According to Steven Otfinoski's book, "African-Americans in the Performing Arts," Ice Cube began rapping in high school, after being challenged by a kid in his typing class to see who could write a better rhyme. He soon put together a group with his friend Anthony Wheaton, who went by the handle Sir Jinx, and who (according "Original Ganstas," by Ben Westoff) was a budding producer who had put together a makeshift studio in his ramshackle garage. This group was first known as the Stereo Crew, but soon after they met a local up-and-coming DJ who went by the name of Dr. Dre, and, according to DubCNN, they decided a name change was in order.

Cube and Jinx's crew began going by the name C.I.A. at Dre's suggestion, which stood for ... well, a few different things, depending on who was asking, but mainly "Criminals in Action." Speaking with Yahoo! News, Cube recalled that the group's first and only single, the ridiculously titled "She's a Skag," seemed like it might offer up his breakout moment. "They played 'She's a Skag' on the radio. I almost lost my mind," Cube recalled. "I'm like, 'Turn it up!' I thought every car on the street was listening to it. It was one of those moments where I felt like, 'Damn, we got over the hump.'"

While Cube went on the explain that the song didn't really get much radio play, it was a seminal moment in his career. 

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