Ice Cube hopped on X to dispute claims that N.W.A.’s music played a part in the crack epidemic in the 80s and the 90s.
Ice Cube invited fans to ask him questions and one fan asked:
“Was NWA part of the agenda to destroy conscious rap which was growing in popularity at the time, and promote sex violence and gangster behaviour amongst the youth?”
Bullshit. Crack was in the neighborhoods a decade before gangsta rap. In the 70s they called it freebase. So was heroine, weed, Mollys, gangbanging, drive bys, pimping and hoing, dropping out of school, young girls getting pregnant, cussing and the using the word Nigga. It was… https://t.co/XK5QAdWRnU
— Ice Cube (@icecube) September 28, 2023
Another fan then responded, “Unfortunately music did play a part with the crack being pumped into our black and latino neighborhoods.”
Ice Cube was quick to clap back.
“Bullsh-t. Crack was in the neighborhoods a decade before gangsta rap. In the 70s they called it freebase. So was heroine, weed, Mollys, gangbanging, drive bys, pimping and hoing, dropping out of school, young girls getting pregnant, cussing and the using the word N-gga. It was all here before NWA,” he responded.
Other fans agreed with Cube.
“Not once have I listened to rap music and thought, “this beat rocks, now I wanna smoke rocks!” another fan replied.
