Ice Cube Says an N.W.A Reunion Hinges on Dr. Dre — and Dre Just Crowned Larry Smith the Greatest Producer Ever
Ice Cube has made one thing clear about the possibility of an N.W.A reunion: it depends on Dr. Dre. Speaking to Complex, Cube said, "If he feel like doing it, we do it. If he don't, we don't." There are no reunion plans at the moment, but Cube said he would love to get back together with his former group members and that it would have to happen naturally. He added, "Nobody wants a N.W.A song without Dr. Dre's production."
The comments came as Cube and Mike Epps launched their new weekly podcast, Listen & Laugh, with Dr. Dre as the first guest. The first episode was released on November 6, 2026, with new episodes every Friday, giving the longtime collaborators a regular place to talk music, movies and the culture that shaped them.
On that first episode, at about the 9 minute 50 second mark, Cube asked Dre to name his favorite producer of all time. Dre said that outside of Quincy Jones, the one who really inspired him was Larry Smith. "Larry Smith, to me, is the greatest hip hop producer ever. He did Whodini, he did Run DMC, all of the music that inspired us when we was coming up. Fat Boys, LL Cool J, Kurtis Blow." DJ Premier also named Smith the best hip-hop producer of all time in 2009. Smith was a pioneering Queens musician, bass player and early hip-hop producer who died in 2014 at age 62.
Dre also said he plans to take a break from music production after finishing two projects, one with Houston artist Marqus Clae, after 41 years making music, per Complex's November 8 report. That makes his praise for Smith, and his central role in any possible N.W.A reunion, feel especially significant: Dre is thinking about what comes next, and about the producers who shaped the sound he helped build.
Cube is also working on the Last Friday movie with Mike Epps and hopes to get a song produced by Dr. Dre for its soundtrack. "We'll see if he wants to bless us with his production," Cube said. For now, fans have the new podcast to look forward to each week, and the possibility of a reunion that, in Cube's words, will only happen if Dre feels like doing it.
Read the full reports at Primetimer and The Talk Lounge.