Ice Cube has been through a lot in his life.
Against all odds, he managed to turn his tough upbringing into a music career that few hip hop artists could dream of achieving.
Ice Cube’s Upbringing
But behind the fame and success, there is one tragedy in particular that has haunted him for decades.
Ice Cube grew up in Crenshaw, Los Angeles, a neighborhood hugely affected by gang violence and illegal substances in the 1980s.
Ice Cube later made art out of his experiences in Crenshaw as part of NWA.
But it wasn’t just the streets that shaped Ice Cube into the man he is today.
How Did Ice Cube’s Sister Beverly Die?
One devastating event in his family changed him forever.
When Ice Cube was just 12 years old, his half-sister Beverly Jean Brown lost her life in a horrific act of violence.
She was 22 years old.
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She lived only a few miles away from Ice Cube’s home, and the two shared a close relationship.
The story of how his sister was ripped away from him was truly shocking.
Beverly’s husband, Carl Brown, took her hostage during a domestic dispute, barricading them both inside their home so that Beverly couldn’t run for help.
The police eventually arrived and tried to negotiate with Carl, but the situation escalated horribly.
Carl ended Beverly’s life before turning the firearm on himself.
He survived for a short time before passing away due to his injuries a month later.
Ice Cube Speaks Out About His Sister’s Death
The loss of Beverly left a deep scar on Ice Cube that never left him.
In interviews, he’s spoken about how the event shook him to his core.
In 2013, he said that he thought about his sister a lot.
For a 12 year old boy, losing someone so close in such a brutal way was truly devastating.
Ice Cube has said that Beverly’s passing robbed him of part of his childhood.
And he added that it made him see how fragile and cruel life could be.
Ice Cube Speaks Out About Almost Killing Someone
Growing up, Ice Cube faced the same challenges many kids in his neighborhood did.
He saw violence and illegal substance use tear families apart.
He even came close to making some decisions that could have destroyed his own life.
In one interview with Graham Bensinger, Ice Cube recalled a moment when he and his friends planned to confront someone who had wronged his family.
They were armed and ready to take a life over $20.
But sheer luck meant that Ice Cube didn’t make a mistake that would have cost him everything.
The person they were looking for wasn’t home when they came knocking.
Ice Cube later called it a blessing that he didn’t go through with his plan that day.
He thanked God that the man wasn’t home that day.
He admitted that harming him would’ve been stupid and would’ve changed his life forever.
How Ice Cube’s Sister’s Death Affected Him
The near-miss helped to teach Ice Cube the value of life and how to live it.
But nothing has done more to shape Ice Cube’s view of the world than the loss of his sister.
Beverly’s passing didn’t just affect Ice Cube emotionally.
It seriously influenced his views on firearm violence.
Ice Cube Speaks Out About Firearm Violence
As part of NWA, Ice Cube’s music often expressed truths about the harsh realities of life in South Central Los Angeles.
Songs about gang violence and police brutality became generational hits that talked about subjects few others dared to touch.
But Ice Cube’s personal experience with firearm violence has also made him critical of America’s current relationship with firearms.
In 2013, he told the Huffington Post that America was built on the firearm.
He said that the country had a sick love affair with the weapon.
At the same time, Ice Cube has acknowledged that there is a lot of complexity surrounding the issue.
As a father, he’s admitted that he wouldn’t stop his sons from owning firearms if they were responsible and followed the law.
Ice Cube also believes that better access to mental health resources might have prevented tragedies like the one that took Beverly.
Losing his sister at such a young age taught Ice Cube that life is precious, and it made him a more serious person.
He has used his platform to speak out about issues important to him, even when his opinions were controversial.
Why Ice Cube Left Rap Group NWA
Why Ice Cube Left Rap Group NWA
In 1989, Ice Cube decided to leave the legendary rap group NWA.
Which many said was a crazy move.
At the time, NWA had become more successful than anyone could’ve expected.
They started as an underground hip hop group in Compton, and they became some of the most influential musicians of all time.
And they’re even credited with pretty much inventing gangsta rap.
The other members of NWA didn’t exactly take his decision all that well.
Because in leaving, Ice Cube was telling them that they were okay with being exploited by Jerry and Eazy E.
Their response to this was really ugly.
Dr. Dre Disses Ice Cube
They released several diss tracks aimed at Ice Cube after their former friend started pursuing a solo career.
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In one song, Dr. Dre referred to Ice Cube as Benedict Arnold.
But there were more shocking attacks to come.
NWA’s second album included a skit called Message to B.A.
Which was clearly a reference to Ice Cube after Dr. Dre called him Benedict Arnold.
The skit consisted of voicemail messages.
They called Ice Cube out as a punk that wasn’t from Compton, and they went on to make a slew of homophobic comments and even violent threats against him.
It was a pretty savage attempt to sabotage Ice Cube’s career as a solo artist.
Ice Cube Disses NWA
But he didn’t exactly take it lying down.
Instead, he came back at NWA even harder.
In 1991, he released the legendary diss track No Vaseline.
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The song is now seen as one of the most ruthless diss songs ever made.
So, clearly, Ice Cube had no problem fighting for what he believed in, no matter how unpopular it could potentially make him.
Family Is Ice Cube’s Top Priority
There’s no doubt that Beverly’s passing, which was the driving force in making Ice Cube take life seriously, is one of the biggest reasons he even had the strength to do this.
And it’s why he’s always made his family his top priority.
He’s been married for over 30 years and has five children.
Despite his tough image, he’s never been shy about expressing his love for them.
Who Is Ice Cube’s Wife?
Ice Cube married Kimberly Woodruff back in 1992.
And after such a long time, it’s no surprise to hear that they’ve taken some unique steps to keep their relationship solid.
For example, Ice Cube has actually proposed to his wife on two separate occasions.
The proposals were actually 20 years apart.
His plan started with buying Kimberly a new car and asking her to sit in it.
And when she sat down, she actually sat on her engagement ring.
Which was probably not the way that she expected Ice Cube to pop the question.
But it still worked, and it seems like neither of them has ever looked back.
After going through so much heartache so early on in life, Ice Cube’s millions of fans will be delighted to know that he now has so much love in his life.
Although his sister’s passing is a wound that will never fully heal, it’s helped him become who he is and stay true to the things he cares about the most.
