Offended Merchants' Boycott Puts Pitchman Ice Cube On Ice -- Korean Americans Act; Brewer Cuts Rap Singer

Korean-American merchants across the country took great offense this month when incendiary rap music artist Ice Cube warned in a song called "Black Korea" that aggrieved blacks might "burn your store, right down to a crisp."

As it happens, the merchants had an instant lever. Ice Cube is the macho radio and TV pitchman for St. Ides, a high-strength malt beer popular in black neighborhoods. So the Koreans - owners of an increasing number of inner-city convenience stores - yanked the beer off their shelves nationwide.

Subsequently, the brewer of St. Ides agreed to put Ice Cube on ice and donate up to $90,000 to Korean-American groups.

The Korean Americans say they plan to use much of the money to provide scholarships to needy black students or otherwise help the black community - a step meant to defuse longtime tensions between the merchants and the predominantly black communities they work in.

At the center of the controversy is rapper Ice Cube, 22, a star of the recent hit film "Boyz N the Hood" who set off a storm of criticism with the Oct. 31 release of his album "Death Certificate."

The album has been widely condemned. It includes one cut denounced by many critics as anti-Semitic as well as the song "Black Korea."

The lyrics of that song warn Asian merchants to stop harassing black customers:

"So don't follow me up and down your market

"Or your little chop-suey ass will be a target

"Of the nationwide boycott."

It ends:

"So pay respect to the black fist

"Or we'll burn your store right down to a crisp.

"And then we'll see ya.

"'Cause you can't turn the ghetto into Black Korea."

Incensed Korean-American merchants launched their own boycott against Ice Cube and his product. The boycott by some 3,000 stores demonstrated the growing clout of Korean-American merchants in the liquor business.

The boycott ended Nov. 20 after the beer's brewer, a small San Francisco company called the McKenzie River Corp., met with the National Korean American Grocers Association (KAGRO).

"We will not employ promotional or advertising and commercial materials featuring Ice Cube until such time that the dispute of the Korean American Grocers with Ice Cube is resolved to the satisfaction of KAGRO," wrote the beer company's president, Minott Wessinger.

The company also pledged that, until the end of next year, it would dedicate 15 cents from the sale of each case of St. Ides to a special fund, up to $90,000. Most of the money would go to a program to train black youths for jobs; some would go into a multiracial scholarship fund.

Yumi Park, executive director of KAGRO's Southern California chapter, said Monday her group had never sought any money.

"We didn't even ask for it," she said. "It was something they suggested and wanted to show good will and wanted to show they were serious about the situation."

Ice Cube's song was released following recent conflicts between some Korean-American merchants and some members of black communities.

In Los Angeles last month, a Korean-American merchant was found guilty of manslaughter for fatally shooting a black teenage girl.

Last year in Philadelphia, a Korean-American merchant shot a black man to death inside a hoagie shop, sparking protests.

Ice Cube's public-relations spokesperson said the rapper could not be reached for comment because he was making a movie and was on location.