Credit: Alamy

There are hip-hop legends, and then there is Ice Cube. A founding member of gangsta rap alongside his NWA bandmates, Cube broke out from the crew to deliver perhaps the ultimate diss track. It was a marked moment in hip-hop history that not only popularised such a venture but also showcased Cube as an unstoppable force worldwide.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the rapper is that he has never been confined to one way of thinking. Whether within his original profession, as one of the fiercest emcees in the world, or in his later efforts within the realms of acting, Cube has never allowed himself to be contained by categorisation.

It is likely that when he pitched a comedy about getting high in the neighbourhood and all of the hijinks that go with it so soon after his stand-out role in Boyz N The Hood, a lot of producers laughed at him. But he was so resolute in his idea that he was not only able to have Friday made, but it became a cult classic that spawned a whole new genre of movie and a selection of sequels.

It’s fair to say that Cube is an original thinker, and like most unique entities, he finds comfort in other similar personalities. One such person who has inspired Cube is Quincy Jones, the legendary producer behind hits for Dizzy Gillespie, The Isley Brothers, Ray Charles, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra and Donna Summer, to name a few.

Cube shared his deep admiration for the producer when recommending his autobiography as one of his favourite books of all time: “Quincy Jones’ autobiography Q is very good,” he explains when selecting the blueprint-adjacent piece of literature. Within the pages are not only tips and tricks to how he found his level of producing, but countless stories from the golden days of music.

For Cube, the book holds all that and more. His reasoning for chanmpioning the book is a simple one: “Because he’s a master at music, he’s one of our greatest composers and its good for him to have a book and tell the good ole days when he was with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan and Ray Charles.”

But it’s not just the fun and frivolity that speaks to Cube, it was also Jones’ perserverance: “The reason he got to work with so many people was because he was one of the few musicians around who could write out the arrangements. He was in everybody’s session. He learned so much.”

Uniqueness is naturally difficult to find, but immersing yourself in the work of other singular entities, such as Ice Cube and Quincy Jones, is a good way to unlock your own sense of self.