THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
In 1987, not many would expect the music group NWA (Niggaz wit Attitudes) to be as successful as they would become. And none would even expect a movie about them either.
PLOT
Straight Outta Compton follows the origin of the group's formation. The group includes: O'Shea Jackson aka Ice Cube, Eric Wright aka Eazy E, Andre Young aka Dr. Dre, Lorenzo Patterson aka MC Ren, and Antoine Carraby aka DJ Yella. Dre the producer convinces Eric to fund their own label, Ruthless Records. After the success of Eazy's single, 'Boyz n the Hood', they are managed by Jerry Heller, and score a record deal with Priority Records. When the entire group is harassed by police officers during a break of recording their first album, Straight Outta Compton, Cube is inspired to write the song, 'FUCK THA POLICE'. The album is a success, but goes through controversy due to its violent lyrics. During their concert tour in 1989, they are told by the FBI to stop performing FUCK THA POLICE, as it encourages violence against law enforcement. They perform the song in Detroit, which gets them arrested. Ice Cube then leaves the group when Jerry insists him not to sign his contract without legal representation, while everyone had already signed. Cube becomes successful with his solo album, AmeriKKKA's Most Wanted. The group disses him on '100 Miles and Runnin', but he disses them back on 'No Vaseline'. This boosts his popularity, along with his association with the Nation of Islam, and starring in the film Boyz N The Hood. Dre leaves when associate Suge Knight informs him that he's been underpaid by Jerry. The two form Death Row Records but even after Suge threatens Jerry and Eazy, they refused to release Dre from his contract of Ruthless Records. Dre however continued his success with his solo album The Chronic and collaborating with other artists such as Snoop Dogg, Warren G and 2Pac. In 1993, Eazy's wealth and health had declined, and he fires Jerry when discovering that he had been embezzling money. This inspires him to have an NWA reunion with everyone, but that could not happen after he died due to being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The following year after his death, the film ends Dre leaves Death Row to form Aftermath Records.
THOUGHTS
When I first saw this film in theaters I remember saying what Dr. Dre once said at the end of the movie’s titular song 'Damn! That shit was dope'. I feel this way because I was blown away of how these guys came from nothing and became something with all of the hard work they put. It shows that as long as you put in the work, your dreams will come true. A lot of the stuff that was displayed was new to me and I was not ready like I thought I'd be. What is shown is pretty accurate but what was missing was the beef between Dr Dre and Eazy E, which involved the diss 'Fuck wit Dre Day'. I also wish that the group Bone Thugs N Harmony had an appearance like the other musicians that got that chance. The good reason that this didn't make the cut is that it would make it all the more crowded. Putting that aside, Director F. Gary Gray did a great job telling the story of one of the greatest musical groups of the rap genre. It is funny that he got to reference his own directorial debut Friday, considering that Ice Cube co-wrote and starred in it in 1995. This movie even becomes important as it calls out police brutality. That situation continues to be relevant as many African Americans have suffered much worse situations involving the police, compared to Rodney King as the film acknowledges. As a fan of the music, it felt like so cool to hear all of these songs onscreen. The cast of NWA has such surreal chemistry that pays off magnificently. O'Shea Jackson Jr. straight up becomes his father Ice Cube, from the mannerism, to his iconic frown. He accurately presented him as an ambitious man that refused to not be taken serious. When he got suspicious of Jerry, he knew he had to go before he could get ripped off, which predictably made his exit from the group worth it long run. Jason Mitchell nails the look of Eazy E as well and is able to succeed in bringing all of the complexity that the artist was all about. It's easy to remember him for being reckless, but what mattered in the end is that he learned from his mistakes and tried his best not to repeat it. His biggest mistake was distancing himself from Dre and Cube. It hurt him deep down because they became brothers overtime and he couldn't bare losing them. Once he cut ties with Jerry, a part of him felt redeemed. While his death was a predictable moment as it really happened in ‘95, we couldn't help but feel bad for him as he was ready to get his life back on track. Knowing that he would get sick on his path of redemption, makes the scene more heartbreaking. Corey Hawkins doesn't exactly look like Dr. Dre, in comparison to the cast mates and their counterparts, but he did pull off the voice that was distinctly similar to his counterpart. He was a standout for portraying Dre as a progressive guy that always wanted to elevate with what he can do. I wish there was more to see with Aldis Hodge's MC Ren and Neil Brown Jr.'s DJ Yella, because they're not seen much after Dre starts Death Row with Suge Knight. Nevertheless, Hodge portrayed Ren as a perceptive man with soul, while Brown presented Yella as one who was always the most satisfied with end result of the work he contributed. Speaking of Suge, R. Marcus Taylor accurately expresses all of the fear and intimidation the man was known for. Every time he was onscreen, you could not predict what he would do next. The only thing you can respect him for is that when it came to having a business partner, he saw Dre as an equal, meaning that he wouldn't screw him over at all during their time together on Death Row. Surprisingly, Paul Giamatti is able to express sides of Jerry Heller that not many would expect. We see that he sort of cares for Eazy and when he called out the police that harassed the NWA, you respect him for standing up for them. That respect disappears when discovering his embezzlement. He had loyalty, but it doesn't excuse what he did. While I personally don't think that Sheldon A. Smith and Marlon Yates Jr. have a resemblance to Warren G and D.O.C., respectively speaking, Lakeith Stanfield straight up becomes 90s Snoop Dogg. From the clothes, to the voice, to the facial expressions, it all pays off for him. Marcus Rose's cameo as Tupac Shakur caught me off guard as he also becomes his counterpart, due to looking just like him. Of all the scenes I would go back to with this movie will always be when the NWA performs FUCK THA POLICE in Detroit and get arrested for it, when being told by the police not to do so. I go back to it not just because I love the song, but also because the group proves the point that the police mostly suck; They can either live up to 'Protect and Serve' 100% or not at all. I also like how this is a different kind of biopic. It is different because instead of going through reading to know what happened to the group after Eazy E died, we get a visual representation of their overall success. So seeing the montage of what Dr. Dre and Ice Cube have accomplished and the cultural impact NWA has had ever since their debut is incredible. To wrap up, Straight Outta Compton is a different kind of biopic that delivers in being an incredible story of brotherhood and is recommended for the thrivers and the music lovers alike.
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