Opens your eyes to the influence and legacy the group has left on the music industry, both good and bad.

Rating: 8/10 (15 October 2015)

Straight Outta Compton is the biopic about the controversial hip-hop group N.W.A and each of its five members. As far as biopics go, this one was very informative for the most part. It really opens your eyes to the influence and legacy the group has left on the music industry, both good and bad.
In 1986 Compton, California, five friends Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren and DJ Yella form the hip-hop group N.W.A. Their first hit single, Eazy-E's "Boyz-n-the-Hood" becomes a smash hit and gets the attention of music manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti), who is hired to become the group's manager. A short time after this, the group is picked up by label Priority Records, who help them to produce the group's debut album "Straight Outta Compton", which becomes a huge success both commercially and critically. With their newfound nationwide fame, the group begins to feel the pressures of the controversy they have stirred in their song lyrics, in particular, the infamous "F--k Tha Police". Many race riots ensue and the group is blamed for inciting violence against the police and other authority figures.
Whether you're a fan of hip-hop or not, the film still makes for a fascinating look into music history. It transports us back to a time when hip-hop seemed like the only real voice that young people growing up in Compton, California really had. Throughout the film, there is occasional inter-splicing of real news footage showing what was going on in Los Angeles at the time. This adds a feeling of realism to the film's narrative and makes you feel like you're living though what's going on. The film's lead actors, including O'Shea Jackson Jr, the real Ice Cube's son, all did a fantastic job in their roles. Paul Giamatti was great as well, playing the group's manager Jerry Heller. My biggest problem with the film, however, is that it only really shows us the lives of Dr Dre, Ice Cube and Eazy-E, whereas we're barely told anything about N.W.A's remaining two members MC Ren and DJ Yella. I am aware that they had nowhere near as successful careers after the group disbanded, but it still would have been nice to have known more about them at the same time.
I rate it 8/10.