Ice Cube Says He Respects Rappers Who Write Their Own Lyrics

After Meek Mill accused Drake of employing ghostwriters (and after Funk Flex summarily dropped a handful of reference tracks apparently made for Drake), hip-hop fans scrambled to find their party lines on the issue. Some took a hard line against anything they deemed inauthentic; others merely shrugged. Now, Ice Cube has weighed in, and while his stance probably isn't surprising to those who know his history, it's admirable for its clarity: Speaking with MTV, the Death Certificate star said, “I respect rappers more when they write their own lyrics." But he went on to explain the nuance of the situation, and reminded fans that respect as a bar-for-bar MC isn't the be-all, end-all when it comes to making music. "As far as making a song, anybody can put a song together," he explained. "It don’t matter how it come together. All that matters is what’s coming out the speaker. So, as far as making music and making records, it don’t matter who write it."

That attitude would be in line with Cube's role in N.W.A., where he wrote many of the lyrics performed by Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. Even with that, however, he circled back around to his initial point, adding the qualifier, "As far as emceeing and being a rapper, you should write your own stuff." Cube and his N.W.A. cohorts are the subject of Straight Outta Compton, the biopic that opens next Friday, August 14. Below, watch his interview on The Breakfast Club, where he was joined by the flick's director, F. Gary Gray.