Rapper Ice Cube in Hot Water After Revealing He’s Working with the Trump Administration

Photo: Getty Images for REVOLT

In some not particularly chill news, rapper and actor Ice Cube has apparently been working with Trump’s reelection campaign on issues pertaining to the Black community. The unlikely partnership was first made known to the public yesterday via Katrina Pierson, a senior advisor for the Trump administration, who tweeted, “Shoutout to @icecube for his willingness to step up and work with @realDonaldTrump Administration to help develop the #PlatinumPlan,” before including a link to the plan, which claims that the Trump administration will “increase access to capital” by almost $500 billion in Black communities, create 3 million new jobs, provide more affordable health care, improve access to better education and job opportunities, designate Juneteenth as a national holiday and other promises that have not happened in the past 4 years, but will purportedly happen if Trump gets another term in office. Umm… sure, Donald.

Fans of Ice Cube were dismayed by the news that the rapper was aiding and abetting an administration that has been detrimental to the Black community, prompting Ice Cube to clarify his relationship with the Trump administration, admitting that he’s attempted to work with Republican and Democratic politicians on his “Contract with Black America,” his plan for the nation to address systemic issues facing the Black community which he introduced in early June. “Facts: I put out the CWBA. Both parties contacted me,” Ice Cube tweeted. “Dems said we’ll address the CWBA after the election. Trump campaign made some adjustments to their plan after talking to us about the CWBA.” For many, however, Ice Cube’s justification for working with the Trump administration was not good enough. One Twitter user, @dannymoshow, replied to Ice Cube’s initial tweet, writing, “My Hip-Hop HERO @icecube is working with the Darkside.” Ice Cube responded, tweeting “Every side is the Darkside for us here in America. THey’re all the same until something changes for us. They all lie and they all cheat but we can’t afford not to negotiate with whoever is in power or our condition in this country will never change. Our justice is bipartisan.”

Throughout the 2020 election cycle, Ice Cube has been vocal about his distrust of both parties, demanding that both parties directly address how they will help the Black community. In recent weeks, Ice Cube has made his nonpartisanship known, in an 8-minute long video posted to Instagram on October 11 detailing his concerns with both parties. “No president has done right by us. So, I don’t trust none of them. Putting our hopes and dreams behind any of them just don’t work. … I’ve been making contacts with them, trying to talk about these real issues. Straight up, I believe the Democrats have been nice. … I don’t really see them pushing their policies in any different direction.” Later on in the video, he addresses his involvement with the Trump Administration and expresses skepticism as to whether they will deliver on their many promises. “We also met with the Republicans. … They’ve moved their agenda a lot because of what we’ve said. They put $500 billion on the table. But who knows what’s really gon’ happen. I just know one of them is gonna win. And I don’t know if it really matters to us.” While it may not matter to Ice Cube, it certainly matters to other Black celebrities and entertainers, who have made their disappointment with Ice Cube known. “Ice Cube’s are out,” tweeted Jackée Harry, with a picture of Ice. “We’re using nuggets now.” And who are we to go against Lisa Landry?