Ice Cube melts

Ice Cube's new film is a far cry from his gritty beginnings and sees the rapper take on a role that previously would have been unthinkable.

16:46 21 January 2005

Ice Cube's new film is a far cry from his gritty beginnings and sees the rapper take on a role that previously would have been unthinkable.

Are We There Yet, directed by Brian Levant, sees the 35-year-old in the role of a playboy who falls for a mother-of-two.

Wooing her soon turns into wooing the kids and he puts in a performance more akin to a Disney character than a former member of NWA.

But Ice Cube believes his career, which has included playing opposite George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg in 1999 Gulf War movie Three Kings, is finally giving him a chance to expand his repertoire.

"Early in my career, I felt it would be a mistake to do a movie like this," he told the Washington Times.

"The more [films] I got under my belt, it just seems natural to try to expand and not get typecast, especially as a rapper. They'd love to typecast me as a rapper."

And that, of course, is how Ice Cube started, rapping alongside Dr Dre and the late Easy E in the California outfit NWA.

He only got involved in 1991's gangsta tear-jerker Boyz N The Hood when the young filmmaker John Singleton approached him for the role of Doughboy.

But that proved such a success that Ice Cube kept up with the acting - and has since starred in 18 films, not to mention the four still in production.

However, he refuses to give up on his music career - he is just holding on until his golden meal ticket in films runs out.

"Movies take precedence so far this year. When the wave dies down, I'll get in the studio and drop an album," he said.