“'Boyz-n-the-Hood' was actually supposed to be written for Eazy's group. He had a group out in New York called Home Boys Only, called HBO. One of them looked like LL Cool J. Eazy wanted to write a song for them, a street song, like what we were doing on the mix tapes. So when I wrote it, it was too West Coast for them.”

American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer, born 1969

Ice Cube, born O'Shea Jackson, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s and remains closely associated with the rise of gangsta rap. Born in 1969, he is known for his work with N.W.A and for a solo career that moved between sharp political commentary and commercial success. His contributions to N.W.A's 1989 album Straight Outta Compton helped bring gangsta rap wider attention. He later released the solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted in 1990, Death Certificate in 1991, and The Predator in 1992, each of which was both critically and commercially successful. In 2016, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with N.W.A.