I Took My Wife to Ice Cube in Fort Worth. Her Observations

Ice Cube takes the stage at Dickies Arena for his 4 Decades of Attitude Tour.

Andrew Sherman

Yesterday was a good day because Ice Cube came to Fort Worth.

Cube played a high-energy show to a highly enthusiastic crowd at Dickies Arena. The rapper has been a force in hip-hop since 1988, when N.W.A. brought gangsta rap to national attention with their landmark album Straight Outta Compton. As one of the group’s primary lyricists, Cube’s sharp storytelling and raw perspective helped shape the record and pushed hip-hop into the cultural mainstream.

Ice Cube has been outspoken ever since, making music for four decades that is apologetic and sometimes controversial, but always from the heart. He’s still making relevant music, releasing the album Man Up this year and embarking on a world tour aptly entitled, Truth to Power: 4 Decades of Attitude, and if Thursday night’s show is any indication, he is far from finished.

Cube was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with N.W.A. in 2016 and has enjoyed a successful acting career, as well as working as a film producer, earning recognition at the NAACP Image Awards. Last night, it was all about his place in music history, showcased through a plethora of his familiar and iconic songs plus personal stories.

On the occasions when I review a show after shooting it, I stay and watch the entire thing. On even rarer occasions, my wife Amy is a fan of the artist and tags along. This was one of the nights, and she was excited to share some of her observations.

It was so good to see Ice Cube “still coming with that underground gangsta shit.” As he told the crowd, “My mic is on, not rapping over the lyrics, a real MC!” He declared that “Tonight, we were all witnesses.” It was a sight to behold: a legend who hasn’t faded a bit over his Four Decades of Attitude.

The crowd was diverse in age and interests, a witchy stickered car outside, cowboy hat man in the lobby and concert shirts spanning hip-hop to classic rock.

He brings everyone out and to their feet, young and old, goth to gangsta, professionals and misfits alike.

Between the decades, we got short vignettes about where he came from, who influenced him and what brought him here. He paid homage to John Singleton, who believed in him and got him on screen, leading him to act, produce and write, giving us Friday and cementing him in pop culture forever. Truth to Power. It was an absolute treat to see him live, not to be missed.

“Get your ass up and hurr’ up” to see Ice Cube if you get the chance.

See photos from Thursday’s show:

Cube has released 12 solo studio albums since leaving N.W.A. in 1989.