Cube & Cole back in ‘Barber Shop’

From left, Deon Cole as Dante, Anthony Anderson as J.D., Utkarsh Ambudkar as Raja and Lamorne Morris as Jerrod in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ and New Line Cinema’s comedy “Barbershop: The Next Cut,“ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo: Photo: Chuck Zlotnick)

Actor, writer, producer, director, rapper — “reigning Renaissance king” could be a good term to describe the one and only Ice Cube. Coming of age in 1980s Los Angeles, Cube experienced the roiling stew of street knowledge, sports fanaticism and social injustice in a city at the forefront of hip-hop’s expansion from local sound to global phenomenon.

Twenty-seven years after N.W.A — the group Cube co-founded with Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella — released their archetypal gangsta rap masterpiece “Straight Outta Compton,” the group’s 2016 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with an introductory speech by their spiritual heir Kendrick Lamar, is a mark of how far Cube has come.

Cube made his feature film debut in director John Singleton’s 1991 hit “Boyz n the Hood.” From that auspicious beginning, he has become one of the most bankable, likeable names in Hollywood as a writer, actor, and producer. His production company, Cube Vision, founded in 1995, has now passed two decades making memorable films. He has been part of films that have cumulatively grossed over $1 billion at the box office.

The N.W.A biopic “Straight Outta Compton” took in box-office receipts of over $200 million worldwide. Cube’s successful film franchises also include the “Friday,” “Are We There Yet?,” “Ride Along” and “Barbershop” franchises.

Deon Cole plays the hilarious co-worker Charlie, a fan-favorite on ABC’s hit comedy “Black-ish.” Cole is also one of the lead roles in the TBS series “Angie Tribeca.” And he continues to be a featured guest correspondent on “Conan,” for which he was also a two-time Emmy nominated writer.

Here, Cube and Cole discuss co-starring in “Barbershop: The Next Cut” as Calvin and Dante, respectively.

I really loved the film and how you addressed the issue of the murder rate in Chicago.

Ice Cube: Yeah, we really wanted to make sure that our movie wasn’t all laughs and jokes, and that we were dealing with what a real barbershop has to deal with. Sometimes, when you want to laugh, reality steps in. So, we were happy to be able to push it.

How were you able to walk that fine line between humor and the serious material?

IC: I think [director] Malcolm Lee is a real master at being able to make you laugh while bringing serious subject-matter, so the movie doesn’t hinge on silliness, but on real life. We were lucky to get him, and he pulled it off pretty brilliantly.

How hard was it trying to reassemble the original cast?

IC: It was easy for the ones that came back, and hard for the ones that didn’t. [Laughs] We tried to get everybody back. We got most of the key players, and I was happy to add Common and J.B. Smoove. They were great adds. And Regina Hall was great, too. So, it all felt right.

And Nicki Minaj was larger than life.

IC: Yeah, without a doubt. She plays a great character, and I think people are going to dig her acting skills.

Did you have any trouble balancing egos with so many big names on the set?

IC: No, people came with the right spirit. I think that my “Let’s get it done! Let’s have fun! Let’s make a great movie!” attitude helped. I rarely have problems on my movies with egos and attitudes. And that’s how it was with this movie. You just respect boundaries and get down and do your work.

Deon, you were quite the scene stealer every time you appeared in the film.

Deon Cole: Is that what it’s called? I’m gonna take that. [Laughs]

Did you base your character on anybody?

DC: Yeah, real people I know that be in a shop like that. No matter what barbershop you go to, there’s always that guy who’s just hanging around and doesn’t do much, but knows everything that’s going on in the community.

What message do you think people will take away from?

IC: To me, the message is community, that you can make a difference, and that you can’t run from your problems and issues and move to another neighborhood. We have to step up as adults and try to guide our youth. I think those are some of the universal messages in it, along with a father trying to get his son off the streets and on the right path.

Have you shown it to folks in Chicago yet?

IC: Yeah, they loved it! We went there first. We had to get them to sign off on it first. We wanted them to embrace it, because this was a movie done to uplift spirits.