A great hip-hop biopic with quality acting and storytelling

Rating: 8/10 (17 June 2017)

The complex and storied history of NWA is depicted in this film from director F. Gary Gray. Easy-E (Jason Mitchell) is a drug dealer staying one step ahead of the law. Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins) is a beat making DJ trying to find a job to stay at his mom's house. Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) writes the rhymes and experience police and gang violence throughout his daily life. With the help of DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.), the rap group heads out to the club to perform despite the club owner's objections to this type of music. Easy-E and MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) see their performance and potential. Dre gets arrested protecting his brother in a fight outside the club.
Easy-E bails him out and Dre proposes that Easy-E invests in the record business to help Dre produce under the label Ruthless. When a rap group walks out, Dre convinces Easy-E to step into the booth to drop a verse. It takes a few tries but they have a hit record that blows up on the radio. Manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) realizes he has an exceptional phenomenon on his hands. NWA puts on a show at a skating bringing in a loud, enthusiastic crowd. Jerry faces skepticism about the music but pursues a path for these young men. The group also run into Suge Knight (R. Marcos Taylor).
Check out more of this review and others at swilliky.com