Ice Cube Posts Heartfelt Tribute To John Witherspoon For "Next Friday" Anniversary

It’s been two whole decades since the release of Next Friday, the 2000 sequel to Ice Cube‘s classic 1995 comedy, Friday, that’s since become a hood classic in its own right. As we all know, the film’s breakout star John Witherspoon, known affectionately to the masses as “Pops,” died last October, and Cube decided to pay a fitting tribute to good ol’ Willie Jones in celebration of the film’s 20th anniversary.

From the star-studded cast to the bumping soundtrack — remember Aaliyah’s amazing single “I Don’t Wanna”? — Next Friday was easily one of the best sequels to a comedy regardless of its 22% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was performances by the likes of Witherspoon and Mike Epps, who replaced Chris Tucker as Ice Cube’s co-star for the sequel and the 2002 follow-up Friday After Next, that made it such a fan-beloved film. A fourth film titled Last Friday has been in production hell for years now, and sadly Witherspoon passed before filming could even begin. While it’s still possible that the final film in the franchise could happen, Pops presence will definitely be missed if they decide to move forward. However, we’re pretty sure *nobody* wants to see a CGI version of John Witherspoon in the film.

Watch a hilarious clip from Next Friday featuring John Witherspoon below. R.I.P forever, Pops: