Hip-hop pioneer and actor Ice Cube, in an interview, reflected on his departure from N.W.A. in 1989 and his efforts to maintain friendships within the group despite the business split.
Cube initially sought to separate personal relationships from professional tensions, hoping to keep ties with the group’s members, particularly Dr. Dre. As he set out to craft his debut solo album, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, Cube had envisioned Dre as a producer for the project.
However, N.W.A. co-founder Eazy-E and manager Jerry Heller ultimately blocked this plan, preventing Dre from being involved, Billboard reported him as saying.
With this setback, Ice Cube sought production support from Public Enemy’s renowned in-house team, The Bomb Squad, who played a key role in bringing his 1990 debut album to life. The release marked a critical moment in Cube’s career, showcasing his uncompromising approach to social and political issues and positioning him as a force outside of N.W.A.
The following year, he released No Vaseline, a scathing track aimed at his former bandmates and Ruthless Records, co-founded by Eazy-E and managed by Heller. The song became one of hip-hop’s most famous diss tracks, solidifying Ice Cube’s status as an independent powerhouse.
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Though tensions ran high following his departure, Ice Cube eventually reconciled with his former group members in the following years.
The reconciliation came just before Eazy-E’s tragic death in 1995 from AIDS complications. The group united to pay tribute to Eazy’s contributions to the rap world, marking a moment of closure in their complicated history.
