Early in my career, people wanted to hear music about protest, about trying to change things.

I'm always happy. I've just got a mean face.

Sometimes you got to start somewhere. And it's cool, as long as where you start is not where you plan on finishing.

Whatever happened in the neighborhood. That's what I was rapping about. And that sparked people's interest. And that's what kind of put me on that path.

I always tell people that if you gave me a pen and a piece of paper when I was a teenager and said, "Write out how you'd like your career to go," I would have probably short changed myself compared to what it's been for real. I'm just extremely excited about what I've accomplished.

Ice Cube is the piece of me that I give away to the public.

What I learned from architectural drafting is that everything has to have a plan to work. You just can't wing it. I can't get all the materials I need for a house and just start building. Whether it's a career, family, life - you have to plan it out.