There was a long period where Ice Cube fans could hear him on the radio and see him in theaters. The California native is one of the few hip-hop artists to successfully make the transition from music to acting, with over 108 acting credits under his belt.
Cube’s latest film, War of the Worlds, a science fiction thriller based on English writer H. G. Wells’s novel of the same name, is currently going viral for its rare Rotten Tomatoes score.
While the movie isn’t seen as his best, let’s take a look at four of the artist’s most popular films and their stellar Tomatometer scores.
Boyz N The Hood (1991)
Boyz N The Hood is a Black culture classic directed by the legendary John Singleton. This movie is Ice Cube’s film debut.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Release Date: July 12, 1991
Main Cast: Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long, Tyra Ferrell, Regina King, and Angela Bassett.
Synopsis: Tre is sent to live with his father in tough South Central Los Angeles. His hard-nosed father instills proper values in him. Brandi, his girlfriend teaches him about faith. Meanwhile, Tre’s friends Doughboy and Ricky don’t have the same kind of support. They fall into the neighborhood’s booming drug and gang culture.
Friday (1995)
Friday is THE Ice Cube film, he and comedian Chris Tucker made a buddy-comedy that exceeded expectations. Next Friday and Friday After Next would follow with The Last Friday currently in the works.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%
Release Date: April 26, 1995
Main Cast: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr., Regina King, Anna Maria Horsford, John Witherspoon, and Bernie Mac.
Synopsis: Craig gets fired for stealing boxes on his day off, and Smokey attempts to find a way to make his friend forget about his troubles. In the process, they find themselves with bigger issues: dealing with a neighborhood bully, Deebo, and owing money to a known drug dealer, Big Worm… all in one day.
Three Kings (1999)
In Three Kings, fans of the rapper saw him in a different kind of role, one that showed his ability to be versatile.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Release Date: October 1, 1999
Main Cast: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze.
Synopsis: Four American soldiers are on a gold heist during the 1991 uprisings in Iraq against Saddam Hussein following the end of the First Gulf War.
Barbershop (2002)
Not many rappers-turned-actors have a successful film series under their belts, but Ice Cube has two. After he released Barbershop, Barbershop 2: Back in Business and Barbershop: The Next Cut followed.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%
Release Date: September 13, 2002
Main Cast: Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Eve, Troy Garity, Michael Ealy, Leonard Earl Howze, Keith David and Cedric the Entertainer.
Synopsis: Calvin inherits his father’s struggling barbershop and initially views the place as a waste of his time. That is, until he learns the true value of family, community, and having a space that brings people in the neighborhood together. He then has to fight to get the shop back.
Photo credit: Lucas Pezeta via pexels
