Ice Cube's mind stays on music with other endeavors from BIG3 to NFL partnership keeping him busy

LOS ANGELES – Ice Cube could have chased trends to keep up with today’s rap game for his latest release, but instead, he stayed loyal to the gritty West Coast gangsta sound that’s been his signature since his early N.W.A. days and flourishing solo career.

Ice Cube stuck to his streetwise storytelling roots while inserting some West Coast rap party vibes on his 11th studio album “Man Down,” which was released on the same day as Kendrick Lamar’s surprise project late last month. Ice Cube's new album cracked the top 10 of Billboard’s top rap albums chart — his first time in 14 years — debuting at No. 8.

The rap icon made “Man Down” to satisfy his loyal listeners. He's known for churning out classic hip-hop jams such as “It Was a Good Day,” “Check Yo Self,” “No Vaseline” and “Steady Mobbin.”

“You have to serve your clientele,” Ice Cube said about “Man Down,” which features Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, E-40, Killer Mike, Xzibit, and Cypress Hill’s B-Real. His latest project is his first since 2018’s “Everythang’s Corrupt.”

“The people that got you here are the people you’re making the music for so to speak,” said Ice Cube, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A. in 2016. “Not always for the new fan or the new kid that’s just getting into music. That’s not who you should be reaching for if you’ve been in the game for almost four decades.”

In a recent interview, Ice Cube spoke with The Associated Press about his partnership with the NFL, the BIG3 basketball league and his thoughts after the U.S. presidential election.

Ice Cube's Contract with Black America progressive partnership with the NFL

Ice Cube first introduced the Contract with Black America to political leaders from both parties in 2020, and four years later, he’s still driving the conversation with the NFL.

He said CWBA's partnership with the league has gained traction since joining forces in 2022, creating opportunities for Black-owned businesses. The partnership between Cube's initiative and the NFL focuses on identifying opportunities in finance, tech and production.

“When they have an opening, they’ll give our people that we’ve put in front of them a shot at getting a job,” said Ice Cube, whose CWBA aims to address the wealth gap between Black and white Americans and economic inclusion.

The CWBA seeks to remove barriers and open doors.

“All we want is a shot,” he said. “All companies have to step up and earn that job. We just say ‘Hey, let us know when you got an opening in tech. ... and let us put a few companies in front of you. And let the best company win. They’ve picked a few of our companies and now they've gotten contracts with the NFL, which is great.”

Ice Cube hopes the CWBA will extend beyond the NFL, encouraging other companies to adopt the initiative as well. In 2020, he presented his proposal to both main political parties, including Donald Trump's campaign, a move that sparked criticism from those who thought he was supporting Trump at the time.

But that wasn't the case, Ice Cube said. Whichever party supports CWBA, he'll listen.

“Politically, they would have to show me an appetite for working with me,” he said. “I'm not a politician. I never went to these political parties and asked them for anything. I'm still down to help.”

More movies or nah?

While Ice Cube has made a mark in music, he's done the same in film too.

But with Hollywood grappling with challenges like the aftermath of two major strikes and the lingering effects of the pandemic, Ice Cube has chosen the independent route for his upcoming projects. For now, he's not being reliant on major studios.

“It'd be better to make independent movies and not go through the studio system,” said Ice Cube, who starred in the late John Singleton 's “Boyz in the Hood,” “Are We There Yet?“ and the ” Barbershop,” “ Ride Along ” and “Friday” franchise films. He also wrote, starred in, produced and directed the 1998 film “The Players Club.”

“With independent movies, I can do some great work that’s not sterilized by the studio,” he said. “When they make a big movie, they spend a lot of money. When they make a low budget movie, they want to cut it at every little nook and cranny to where sometimes they cut out the best parts. You have to combat that.”

Big moves for Ice Cube's BIG3

Ice Cube created a haven for athletes who seemed to have left their pro basketball days behind. Through his co-founded league, BIG3, he offered them a second shot — a sanctuary to keep their passion for the game alive.

His 3-on-3 basketball league is gearing up for its sixth straight year, with an expanded 11-week season kicking off in summer 2025. Since its launch in 2017, the league has evolved, transitioning to a traditional city-based model where teams host home games, moving away from its original road-game-only structure.

Earlier this year, BIG3 sold its first franchise in Los Angeles to a group of investors for $10 million. The games stream on CBS through Paramount+, and some stream on X.

“It’s growing every day. We do have some great new owners and figuring out with them the direction of the league, where should we be and planting our flag,” Ice Cube said about BIG3, which has starred former NBA players like Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette. Last year, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown became the first active NBA player to participate in a BIG3 game.

“You’re getting into the nuts and bolts of a big-time sports at the highest level,” Ice Cube said. “It’s exciting to be there and it’s a challenge every day. It’s no place I’d rather be. To affect sports on that level, it’s pretty cool from somebody who had to sneak in the Forum to see my first Laker game.”

Presidential elections afterthoughts

If the post-presidential election blues still have you in a funk heading into the inauguration on Jan. 20, Ice Cube has a bit of advice: Stop stressing.

Worrying won't change the outcome, he said.

“Stop thinking about the future so much,” he said. “The future is unknown. The future is anxiety, the past is depression. ... You got to believe in the future. Whatever made you strong enough to get to this point, you'll be strong enough to get you through whatever the future may bring. The key is to stop worrying about what’s going to happen and pay attention to what is happening. Work accordingly."