Ice Cube looked relieved on Thursday as he managed to narrowly escape Tropical Cyclone Alfred and jet out of Queensland. The US rapper, real name O’Shea Jackson, told The Project this week he was trapped in a hotel on the Gold Coast amid the storm, which the region’s mayor described as the worst in 70 years. The hitmaker managed to get away in the nick of time and was spotted at Sydney Airport ahead of his concert on Friday night.

Ice Cube, 55, was beaming as he arrived wearing an all-black ensemble, including a band T-shirt with his own name and biggest hits listed on it. He paired the tee with a pair of baggy slacks and covered up against the cold with a black jacket.  The Fist Fight star accessorised with an LA Dodgers cap and hid his eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses to finish his look.

Ice Cube looked relieved on Thursday as he managed to narrowly escape Tropical Cyclone Alfred and jet out of Queensland. Ice Cube revealed on Wednesday he was caught in Cyclone Alfred and forced to stay in his Gold Coast hotel.  Despite the impending natural disaster, he appeared nonchalant about the event when he appeared on The Project. ‘I’m staying clear of it. It is pretty cool. I haven’t been through a cyclone before. I can check this off my bucket list for sure,’ he said.

He admitted he was close to the action but didn’t seem overly concerned.  ‘You know, I’m right here on the beach. The beach looks like it is going to be in the lobby in a minute,’ he joked. The American star is set to perform a gig at Sydney’s ICC Theatre on Friday and at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Sunday. The hosts then questioned why Ice Cube was on the Gold Coast and pointed out the Anaconda reboot starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black was filming in the region.  Ice Cube famously starred in the original film back in 1997, and was asked if he might be in Queensland filming a cameo.

The US rapper told The Project this week he was trapped in a hotel on the Gold Coast amid the storm, which the region’s mayor described as the worst in 70 years

But the hitmaker managed to get away in the nick of time and was spotted at Sydney Airport ahead of his concert on Friday night. He remained coy, claiming: ‘I never saw them. I was just out doing some sightseeing and hanging out before my Sydney show.  ‘I haven’t seen Jack Black or Paul Rudd around here. I don’t know what you are talking about!’. In November the rapper-turned-actor opened up about his enduring marriage as he marked his 32nd anniversary with wife Kimberly Woodruff on Thanksgiving.

He shared the secret to their lasting bond during a recent episode of Cam Newton’s Funky Friday podcast. ‘We want to be [married]. You’ve got to want it,’ he said.  ‘I don’t want nobody to have my woman. She’s mine. I’m hers.’ They share four children: sons O’Shea Jr., 34, Darrell, 31, Shareef, 24, and daughter Kareema, 30. The star emphasised their marriage works because they understand that not every day will be perfect. ‘Every day ain’t gonna be roses. You can’t expect that from your spouse,’ he explained.  ‘It’s all about whether you’re a family or not. You gotta be willing to give and there’s gotta be someone you want to give that time, effort and love to.’