How Ice Cube Launched His Solo Career After Leaving N.W.A. at the Height of Their Fame
· Vice
In early 1987, iconic rap group N.W.A. formed in Compton, California. The first incarnation included Arabian Prince, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and DJ Yella. Later in 1988, MC Ren was added to the group as the sixth member. They released a split album, N.W.A. And The Posse in November 1987, later reissuing the album in November 1989. This split album peaked at No. 39 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, setting the group up for success with their debut album.
On January 25, 1989, N.W.A. released their debut album, Straight Outta Compton. Upon release, the album became the first gangsta rap album to sell over one million copies. It peaked at No. 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Chart and No. 37 on the Billboard 200. The debut album signaled the rise of gangsta rap ahead of the 90s, being credited as one of the most influential rap albums of all time.
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Arabian Prince left the group right before the debut release, the first sign of trouble within the group. In December 1989, Ice Cube quit the group, claiming he was underpaid and specifically called out their manager Jerry Heller and N.W.A. member Eazy-E. In a 1990 interview with Spin magazine, Ice Cube stated, “I wasn’t getting paid. When you contribute to the sale of three million albums, you expect more than $32,000.” He went on to claim Heller lives in a “half-million-dollar house in West Lake, and I’m still living at home with my mother.”
Heller later claimed that Ice Cube left the group out of jealousy of Eazy-E. This bitterness between Ice Cube and Heller strained the relationship between Eazy-E and Ice Cube. Luckily, the two reconciled and discussed a potential reunion, shortly before Eazy-E’s untimely death in 1995. When Heller died in 2016, Ice Cube publicly stated, “I’m not losing any sleep”.
Ice Cube Embarks On a Solo Career
Less than six months after his departure from the group, Ice Cube launched his solo career. On April 17, 1990, he released his debut single, the title track “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted”. For this debut release, the notorious West Coast rapper recorded the album in Greene Street Studio in New York City. It was a massive commercial success, quickly following up on his previous success with N.W.A.
Following the full album’s release on May 16, 1990, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted peaked at No. 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 19 on the Billboard 200. Later in 1990, Ice Cube followed up with the Kill At Will EP, which broke ground by peaking at No. 5 on the Hip-Hop chart. In 1991, Ice Cube continued his rise with his sophomore album, Death Certificate. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Also in 1991, Ice Cube made his feature film acting debut in Boyz N The Hood, further accelerating his solo career. Due to this, his third album, The Predator, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1992. The album generated Ice Cube’s biggest hits, “It Was A Good Day” and “Check Yo Self”. Ice Cube continued this success throughout the 90s, also adding to his acting career with the 1995 film Friday and many films in the late 90s and 2000s.
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