LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ice Dice might have chased traits to maintain up with in the present day’s rap sport for his newest launch, however as a substitute, he stayed loyal to the gritty West Coast gangsta sound that’s been his signature since his early N.W.A. days and flourishing solo profession.
Ice Dice caught to his streetwise storytelling roots whereas inserting some West Coast rap social gathering vibes on his eleventh studio album “Man Down,” which was launched on the identical day as Kendrick Lamar’s shock challenge late final month. Ice Dice’s new album cracked the highest 10 of Billboard’s high rap albums chart — his first time in 14 years — debuting at No. 8.
The rap icon made “Man Down” to fulfill his loyal listeners. He is recognized for churning out basic hip-hop jams reminiscent of “It Was a Good Day,” “Check Yo Self,” “No Vaseline” and “Steady Mobbin.”
“You have to serve your clientele,” Ice Dice mentioned about “Man Down,” which options Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, E-40, Killer Mike, Xzibit, and Cypress Hill’s B-Actual. His newest challenge is his first since 2018’s “Everythang’s Corrupt.”
“The people that got you here are the people you’re making the music for so to speak,” mentioned Ice Dice, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame as a member of N.W.A. in 2016. “Not always for the new fan or the new kid that’s just getting into music. That’s not who you should be reaching for if you’ve been in the game for almost four decades.”
In a latest interview, Ice Dice spoke with The Related Press about his partnership with the NFL, the BIG3 basketball league and his ideas after the U.S. presidential election.
Ice Dice’s Contract with Black America progressive partnership with the NFL
Ice Dice first launched the Contract with Black America to political leaders from each events in 2020, and 4 years later, he’s nonetheless driving the dialog with the NFL.
He mentioned CWBA’s partnership with the league has gained traction since becoming a member of forces in 2022, creating alternatives for Black-owned companies. The partnership between Dice’s initiative and the NFL focuses on figuring out alternatives in finance, tech and manufacturing.
“When they have an opening, they’ll give our people that we’ve put in front of them a shot at getting a job,” mentioned Ice Dice, whose CWBA goals to deal with the wealth hole between Black and white Individuals and financial inclusion.
The CWBA seeks to take away boundaries and open doorways.
“All we want is a shot,” he mentioned. “All companies have to step up and earn that job. We just say ‘Hey, let us know when you got an opening in tech. … and let us put a few companies in front of you. And let the best company win. They’ve picked a few of our companies and now they’ve gotten contracts with the NFL, which is great.”
Ice Dice hopes the CWBA will prolong past the NFL, encouraging different corporations to undertake the initiative as properly. In 2020, he introduced his proposal to each major political events, together with Donald Trump’s marketing campaign, a transfer that sparked criticism from those that thought he was supporting Trump on the time.
However that wasn’t the case, Ice Dice mentioned. Whichever social gathering helps CWBA, he’ll pay attention.
“Politically, they would have to show me an appetite for working with me,” he mentioned. “I’m not a politician. I never went to these political parties and asked them for anything. I’m still down to help.”
Extra films or nah?
Whereas Ice Dice has made a mark in music, he is performed the identical in movie too.
However with Hollywood grappling with challenges just like the aftermath of two main strikes and the lingering results of the pandemic, Ice Dice has chosen the unbiased route for his upcoming initiatives. For now, he is not being reliant on main studios.
“It’d be better to make independent movies and not go through the studio system,” mentioned Ice Dice, who starred within the late John Singleton ‘s “Boyz in the Hood,” “Are We There Yet?“ and the ” Barbershop,” “ Ride Along ” and “Friday” franchise movies. He additionally wrote, starred in, produced and directed the 1998 movie “The Players Club.”
“With independent movies, I can do some great work that’s not sterilized by the studio,” he mentioned. “When they make a big movie, they spend a lot of money. When they make a low budget movie, they want to cut it at every little nook and cranny to where sometimes they cut out the best parts. You have to combat that.”
Large strikes for Ice Dice’s BIG3
Ice Dice created a haven for athletes who appeared to have left their professional basketball days behind. By way of his co-founded league, BIG3, he supplied them a second shot — a sanctuary to maintain their ardour for the sport alive.
His 3-on-3 basketball league is gearing up for its sixth straight 12 months, with an expanded 11-week season kicking off in summer time 2025. Since its launch in 2017, the league has developed, transitioning to a standard city-based mannequin the place groups host dwelling video games, transferring away from its unique road-game-only construction.
Earlier this 12 months, BIG3 bought its first franchise in Los Angeles to a gaggle of traders for $10 million. The video games stream on CBS by Paramount+, and a few stream on X.
“It’s growing every day. We do have some great new owners and figuring out with them the direction of the league, where should we be and planting our flag,” Ice Dice mentioned about BIG3, which has starred former NBA gamers like Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette. Final 12 months, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown grew to become the primary energetic NBA participant to take part in a BIG3 sport.
“You’re getting into the nuts and bolts of a big-time sports at the highest level,” Ice Dice mentioned. “It’s exciting to be there and it’s a challenge every day. It’s no place I’d rather be. To affect sports on that level, it’s pretty cool from somebody who had to sneak in the Forum to see my first Laker game.”
Presidential elections afterthoughts
If the post-presidential election blues nonetheless have you ever in a funk heading into the inauguration on Jan. 20, Ice Dice has a bit of recommendation: Cease stressing.
Worrying will not change the end result, he mentioned.
“Stop thinking about the future so much,” he mentioned. “The longer term is unknown. The longer term is anxiousness, the previous is despair. … You bought to consider sooner or later. No matter made you sturdy sufficient to get up to now, you may be sturdy sufficient to get you thru regardless of the future could carry. The bottom line is to cease worrying about what’s going to occur and concentrate to what’s taking place. Work accordingly.”
