Ice Cube has been active in the news recently. He has been heavily promoting his role in the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film and his Big3 basketball league, as well as celebrating 50 years of hip hop. In addition to his press run, Cube has also recently been the subject of controversial headlines. The hip hop legend has never been afraid to speak his mind, but has received backlash for some polarizing opinions that he expressed in recent interviews. Many took issue with the platforms on which he appeared, what he actually said during his interviews, and his history of contentious ideologies. Today, we will be covering exactly why people are mad at Ice Cube.
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A Sit-Down With Piers Morgan
The recent outrage towards Cube stems from a series of controversial interviews that he conducted within the past month. He recently sat down with Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan for separate meetings where they discussed their political views and opinions. He also met with politicians Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dennis Kucinich.
Ice Cube told Piers Morgan that “Black people are in the same place” as they were in 1865 regarding racial oppression and Black ownership in America. He also denounced "cancel culture," saying that “you got to be willing to fight for your rights and fight for what you believe in.” While unafraid of getting canceled, Cube's discussion with Morgan was met with poor reception as the latter is a polarizing figure in English media known for his conservative politics and constant slander of Meghan Markle.
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Ice Cube & Tucker Carlson Meet
Ice Cube’s meeting with Tucker Carlson garnered the largest response from fans and casual viewers alike. He and Carlson expressed anti-vaccine sentiments in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as remarks towards politicians with “hidden agendas.” Cube called the COVID vaccine a “rush job” and encouraged his children to decline vaccination as well. However, he did not tell anyone publicly not to take the vaccine. The N.W.A. rapper has always stood firmly in his beliefs, but the public shared their views on his controversial interviews on social media.
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Backlash From Fans
Upon Ice Cube’s meetings with Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan, people took to Twitter/X to voice their opinions. His sit-downs with conservative platforms known for racist sentiments perplexed fans as the West Coast legend built his early career on being outspoken against institutional racism and police brutality with records like "F*ck The Police." Following Ice Cube's statements, he was met with tweets calling him a “sellout,” likening his political stances to that of Kanye West.
Many also expressed disappointment in the rapper for meeting with Tucker Carlson. One person tweeted, “I told you Ice Cube is a right winger.” Cube responded to many of these tweets, defending his views. While the backlash was overwhelmingly negative, some defended the rapper, including Chuck D of Public Enemy. However, this is not the first time that people have been critical of Ice Cube’s views and beliefs.
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Ice Cube's History Of Controversial Remarks
Many are calling out Ice Cube for going directly against the values that he built his career on. Unfortunately, he has a deep history of making controversial remarks throughout his career. On multiple occasions, he has expressed his beliefs in conspiracies as it pertains to the prison and the music industries. There is also a history of the rapper spewing antisemitic rhetoric that goes back as early as 1991 when he aimed lyrics on “No Vaseline” at his Jewish manager, Jerry Heller. In 2015, a rabbi sued Cube, claiming that his security team assaulted him outside of an MGM Casino. The rapper has maintained his innocence and denied assaulting anyone.
In 2020, Ice Cube posted a series of tweets with images relating to antisemitic conspiracy theories. He also praised Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader who is notoriously antisemitic and homophobic. Kanye West cited Cube as an inspiration for his antisemitic Twitter rants last year, though he distanced himself from West. Kanye later expressed that 21 Jump Street, which Ice Cube starred in, made him “like Jewish people again.”
Ice Cube once met with Donald Trump and received almost the exact same reactions to his most recent meetings with Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan. Each time that Ice Cube has angered the public, people have called him out for betraying the views that he expressed in his politically charged classics. He continues to remain unwavering in his opinions, vocalizing his beliefs no matter the reaction.
