Happy Birthday, Ice Cube!

Just yesterday, we celebrated MC Ren's birthday. Today (June 15), we celebrate the born day of another N.W.A member. Ice Cube turns 46 years old.

Ice Cube is the second greatest N.W.A artist and the first to break out as a solo star -- the first being Eazy-E. To do so, Ice Cube took a chance and looked toward the East Coast. The Bomb Squad's sonic collages were a major part of Public Enemy's success, and they fit well with Ice Cube's militant voice and frank rhetoric. The same production team that worked with P.E. connected for the chaotic but necessary AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted in 1990, one of the most influential West Cost albums to come out of the '90s. Ice Cube also had the longest solo hot streak of the N.W.A crew; Death Certificate (1991) and The Predator (1992), the latter which featured the hip-hop classic "It Was Good Day," were also acclaimed.

The rapper, born O'Shea Jackson, Sr., released his three classic albums in three consecutive years. It's impressive, but it meant that the streak would have to come to an end quicker. It did. However, Ice Cube is multitalented. After MC Ren turned down the role, Ice Cube knocked his turn as Doughboy out of the park for the classic film Boyz n the Hood.

While he slowed down his music output, Ice Cube ended up finding consistent work in film. Despite his perpetual scowl, he's managed to land roles in family flicks like Are We There Yet? and First Sunday. He also starred in acclaimed franchises like Friday and 21 Jump Street. It's a peculiar career path for someone once known for being one of the hardest gangster rap lyricists of all time. But Ice Cube's early discography is timeless, and a life on the big screen ensured that he never unjustly fell out of relevance.

Watch Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day" Video

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