Hip-Hop on the Big Screen:
A Review of Straight Outta Compton
If you don’t know, “Straight Outta Compton,” is a two and a half hour biopic of the rap group NWA, directed by F. Gary Gray, that has dominated the box office since it released on August 14th. NWA is Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dj Yella, and MC Ren. Niggas with attitude and also ambition and ascendency. That’s the group that made history not only in hip-hop, but in America, landing them a spot on the big screen. With a cast full of fresh Hollywood faces, including Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr., this motion picture vividly depicts the creativity, passion, and fed up nature of young African American men who made music that reflected their reality. Little did they know, those records would strongly impact the masses. They spoke bluntly about the injustices within society among blacks and their journey displayed the ups and downs of risk taking and standing up for what's right. Given what’s happening in society today with police brutality, this movie could not have been released at a better time.
When I watched this movie for the first time, I went in with little knowledge of the group’s history. As someone who was born in 1997, I didn't witness NWA's journey unfold. However, I was interested to know everything that happened in their lives and in their careers. Immediately, I was drawn in from the first scene, and each clip after that grabbed my attention even more. My eyes were glued to the screen. When I left the theatre, I was in awe that black teenagers from the hood who had the idea to make a label, were able to do that and so much more. And as it was one of the best movies that I’ve seen in a long time, I had to go see it again to show how much I supported this applausable body of work.
The second time I saw this film, I went in knowing that I was going to write this review. So, I was a little more critical of the details. I found that for the most part, everyone was introduced into the film pretty well but some back stories were missing. I personally would have liked to see a little more of Ice Cube’s prior situations. For instance, the group that he left before he joined NWA. Also, I think DJ Yella, MC Ren, The D.O.C. and Suge Knight could have been given a little more of a background instead of just being friends of the group’s core members. Suge, in particular, just eased his way into Dr. Dre’s ear and was made out to be a big part of why he left NWA. But, I don’t think they showed enough of the history, bond, and trust between the two. Given Suge’s intimidating demeanor, I highly doubt that their relationship was smooth sailing for the most part. But if so, there should have been more depth to better convey that message as well. The film also failed to talk about other personal situations that occurred during those years and afterwards. But then again, I guess having the movie the way it is was the best way to keep focus on everything that pertained to NWA and not each individual artist's life and career, saving that information for sequels in the future.
Overall, the actors did a great job of putting me into their lives. When taking on a story of such a high caliber, it can be extremely difficult to pull it off, but the execution of every aspect of the film led me to commend those involved and also wonder how much work went into this creation. The music, the clothing, the set, the amazing actors, and the script made the telling of this story believable. I was emotionally invested as I often laughed and was pushed towards crying. I felt like I was in the 80's, in the crowds, and recording sessions, bobbing my head while getting hype to each song. I felt the power of their creative minds. I felt their struggle of trying to make it out of the hood. And seeing that they made it, makes kids like me have hope and also pride that music will be our ticket out as well, all because of those who’ve paved the way for us. To my generation, go check out “Straight Outta Compton” to gain some knowledge of a time we weren’t able to experience, and to those who lived through this journey, go see this movie for a moment to relive the past and learn more about the group that you fell in love with some time ago. But to any and everyone who goes to see this movie, use it as a reminder that our fight for respect, equality, and justice is not over.