barnesgonzo: Ice Cube Screams 'Everythang's Corrupt,' Says Election Is A 'Money Game'

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Ice Cube Screams 'Everythang's Corrupt,' Says Election Is A 'Money Game'

Rapper tells MTV News that 'the timing is right' on newly released single and video, which explore crooked U.S. politics.
By Rob Markman

Ice Cube
Photo: Getty Images

Ice Cube has built a storied rap career speaking out against corruption, so why would he stop now?

On Thursday (November 1) morning Cube dropped the music video for "Everythang's Corrupt," the new single from his upcoming 10th solo LP of the same name. "To me, it's kinda more a political leap than a first single. The timing is right," the "It Was a Good Day" MC told MTV News of the song and video. "To me I just feel like the hip-hop heads that are political will really like this record."

With a little assist from Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, Cube sends shots at wicked politicians, bankers and preachers who he feels prey on the people. "Go to school, the teacher wanna f--- the students/ Go to church, my preacher turned to prostitution," he rhymes at the top of the song.

The video, which is directed by T.S. Pfeffer and Robert McHugh, finds Cube dressed in all black, rapping in a dark room as the camera circles around him in a 360 degree motion. To drive his point home, the West Coast rap architect flashes a number of politically charged clips across the screen. As Cube raps, we see videos of Casey Anthony's high-profile trial and presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.

It's no coincidence that Cube dropped the video days before the upcoming November 6 election. "It's really the same feeling you get almost every election cycle. It's a money game and nobody really cares, everybody just want to win," he said. "Ain't nobody want to fix the problems. It just seems like it's a whole circus and façade for money and control of a lot of money."

Political rap is nothing new for Cube, who along with his former group N.W.A, drew the furor of the F.B.I. when the released their 1988 classic "F--- Tha Police." On his 1990 solo debut album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Cube linked with Public Enemy producers the Bomb Squad and continued to challenge the status quo in the U.S. For "Everythang's Corrupt," he simply went back to his roots.

"The song was inspired really by the whole collapse of 2008 where all the systems were breaking down because it was a house of cards that they were banking on," he explained. "You have some people who really want to keep the status quo and really keep everything confused. It all boils down to money no matter what they tell the general public."

Cube, who lately enjoys a more fruitful career in Hollywood than he does in rap, seems to be reinvigorated. He says that his next album isn't a full-on political record, but fans can expect to hear some heavy messages sprinkled throughout. In the meantime, however, he is encouraging people to vote no matter what their political views may be. "I think you should vote when you got a clear cut understanding of what you're doing," he said. "Whether you like it or not, if they vote some sh-- in [that] you don't like, you're gonna have to bow down to it."