Ice Cube on "Straight Outta Compton" Oscars snub: "I'm not surprised"
Ice Cube isn't sweating "Straight Outta Compton's" big Oscar snub.
Despite garnering plenty of critical acclaim, the N.W.A. biopic only received one Oscar nomination on Thursday -- for Best Original Screenplay. However, the 46-year-old rapper says he isn't surprised by the lack of recognition from the Academy. Cube served as a producer on the film, which, in part, portrays his real-life rise to fame as part of the groundbreaking rap group.
"I'm not pissed. You know, I'm not surprised," he told host Wendy Williams during his appearance on "The Wendy Williams Show" on Thursday. "It's the Oscars, they do what they do."
"The people loved the movie, the people supported the movie -- number one at the box office, over $200 million worldwide," he continued. "I can't be mad, you know."
The film's Oscar snub is certainly not going unnoticed, seeing how the Academy nominated all white actors for the second year in a row. Will Smith and Idris Elba -- both thought to be strong contenders for their roles in "Concussion" and "Beasts of No Nation," respectively -- were also shut out.
"Of course, it's disappointing," Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs told ET on Thursday. "[There were] a lot of tremendously good films. There's 'Straight Outta Compton,' 'Concussion,' 'Creed,' [2014's] 'Dear White People,' 'Dope,' OK? I hope this isn't discouraging for anybody and for filmmakers in particular. You just keep moving along. You keep out there. We will keep out there. We will keep pushing that pedal. We're going to keep pushing it."
Still, if we're judging by Cube's attitude to N.W.A. finally getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, he isn't losing any sleep.
"It is nice to be recognized but N.W.A., you know, was anti-establishment, so, we're used to people trying to dismiss what we gotta say," the rapper told Williams about the recent honor. "We're used to the industry, really, you know, looking down on us. We were the black sheep of the industry, so we're used to it."
However, "Straight Outta Compton" could still be a big winner at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 30, where it's nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Cube's son, 24-year-old O'Shea Jackson Jr., is included in the cast, portraying his own father in the film.
ET caught up with Cube's fellow N.W.A. member, Dr. Dre, in August at the film's premiere, when the Beats Electronics co-founder said the movie gave him "goosebumps" when he watched it.
"It was goosebumps -- a little bit surreal," Dr. Dre said. "Some guys that came from nothing that created something, that's just amazing."
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