From Compton to Canada: Ice Cube coming to chill
Hip-hop legend says ‘the show is the most important thing’
The man who cowrote “Straight Outta Compton” is calling from pretty much the opposite of Compton — Edmonton.
“Pretty much,” chuckles hip-hop icon Ice Cube, while taking in his chilly surroundings.
It’s the fifth stop for the second leg of his Canadian tour, which has seen him play Prince George, Calgary and Moose Jaw in the past week.
Tonight he touches down in St. Catharines at Meridian Centre for one of the area’s most anticipated concerts in years.
Playing Canadian hockey arenas and casinos may seem odd for one of the founders of the legendary N.W.A., but he’s found nothing but warmth here.
“I came here years ago with Snoop Dogg,” he recalls. “It was the middle of winter and it was fun as hell. It was really cool to do it. I always wanted to get back but for some reason it was never scheduled right.
“It started off with two or three shows here … then more shows started to get added and added. We did so well on the first leg, they wanted to keep it going.”
And what does he see out in the crowds? Pretty much what he sees everywhere — younger fans wearing Ice Cube merch.
The way he sees it, the older fans bought “Straight Outta Compton” — the album. Younger fans discovered him through “Straight Outta Compton” — the movie.
Or maybe “Friday.” Or “Barbershop.” Or any number of movies he has made since that unforgettable debut in John Singleton’s classic “Boyz N The Hood” in 1991, depicting the Los Angeles gang culture Cube grew up in.
“It’s cool to see. There’s not only the core fans, but new fans sprouting up.”
After bitterly walking away from N.W.A. in 1990, he soon found himself splitting time between massive-selling albums (“AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted,” “The Predator”) and mainstream movies such as “Trespass” and “Anaconda.”
Just three years after getting a diploma in architectural drafting, Ice Cube had a dual career in music and movies. He was the era’s biggest — and most genuine — hip-hop star.
“I was hoping that I could do movies and kind of work on this big of a canvas,” he says. “Art has always been a part of my life. Having my art on display in the hallways of the school … then getting into music was another form of creating.
“Then doing a movie … there’s no bigger canvas out there for an artist like me than a movie screen.”
These days, the canvas is even bigger. In addition to the music, tours and movies, he also co-owns the 3-on-3 basketball league Big3. Last month, Cube offered female basketball sensation Caitlin Clark $5 million to join the league. She was chosen by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft on April 15 … with a starting salary of $76,000.
Cube doesn’t view the juggling act as hard, “because it’s necessary for me.”
“I’m not a one-idea (guy). I like to have a variety of things to stimulate me and keep me sharp and active. So, I like juggling. I’m way better at it now than I was 10, 15 years ago.
“It’s about executing what you have to execute on the day.”
For now, it’s about executing his highenergy concerts, which touch on his N.W.A. hits along with solo classics like “It Was a Good Day.” And he insists the 54-year-old Ice Cube is better equipped to handle it than the guy in his 20s.
“Well, I get a lot more rest, so I feel a lot more energetic,” he says.
“In your 20s and 30s, you want to do the show, you want to do the after-party, you want to hang out. Sleep is an afterthought. But when you do that, the show suffers.
“I recalibrated myself and now the show is the most important thing. Not hanging out. Not being in these cities and going to the coolest restaurants. None of that. It’s giving these people their money’s worth every night.”
And while Cube has never shied away from politics — N.W.A. and his early albums were scathing in their commentary — he says he keeps the current U.S. political climate out of his shows.
“My father told me this years ago, some of his greatest advice. He said, ‘No matter who’s the president, you gotta get up and go to work in the morning.’
“I keep it in perspective, you know. That stuff is personal choice. It’s like, ‘Who cares what I think? It’s really about what you think.’ It’s about your situation. I remember when it was taboo to even talk about politics and religion because you already knew it was going to cause division.
“I got a philosophy: mind your own business, you live longer. I’m taking my advice this election cycle.”
Ice Cube with guests Xzibit and Peter Jackson plays Meridian Centre in St. Catharines tonight at 7:30. For tickets go to ticketmaster.ca.