Ice Cube is one of the most influential figures in the history of rap and hip hop. Best known for the vitriol of his 'angry black man' recordings of the late 1980s and mid 1990s, he epitomizes the genre often referred to as gangsta rap. Much of his music from these years is focused on the disturbing realities of life in black urban ghettos, chronicling such complex and controversial issues as racial stereotypes, street gangs, racial profiling, black-on-black crime, teen pregnancy, absentee fathers, and male-female relationships. Woldu examines the entirety of Ice Cube's recorded catalog, looking back over all of his work to date and considering his impact and his legacy in music and popular culture.