Ice Cube shut down retirement rumors, insisting he’s not hanging up the mic despite online criticism of his new track.
Ice Cube shut down retirement talk and defended his place in Hip-Hop after a social media user told him to quit rapping following the release of his new track “Act My Age” featuring Scarface.
The 56-year-old rap icon responded directly to X user @freddiehotspot, who posted “hang the mic up” after the October 15 debut of the music video, which playfully features the rappers’ faces digitally placed on babies’ bodies.
Cube didn’t hold back, replying, “I would never listen to you and hang up my mic. You’ve obviously lost your sense of humor. You need to go find it and stay out of my business.”
The video’s visuals and lyrics challenge ageism in Hip-Hop, a topic Ice Cube addresses head-on in the song’s intro: “If you’re over 35 and still rapping, keep rapping, my boy. F*** all of that, ‘Oh, I’m getting old’ s***. No, we need y’all, we need y’all to save music. We need the real lyricists back.”
“Act My Age” is part of Cube’s latest album Man Up, which dropped September 12.
The project continues themes from his earlier 2024 release “Man Down,” and includes collaborations with longtime peers like Scarface.
The album arrived as Cube launched his first major U.S. tour in over 10 years, Truth to Power: 4 Decades of Attitude, which wrapped the North American leg in October after 22 stops.
Cube’s latest work leans into themes of accountability and cultural awareness. “I’ve always stood on speaking truth to power and making music that reflects reality,” he said of “Man Up.” “Man Up is about accountability, resilience, and reminding people where the real problems come from. Hip-Hop didn’t create the struggle—it gave us the language to call it out.”
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