Ice Cube firmly dismissed Candace Owens' claim that gangsta rap was “created by the feds.”

The political commentator controversially took to her X (formally known as Twitter) page and stated that the rap music subgenre was part of a federal agenda to undermine Black culture by promoting false idols. 

“Gangster rap was never black culture. It was created by the Feds, who proferred deals to homosexual black men in prison and then turned them into artificial celebrities. The goal was to create false idols to destroy black American values,” Owens tweeted. “I will never change my mind on this.” 

When Ice Cube caught wind of the comment, he clarified that the genre was originally called "Reality Rap," with fans driving its demand. “We called it Reality Rap, the industry coined it Gangsta Rap. The fans wanted gangsta rap, and that’s what they got. The Feds didn’t write none of my s**t. I’m a real MC,” the former N.W.A member wrote. 

As previously reported by BET, Ice Cube, who is a hip-hop veteran with over three decades in the game, shared his thoughts on rap beefs during an appearance on Etalk CTV. Reflecting on the evolution of hip-hop, he expressed concern over the volatility of feuds in the modern era. "Beefs are, you know, they're volatile. So you, you always have to be careful that a beef doesn't turn into a murder," he said. "Back in the day, you do a diss record, but it would stay kinda somewhat in the hip-hop community. Now, it's all over the world, all walks of life know what's going on and you know, some people can't really take that kind of humiliation."

While the Los Angeles native isn’t a fan of rap battles, he believes that once involved, an artist should go all out. "I don't really like seeing rappers beef. I don't think it's necessary to have a great career, but it happens. Hey, it's part of the game, and I think when you're in a beef, you can't really hold back. It's like being in a fight; you can't really half punch, you gotta go all the way,” he continued.