Los Angeles—Ice Cube was barely out of his teens when his work with both the group N.W.A. and then as a solo artist made him one of the first rap-music stars. At 22, he made his movie debut in 1991’s Boyz n the Hood and has gone on to become a movie star, too. Although most hip-hop artists still use the music’s “gangsta” image to make movies, Cube has become a film version of Bill Cosby, with success in the hit family films Are We There Yet? and its sequel, Are We Done Yet?

When David E. Talbert went looking for a lead for his movie First Sunday, which tells the story of a man who will do anything, including robbing a church, to keep his ex-wife from taking their son to another city, he immediately thought of Cube. “I love that menacing look he can give you,” he says in a Los Angeles hotel room. “There is no one in films who can look that tough one moment and vulnerable the next. When he brings his gun into the church, you don’t think, ”˜This is the Ice Cube that makes movies with all those kids,’ because he doesn’t look soft. In fact, there is a point in the church scenes where you think, ”˜Wow, he might shoot the pastor!’ ”

In the film, which opens Friday (January 11), Cube plays Durell, a smart man who has done a few dumb things. Mostly, he spends too much time trying to help out his friend LeeJohn (Tracy Morgan), who keeps getting both of them in trouble. LeeJohn’s latest scheme is to sell stolen wheelchairs, but that goes badly wrong, leading to both men having their lives threatened by gangsters.

Meanwhile, Durell has discovered that his ex-wife needs money to operate her hair salon. If she doesn’t get it, she will leave for Atlanta, Georgia, and take their son. So when LeeJohn suggests that they rob a local church, Durell is desperate enough to take on the job.

Cube admits that when Talbert told him the film was a comedy that would rely heavily on the audience’s sympathy for Durell, he was worried that it might be too much of a stretch. He says that he was particularly concerned that even though Talbert had strong support among African-American churchgoers because of his work with that group’s favourite filmmaker, Tyler Perry, they would probably have a tough time warming to gun-toting church robbers.

“We had a meeting and I said, ”˜Dude, your audience is churchgoers and I am sure that they go to some of my movies too, but how do you make this movie without making them feel that we are doing things that aren’t funny?’ ” Cube recalls. “And he said, ”˜Because Durell loves his son and that is the only reason that he would do something this dumb.’ He said, ”˜I know that if we can make the son-father connection, the audience will ride it out. And I think you can help them to do that.’ ”

Cube’s success as an actor and film producer (First Sunday is the 14th film on which he has a producing credit) has allowed him to go so far over to movies that it is easy to forget that he is still selling records. He says that although he prefers music, his movies will always get more attention.

“I have always done music, even if it wasn’t always doing albums,” Cube says. “I have done soundtracks and I have toured quite a bit. As far as my hip-hop fans go, they are patient. They just wait until I get tired of playing with kids in films and give them a record. They know I am going to do a certain amount of movies to satisfy myself creatively but that I will still do hip-hop and do it hardcore like I have always been doing it. Movies take up more of my time, but I enjoy making music more.

“In fact, I am working on an album now that is coming out this summer, and I have a song on the Internet called ”˜Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It,’ ” he continues. “The movie business right now has a higher profile than the music business, and I have never been on a major label. Even my last one was indie, and although it sold 700,000 units, it did not have the kind of buzz one of my movies would have. So it looks like I am not doing much music. The other thing about the music business is that as an artist you want to do different stuff, but if you go to a new company they want you to do what sells. I would rather do things that are closer to my heart.”