There are generations of people who have no idea how great N.W.A. were in their prime. Ice Cube, Eazy-E, and MC Ren were all operating at the peak of their powers as rappers. Meanwhile, some of the best Dr. Dre beats you’ll ever hear reside on albums like Straight Outta Compton. But ugly contract disputes and group disagreements led to ugly beef.

Eventually, each member struck out on their own, with Cube and Dre carving out incredible solo careers for themselves. Now, they exist as rap royalty. But there was always a nagging question: would some iteration of N.W.A. ever reunite? Apparently, it’s all up to Dr. Dre.

In an interview with Complex, Ice Cube admitted that there’s nothing in the works when it comes to any new music from the group. However, he’s not necessarily against it. Ultimately, he places everything on what the Compton producer is interested in making.

“It has to come together organically,” Ice Cube told the outlet. “Who knows? I would love to get together with them dudes. It ain’t hard to find me on the microphone. I mean, I’m easy to find. And it’s all about Dr. Dre, where his head is, you know? If he feel like doing it, we do it. If he don’t, we don’t. Nobody wants a N.W.A song without Dr. Dre’s production.”

Ice Cube Wants an N.W.A. Reunion But Isn’t Sure Dr. Dre is Interested

There’s another conflict that might get in the way of a potential N.W.A. reunion too: what if Dr. Dre uses AI in his production? After all, Cube has been on the record about his distaste for the technological medium. Meanwhile, the G-Funk legend is all for it, arguing that anyone against it must clearly lack the imagination that is necessary for any creative person.

Ultimately, this led to a debate on Ice Cube’s new podcast with Mike Epps, Listen & Laugh. There, Dr. Dre said that using AI is no different than the art of sampling. He argued that it’s a natural progression of musical technology.

But Cube didn’t love the idea of being able to cut corners and remove the person from the creativity. If anyone could use AI to make something, how creative could it really be? But to Dr. Dre, the method didn’t necessarily invalidate the results.

“Why do you give a f**k about how we made records opposed to how the new generation is making them?” he asked Ice Cube. “What if that is just something new? This is what happens with guys that are our age. It’s like we don’t wanna take the time to learn a new technology, so we have a problem with the way they’re doing things.”

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AI is arguably the hottest topic to discuss right now. Typically, those in favor are trying to treat it like any other new technology, emphasizing its use as a tool. Those against it will likely bring up the environmental harm it creates from data centers or how it removes a lot of the personal creativity out of the process when it’s generative. Regardless, talking about it almost always leads to intense conversations, even between friends and family.

That’s what happened when Dr. Dre appeared on an episode of Ice Cube’s new podcast with Mike Epps, Listen & Laugh. There, he emphasized how he was “extremely excited” by its potential and capabilities.

“I love the idea of where it could possibly go with music, with film. What happens if someone says, ‘I’m gonna pay you, Cube, to be in my movie, right? You don’t even have to be there, but you get to approve what they do. It’s your image and your voice. What’s wrong with that? It’s just a whole new level of creativity,” Dr. Dre argued.  “I think the only people that are gonna be mad about the elevation of AI are the people who aren’t that creative.”

Naturally, Ice Cube was a bit skeptical and pushed back slightly. He’s been on the record on his feelings against AI and how it creates a slippery slope where technology outweighs human expression. But Dre wouldn’t waver, comparing its use in music to sampling.

Dr. Dre Gets into Debate With Ice Cube Over The Use of AI

“This is just a whole new level of creativity that we have to get used to. You have to get used to it or you’re gonna be left behind,” Dre told Cube.

Still, Cube wouldn’t budge, expressing concern about how AI can effectively create shortcuts in the process of making music. Consequently, anyone could theoretically make something without having the talent or skill to actually do it.

But Dr. Dre thought this was a good thing. “Why do you give a f**k about how we made records opposed to how the new generation is making them?” he asked. “What if that is just something new? This is what happens with guys that are our age. It’s like we don’t wanna take the time to learn a new technology, so we have a problem with the way they’re doing things.”

Ultimately, the pair agreed to disagree. Given Dr. Dre’s past comments on AI, it doesn’t seem like he’ll ever change his mind.

Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Top Dawg Entertainment

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