Movie Poster

Let me tell you what I see here: a lot of raw talent. Swagger. Bravado. People are scared of you guys. They think you're dangerous, but the world needs to hear it.

# Review

Straight Outta Compton is the title of the debut studio album by the hip hop group N.W.A. This movie, named after the album, portrays the rise and fall of the rap group, as well as its members: Eric "Eazy-E" Wright (Jason Mitchell), O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson (O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ice Cube’s real-life son), Andre "Dr. Dre" Young (Corey Hawkins), Lorenzo "MC Ren" Patterson (Aldis Hodge), and Antoine "DJ Yella" Carraby (Neil Brown Jr.). Kim "Arabian Prince" Nazel, another founding member of N.W.A, was largely left out of the film. I had grown up in an environment surrounded with the music from the group and its members, so this movie was very special to me.

While the film is focused on Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre, it features many other legendary (and controversial) figures from the rap industry, such as Suge Knight (R. Marcus Taylor) and Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti). The acting is very good, and eerily similar to the old videos of the actual rappers during their youth, especially Jackson Jr.’s Ice Cube. My favourite performances from this film are Mitchell’s energetic Eazy-E, and Giamatti’s ambiguous Heller. The energy of the movie is very passionate, especially during the first half of the film where the group is just getting started. The soundtrack, using many original songs from the group, is very popping.

The film is not 100% accurate and glosses over some more controversial aspects of the group and its members such as Dr. Dre’s allegations of domestic abuse. This is understandable as both Ice Cube and Dr. Dre were producers of the film and would've had a say in the film's direction. The story still covers most of the major events in the history of the music group. I especially enjoyed the film’s portrayal of the conflict between the recording labels, which was tense and stressful. Being older now, I no longer listen to gangster rap as frequently as I did as a child. Despite this, I feel this movie has helped me better understand the nuanced context behind N.W.A’s music, which helps me appreciate it more.

# Conclusion

Whether one agrees with their music or not, one cannot deny the group's impact on the music industry.

# Overall rating: 8.2

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