O'Shea Jackson Sr., known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, and filmmaker. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popularity, and his political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992) were all critically and commercially successful. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A in 2016.
Friday is a 1995 American buddy comedy film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh. The first installment in the Friday trilogy, the film stars Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tiny "Zeus" Lister Jr., Regina King, Anna Maria Horsford, Bernie Mac, and John Witherspoon. Set in South Central Los Angeles, it follows unemployed friends Craig Jones and Smokey, who face troubles after becoming indebted to a local drug dealer while also contending with the neighborhood bully.
Christopher Tucker is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Tucker made his debut in 1992 as a stand-up performer on the HBO comedy series Def Comedy Jam, where he frequently appeared on the show during the 1990s. He acted in the films Friday, The Fifth Element, Money Talks, and Jackie Brown, and later gained widespread fame and popularity in the 2000s for playing Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour series.
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential stand-up comedians of all time. Pryor won a Primetime Emmy Award and five Grammy Awards. He received the first Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1998. He won the Writers Guild of America Award in 1974. He was listed at number one on Comedy Central's list of all-time greatest stand-up comedians. In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him first on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, better known by his stage name Bernie Mac, was an American comedian and actor. Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined fellow comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L. Hughley in the film The Original Kings of Comedy.
Omar Hashim Epps is an American actor, rapper, and producer. He has been awarded nine NAACP Image Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, one MTV Movie Award, one Black Reel Award, and one Screen Actors Guild Award. Epps's film roles include Juice, Higher Learning, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love & Basketball. His television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the medical drama series ER, J. Martin Bellamy in Resurrection, Dr. Eric Foreman on the Fox medical drama series House from 2004 to 2012, and Isaac Johnson in the TV series Shooter from 2016 to 2018.
CB4 is a 1993 American satirical mockumentary comedy film directed by Tamra Davis and starring Chris Rock. The film follows a fictional rap group named "CB4", named after the prison block in which the group was allegedly formed. The movie primarily parodies the rap group N.W.A among other gangsta rap aspects, as well as taking inspiration from This Is Spinal Tap. It contains short segments featuring celebrities and musicians such as Halle Berry, Eazy-E, Butthole Surfers, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Flavor Flav, and Shaquille O'Neal.
Next Friday is a 2000 American stoner comedy film and the sequel to the 1995 film Friday. It is the first film to be produced by Ice Cube's film production company Cubevision. It was directed by Steve Carr and stars Ice Cube, Mike Epps, John Witherspoon, Tamala Jones, and Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. It is the second installment in the Friday series as it tells the story of Craig Jones as he goes to live with his uncle and cousin in Rancho Cucamonga after the neighborhood bully Deebo escapes from prison where Craig contends with three criminal brothers known as the Joker Brothers. Next Friday was theatrically released on January 12, 2000, grossing $59 million worldwide. The film has received generally negative reviews from critics.
Joseph Guillermo Jones II, better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American rapper and record executive. He is an original member of the hip hop collective the Diplomats alongside longtime friend and fellow Harlem native Cam'ron.
John Witherspoon, was an American actor and comedian who performed in various television shows and films.
Tyree Cinque Simmons, professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American disc jockey (DJ), record executive and music promoter. He initially gained recognition as the official DJ for Atlanta-based rapper T.I. and would continue to gain prominence hosting mixtapes, namely his trademark Gangsta Grillz series. Numerous high-profile artists have utilized Drama's Gangsta Grillz branding in projects he's compiled, including Lil Wayne, Fabolous, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Snoop Dogg, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, among others.
Kevin Darnell Hart is an American comedian and actor. Originally known as a stand-up comedian, he has since starred in Hollywood films and on TV. He has also released several well-received comedy albums.
Friday After Next is a 2002 American stoner comedy film directed by Marcus Raboy and starring Ice Cube, Mike Epps, John Witherspoon, Don "D.C." Curry, Anna Maria Horsford, and Clifton Powell. It is the third installment in the Friday trilogy as tells the story of Craig and his cousin Day-Day getting jobs as security guards at a shopping center when a robber dressed as Santa Claus breaks into their apartment and steals their presents and the rent money that is to be given to their landlady. The film was theatrically released on November 22, 2002, to generally negative reviews.
Friday is a stoner comedy film franchise created by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh. The series takes place in South Central Los Angeles and follows the exploits of perpetually unemployed Craig Jones, who along with his friends and relatives, are thrust into various issues that happen to occur on a Friday.
Tauheed K. Epps, known professionally as 2 Chainz, is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, alongside longtime friend and fellow rapper Earl "Dolla Boy" Conyers. The duo was signed to Georgia-based rapper Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label, and are best known for their 2007 debut single "Duffle Bag Boy".
Miles Parks McCollum, known professionally as Lil Yachty, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first gained recognition on the internet in 2015 for his singles "One Night" and "Minnesota" from his debut EP Summer Songs. He released his debut mixtape Lil Boat in March 2016. In June 2016, Yachty announced that he had signed a joint venture record deal with Motown, Capitol Records, and Quality Control Music.
Terry Sanchez Wallace Jr., known professionally as Tee Grizzley, is an American rapper best known for his singles "First Day Out", "No Effort", "Colors", and "From the D to the A".
Casada Aaron Sorrell, known professionally as Sada Baby, is an American rapper and singer. He initially gained recognition in 2018 when the music video for his song "Bloxk Party" went viral, leading to him signing to Asylum Records. A prominent figure of the emerging Detroit rap scene of the mid-to-late 2010s, Sada Baby has become one of the most prolific rappers of the generation. His debut studio album Skuba Sada 2 (2020), a sequel to his 2017 debut mixtape Skuba Sada, peaked at number 125 on the US Billboard 200. In 2020, his song "Whole Lotta Choppas" went viral on TikTok, later receiving a remix featuring Nicki Minaj and peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Upshaws is an American sitcom created by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes. The series stars Sykes, Mike Epps, Kim Fields, Page Kennedy, Diamond Lyons, Khali Spraggins, Jermelle Simon, Gabrielle Dennis, and Journey Christine. The series premiered on Netflix on May 12, 2021. In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, with the first part being released on June 29, 2022. The second part of the second season premiered on February 16, 2023. In October 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, which will premiere on August 17, 2023.
The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2 is a 2021 American parody black comedy horror film directed by Deon Taylor, and written by Taylor and Corey Harrell. A sequel to the 2016 film Meet the Blacks, it stars Mike Epps and Katt Williams, with Bresha Webb, Lil Duval, Zulay Henao, Tyrin Turner, Michael Blackson, Andrew Bachelor, Gary Owen and Danny Trejo in supporting roles. In the film, which primarily satirizes Fright Night, Carl Black (Epps) moves his family back to his childhood home, encountering a mysterious new neighbor (Williams), a pimp who may be a vampire.
