Film review

Rating: 10/10 (9 May 2016)

For those who hear the phrase, "Straight Outta Compton," it's practically impossible not to get an image of five young black males wearing Raider hats and jackets and a few jheri curls. The phrase also brings back memories about the rise of "gangsta rap" as a full fledged culture. Well, on August 14, 2015, producers Dr. Dre and Ice Cube along with famed director F. Gary Gray presented this image and more to the big screen with the N.W.A. biopic named after the group's debut album.
With a perfectly selected cast that included O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube, Aldis Hodge as MC Ren, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, and Neil Brown Jr. as DJ Yella, the young men deliver star studded performances portraying the real life rappers. It helps that all five men not only gave noticeable resemblance to the characters they are portraying, but also mastered their mannerisms. Corey Hawkins comfortably sports an old school World Class wrecking crew jacket while still working for his club manager, Alonzo. Jason Mitchell brilliantly escapes the LAPD like it's simple exercise. O'Shea Jackson Jr. spits the No Vaseline lyrics and questions management in only a way the real Ice Cube could do it.
Besides the excellent portrayals of all the characters, including that of Snoop Dogg, the late Tupac Shakur, and Suge Knight, the film hits a home run for nostalgia's sake. Released fairly close to 20 and a half years after Eazy-E's passing, the timing of the film makes it enjoyable not just for those born in the 60's, 70's, or 80's, but 90's as well. There aren't too many films out there based on events from the mid 80's to the early 90's that many folks born in 1995 or later could enjoy. They might be able to if not for excessive social media and game consoles, but that's another story. By strategically timing the release, the remaining members of N.W.A. managed to get people to go crazy with anticipation over the "Straight outta" website, Dr. Dre's Compton album, and his Beats headphones. Since its release, there has been a dramatic increase in the purchase of old N.W.A. music. So, when you combine the box office money with that of the music sales, it's clear that an overwhelming sense of nostalgia has been sparked.
Aside from nostalgia and good acting, Straight Outta Compton sheds light on two other topics still relevant today. Racism and the corruption of the music business. The racism is outlined through the portrayal of the Rodney King riots as a result of none of the offending officers being convicted for a videotaped beating. It's also displayed by the several times the members are unjustly harassed by sworn officers of the law, simply looking for trouble. While corruption in the music business is nothing new, the film reminds us of how serious divide and conquer can really be, and how it stifled N.W.A.'s potential. To quote O'Shea Jackson Jr. during the film, "We left a lot of hits on the table." If not for Eazy-E's untimely passing, there's a good chance we would have heard some of these hits as the group attempted to reunite minus original manger, Jerry Heller.
Despite some of the antics, lyrics, and behavior of N.W.A. that some members of the general public may have found objectionable, one cannot deny the greatness of this film. Nor can they deny this group's relevance to Hip-Hop culture and the several years of free promotion they gave to then Los Angeles but now Oakland Raiders. Whatever your feelings happen to be about this group, one thing is for certain. It is more than worth your time to go see their nine year story played out in a two and a half hour film.