ice cube - Ice Cube (born O'Shea Jackson on June 15, 1969 in Los Angeles, California) is a rapper, actor and film director. Regarded as one of the greatest hip hop artists, he began his career as a founding member of the famously controversial rap group N.W.A., and later launched a successful solo career in music and cinema. From the mid-90s onwards, Cube focused on acting, and his musical output has slowed down considerably. He remains one of the most visible West Coast rappers, having helped originate gangsta rap. He is particularly well-known for his incendiary raps on political and racial topics (such as the treatment of blacks in the United States). He is also one of the richest people in the hip hop industry with an estimated net worth of $145 million.