Legendary rap pioneer and actor Ice Cube was honored at Pulse 2020 with the UCLA Anderson School of Management Game Changer Award on Feb. 28.
The prestigious honor recognizes influential business leaders who have made a major impact in media, entertainment and sports.
Jay Tucker, executive director for the Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment & Sports (MEMES), had the honor of giving the award to Ice Cube.
“Ice Cube is the living embodiment of innovation,” said Tucker. “He launched his career as a teenager, telling stories about his neighborhood and his community in a genre of music that was still in its infancy. Today, he’s widely recognized as a pioneer in music, a Hollywood icon and a game-changing entrepreneur in the world of basketball. We are thrilled to present Ice Cube with the award.”
Ice Cube started off as a member of the infamous rap group N.W.A. Later, he would transition to the movie industry, making cult-classics like Friday, Are We There Yet? and Ride Along.
A big fan of the sports industry, Ice Cube would partner with entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz to create the BIG3 basketball league in January 2017.
BIG3 is a 3-on-3 basketball league featuring All-Stars, Hall of Famers and World Champions. The league currently has 12 teams and plays in 18 cities.
