Born O'Shea Jackson on June 15, 1969, in South Central Los Angeles, Cube is the son of machinist Hosea and hospital clerk Doris. His cousin is the rapper Del Tha Funkee Homosapien. Interested in music even as a small child, he began writing raps while a pupil at William Howard Taft High School. After graduation he studied drafting at the Phoenix Institute of Technology in Texas, but dropped out after just one year to form the band CIA with his friend Sir Jinx, playing at parties DJ'ed by Dr. Dre, who subsequently produced his début mix tape, My Posse. An attempted collaboration with Eazy E then led to him becoming a member of NWA, in which his writing talent would prove to be the key to success. Their landmark album, Straight Outta Compton, announced Cube as a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately business disputes led to him leaving the group shortly thereafter and the resulting feud would last for several years.
Now an established talent, Cube teamed up with Public Enemy to create Amerikkka's Most Wanted, an album which attracted both controversy and critical acclaim. His aggressive, heavily politicized lyrics shocked America in the run-up to the L.A. riots, and he followed it up with the chart-topping Death Certificate. Accusations of racism and misogyny only served to raise his public profile. His next album, The Predator, was equally well received, and though his success declined somewhat thereafter, he continued to command a loyal fan base.
Besides making music, Cube has enjoyed a successful career in the film industry. This began in 1991 with a role in John Singleton's Boyz N The Hood, named after one of his earliest songs, which also featured Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Angela Bassett. Both the film and his performance were well received by critics and he subsequently starred in a number of other popular movies, including Dangerous Ground, with Ron Smerczak and Elizabeth Hurley; Anaconda, with Jennifer Lopez and Jon Voight; Three Kings, with George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg; and John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars, with Natasha Henstridge and Pam Grier. He was nominated for an Image Award for his work alongside Omar Epps and Kristy Swanson in Higher Learning.
Appearing in films has only been one aspect of Cube's involvement with this industry; he has also worked as a producer and has demonstrated considerable talent as a director, working on 1998's The Players Club with LisaRaye and Jamie Foxx. He has directed a number of music videos for artists including Prince and Color Me Badd.
Cube's music career has involved several collaborative projects alongside his solo work. Notably, he has worked with Da Lench Mob, Kam, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tupac Shakur, Ice-T, Korn, Lil Eazy, Stereo Crew, and Gorillaz. He was responsible for discovering the rapper Yo-yo.
In 1992 Cube married Kim Jackson, with whom he has four children. He is a devout Muslim, having converted in 1992, though he denies claims that he is associated with the Nation of Islam.
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