One moment, thanks to Ice Cube and his tour where the kid, Lil Eazy-E, who is the son of the former partner of Ice Cube in N.W.A, shared the stage, was created to be the biggest moment of all-time for the history of hip-hop. This post is, quite naturally, celebrating four decades starting with Eazy-E and being carried forth by his son.Lil Eazy-E and Ice Cube tour is one of the most special moments I wish I could have attended. The hip-hop heavyweight threw a social media post announcing that he shared the stage with Lil Eazy-E, son of his now deceased N.W.A. brother Eazy-E, closing the four-decade loop. "Me and Big Eazy (R.I.P.) started on stage together. Four decades later, me and Lil Eazy sharing a stage together celebrating the journey," Cube wrote.
If one has been following Cube's career since its inception, this caption retains a massive weight of meaning. That journey began in the late 1980s with Eazy and N.W.A, a group that changed the very core of hip-hop forever. Eazy-E, whose real name was Eric Wright, expired in 1995 from complications with AIDS. After his death, his son now carries that legacy with pride.
The fans flooded the comments with emotional reactions on seeing these two generations together, another concertgoer showered praise on the artists: "Last nights show in AZ was epic! I'm a day 1. And I brought my 23yr old daughter. She had a BLAST!" This shows how Cube's music bridges generational gaps, with the original fans now enjoying it alongside their children.
Other comments were more centered around the notion of legacy: "R.I.P to Eric 'Always Wright' Eazy. Long live his son, Little E, and the O.G. Ice Cube." This phrase resurfaced in many comments, with many users expressing how much Eazy-E continues to be missed and are happy that his son keeps the soul alive.
These performances must have definitely struck deep into the souls of the concertgoers. "Thank You for the LIVE show in Phoenix! We appreciate you OG! And @lileazy_e you represented hard!", a fan wrote, after detailing the adrenaline-filled performance delivered by both acts. "Awesome show! Ice Cube was on fire. AZ loves you," said another in gratitude, describing the uproarious welcome from the crowd.
This is with regard to the outright celebrations; however, a handful of these remarks leaned toward criticism. "With all due respect, that's not the same thing," wrote one user. This warm little statement stood out within the sea of positive responses, insinuating for some purists the father-son connection simply does not quite equate to the original N.W.A chemistry -- there's a slight distinction.
One could almost sense an ethereal glare surround the event. Witnessing the 55-year-old Ice Cube performing alongside the son of his former collaborator creates a very tactile tying of the old with the new in hip-hop. This connection must resonate very deeply with the audience considering that most of them are the very ones who came to watch N.W.A make history.
Comments referencing tour stops have already emerged, while one fan stated, "That NWA concert at The Summit in Houston was FIRE," another appeared more anticipatory of the upcoming shows, saying, "See You Sunday Brotha Ice.. @OklahomaCity." The tour promises enough hype, especially with the Lil Eazy-E collaboration at its focal point.
This union between Ice Cube and Lil Eazy-E somewhat gives the touring group a larger manifestation of the past while considering the future. For the demigods, who went through the inception of the original N.W.A era, this is a subtle waking call of what was lost when Eazy-E passed away; to the new generation, this collaboration represents the living museum of hip-hop.
As one fan spoke for many more: "the best duo forever my favorite!!!!! NWA!!!" The hype was not just for two performers taking to the stage. It was an active witnessing of the continuation of history being stepped into by a new generation in shoes that can forever never really be filled, but definitely can be honored.
Several decades have passed since the emergence of Ice Cube; however, some moments bring one back to where it all began. The stage that was shared by Ice Cube and Eazy-E once now welcomes the next generation, marrying vast presentness with the past in ways that continue to resonate across this country. In other entertainment news, Ice Cube has joined the Minecraft universe in a bizarre new campaign. Additionally, a hilarious viral video features the rapper in the blocky world. Meanwhile, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ice Cube's son, recently stole the show with a funny interview. Finally, Ice Cube and Eva Longoria star together in "War of the Worlds," though fan reactions have been mixed.