Rock & Roll Hall Inductee Ice Cube Reflects on N.W.A. Days

"People thought we was, y'know, straight from hell," he said.

ByABC News
April 8, 2016, 12:05 PM

— -- Though pioneering hip-hop group N.W.A. broke up decades ago, they're having a very good year. After being the subject of the Oscar-nominated movie "Straight Outta Compton," the group is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight in Brooklyn, New York.

Kendrick Lamar will induct the group, which consisted of DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and the late Eazy-E.

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Run-D.M.C., the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy have also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"I'm honored, I'm humbled, I'm grateful, I never thought it would happen," Ice Cube told ABC News. "The way we were treated by music when we first came out, people thought we was, y'know, straight from hell, y'know what I'm saying?"

Cube said rap music definitely belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"It's cool that y'know after 30 years, people realize that we were rock and roll, y'know? We were outside the box, we were coming from the heart, we was being honest with what we wanted to do, and it landed us in the Hall of Fame," he continued.

Other artists being inducted this year include classic rock acts Chicago, Deep Purple, Cheap Trick and Steve Miller. The event will air on HBO April 30.