The CD that broke my 10-year Ice Cube musical boycott was his Greatest Hits collection. Critics point out that the compilation is lean on material from AmeriiKKKa's Most Wanted. I think this was a smart decision by Priority Records, intentional or not. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted stands alone as a classic. It is Ice Cube's best CD; a must-have in any complete hip-hop CD collection.

Currently, Ice Cube appears in Barbershop, a good movie with humor and backbone. Cube plays Calvin, the reluctant manager of a barbershop he inherited from his father. As anyone who's been to an African-American barbershop knows, the conversation flows freely. The fictional barbershop provides the perfect context for discussions of morality, reparations and the deification of civil rights leaders.

Barbershop will appeal to audiences looking for a "family-oriented" comedy. Cedric the Entertainer's portrayal of a bumbling, wise old man is not convincing, but his character sparks the more noteworthy conversations in the barbershop.

In an article written by Bob Strauss, Ice Cube discusses Barbershop and his more mature outlook on life:

"I've got more understanding about things now, so I'm not so angry about why things are the way things are,'' he says. '"I've got more perspective, and that gives me more of a try-to-change-the-status-quo thing than just be mad at the world. You do things that you can do to help change the plight of people behind you so they can have it a little easier in a way. I feel like the best thing I can do to combat the condition that black people find ourselves in is just to be an example of what can be done with a little bit of determination and ambition.''

Some people will read the quote and look at Ice Cube's career and conclude he epitomizes the word "sellout": he became the suburban black man he ridiculed in Death Certificate's "True To The Game."

To me, he represents the best of humanity. He is a talented and respected artist. He is a self-actualizing person. And, like Malcolm X, he responds honestly to the truth of his life as it is presented to him. His life and art reflect his current state of being and he has the courage to change accordingly, regardless of popular opinion. This was true as he endured criticism for Death Certificate, and it is true today.

Currently, life is presenting a lot of opportunities to Cube, and he maximizes them for the benefit of his ever-expanding audience. Here's to Ice Cube: a true renaissance man.