Ice Cube is one of the most influential rappers of all time. The L.A.-born star was part of the influential rap group NWA alongside the likes of Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, which made him a star, especially after the group’s landmark album Straight Outta Compton dropped in 1988. Cube left the group shortly after and went on to a very successful solo career, which includes hits like “It Was A Good Day” and “You Know How We Do It.” In the early 90s, Cube also began a very successful acting career, with a wide array of roles in different movies from crime dramas like Boyz N The Hood to comedies like Friday. Throughout his career, he’s had one woman by his side: his wife Kim Woodruff. Find out everything you need to know about Cube, 52, and Kim, 51, here!
Ice Cube and Kimberly Woodruff have been married since 1992. (Mediapunch/Shutterstock)How Did Ice Cube And Kim Meet?
The Death Certificate rapper has been with his wife since the early days of his career. Cube revealed he first saw his wife at a mall, coming down an escalator, and he instantly felt a connection in a 2022 interview with Graham Bensinger. “When I saw her, something automatically went through my head that said, either that could be your woman or that should be your woman,” he said.
While he instantly felt a connection, Cube said that she was dating someone else when they first met. “She didn’t want me. She turned me down. She was with somebody else,” he explained. Even though he was let down at the time, the pair reunited six months later and this time, Kim was single. The couple started dating in 1989, and the rest is history!
Ice Cube and Kim Got Married In 1992
After dating for some time, Cube revealed that he had a genius plan to both pop the question and get Kimberly an amazing birthday present. “I wanted to propose to her, but it was also close to her birthday,” he said in the Bensinger interview. “I bought her a BMW and pulled it in there, and I had the ring sitting on the seat.”
Cube said that while Kim was already over-the-moon with the new car, the engagement ring was icing on the cake! “When she saw the ring, it just went to another level,” he said and explained that he was also thrilled. “I was happy that she said yes, and that we was going to start a life together, and I always felt like I wouldn’t be nowhere near as successful as I am without her.” The paired tied the knot in 1992, a year after Cube’s oldest son O’Shea Jackson Jr., 31, was born.
After 25 years of marriage, Cube revealed that he asked his wife if she’d say yes if he proposed again in a 2018 interview with DailyMail. “The second time I basically said, ‘If I propose again, would you say yes?’” he said, and of course, she said yes again. “She said, ‘Yeah I would,’ so I didn’t really have a lot of pressure. I had built up 20 years of good faith.”
Cube revealed that Kim initially turned him down when they first met. (Invision/AP/Shutterstock)Kim and Ice Cube Have Five Kids
Other than their son O’Shea, the pair have had four more kids during their marriage. The rapper’s other four kids were born after the pair had gotten married. In total, the pair have 3 sons and 2 daughters. Besides O’Shea, the couple have Darrell, 29, Karima, 28, Deja, 28, and Shareef, 26. O’Shea also made his mom and dad grandparents when he welcomed his daughter was born in 2017.
O’Shea starred as his dad in the 2015 NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton. “I’m very proud,” Cube said in an interview with Good Morning America. “You’re just happy when your kids step up, and I’m so proud of him.”
What Has Ice Cube Said About His Marriage?
While Kim has mostly stayed out of the spotlight, Cube has gushed over his wife on a number of occasions. “It’s a true partnership. I respect my wife and she respects me. We really want to be around each other,” he said in a 2014 interview with Bethenny. In that same interview, he said that he “definitely” still gets butterflies when he looks at his wife. “It’s all about keeping it fresh. I still want her to look at me, and be like, ‘Yo, this is the man I want to be with.’ So you have to keep yourself up. Keep up your P’s and your Q’s, and keep your lady happy.”
