Photo – Prudence Upton

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On Monday night, ahead of Ice Cube’s final Vivid LIVE performance, Double J’s Zan Rowe sat down with the legendary rapper at the Sydney Opera House to talk about five songs that changed his life. It was the very first live Take 5 event and to say it was a special moment is a huge understatement.

For over a decade Zan has been Taking 5 with artists like Peaches, Beck, Vince Staples, Mike D, St Vincent and Sir Paul McCartney, building a reputation as one of the country’s best interviewers by helping artists to tell their never-heard-before stories.

Ice Cube’s Take 5 was no exception. He opened up about his childhood and the music that went on to shape his life and career, speaking about how his family and in particular his big sisters opened the gateway to music for him as a child.

Ice Cube told the 1200-strong live audience about how Grandmaster Flash crystalized his view of the world and spurred him to create, to tell his own stories and the stories of his community… And how NWA’s ‘Fuck the Police’ almost never was, until it was literally pulled out of a trash can.

Stories of resilience, defiance and self-belief filled the hour. At one moment hilarious, the next pin-drop quiet; Cube’s Take 5 showed sides of him you’ve never seen before, as he shared the five songs that changed his life.

It’s a remarkable conversation with a remarkable man, well worth immersing yourself in.

You can stream and download Ice Cube’s Take 5 from iTunes and the Double J website now, as well as listen to the on-air encore at 10am AEST this Sunday.

Plus, you can listen to Zan Rowe from 9am-12pm Weekdays on Double J on your mobile, digital radio, on Channel 200 on your TV and online at doublej.net.au, including the popular Take 5 segment which airs at 10am every Friday.

And keep an eye on the Double J website for Vivid LIVE reviews and highlights from Solange, Mazzy Star and more as the festival continues until 16 June.

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AMNPLIFY – DB