How much is Ice Cube worth?
| Net Worth: | $145 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Rapper |
| Date of Birth: | June 15, 1969 |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 1.73 m |
About Ice Cube
Ice Cube is the professional stage name of O’Shea Jackson, an American rapper, actor, writer, director and producer. His stage name comes from when his elder brother threatened to push him into a freezer and leave him there until he was an ice cube.
He formed the rap group C.I.A. in 1986 at age 17. The following year he joined with Dr. Dre and Eazy-E to form the gansta rap group N.W.A. Bu 1989 he had left N.W.A and launched his solo career.
Ice Cube was well-known in hip-hop before he launched his solo career. His time with C.I.A. and N.W.A. had made him an influential songwriter and performer. This fame and early success laid a strong foundation for his solo career.
His first solo works were controversial and embodied strongly held views. The first two albums he released AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted and Death Certificate, in 1990 and 1991 included criticism of gay men, white people, black people, women, Jerry Heller and Korean Store Owners.
Jerry Heller was a target of his ire because he had been involved in the management of N.W.A. and Ice Cube had clashed with him. Both albums are considered to be political criticism and to contain the seeds of ideas that were to influence rap music for thirty years. He has released ten albums up to 2018, all of which has been successful commercially.
Also in 1991, Ice Cube launched his movie acting career as Doughboy in Boyz n the Hood. He followed this with the film Friday that he co-wrote and took the lead role in. He also appeared in the sequels. These films saw Ice Cube adopt a different persona, this time as a cool and friendly film star.
In 1998 he directed his first movie The Player’s Club . He has appeared in around 40 movies, including Three Kings, the Barbershop series and the Ride Along comedy films. He also appeared in the cult hit Anaconda and in both 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street. He also starred with Kevin Hart in Ride Along and Ride Along 2.
In 2015 he was executive producer for the biographical movie Straight Outta Compton in which he was played by his son O’Shea Jackson Jr.
On television he starred in the family sitcom Are We There Yet? which proved both popular and successful, being commissioned for a total of seven series. These series were spin-offs from his film of the same name.
He also had a documentary aired on ESPN entitled Straight Outta L.A. which examined the roots of gangsta rap and followed its development. The documentary linked the early rise of gansta rap to developments in American Football.
Ice Cube is still active as an actor and performer, and he has made some controversial comments on social media in the wake of the protests surrounding the death of George Floyd in mid-2020.
Ice Cube’s net worth has been accrued from his music career, along with various TV and movie parts, as well as his role in producing both movies and music. He also earns royalties from his song writing. He has business interests outside music and endorses a range of products.
Ice Cube has a presence on social media, with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Ice Cube had an interest in rap music from a young age. He was able to be involved in gansta rap from the earliest days, and made his name as a singer of controversial and sometimes offensive songs.
By changing course at an appropriate time, he was also able to develop a successful career as an actor, appearing in some 40 films, and also starring in several TV shows. When he was enjoying his successful music career, film work was an aside, but grew to be a major part of the work he does. He has continued to make music throughout, although his music career has taken second place to his acting career in recent years.
Ice Cube’s approach throughout his career has been uncompromising. He determined to make it in hip-hop and was involved with successful groups from his teens. He knew that working hard and making the most of his talent was the best and most promising way to achieve success. He did not, however, rely entirely on a future in music.
He qualified as an architectural draftsman and kept it as an alternative career should things not work out for him in music. This shows that he knew the world he was about to enter could be fickle, and that success was not guaranteed.
Ice Cube was coming into gansta rap at its birth, and there was no certainty that it would catch the public imagination. More recent entrants into the hip hop genre have people like Ice Cube as examples to follow and be inspired by.
Ice Cube certainly believes that doing the best work possible will give you personal satisfaction and pride. Success will follow if your work is as good as you can make it. He also adds that in any situation, the worst thing you can do is nothing. He feels that every situation demands a response, and you are letting yourself down if you fail to provide that response.
For Ice Cube, music is the great giver of freedom. He has said that his life would be meaningless without that freedom. He largely went his own way and did what he wanted to do, and success followed. The criticism and controversies, he feels, were necessary parts of that success.
Ice Cube also pays tribute to his childhood and youth. He feels that what happens in your childhood stays with you throughout life, and is the greatest influence on the decisions you make later on. He advises against wasting your one chance at having a brilliant, fulfilled life.
Cube’s Total Net Worth
Ice Cube has earned estimated total career income of $275 million dollars. As Cube lives in the state of California, he will have had to pay around 49% in taxes on his career income. After tax, it is estimated that his career earnings are at around $140.25 million dollars, having paid $134.75 million dollars in taxes.
Ice Cube married Kimberly Woodruff in 1992 and they remain together. They have five children. In his personal life he has likely spent $8-9 million dollars of his career earnings but also earned $12-15 million dollars from his investments. In real estate, he bought a large mansion in Encino, Californiafor $2.36 million 1996. In 2012, he bought a $7 million dollar mansion from Jean-Claude Van Damme. In 2016, he bought a $7.25 million dollar property in Marina Del Rey, California.
He will have had to pay around $6-7 million dollars in business related costs. As he also owns assets, not including real estate, valued at an estimated $4-5 million dollars, it is likely that Ice Cube has a net worth of a rounded $145 million dollars.
Summing-Up
Ice Cube is doubtless a controversial character. He portrays to the world an outspoken character who sometimes offends people with his statements. On the other hand he is seen by many as an easygoing, popular movie star, who appears in comedies and family films and television shows. This split shows that a person can have a career that takes two different routes without one adversely affecting the other.
Ice Cube is an inspiration to performers trying to make it in hip-hop, and he can be an inspiration to all of us. His hard-working approach to life shows that success is achievable, whatever field you decide to enter.
