Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
As told to Safi Bugel

Ice Cube: ‘Keep your reparations. It’s about access to capital, and we’re being shut out’

Ice Cube … ‘I won’t be a politician. They don’t have no power. So either make me king, or nothing.’
Ice Cube … ‘I won’t be a politician. They don’t have no power. So either make me king, or nothing.’ Photograph: no credit

Doughboy is the most heartbreaking character in Boyz N the Hood. I find your performance so raw and authentic. What informed it? HappyEnough
I actually grew up not too far from where we shot that movie, so I knew guys like Tre who didn’t wanna gang bang, just wanted to live his life and be happy. I knew cats like Doughboy that was dead set on gaining respect in the neighbourhood. When Laurence Fishburne played Tre’s father in the movie, he told me to not act and to just be Doughboy. That made me relax and do what I knew was right; go with my instincts.

You took white America’s racism and shoved it back in its face articulately. Have you ever wondered what you’d have done as a young man if you hadn’t had to fight against racial injustice? tooskinttogotocuba
It’s a weight and an anchor that holds back production. Without that constant obstacle from all directions – and sometimes it’s an unseen obstacle – I would be bigger and better, no doubt. We all would. Even white people, because when you lock somebody up, the correction officers are in jail too. So, to come up with systems to hold people back, you’re actually holding yourself back.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.