Multi-hyphenate talent O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson got his big break in Hollywood when he starred in the cult classic “Boyz N Da Hood” over two decades ago.
The film is a coming-of-age story set in South Central Los Angeles. The film stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett and other actors who have become household names.
But while the story of three Black teens choosing their path in life — one pursuing a collegiate football career, another the gang life and the last uncertain of which way to go — was perfect for a young Jackson, he nearly missed out on his big break.
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The former “N.W.A.” member recalled his introduction to the film taking place in the late ’80s when he encountered the film’s creator and director, John Singleton. Speaking with rapper Gillie da King and social media influencer Wallo267, Jackson said the first of several chance encounters occurred while he was at the “Arsenio Hall Show.”
“Dude walk up to me, he’s an intern, he’s like ‘Yo man you in N.W.A. huh?’ I’m like ‘Yeah’ …this is before we were famous like household names, and so I’m like ‘Yeah, yeah,’ ” explained Jackson on the Monday, July 26, episode of “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast.
“You know, he’s like ‘Man, I got the perfect movie for you dude.’ I’m like ‘What? You got the perfect movie for me?’ I’m like for one I’m not an actor so I’m looking at him like he crazy because it was just unusual for someone to walk up to a rapper talking about ‘I want you to act’ back then, so I was like ‘whatever man.’ So he was just telling me about the movie, he actually wanted all of us in the movie — he wanted Eazy in the movie, Dre and them — and I guess he said he ran into them but they didn’t take him serious. At that time I didn’t take him serious, I was like ‘all right man; that’s cool.’ ”
He continued by explaining that months later he again ran into an ever-determined Singleton who excitedly told him he still wanted him to star in first feature film. “He walked up to me saying the same stuff you know, ‘You perfect man. I’ma junior at USC man [University of Southern California] but dude when I graduate I’ma put you in this movie,” recalled the “F—k the Police” emcee.
