How does an artist not only survive but thrive across four decades? How do they transcend their original genre to become an actor, a business mogul and a cultural trailblazer for generations?
I was thinking about this ahead of Ice Cube’s “Truth to Power: Four Decades of Attitude” tour stop in Vancouver on Saturday night (Sept. 20), especially as tickets became scarce for the Pacific Coliseum concert. For me, the answer came in four separate, distinct pings last week.
It started at a post-festival dinner with a friend in his 50s. We were discussing the N.W.A. co-founder’s upcoming concert when he casually mentioned, “You know, I was wearing my Ice Cube shirt just today.” A simple statement, sure, but it speaks volumes about a lifelong connection to the music.
Ping #2 came from my 27-year-old daughter. She saw him in Abbotsford last year and was so blown away she immediately wanted tickets to see him again in Vancouver. She was moved by how he highlighted the incredible bead-work gifted to him by a local First Nations artist during that show, in what seemed like a moment of genuine connection.
Ping #3 echoed from the room of my 13-year-old stepson who blasted “It Was a Good Day,” using that timeless anthem to psyche himself up for the second full week of school.
Ping #4 came from my friend Mel, who competed in the B.C.’s Next Top Female Comic competition in New Westminster, asking if I knew anyone who wanted an extra ticket to Saturday’s show because her friend had to cancel (her loss).
Gen X peer, Millennial daughter, Gen Z stepson and 40-something friend at a comedy show — four people of different ages, all with one something in common: a genuine love for Ice Cube. He’s more than a musician, he’s a thread woven through the fabric of our music-loving lives.
When he took the stage at Pacific Coliseum (fans filled the lower bowl only), he reached back to his N.W.A. days with shout-outs to Eazy-E and also Too Short. A Hollywood sign “burned” on huge video screens, and a Goodyear blimp flew by with the message, “Ice Cube’s a pimp!”
The atmosphere was joyous, a multi-generation celebration of old-school rap.
Ice Cube is a legend, and he proved why Saturday night with a can’t-miss performance by a man who knows how to command an arena-sized audience.
What’s next for the 56-year-old O’Shea Jackson Sr.? He’s done it all, so we’ll just have to stay tuned.
