cube’s roles in films such as “Boyz in the Hood” and “Friday” have provided audiences with some of the most memorable quotes and scenes of the last thirty years and Cube’s legacy as an actor proves just as iconic as his musical career.
Hip-Hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary and SOHH is highlighting five movies that have impacted rap culture. The following movies include Boyz N The Hood, Friday, Belly, Paid In Full, and Hustle & Flow. Hip-Hop turns 50 and tributes to the genre will continue to happen throughout the year. SOHH, here are five movies that have […]
The post Top 5 Iconic Movies In Honor Of Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary appeared first on SOHH.com.
