Ice Cube Unveils How “Boyz-n-the-Hood” got to Eazy-E

The birth of “Boyz-n-the-Hood” stands as a pivotal moment in Hip-Hop history, unfolding like a butterfly effect. Ice Cube, the mastermind behind the song, initially intended it for the New York City rap group Home Boys Only, signed to Ruthless Records.

In a surprising turn of events, Home Boys Only rejected the record, setting the stage for Eazy-E’s emergence and the rise of N.W.A. Though the song’s origins have never been a mystеry, the question of whether Ice Cube considered keeping the record for himself remained unanswered.

Recently inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fаme, Ice Cube, drawing a metaphor from basketball, explained his mindset: “I wrote it as a song for hire. Once I wrote it and gave it to Eazy-E… he wasn’t even named ‘Eazy-E’ at the time. It was just Eric. Once I gave it to him, I felt like it wasn’t mine anymore. Plus, I was part of a group.”

Delving further into the analogy, Ice Cube was asked if he envisioned making a pass or attempting a slam dunk: “Well, I wasn’t sure how HBO was going to approach it,” he responded. “Remember it was written for that group. I didn’t know if one person was going to sing it. I just didn’t know how Dre was going to produce it with the group.”

Ice Cube highlighted the influence of Eazy-E, who instructed him to “write one of them songs like you do in the mixtapes.” The rejection by Home Boys Only turned out to be a blessing, as Ice Cube expressed his satisfaction with how everything unfolded, leading to Eazy-E taking the song.

Amid the conversation, Ice Cube teased a new album called “Man Down” in the works, revealing little about the producers involved but assuring they are “good ones.”