Rapper-turned-movie-star Ice Cube was awarded his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday.
The honours went down right in front of the Music Institute on the legendary Hollywood Boulevard.
Cube's new star is the 2,617th star on the iconic street.
“I had to catch the 210 bus down Crenshaw, then you would change buses in Hollywood,” Cube said during his acceptance speech.
“And it’s dope, because I walked through Hollywood as a kid, trying to catch a bus to the Valley on my way to football practice. Now I’m gonna have a star there, and some kid like me, on his way to practice or whatever, is gonna see my name down there, and have hopes and dreams of getting theirs down there too.”
He also thanked family and friends, fans, and his fellow N.W.A artists Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Eazy-E.
Celebrities apply for a star on the Walk of Fame, pay a $30,000 USD fee, and promise to attend the unveiling ceremony, which is typically timed to promote the honouree’s latest project. In Cube’s case, that is the release of the 25th anniversary edition of his second studio album, Death Certificate.
Cube (born O'Shea Jackson) gained famed in one of the most iconic gangsta rap groups of all time, N.W.A. From there, he would go on to appear in movies like Boyz In Da Hood, Friday, Barbershop and many more. Cube also produced the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton.
"Music is not just about entertainment. But, it's about understanding. It's about us understanding each other,” Cube said at Monday’s ceremony. “It's about us understanding the human condition and how it affects each one of us. And when someone has the talent to record that and you have the interest to buy that, please look deep into the humanity in that.
He added: "It's not always about those words that's being said that get you uptight. It's really about the spirit that an artist spends his time, spends his creative fuel in giving y'all and we really just want some understanding...I love you guys. Thank you so much!”
Original article by Isha Thorpe at iHeartRadio (with files)