Ice Cube Talks ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Oscar Snubs, Rock Hall Of Fame

Charles Gant, film editor of Heat magazine, suggests the lack of diversity within the Academy’s 6,000-strong membership is having a knock-on effect on the overall nomination shortlist. “Irony of ironies, the only actor who received a nomination for “Creed” is white”.

This year was undeniably huge for black actors in film.

While NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton was nominated for best original screenplay – after being left out of the Golden Globes nominations – many on social media were quick to point out that the nominated screenwriters were actually white. Meanwhile, the movies nominated for Best Picture by the Academy include “The Big Short“, “Bridge Of Spies“, “Brookyln”, “Mad Max: Fury Road“, “The Martian”, “The Revenant“, “Room” and “Spotlight”.

Watch Ice Cube discuss Suge Knight rolling up on the Straight Outta Compton set, his 23-year marriage, his forthcoming movie Ride Along 2 with Kevin Hart, Iggy Azalea, the Drake-Meek Mill feud and his forthcoming Coachella gig below.

The 2016 Oscar nominees were announced Thursday morning, and once again the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences and its voters are drawing fire for the virtually all-white nominations.

Awards-caliber performances by black actors and films focused on African-American stories included Compton, Beasts of No Nation, Will Smith in Concussion, Michael B. Jordan in Creed, Idris Elba in Beasts and Samuel L. Jackson in The Hateful Eight. The president of the Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs (who is African-American), responded to the criticism on the racial, and gender, makeup of the Academy members by announcing a diversity campaign in membership last June.

April Reign, who began the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag a year ago, thinks there needs to be “a change in how movies are nominated”.

Beasts of No Nation – Drama film written and directed by Cary Joli Fukunaga which depicted a young black boy dealing with extreme hardships as his country is at war. Ryan Coogler’s Creed earned near unanimous praise for Michael B. Jordan’s performance as the title character and Coogler’s directing. The full list of nominations can be read via the Oscars official website. “I thought you guys would get more”, she added.

“I’m not pissed. You know, I’m not surprised”, Cube, a producer on “Straight Outta Compton”, told host Wendy Williams Thursday.

The 88th Academy Awards are Sunday, Feb. 28, on ABC.