Rapper-turned-basketball league owner Ice Cube recently appeared on Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday with Cam Newton” podcast and shared rare insights into his personal life and his 32-year marriage to Kimberly Woodruff.
The filmmaker, actor, musician, and gangsta rap pioneer, known for his tough persona, showed his softer side while discussing the foundation of his lasting relationship.
Cube and Kimberly first met in the late 1980s when he was just starting to rise to fame. The two tied the knot on Nov. 28, 1992, and have been inseparable ever since.
Together, they have four children — O’Shea Jr., Darrell, Karima, and Shareef — and remain one of the most admired couples in Hollywood. Their storied relationship prompted the former Carolina Panthers quarterback to get some tips of being locked in matrimony.
“So, what’s the relational or marital hack? How long you been married?” Cam Newton asked Ice Cube.
The N.W.A founding member casually replied, “We’ve been married since ’92. So what’s that… 32 years?”
The former NFL quarterback, intrigued by the longevity, pressed further, asking, “How? Like with, like, for the masses?”
Ice Cube didn’t hesitate, responding with sincerity. “You gotta want it. I don’t want nobody to have my woman. She mine. I’m hers,” he said.
His straightforward response revealed the deep commitment that has kept their bond strong over the decades. He and his wife had been together since his early career as a rapper.
In fact, in 2010, he confirmed that his children’s mother was the girl that he referenced in the 1993 hit, “It Was a Good Day,” when he rapped, he got a “beep from Kim,” a young lady he had been chasing “since the 12th grade.”
As the conversation unfolded, Cube emphasized the importance of wanting to be in a relationship with someone as one of the keys to being in an over three-decade-long marriage.
Ice Cube – It Was A Good Day (1992) 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/L6RWxPWu0A
— FRSHOUT Hip Hop (@FrshoutHipHop) May 16, 2024
“Man, you gotta want it,” he said before reiterating that he didn’t want anyone to have her and that they belonged to each other.
Cam expanded on the idea, saying, “What’s the word … staying power? Certain things in the culture have never changed. It’s just all about how you are locked in with your partner.”
Newton added that long-term relationships aren’t about waking up every day in a fairy tale. Cube echoed this sentiment, offering a dose of realism, “You don’t like your mama every day. Some days, she gets on your nerves. Every day ain’t going to be roses.”
Cube explained further that marriages require effort, patience, and a sense of family.
“You can’t expect that from your spouse,” he said. “It’s all about are y’all family or not? You gotta be willing to give, and there’s a person that you want to give your time, effort, and love to.”
The Westside Connection rapper’s “grown man” answer resonated with fans after The Neighborhood Talk posted the interview on its Instagram.
“Cube always been a BIG DAWG.. not a puppy,” one person wrote.
Another commented, “Cube is a GROWN MAN WITH A GROWN MENTALITY!!! Cam is childish ~ like wym ‘how ?’”
“When a man really loves you,” someone else posted, “trust me, he only wants you.”
A fourth person added, “This is the difference between men and boys.”
Fans are also very protective over the South Central native’s relationship, even clapping at those who dare to talk about the marriage in gossip circles. When YouTuber Tasha K sought to celebrate their 31st marriage anniversary, fans told her to watch what she said because of their love for the couple.
The interview highlighted a side of Ice Cube not often seen by the public — a devoted family man who values loyalty and partnership.
His candid remarks serve as a reminder that even in a fast-paced, ever-changing industry like entertainment, lasting love is possible with the right mindset. For Cube and Kim, the secret lies in being family first, keeping things real, and always wanting to give to one another.
