Ice Cube has recently been everywhere promoting his ‘Contract With Black America’ to politicians. However, he now admits that he turned down an opportunity to be on a “Black Man’s Listening Party” Zoom call with vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris and other Black entertainers last month.
While the rapper and actor has maintained that Democrats told him they would wait until after the election to look at his proposals, Ice Cube has revealed that he rejected a Zoom call with the California senator that included D.L. Hughley, Snoop Dogg and Killer Mike.
In a Oct. 20 interview on Fox Soul’s “Cocktails with Queens,” Ice Cube explained to hosts Claudia Jordan, Vivica A. Fox, LisaRaye McCoy, and Syleena Johnson why he felt the call wasn’t in his best interests.
“Kamala Harris’ folks reached out to you and wanted you to be on this Zoom call because they thought your voice was important. Why did you choose to not participate in that?” Jordan asked.
“We had spent a lot of people’s time putting the contract with Black America together, and I just thought that getting on a Zoom call with 12 other entertainers all shooting what they believe needs to be done, to me wasn’t going to be productive,” Ice Cube said.
In addition, Ice Cube claimed that his lawyer had a “connection” to Harris and he was promised a personal call that never materialized.
“I felt like our plan was so broad that you can’t talk about it with 12 other people who had nothing to do with it. I wanted to have a serious conversation and not just a rowdy crowd,” he continued.
“But you said you would talk to anyone that was willing to help,” said Johnson.
“I just said that they said they were going to call me direct and I never got that call. … It never came,” responded Ice Cube.
“So don’t no kind of way work, if it’s not the way you start it — or want it? Got it,” Johnson interjected.
“Well, I want to get things done, I don’t want to just spin my wheels talking to people who can’t really make it happen,” Ice Cube answered.
Jordan pointed out that, in Harris’ favor, “She’s the vice presidential candidate.”
Ice Cube responded, “When I had the Zoom call with the DNC, the Democratic Party, we was on the call for probably over 45 minutes, and we never even got to the Contract with Black America,” he said. “We never went through any of the points that needs to be dealt with when it comes to the situation in this country.”
Raye said, “You could have led the call, and had supporters on listening to what … You’re trying to get them to be able to help rally with, the initiative for that.”
Ice Cube said that he had been fine using his own press to do that, and was able to reach “all of America, all of Black America.”
Though the questioning persisted, Ice Cube said he did not regret joining the call.
“I don’t feel like I made a mistake for not being on the call [with Sen. Harris].”
One of the celebrities who did join the call, D.L. Hughley, responded to the interview on Instagram, defending Harris and the others involved.
“We were all on that call for the same reason,” Hughley wrote, “to GET S—T DONE!!”
“I don’t think me or any of the other 11 BLACK MEN were on that call to be a cheerleader or for a rally…but before we can hold this sista accountable, FIRST we should be there to hold her down! Maybe she didn’t give him a personal call because SHE was busy trying to get s—t done too. Like getting F—N ELECTED!”
Hughley also shared a tweet of a clip from the interview, and in response to Cube’s quote “I want to get things done,” said, “Damn! My bad I thought that was the reason me and 11 other black men were on that too!”
