O'Shea Jackson (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His work on N.W.A.'s 1989 album Straight Outta Compton helped boost gangsta rap's popularity. His political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992) were all critically and commercially successful. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A in 2016. A native of Los Angeles, Ice Cube formed his first rap group, C.I.A., in 1986. In 1987, with Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, he formed the gangsta rap group N.W.A. As its lead rapper, Ice Cube also wrote most of the lyrics on Straight Outta Compton. This landmark album shaped West Coast hip-hop's early violent and controversial identity. It helped differentiate it from East Coast rap. After a monetary dispute over the group's management by Eazy-E and Jerry Heller, Ice Cube left N.W.A in late 1989 and embarked on a solo career, releasing eleven albums, with seven charting within the top-10 on the U.S. Billboard200. His singles "It Was a Good Day", "Check Yo Self", "You Know How We Do It", "Bop Gun (One Nation)", "Pushin' Weight", and "You Can Do It" all charted in the top-40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Ice Cube has also had an active film career since the early 1990s. His first acting role was in the hood film Boyz n the Hood (1991), named after a 1987 N.W.A. song he wrote. He also co-wrote and starred in the 1995 comedy film Friday, which spawned a franchise and reshaped his public image into an actor. He made his directorial debut with the 1998 film The Players Club, and also produced and curated the film's accompanying soundtrack. His film credits include comedies Three Kings (1999), the Barbershop and Are We There Yet? franchises, 21 Jump Street (2012), 22 Jump Street (2014), Ride Along (2014) and Ride Along 2 (2016). He has also appeared in the XXX franchise (2005–2017), the crime drama Rampart (2012), the animated fantasy The Book of Life (2014), and the thriller War of the Worlds (2025). Ice Cube has also served as executive producer, including for the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ice Cube, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- June 15, 1969 (57)
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Actor, producer and writer, also director
- 50 on MovieCove · 75 credits in all
What are Ice Cube's films like?
Across their 43 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 6 · Wry 3 · Earnest 31
Light 30 · Serious 4 · Dark 7
A split, not a type: Grounded 26 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 7
A split, not a type: Gentle 14 · Charged 11 · Intense 16
Steady 16 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 8
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 20
Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 24 · Relentless 9
Casual 31 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 29 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 8
Resolved 36 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 14 of 27 analyzed roles.
Show the 27 rolesHide the roles
- Heroas Doughboy in Boyz n the Hood (1991)
- Tricksteras Savon in Trespass (1992)
- Heroas Craig Jones in Friday (1995)
- Allyas Danny Rich in Anaconda (1997)
- Allyas Chief Elgin in Three Kings (1999)
- Heroas Craig Jones in Next Friday (2000)
- Allyas Desolation Williams in Ghosts of Mars (2001)
- Heroas Bucum in All About the Benjamins (2002)
- Heroas Craig in Friday After Next (2002)
- Heroas Calvin Palmer in Barbershop (2002)
- Shapeshifteras Trey in Torque (2004)
- Heroas Calvin in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)
- Heroas Nick Persons in Are We There Yet? (2005)
- Heroas Darius Stone in xXx: State of the Union (2005)
- Heroas Nick Persons in Are We Done Yet? (2007)
- Heroas Durell Washington in First Sunday (2008)
- Mentoras Curtis in The Longshots (2008)
- Heroas Russell Redds in The Janky Promoters (2009)
- Mentoras Mr. Washington in Lottery Ticket (2010)
- Heraldas Captain Dickson in 21 Jump Street (2012)
- Mentoras James Payton in Ride Along (2014)
- Mentoras Captain Dickson in 22 Jump Street (2014)
- Heroas Calvin in Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016)
- Mentoras James Payton in Ride Along 2 (2016)
- Shadowas Strickland in Fist Fight (2017)
- Shadowas Jack Robertson in The High Note (2020)
- Heroas William Radford in War of the Worlds (2025)
Moods and endings
- Happy24
- Bittersweet16
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Ice Cube's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 42 of their 50 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (21).
- Boyz n the Hood (1991) · actor · free
- Higher Learning (1995) · actor · free
- Barbershop (2002) · actor · free
- The Bernie Mac Show (2001) · actor · free
- NWA & Eazy-E: Kings of Compton (2016) · actor · free
- The Players Club (1998) · actor, director, writer, producer · free
- Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016) · actor, producer · free
- Beauty Shop (2005) · producer · free
- All About the Benjamins (2002) · actor, writer, producer · free
- Comin' Up Short (2021) · actor, producer · free
- Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004) · actor, producer · free
- Rampart (2011) · actor · free
- +9 more
Subscription and free streaming for Ice Cube's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
75 credits, 50 with a MovieCove page; 69 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
24 Jump Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)
Anaconda(2025)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
War of the Worlds(2025)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
The Studio(2025)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
N.W.A.: Not Without Alonzo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Comin' Up Short(2021)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
The DOC (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all showsBeats Music Presents: It Was A Good Day, The Live 90s Hip Hop Playlist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
The High Note(2020)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all filmsThe Tuck Rule (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Comedy Central's Colossal Clusterfest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Fist Fight(2017)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Barbershop: The Next Cut(2016)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Flashback Cops (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Ride Along 2(2016)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Straight Outta Compton(2015)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Book of Life(2014)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
22 Jump Street(2014)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
The Rebels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Ride Along(2014)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
21 Jump Street(2012)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Rampart(2011)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Lottery Ticket(2010)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Are We There Yet?(2010)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows
Straight Outta L.A. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
The Janky Promoters(2009)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
30 for 30(2009)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
‘Friday’ Straight Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
The Longshots(2008)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
First Sunday(2008)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Friday: The Animated Series (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Are We Done Yet?(2007)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Black. White. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Barbershop(2005)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows
Criss Angel Mindfreak(2005)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows
xXx: State of the Union(2005)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Beauty Shop(2005)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Are We There Yet?(2005)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Torque(2004)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all filmsWestside Connection: Gangsta Nation Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Friday After Next(2002)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Barbershop(2002)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
All About the Benjamins(2002)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
The Bernie Mac Show(2001)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows
Ghosts of Mars(2001)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
Primetime Glick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Woodstock '99(1999)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Next Friday(2000)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Thicker Than Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Three Kings(1999)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
I Got the Hook Up(1998)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
The Players Club(1998)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Anaconda(1997)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
Dangerous Ground (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
The Jamie Foxx Show(1996)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows
Rap: Looking for the Perfect Beat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Friday(1995)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Higher Learning(1995)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
The Glass Shield(1994)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Trespass(1992)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Boyz n the Hood(1991)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Public Enemy - Burn Hollywood Burn feat. Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Live with Kelly and Mark(1988)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all showsAccidentes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Are They Gone Yet? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Cube & Epps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Humbug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Last Friday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Outside Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Ride Along 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 73 titles, 65 of them dated from 1988 to 2025; peak year 2001.
Biggest box office
xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017)
Highest rated
The Up in Smoke Tour (2000)
Most popular right now
War of the Worlds (2025)
Film career
Peak 2001 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 29 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1991Screen debut· Boyz n the Hood
- 1995First top-billed film· Friday
- 1995Breakout· Friday
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
Awards
Nominated for a Producers Guild Award in 2016, Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Ice Cube's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 39th percentile, the median of all 41; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 48th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up11
- 50th to 74th9
- 25th to 49th14
- Below 25th16
Shape of the crowd
23 of their 50 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved4
- Divisive2
- Cult Classic4
- Crowd Pleaser14
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed23
Reviewers score the acting 59/100 in their films, across 36 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 37. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Ice Cube's work okay for kids?
Across up to 28 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Ice Cube work with?
People who share at least 2 of Ice Cube's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Matt Alvarez shares the most, 15.
Directors
- Tim StoryShared titles: Ride Along 2 (2016), Ride Along (2014), First Sunday (2008), Barbershop (2002)See all 4 shared titles with Tim Story
- John SingletonShared titles: Friendly Fire: Making an Urban Legend (2003), Higher Learning (1995), Boyz n the Hood (1991)See all 3 shared titles with John Singleton
- F. Gary GrayShared titles: Straight Outta Compton (2015), Friday (1995)See all 2 shared titles with F. Gary Gray
- Christopher MillerShared titles: 22 Jump Street (2014), 21 Jump Street (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Christopher Miller
Writers
- Mark BrownShared titles: Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), Barbershop (2002)See all 3 shared titles with Mark Brown
- DJ PoohShared titles: Friday After Next (2002), Next Friday (2000), Friday (1995)See all 3 shared titles with DJ Pooh
- Matt ManfrediShared titles: Ride Along 2 (2016), Ride Along (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Matt Manfredi
- Phil HayShared titles: Ride Along 2 (2016), Ride Along (2014)See all 2 shared titles with Phil Hay
Actors
- Mike EppsShared titles: Lottery Ticket (2010), The Janky Promoters (2009), All About the Benjamins (2002), Friday After Next (2002), Next Friday (2000)See all 5 shared titles with Mike Epps
- Nia LongShared titles: Are We Done Yet? (2007), Are We There Yet? (2005), Friendly Fire: Making an Urban Legend (2003), Friday (1995), Boyz n the Hood (1991)See all 5 shared titles with Nia Long
- Laurence FishburneShared titles: Ride Along (2014), Friendly Fire: Making an Urban Legend (2003), Higher Learning (1995), Boyz n the Hood (1991)See all 4 shared titles with Laurence Fishburne
- Regina KingShared titles: Friendly Fire: Making an Urban Legend (2003), Friday (1995), Higher Learning (1995), Boyz n the Hood (1991)See all 4 shared titles with Regina King
Composers and cinematographers
- Stanley ClarkeShared titles: Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016), First Sunday (2008), Higher Learning (1995), Boyz n the Hood (1991)See all 4 shared titles with Stanley Clarke
- Teddy CastellucciShared titles: Lottery Ticket (2010), The Longshots (2008), Are We Done Yet? (2007)See all 3 shared titles with Teddy Castellucci
- John MurphyShared titles: The Janky Promoters (2009), All About the Benjamins (2002), Friday After Next (2002)See all 3 shared titles with John Murphy
- Tom Priestley Jr.Shared titles: The Janky Promoters (2009), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), Barbershop (2002)See all 3 shared titles with Tom Priestley Jr.
Producers
- Matt AlvarezShared titles: Ride Along 2 (2016), Straight Outta Compton (2015), Ride Along (2014), Lottery Ticket (2010), The Janky Promoters (2009), First Sunday (2008), The Longshots (2008), Are We Done Yet? (2007), Are We There Yet? (2005), Beauty Shop (2005), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), All About the Benjamins (2002) and 3 moreSee newest 12 of 15 shared titles with Matt Alvarez
- Ronald G. MuhammadShared titles: Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016), Ride Along (2014), First Sunday (2008), The Longshots (2008), Are We Done Yet? (2007), All About the Benjamins (2002)See all 6 shared titles with Ronald G. Muhammad
- George Tillman Jr.Shared titles: Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016), Beauty Shop (2005), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), Barbershop (2002)See all 4 shared titles with George Tillman Jr.
- Robert TeitelShared titles: Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016), Beauty Shop (2005), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), Barbershop (2002)See all 4 shared titles with Robert Teitel
Mixed roles
- Steve NicolaidesShared titles: Friendly Fire: Making an Urban Legend (2003), Boyz n the Hood (1991)See all 2 shared titles with Steve Nicolaides