Ice Cube (birth name O’Shea Jackson) is one of the most iconic rappers of all time. The 52-year-old star first catapulted into the spotlight alongside Eazy-E and Dr. Dre in the group N.W.A after they released their legendary 1998 album Straight Outta Compton. He then enjoyed a successful solo career as well, dropping hits like 1992’s “It Was A Good Day” and 1993’s “You Know How We Do It”, and seeing five platinum albums and one platinum EP. In addition, he’s had an impressive film career that only keeps on giving. Some of Ice Cube’s biggest movies include 2000’s Next Friday and 2014’s Ride Along.
Throughout his career highlights, Ice Cube has had his wife Kim Woodruff by his side. The couple tied the knot in 1992 and have welcomed five kids since: O’Shea, 30, Darrell, 29, Karima, 28, Deja, 28, and Shareef, 26. Read on to learn all there is to know about Ice Cube’s five children.
O’Shea Jackson, Jr.
O’Shea Jackson, Jr. is the eldest son of Kim and Ice Cube. He was born in 1991, the year before his parents officially tied the knot. O’Shea followed his father’s footsteps and works as an actor and rapper and performs under the name OMG. His most notable acting roles came in 2022’s Obi-Wan Kenobi mini-series, 2019’s Just Mercy, and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. He also portrayed his father in the 2015 NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton. “I’m very proud,” Cube said in a 2015 interview with Good Morning America, speaking of his eldest. “You’re just happy when your kids step up, and I’m so proud of him.”
O’Shea made Ice Cube and Kim grandparents when his daughter was born in 2017. In 2019, O’Shea told Ellen DeGeneres about the parenting advice Ice Cube imparted to him. “His advice is always you know just to always tell the truth,” he revealed while on her talk show. He added that his second piece of advice was to “always plan out your naps,” as sleep can be hard to come by when you’ve got a little one on your hands.
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Jackson is the second child of Kim and Ice Cube and was born in 1992, the same year his parents got married. Like his famous father and big brother, Darrell is a rapper and performs under the moniker Doughboy. Darrell teamed up with Ice Cube and O’Shea for the song “Ya’ll Know How I Am”, which was released in 2010. According to his Instagram, he works at Lench Mob Records, a sublabel of Universal Music Group founded by Ice Cube.
Karima Jackson
Karima Jackson is the third child and first daughter of Ice Cube and Kim. She was born in 1994 and very little else is known about her. Unlike her older siblings, Karima has opted to live a life out of the spotlight, although she has been seen on the red carpet with her talented dad a handful of times over the years.
Deja Jackson
Deja Jackson is also believed to have been born in 1994, although it’s not clear if she and Karima are twins. Like her one and only sister, Deja has remained completely out of the spotlight.
Shareef Jackson
Ice Cube and Kim’s fifth and final child, Shareef Jackson, was born in 1995. Like his two older sisters, he has remained out of the limelight. However, it is known he is a huge basketball fan, as he has been spotted out and about wearing NBA apparel.
Even though there is very little known about some of Ice Cube’s children, one thing is for sure: They were raised by someone who took the title of “dad” seriously. Exemplifying this, the famous rapper once told Access Hollywood that becoming a father changed him “from a boy into a man.”