O'Shea Jackson, stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer.
The son of Doris Jackson, a hospital clerk and custodian, and Hosea Jackson, who worked as a groundskeeper at UCLA. At age sixteen, Jackson developed an interest in hip hop music, and began writing raps in Taft High School's keyboarding class. He attended the Phoenix Institute of Technology in the fall of 1987, and studied Architectural Drafting. With friend Sir Jinx, Jackson formed the C.I.A., and they performed at parties hosted by Dr. Dre.
In 1990, Jackson recorded his debut solo album in Los Angeles with the Bomb Squad (Public Enemy's production team). AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was released in February 1990 and was an instant hit, riding and contributing to the rising tide of rap's popularity in mainstream society. In 1996, Jackson formed Westside Connection with Mack 10 and WC, and together they released an album called Bow Down. Most of the album was used to engage in the war of words between the East and West Coasts of the 90s.
In 1997 Jackson starred in the action thriller Dangerous Ground as a South African exiled from his country to escape to America and returns fifteen years later, he also had a supporting role in the film Anaconda that same year. He wrote, executive produced, and made his directorial debut in The Players Club in 1998, and in 1999, starred alongside George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg in the critically acclaimed Three Kings. In 2000, he wrote and appeared in the Friday sequel Next Friday. In 2002, Ice Cube starred in the commercially successful movie Barbershop, as well as All About the Benjamins and the third film in the Friday trilogy, Friday after Next. In 2004, he appeared in Barbershop 2: Back in Business, and Torque; in 2005 he starred in the action movie XXX: State of the Union, the comedy Are We There Yet? and Are We Done Yet?, co-starring Nia Long.
In 2004, his hit singles "Check Yo Self", "It Was a Good Day" and affiliated song "Guerrillas in tha Mist" with Da Lench Mob appeared on popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on fictional radio station Radio Los Santos.