Ice Cube has raked in millions at the box office, but when looking back on his movie career there is one project he regrets passing up.
“I would say Menace II Society. I had a shot to do O-Dog, even though I think Larenz Tate killed it,” Cube revealed on the “On The Guest List” podcast.
The “It Was a Good Day” rapper made his movie debut starring in director John Singleton’s cult classic Boyz N The Hood in 1991. In the film, he played the neighborhood gang member Doughboy who had a rap sheet and bleak future. The success of the film cast the N.W.A. rapper in a new light, making a career as a movie star feasible. But Cube was apprehensive when it came to selecting roles after starring in the film.
“I just didn’t wanna be typecast. You know what I mean? I was like, ‘I just did Boyz N The Hood and they just gonna have me be the L.A. gangbanger, you know what I mean every damn movie,’” Cube elaborated. Cube said it was the second movie he’d been offered. And similar to Doughboy, O-Dog was a gang member with a short fuse and willingness to pull the trigger.
“I was like, ‘Nah I don’t wanna play that,’” said Cube. Menace II Society came out in 1993 and was dubbed a hood drama. Like Boyz N The Hood, the film starring Tate and Tyrin Turner quickly became a cult classic. “That was one movie that when I saw it I was like, ‘Ooo that role is cold,’” he added.
Cube has since gone on to star in and produce scores of films. He has also managed to rebrand himself as a rapper who makes funny films the entire family can watch. He has even inspired the younger generation of rappers to aspire past the stage. “I kind of want to be like an Ice Cube when it comes to rapping and acting,” said Migos rapper Quavo while speaking with GQ. He continued by giving Cube praise for transcending rap. “I don’t think people realize what that man did. He did it culturally in the music and with the movies. I feel like that’s what the world’s missing right now,” Quavo added.
Thanks for the acknowledgment. See you on the big screen. https://t.co/wVVwuI7E1v
— Ice Cube (@icecube) July 14, 2022