Ice Cube

Born O'Shea Jackson in Los Angeles on June 15, 1969, Ice Cube began writing rap lyrics in high school, honing his skills and playing with his own group, CIA, before joining forces with Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and others to form the seminal gangsta rap group N.W.A. After splitting with the group in 1989, he began to explore acting, making his big-screen debut in John Singleton's Boyz N the Hood.

Ice Cube's performance garnered excellent reviews -- and more movie offers. A year later, he appeared opposite fellow rapper Ice-T in Walter Hill's Trespass, and in 1995 he teamed again with Singleton for the drama Higher Learning. Since then, Ice Cube has taken to writing, directing and producing as well for movies such as The Players Club (in which he also acted).

More recent films for Ice Cube include Three Kings, Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004).

Filmography