Former N.W.A. rapper and South Central Los Angeles native Ice Cube has revealed to The Guardian who he would want on his team if he were in a rap battle. The ‘No Vaseline’ emcee has had several interviews as he prepares to head out on his ‘High Rollers Volume 1’ tour alongside West Coast acts such as Cypress Hill and The Game.
Ice Cube (real name O’Shea Jackson) will be performing in the UK for the first time since 2011. The upcoming tour will commence in Glasgow at the OVO Hydro and end in Nottingham. While speaking with The Guardian, Jackson spoke on a number of topics, including his past projects. Addressing his career as a solo artist following the dissipation of N.W.A., Jackson was asked which one of his solo albums was he most proud of.
After a brief ponder, the Crenshaw act responded, “I know it’s a cliche, but I did ’em, I put ’em out, so I’m proud of all of them. They’re all somewhat time capsules of the era and how me and my community was feeling about certain things. When you hang a picture on the wall, and you an artist, you don’t care what people think when they walk past ’cause you’re gone, and you’re doing your next piece.”
He was also asked which of his songs he believes has the best beat, to which he replied, “‘Natural Born Killaz’ by Dr Dre. It’s just everything I love in a beat it’s dynamic, it’s thick, it’s terrifying. It fitted my style like a glove. When I first heard it, I just went crazy. He said, ‘You wanna be on this?’ I never wanted to rap on something so bad.”
Concerning Dr Dre, The Guardian asked Jackson about ‘No Vaseline,’ his 1991 diss track aimed at N.W.A. When asked if he regrets it, Jackson responded, “No Vaseline is hands down the greatest diss song in rap history. Because you got one MC taking out four guys and the manager. To me, it’s what a diss song is supposed to be: go for the jugular. You can’t play when you dissing somebody, so I don’t cringe.”
He continued, “I don’t flow with society cherrypicking what it wants to be outraged about. I think people should say what they mean, mean what they say, and not censor themselves. I love that song, it’s a time capsule of 1991, so it is what it is.”
As the interview concluded, he was asked about his ultimate rap battle team and who he would recruit. Jackson highlighted two renowned lyricists, stating, Eminem is one of the best rappers that’s ever blessed the mic, and I feel the same way about Lil Wayne – I wouldn’t mind going into battle with those two!”
