The Tragic Death Of Ice Cube's Sister

Although he's considered one of the Founding Fathers of gangsta rap — and his iconic hip-hop group N.W.A. rapped about gun violence, gang wars, and anti-police sentiment — Ice Cube's family tragically fell victim to violence, in real life. Back in 1981, Ice Cube's half-sister Beverly Jean Brown was shot and killed by her husband inside their home just miles away from where Ice Cube lived, according to HuffPost. Ice Cube was only 12 years old at the time. But even though he was young, Beverly's death is something that continues to weigh heavily on Ice Cube's mind. He told the outlet in 2013, "I think about my sister a lot. I think about the turn of events that triggered that situation." He also explained that he sees how the events that led to his sister's death are still in play today, noting that he doesn't have much hope for ending gun violence in America. Ice Cube added, "America is built on the gun. America is in love with the gun. It's a sick love affair. But it's just hard to break." While he spent his career rapping about the repercussions of street violence, the father of five also claimed that he wouldn't stop any of his family members from owning a gun. He explained, "If my sons wanted to buy a gun — as long as it was legal and they knew how to use it and they didn't plan on carrying it around all the time — they're grown." "Westside for life. You know how we do." Still, gun violence will always be a devastating mark on Ice Cube's family history. In his 2016 book Original Gangstas: Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and the Birth of West Coast Rap, journalist and author Ben Westhoff reported that Ice Cube's half-sister Beverly was just 22 years old at the time of her death in the early '80s. After a, quote, "domestic dispute," Beverly's 27-year-old husband, Carl Clifford Brown, reportedly took her hostage and barricaded both himself and his wife inside their South Central home. While Carl had apparently intended to kill Beverly, and then take his own life, only Beverly died during the altercation. Per the Los Angeles Times report — cited by Westhoff — even though the officers who surrounded the home heard muffled gunshots, they attempted to communicate with Carl. But once the special weapons and tactics team entered the house, they found that Carl had been injured and Beverly had been killed. Carl ultimately died one month later. The couple had a son, who was only 1 and a half years old at the time. In the book, Ice Cube told Westhoff that Carl had been a, quote, "wannabe cop," who fell into a deep depression when he wasn't selected as a recruit for the Los Angeles Police Department. As suggested by Ice Cube, had there been better access to mental health resources and alternative gun laws at the time, perhaps the couple's fate might have turned out differently. But Beverly's death didn't happen in a vacuum. According to a 2013 Pew Research Center study, gun deaths escalated throughout the 1980s and only began a slow decline after the firearm homicide rate peaked in 1993. But that doesn't mean that gun violence hasn't unnecessarily continued to exist, in the time since. "That's why fools be getting shot all the time. Trying to show how hard they is." According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were just over 15,000 shootings in 2019 and around 24,000 self-inflicted deaths, including 627 murder-suicides. A study by the nonprofit research institution, Rand Corporation, indicated that tighter gun laws could potentially prevent such deaths. As published by the Guardian, "An assault weapons ban could prevent 170 mass shootings a year in the U.S." The report also suggested that background checks could eliminate 1,100 gun homicides every year, and raising the age limit to buy a gun could also prevent 1,600 homicides and self-inflicted deaths, annually. Sadly, Beverly's death is just one of many cases just like hers. But it remains our collective hope, that with actual reform, these types of tragedies will be left in the past. "Hey, man. Spread the word." Watch this video to find out more on the tragic death of Ice Cube's sister #IceCube