O'Shea Jackson Jr. (born February 24, 1991), also known by his stage name OMG, is an American actor and rapper. He is the oldest son of American rapper Ice Cube and, in his feature film debut, portrayed his father in the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton.[1]
O'Shea Jackson Jr. | |
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![]() Jackson at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con | |
Born | (1991-02-24) February 24, 1991 (age 31) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Alma mater | University of Southern California |
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Years active | 2010–present |
Children | 1 |
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Musical career | |
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Labels | Lench Mob |
Musical artist |
O'Shea Jackson Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California, to O'Shea Jackson Sr, better known as Ice Cube, and Kimberly Woodruff. Jackson was raised in the San Fernando Valley, and is the second born of four children. He has two brothers, Darrell and Shareef, and a sister, Kareema.[2] Darrell is also a rapper under the name Doughboy, which is the nickname of the character his father portrayed in his first film, Boyz n the Hood. Jackson attended William Howard Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California, from which he graduated in 2009. His father also attended Taft High School.[3] Jackson graduated from the University of Southern California, where he studied screenwriting.[4]
In June 2014, it was announced that Jackson had been cast to portray his father, Ice Cube, in Straight Outta Compton, a biographical film about N.W.A.[1] The film was released on August 14, 2015, to positive reviews. Jackson is noted for his physical resemblance to his father, which Ice Cube described as "spot-on. He was born to play the part," he told Jimmy Kimmel in October 2014.[5]
In 2017, Jackson played Dan Pinto, the Batman-obsessed aspiring screenwriter, landlord and love interest of Aubrey Plaza's character Ingrid Thorburn in the film Ingrid Goes West, with many critics—including the Los Angeles Times, Vulture, and Collider—commenting on his scene-stealing abilities.[6][7][8] In 2018, Jackson starred in the film Den of Thieves, which also included 50 Cent and Gerard Butler.
Jackson appears in two May 2019 movies. He has a supporting role as Lance in the romantic comedy Long Shot alongside Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen, playing the best friend of Rogen's character. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, he portrays Barnes, the leader of the G-Team, the special military forces group run specializing in battles involving Titans.[9][10]
Also in 2019, Jackson co-starred with Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson in the drama Just Mercy. He portrays Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent 30 years behind bars after being wrongfully convicted of murder.[10]
In 2010, Jackson and his brother Darrell were featured on the songs "She Couldn't Make It On Her Own" and "Y'all Know How I Am", from their father's album I Am the West.
In March 2012, Jackson, under the name OMG, released his first mixtape, Jackin' for Beats, online. Jazmine Gray of Vibe said, "True to its title, the hip-hop rookie offers his own lyrics over the beats of some of the most popular tracks of the year. The 10-track tape finds the son of a hip hop icon off to a promising start."[11]
In an interview with XXL Magazine, Jackson said that "Some people say I sound like OMG. No one has compared me or tried to match me up with other artists."[12]
In 2015, Jackson appeared in Pia Mia's music video for her song "Touch". He also appeared in American hip hop duo Twenty88's music video, "Out of Love", promoting their self-titled debut extended play.[13]
On February 6, 2018, Jackson played hip hop legend Kool Herc in a segment of Drunk History.[14] On October 4, 2019, Jackson made a guest appearance on the debut of WWE Smackdown on Fox.[15]
Jackson will star opposite Dave Franco in the Quibi comedy series The Now.[16] Release date is yet to be announced.
In the 2021 basketball drama show, Swagger, Jackson plays Ike Edwards, a former rising star who struggles to coach a young high-stake basketball team. [17] The series premiered on October 29, 2021 on Apple TV+.
He played Kawlan Roken in the Disney+ Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi.[18]
Jackson has a daughter, Jordan Reign Jackson, born in August 2017 with his ex-girlfriend, Jackie Garcia.[19][20] He is a fan of professional wrestling.[21]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2015 | Straight Outta Compton | Ice Cube | |
2017 | Ingrid Goes West | Daniel "Dan" Pinto | |
2018 | Den of Thieves | Donnie Wilson | |
2019 | Long Shot | Lance | |
Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Chief Warrant Officer Jackson Barnes | ||
Just Mercy | Anthony Ray Hinton | ||
2023 | Cocaine Bear | Howard | Post-production |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2018 | Drunk History | DJ Kool Herc | 1 episode |
2021 | The Premise | Cooper | 1 episode |
2021 | The Now | Coop | Miniseries, 9 episodes |
2021–present | Swagger | Ike | Main role, 10 episodes |
2022 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Kawlan Roken | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
Year | Title | type | Other notes |
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2012 | Jackin' for Beats | Mixtape | |
2014 | "OMG" | Single | produced by Foreign Allegiance |
2015 | "Ain't No Place" | Single | produced by Foreign Allegiance |
Year | Song | Artist | Album |
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2010 | "She Couldn't Make It On Her Own" | Ice Cube (feat. OMG & Doughboy) | I Am the West |
"Y'all Know How I Am" | Ice Cube (feat. OMG, Doughboy, WC & Young Maylay) | ||
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