O’Shea Jackson Sr.  (𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 June 15, 1969), better known by his stage name  Ice Cube , is an American rapper and actor. Ice Cube is one of the founding artists of gangsta rap , initially gaining recognition as a major songwriter and member of the popular hip hop groups CIA and  N.W.A. , the latter of which became notorious for pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music, as well as visual effects in music videos.

After leaving N.W.A. in December 1989, Ice Cube embarked on a successful solo career, releasing the albums AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990) and  Death Certificate (1991), both of which achieved platinum certification in the United States, while also being classified as defining albums of the 1990s.  Much of his music has contained biting sociopolitical commentary and storytelling, and has earned him numerous awards from numerous publications and artists, often cited as a consistent influence, as well as acknowledging him as one of the greatest rappers of all time.

After the release of  Death Certificate , Ice Cube further rose to fame with his role in the critically acclaimed film Boyz n the Hood (1991), while he also co-wrote and starred in the television series  Friday  , renewing his public image as a movie star. Ice Cube also starred in television films such as  Barbershop , Ride Along , and XXX , and he also produced several other films, including  Straight Outta Compton (2015), a biopic about the band N.W.A.

Ice Cube also founded his own clothing brand Solo by Cube, as well as the 3 on 3 basketball tournament BIG3, which features many retired  NBA players .