Ice Cube clapped back at a social media troll who claimed the rapper has “direct knowledge” of a conspiracy theory about the violence in gangsta rap, record labels, and the private prison industry.
The fan posted a video shared by right-wing conservative “Info Wars” host Alex Jones claiming that the rapper was in cahoots with the CIA to radicalize Black people through gangsta rap.
The far-right conspiracy theorist captioned his post, “CIA Race War Program Behind Radicalization Of Blacks Via Gangster Rap– Ice Cube Responds.” He paired the post with a video of Cube being interviewed on the podcast, “Club Random with Bill Maher” last August.
Cube claimed in the video that the same people who own record labels push a certain narrative, where “record label guys” or “committees” tell the artist, “This is hot say that, do this.'” He said those same people also own private prisons.
“Literally the same people who own the labels own private prisons,” he said, adding that the records that came out in the 1990s were geared to “push people toward the prison industry.”
Jones shared a clip of the video and went on to claim that the CIA, liberals, and Hollywood conspired together at a secret meeting to force artists to put out “thug gangster” music that supported crime and “thuggism” in the 1980s and ’90s’ in exchange for their music careers.
He also claimed that little kids with “no father at home” were targeted by the music, noting Bone Thugs-n-Harmony rapper Krayzie Bone‘s recent claim that private prisons and gangsta rap are connected.
On the “Holdin Court Podcast” last July, the “Mo’ Murda” artist suggested that there is a connection between private prisons and rap music. “There’s a lot of big corporations that have ownership in prisons,” he said. “It’s rich Black people that got ownership in prisons. They just don’t go around bragging about it. That’s that’s one big move they don’t go around bragging about. I mean it’s, it’s no secret bro.”
One X user reposted Jones’ video with a lengthy caption that read in part, “I believe Cube @icecube likely has direct knowledge of ‘the secret meeting’ that Krayzie Bone was referring to in the above long clip.” The fan also wrote, “At the very least I’d say the influence of the first gangster rap group inspired the greed of the labels & prison system to pump crime culture deep into the minds of a already fragile community to maximize profits.”
The “No Vaseline” rapper bluntly replied to the post writing, “Opinions are like a–holes. Everybody has one and they all stink! What evidence do you have to make a statement like that?”
The fan explained in a separate post that it was never his intent to “offend” the former N.W.A. rapper but added he believes Cube has direct knowledge of a 1991 meeting in Los Angeles between record executives and their artists to push gangsta rap as a product created to benefit private prisons.
‘I’m a friendly don’t shoot, I certainly didn’t mean to offend you & I apologize that was not the goal,” the X user wrote.
“So while I said I believe you have direct knowledge, it’s actually more of a question? If you notice I also said that the labels may of been inspired by N.W.A’s influence & decided to use the group as a model to push on other artists for the overall goal of packing the prisons.”
The individual said they were a huge fan of Jones and hoped for him and Cube to discuss the matter further during a sit-down. The social media also took a jab at Cube’s scathing interview with Maher. “Bill Maher imo didn’t do you justice Alex will.”
Fans reacted to the conspiracy theory claim on X. One fan wrote, “Secret meeting lol what, did they teach cube the secret white mans hand shake or something? Lol what a joke.” Many encouraged Ice Cube to file a defamation lawsuit, while others told the rap legend to ignore the noise.
One person wrote, “These people are crazy Cube. Anything for attention that’s why you shouldn’t give it to them especially the negative ones.” Another said , “Wow unbelievable to just put that out there without evidence or permission. Such a shameful move.” A fourth individual added, “Tell em Cube.”
The “It Was A Good Day” artist did not respond further to the wayward fan.
