Ice Cube Doesn’t Want A Verzuz Battle: “It’s Not Going To Happen”

Ice Cube won’t be saying “Yay Yay” to a Verzuz Battle anytime soon. The legendary MC told  HipHollywood he’d rather celebrate other artist not battle them.

“It’s cool to see artist playing music but I would, it would have to be more of a love fest for me. It’s got to be with love,” he said. “It can’t be a winner and a loser. I’m not fighting nobody, none of the O.G.’s, none of my friends, it’s not going to happen.” 

Instead the 51-year-old MC said he would have rather see Verzuz contender’s playing each other’s music.

“I would have had Erykah Badu playing her favorite Jill Scott records and I would have had Jill Scott play her favorite Erykah Badu records,” he explained. “That’s how you do it.”

While the Verzuz Battles, created by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, have become extremely popular and given artists an audience during COVID-19, Cube is staying busy in other ways.

He recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut album Amerikkka’s Most Wanted with a listening session on Instagram Live, and he’s busy promoting his new flick The High Note. The film marks his return to the big screen after taking a brief hiatus to focus on his BIG3 Basketball League.

“I’m very excited to be back on the screen,” he told us. “I wanted to take a break for a minute but also look for projects that I could show different range in and different chops.”

In the film Cube plays Jack Robertson, the no non-sense manager for pop diva Grace Davis played by Tracee Ellis Ross. Dakota Johnson plays her eager assistant while Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays an aspiring artist. Ice Cube said he was excited to do a film about the music industry as well as work with Tracee, who does all her own singing in the film.

“I’ve known Tracee for years, and her family, and I knew she could pull it off and do a great job,” he said.

The High Note releases on demand May 29th.