One thing Ice Cube doesn’t want anyone to do is call him a sellout.
The radical rapper, whose career was launched with the controversial anti-police anthem “F##ck the Police,” has faced harsh criticism over the last few years after aligning himself with President Donald Trump and the American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) organization, a group that publicly seek to alienate themselves from Blacks in America that are immigrants.
Recently, he and a fan had an exchange that questioned if he was the same guy that put out “Rollin’ Wit The Lench Mob” back in the day — arguing that he looks and sounds very different in 2023.
“My brotha ice cube, I’ve been listening to you since 1993. You went from arrest the president, fuk the police, straight outta Compton, the list goes on I’m highly disappointed in you brotha, what’s your mission? Because of you I still rep the West pls tell me your not selling out,” one person tweeted.
Ice Cube replied, “Sellout? I work for myself. I’m self-made. How do you feed your family??? How much do you sell your time for per hour on your job?”
Another person followed up, “Cube sold out a long time ago my absolute fave rapper I still listen to Amerikkks most wanted will never stop listening to it but knows a party is screwing the African American comm.and still endorse them this is a sell out people are not doing better , they are doing worse.”
In 2020, Ice Cube got some backlash after his interactions with the Donald Trump campaign generated the perception that he was working to undermine Black support for Trump’s Democratic opponent in the presidential race, Joe Biden. Late in the 2020 election cycle the rapper unveiled his self-proclaimed “Contract With Black America,” a set of policy proposals for African-Americans, and then trumpeted about the Trump campaign’s willingness to engage with him about his ideas.
After Trump campaign officials met with him that fall, he pointed out that the Biden campaign was not engaging with him, which led to accusations he was trying to get African-Americans to vote Republican.
The “sellout” blowback from 2020 has not abated for Ice Cube.
“Ice Cube only shows up every four years to tell Black people to vote for Republicans who are openly suppressing the Black vote, whitewashing/banning Black History, & killing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs that support Black folks. Hard pass!”
