It's been 30 years since the release of the iconic album Straight Outta Compton. While N.W.A's status as West Coast legends and rap pioneers has long been solidified, there was a time when they faced problems with navigating through the industry like any other artist or group. During his recent appearance to The Late Late Show With James Corden, Ice Cube recalled the time when he and the rest of N.W.A were denied entry into the listening party for their own album.
According to Cube, the venue for the party was in Los Angeles at a spot that was connected to the Beverly Center. Upon arrival, however, the group was met with an ironic plot twist. "We couldn't get in. We were late because of Eazy — he always made us late," Cube joked. "We show up and it's pretty swanky. You gotta have your Easter shoes on and stuff like that."
The "Arrest the President" rapper then cited their appearance as the security personnel's reason for denying them entry into their own event (instead of "Easter shoes," the crew was donned in their signature khaki pants and Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers). "Security was like 'y'all gang-bangers are not coming up in here causing trouble.'" Despite their protests, and even the then head of their label coming out to their defense, the group ultimately could not get into their own event, and settled on taking their festivities elsewhere. "We ended up going to IHOP and just fussing about it and complaining. It was terrible."
Thankfully, those days of hardship are all in the past, as Ice Cube is facing no shortage of work. In addition to currently promoting his new album, Everythang's Corrupt, he is set to star in the upcoming reboot of Celebrity Deathmatch. Check out a performance of "That New Funkadelic" below.
