The unique LA collective that Ice Cube once compared to The Pharcyde
Ice Cube is a legend and was one of the earliest MCs to take over the West Coast. Still, over the years, he has proven to be more than just a rapper. The ‘You Can Do It’ rhymer has appeared in movies on television and has co-created and directed documentaries.
In 2020, the Crenshaw native became part of the West Coast supergroup Mount Westmore alongside old-school legends such as E-40, Too $hort and Snoop Dogg. However, although he is an emcee from the 1980s, the lyricist has always kept an eye on the current music scene in California. Odd Future particularly piqued Ice Cube’s interest, and he showed a lot of admiration for their extraordinary come up.
Odd Future were a phenomenon when they first surfaced in the early 2010s. Formed in LA, the kooky collective exploded into the mainstream in 2011. The crew’s distinct look came with a previously unheard sound that took the culture by storm.
Odd Future were pioneering in the way they effortlessly fused LA Skate culture with hip-hop and managed to created a cult following. Hip-hop and skate culture are entirely separate entities that would have seemed incompatible before. However, Odd Future seamlessly married them.
That said, during a sit-down conversation, Ice Cube once revealed something incredible. While discussing the state of LA rap, the Lethal Injection surprisingly admitted that he was a fan of Odd Future founder Tyler The Creator and compared the collective to some extremely influential West Coast groups.
Speaking about the collective, Cube asserted, “That’s LA! That’s the LA people don’t know about — ultra-creative individuals who won’t conform to the culture of gangbanging. They’re going to be themselves.”
He then threw out some comparisons to 1990s California collectives, stating, “They remind me of, like, The Pharycde. Here’s another: The Black Eyed Peas come from here. You’re going to always have those groups who are going to stay down with their own style and their own flavour, and going to win with it.”
The Friday actor and creator continued, “Because they’re not conforming, they’re not being what you want them to be; they’re being who they are. And you gotta salute that.” Tyler The Creator and Ice Cube haven’t collaborated yet. However, there is a possibility for a musical partnership.
That said, so far, 2025 seems to be Kendrick Lamar’s year, and Ice Cube is no different. While speaking with Billboard about the success of ‘Not Like Us’, the former NWA emcee heaped praise on Lamar, beginning, “As a hit, [the track] is humongous. As a diss, it’s top-notch. It’s one of the best disses that’s ever been done.
He continued, “Me and my homie Dub-C (WC) talked about it, when the battle first started — we were like, ’The first one who does the battle off a hit beat, it’s gonna be a knockout blow.’ It’s gonna cause a lot of damage. Because that’s what ‘No Vaseline’ is: It’s a hardcore diss, but it’s over hit music.”