{"id":406850,"date":"2026-07-21T18:34:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T18:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/406850\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T18:34:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T18:34:09","slug":"ice-cube-and-mike-epps-celebrate-the-legacy-of-friday-at-long-beach-amphitheater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/406850\/","title":{"rendered":"Ice Cube and Mike Epps celebrate the legacy of &#8216;Friday&#8217; at Long Beach Amphitheater"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly 30 years after Friday first became a cultural phenomenon, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/icecube\/?hl=en\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ice Cube<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/therealmikeepps\/?hl=en\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Epps<\/a> proved its legacy is still going strong. On Friday night (July 17), the hip-hop icon headlined Everyday\u2019s Friday: Lyrics, Loungin\u2019 and Laughing at the Long Beach Amphitheater. It served as a one-night celebration of the beloved film franchise that blended nostalgia, comedy, and classic West Coast hip-hop into one unforgettable evening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Cube took the stage, Warren G warmed up the crowd with a set full of unmistakable West Coast energy. He performed fan favorites like \u201cRegulate,\u201d and \u201cAin\u2019t No Fun\u201d that had the audience rapping along word for word. The Long Beach native reminded everyone why his music remains synonymous with California summers and G-funk. It felt like a true summer night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, Mike Epps popped on and off stage every now and again. He kept the crowd entertained throughout various moments of the night. He delivered quick bits along with his larger-than-life personality that made his portrayal of Day-Day one of the Friday franchise\u2019s most beloved characters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adding to the celebratory atmosphere, fans even came dressed as their favorite Friday characters. There were costumes inspired by Craig, Smokey, Deebo, and other personalities from the franchise.<\/p>\n<p> Ice Cube Performed Nostalgia  <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Running through a career-spanning set, Cube took fans back to the late \u201980s and early \u201990s with many of the records that helped define West Coast rap. His commanding stage presence and breath control was impressive, and he even addressed it on stage. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis ain\u2019t no background vocals. We really rapping,\u201d Ice Cube said on stage. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He performed hits like \u201cDopeman,\u201d \u201cExpress Yourself,\u201d and of course, \u201cIt Was A Good Day.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After over 40 years in the game, Ice Cube showed off his ability to maintain an exciting show. He also reminded people that during that amount of time he spent chasing his career, he never let the haters get to him. \u201cKeep going because one day, your haters will eventually get tired. They can\u2019t keep up,\u201d Ice Cube told the crowd.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, he used that inspirational message to intro his next song, \u201cAin\u2019t Got No Haters.\u201d The song doubled-down on that statement.<\/p>\n<p> Ice Cube Intro\u2019s \u201cAin\u2019t Got No Haters\u201d  <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fans recited every lyric, turning the amphitheater into one massive singalong. The performance was a reminder of the influence Cube has had across generations of hip-hop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cube closed the night in the only way that felt right. As the opening notes of \u201cFriday\u201d filled the venue, the crowd erupted with energy. The song served as the perfect finale.<\/p>\n<p> \u2018Friday\u2019s\u2019 Next Chapter <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, the event itself celebrated the enduring impact of the Friday franchise while teasing its next chapter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, Ice Cube and Mike Epps reflected on the series\u2019 legacy while hinting that the beloved franchise is entering a new era.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFriday has always been about and for the fans who made it a classic and kept it alive for nearly 30 years,\u201d Ice Cube said in a statement. \u201cTo be able to step back out there with Mike Epps and bring that energy to the stage for a one-night-only experience in Long Beach is special. This show represents the beginning of the next chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both stars shared what the reunion meant to them and why bringing Everyday\u2019s Friday to Long Beach felt like the perfect way to honor the fans who have kept the films alive for generations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEvery day for the last 30 years someone has told me how much they loved the Friday franchise and how much the characters mean to them,\u201d Mike Epps added. \u201cTo reunite with Cube and bring this one-night-only experience to the fans is incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For longtime fans, Everyday\u2019s Friday was a celebration of West Coast culture, hip-hop history, and a film franchise whose impact continues to span generations. Nearly three decades after the original film\u2019s release, the audience proved that the connection to Craig, Smokey, Day-Day, and the world Ice Cube created remains just as strong today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/remixdmagazine.com\/new-music-friday-the-week-of-july-10th\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read more stories on Remixd Magazine.<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nearly 30 years after Friday first became a cultural phenomenon, Ice Cube and Mike Epps proved its legacy&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":406851,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[163100,2424,163101,9864,24601,131,133,132,163102,2645,27967,490],"class_list":["post-406850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-everydays-friday","tag-friday","tag-friday-movie-franchise","tag-hip-hop","tag-ice-cube","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-mike-epps","tag-music-news","tag-rap","tag-west-coast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=406850"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406850\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/406851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=406850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=406850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=406850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}