The eoolestguy ln town lce Cube takes on another day in tFirst Sundayt BYMIcHAELcrr,rzocz zo€ s Ice Cube melting? After making his name in the hardest of rap groups - N.W.A., a band with lyrics so ferocious that the FBI came calling - Cube has morphed into a movie star who can de- liver mainstream films like "Are We Done Yet?" and "Barbershop" aiongside raunchy hits like his "Friday" films.</p><p> But ior the 38-1,ear'old rapper actor He's laughing, bur one of Cube's ap- and movie producer, who has a record of : peals is that even when deiivering the profitable fiInrs most Hol i)nvood honchos i hardest of raps or playing the toughest of rvorrld kill fot the message of a sweet-na- r characters (like his breakthrough role of rured family rnovie like "First Sunday," Doughboy in 1991's 'Boyz N the Hood"), opening Jan.</p><p> I l, is oddly the same as he maintains an essential likabilitv And the lvrics of his 200ti hit single "utiy we I when he's plaving the rnildest of dads 'fhugs": When the bad overshadows the in one of his iamily cornedies, he never good, doing the right lhing isn't so easy. : seems like a pushover. ''No doubt,'' says Cube, when asked ifhe Certainly there's no fine line to wor- gets the sme word out in different ways.</p><p> I ry about rvhen making a filrn with him F{e .1oesn't worry much about projecting a and hrs production company, Cubevision: specific touBbness or attitude for hin)selt, i His histoll, is that he can be counted on to just about hitting the message. "I'm not conscious about image as farturn a profit for all involved "People who tre smart kind of let us do as nly image, but I crm conscious about what I m goinf ro be proudour thing." says Cube. "l keep say- ing that because I want stu-;;:t"*ls'"i irN 'I ,l $\NN of, 'says Cube. who was bom 0'Shea Jackson in South Cen- tral but legally changed his nnme to thc cOoler lce Cube. \\lth "Filst Sunday," Cube, a father oltour in real u-e, is proud of plaling Durell, a dad who takes an active role in raising the son he had with an ex-girtfriend "Torque" and "'I hree Kings." "lt's ripe for the time, speaking on the church, made them what they are." When Durell and LeeJohn break into the church, they find themselves urun-dio executives to read this.</p><p> The on€s that are snrart let us do our thing. u/e bring back a great movie md never go over budget, and everyone's happy at the end of the day." \ /ith the unquestioned broad appeal ot movies cen- tered on black casts like Cube's\l* He walks the bov to school every day frlms (such as thjs year's holiday hit andultimatelydecides, indesperation,to l "ThisChristmas"), there shouldbelittle rob a church with his buddy LeeJohn (l ra- I hesitation about telling these stories. cy Nlorgm) so that his son doesn't have to r "What [Holl-vwood] has realized is that move to Atlanta with his mom for financial I black people still go to the movies more reasons, and thus slip out of his dad's Me.</p><p> I than anybody else," says Cube. "A lot "lt's funny, but it touches on social of other people are puning enter- commentary" says Cube, whose hit films tainment systems in their hous€ range fron the Cheech & ChongJike pot and movies aren't ar outing for comedies "Frida.v, ' "Next Friday" and them.</p><p> But for us, movies are Fridav After Next" to action dramas like ' still an outing. [Studios] re$,n and what it owes to the community that's i cater to th€ people thatalize it's a viable dollar and more movies should are going to the movies." Cube certainly does, and his own moviesoo= o 3 ing parishioner (-oretta Devine) and char- production company is acters ranging from the llamboyant choir grou'ing; he's excited director to an ambitious deacon and the I about his Internet TV preacher's daughter Will the church leave : site, iw.uvntv.com. the rough neighborhood for the greener : And with the "Friday" pastures of the suburbs ? And has someone I comedies and now already ripped off the church before Du- I "First Sunday," it2mEo -ao o) o _o N C arageous Nvist. "A verv fine line." yel. a
