Ice Cube engaged in a fiery exchange with an internet troll who accused the rapper of promoting Republican voting. On Monday, an individual, evidently not a fan of the West Coast icon, took to Twitter to criticize Cube. They claimed that he only appeared “every four years” to encourage black people to vote for Republicans who “openly suppress the black vote.” Spotting the tweet, Cube swiftly fired back at the criticism. “I never told yo’ Black ass who to vote for,” the rapper said. “So stop lying and get that ‘click bait’ out’cha mouth.”
Over the years, the former N.W.A. rapper has been actively involved in political matters. In 2020, Ice Cube faced intense scrutiny when Katrina Pierson, an advisor to Donald Trump’s campaign, publicly acknowledged his assistance. Apparently, he took part in the former president’s Platinum Plan. Subsequently, Cube had to do damage control by confirming his collaboration with Trump. However, he was aiming to advance his Contract With Black America (CWBA) initiative.
At that time, Cube tweeted, “Let me get this straight, I get the president of the United States to agree to put over half a trillion dollars of capital in the Black Community (without an endorsement) and n***as are mad at me? Have a nice life.” Despite the backlash, Cube later revealed that he was approached by Joe Biden’s camp after Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. The new president was seeking his support in implementing the CWBA initiative. Cube emphasized that the ultimate goal was to pressure candidates to incorporate elements of his plan, which received widespread agreement, into their agendas.
In addition to his ties with Republicans, Ice Cube has faced longstanding accusations of antisemitism. He has been an outspoken supporter of Louis Farrakhan, a prominent religious leader known for his antisemitic views. In 2015, Cube was accused of allegedly instructing his entourage to assault a rabbi. Moreover, during the peak of the pandemic in 2020, Cube drew criticism for sharing memes that implied Jewish people were responsible for causing disruptions in the country. Cube defended these memes, referring to them as “pro-Black.”
NEWS
Music photographer Jill Furmanovsky said she wasn’t taken aback by the overwhelming excitement surrounding the Oasis reunion tour.
The photographer has been capturing the Wonderwall hitmakers for more than thirty years and shared that the Oasis Live '25 Tour, which brought Noel and Liam Gallagher back on stage together for the first time in 16 years, worked so well because the concerts have always been “about the audience”.
Jill, who first crossed paths with Oasis at one of their early shows at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in 1994, explained to NME: “It didn’t catch us off guard, because Oasis have always been about the crowd. Always. There was never much to shoot on stage.
“Even at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, the performance itself was simple, but the people in the crowd knew every word and were completely swept up in it.
“And that hasn’t really changed over time. They just bring out that songbook and deliver it. Liam is still magnetic and captivating, even when he keeps it minimal. It remains incredibly powerful. That’s the essence of their show.”
Furmanovsky, who has photographed icons like Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin over the course of her fifty-year career, added: “What they’ve done with this new tour, the production, and the visuals… it’s something special.
“The mix of generations in the crowd is also striking. I went with my 13-year-old granddaughter, and there were plenty of kids her age singing along word for word. It’s incredible.
“‘Biblical’ is the term people throw around. It sounds almost silly, but when two brothers who’ve been at odds for years come together again, there really is something biblical about that alone. Combine it with what they’re putting on stage… it’s unlike anything else.”
Jill’s latest book Trying To Find A Way Out Of Nowhere reflects her years documenting Oasis, and she shared that no current act matches what the Supersonic band represents. She was also able to photograph them once again at one of their massive Wembley Stadium shows during the reunion tour.
She said: “There aren’t many artists today who can step into the space Oasis occupies and actually live up to it.
“We’re in a different time now, a kind of in-between phase. It feels like the closing of a rock ‘n’ roll chapter. That doesn’t mean talent or creativity is gone. It’s like with painting — we still have great impressionists, but we’re no longer living in the impressionist era.”
