Ice Cube talks "Hip Hop Squares," secret to his success

O’Shea Jackson, better known as Ice Cube, is out with his latest project, “Hip Hop Squares” on VH1, a reboot of the classic game show “Hollywood Squares.” But according to Ice Cube, his show has “more flavor.”

“It’s great to have guys from the hip hop and just pop world up there having a ball. A lot of them didn’t know how to play tic-tac-toe, so it was extra fun to see them kind of stumble around,” Ice Cube said Monday on “CBS This Morning.” “It’s just great to see these guys kind of come out of what you’re used to seeing and their real personalities, give them a chance to shine.”

Ice Cube was a member of N.W.A, the revolutionary group credited with inventing West Coast gangster rap. He broke out as a solo artist in 1990 and sold more than 10 million albums worldwide with his socially-conscious lyrics and cultural commentary. Ice Cube went from music to movies, starring in hits like “Boyz n the Hood,” “Barbershop,” “Ride Along,” and most recently “Fist Fight.”

The artist, director and producer credits his career progression to recognizing the opportunities.

“One thing my moms and pops always taught me… was life is only going to present you with so many opportunities and you’ve got to have the courage to seize the moment and you can’t hold yourself back by not stepping through those open doors when they present themselves,” he said.

Even his advice to his son, O’Shea Jackson Jr., who played his father in the biopic “Straight Outta Compton,” was about opportunities.

“Just keep your head about yourself, you know what I mean? Don’t let the business blow you up. I feel like with show business, you’re as good as your last project, so always be looking for that next project,” Ice Cube said.

Ice Cube, who’s been married to his wife, Kimberly Woodruff, for more than 20 years, also spoke about the impact she’s had on his life.

“She’s been my rock. She’s the reason I’m here, you know,” he said. “If I didn’t have her, I probably would have took a wrong turn somewhere, but she’s been everything I needed to be in this moment right now, and I love her to death.”