Editing Ice Cube (section)

===1986–1989: N.W.A.===
{{Main|N.W.A}}
[[File:Uncle Jam's Army - Eazy-E and N.W.A. 1988 Skateland Concert Poster.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Poster for one of N.W.A's first concerts at a Compton skating rink, 1988]]
At 16, Cube sold his first song to Eric Wright, soon dubbed [[Eazy-E]], who was forming [[Ruthless Records]] and the musical team [[N.W.A]], based in [[Compton, California]].<ref name="Jessie Carney Smith 2006" /> Himself from [[South Los Angeles|South Central Los Angeles]], Cube would be N.W.A's only core member not born in Compton.

Upon the success of the song "[[Boyz-n-the-Hood]]"—written by Cube, produced by Dre, and rapped by Eazy-E, helping establish gangsta rap in California—Eazy focused on developing N.W.A,<ref>Loren Kajikawa, ''Sounding Race in Rap Songs'' (Oakland: [[University of California Press]], 2015), [https://books.google.com/books?id=v-x9BgAAQBAJ&dq=Boyz+Straight&pg=PA93 p 93].</ref> which soon gained [[MC Ren]]. Cube wrote some of Dre's and nearly all of Eazy's lyrics on N.W.A's official debut album, ''[[Straight Outta Compton]]'', released in January 1989.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gold & Platinum |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=N.W.A&ti=&lab=&genre=&format=&date_option=release&from=&to=&award=&type=&category=&adv=SEARCH#search_section |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=RIAA |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Interview: Ice Cube Talks About The Making of Eazy-E's "E... |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/rob-kenner/ice-cube-interview-easy-e |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=Complex |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox52unse_43/page/10/mode/2up?q=%22straight+outta+compton%22 |title=Cash Box |date=1989-05-27 |publisher=Cash Box Pub. Co. |others=William and Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ice Cube -Interview |url=http://www.bombhiphop.com/newbomb/bombpages/articles/MC/Ice%20Cube.htm |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=www.bombhiphop.com}}</ref> Yet by the end of the year, Cube questioned his compensation and N.W.A's management by [[Jerry Heller]].<ref name="Ice Cube 2002">''Ice Cube: Attitude'' (McIver, 2002) {{ISBN|1-86074-428-1}}</ref>

Cube also wrote most of Eazy-E's debut album ''[[Eazy-Duz-It]]''. He received a total pay of $32,000, and the contract that Heller presented in 1989 did not confirm that he was officially an N.W.A member.<ref name="Attitude70">''Ice Cube: Attitude'', Joel McIver, p.70, Foruli Classics, 2012</ref> After leaving the group and its label in December, Cube sued Heller, and the lawsuit was later settled out of court.<ref name="Attitude70"/> In response, N.W.A members attacked Cube on the 1990 EP ''[[100 Miles and Runnin']]'', and on N.W.A's next and final album, ''[[Niggaz4Life]]'', in 1991.<ref name=":122"/>