Rap as Art

Rating: 9/10 (27 September 2016)

Everyone knows that this is the film that deserved better. The lack of diversity seen in the nominations of the past year makes little sense when there's a film like "Straight Outta Compton" out in the stratosphere. Thanks to this film an entire new generation of kids will know about the forbearers of gangsta rap. NWA revolutionized the genre, stood up to police brutality, censorship, and a predominantly classist society set to denigrate people and keep them in their place. Telling the story of the founding members of N.W.A. (Niggaz Wit Attitude), this film covers the group's rise to fame, and their eventual dissolution in the face of animosity and greed.
"Straight Outta Compton" was only nominated for Best Original Screenplay which is ridiculous. It could have taken "Brooklyn" or "The Martian's" place for Best Picture, and O'Shea Jackson Jr. or Jason Mitchell could have easily been nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the place of Sylvestor Stallone. I think it's important to note that when people choose which actors and properties get nominated, they aren't looking to what stories are most important, but who deserves what more. The Academy is made up predominantly of white men. This body decided that a film that tells a story unseen before, and hasn't been given the needed credence, deserved a nomination for telling its story, but not the actual story. Though this was an audience favorite, and is as polished and important as any bio-pic, it apparently didn't deserve the same respect as a film about an Irish immigrant who defecates in a bucket. Besides being an important story, this film covers a lot of history echoed in today's news. For one thing police brutality is a major issue in today's media, though it has been an occurrence since our country's formation. The media is only now taking note of the multiple deaths of African Americans and other minorities by police, as well as their patent racism in complying with stop and frisk and other discriminatory police procedurals. The film depicts the group as members of the Compton community, and they are often harassed and arrested by the LAPD. Their music fights the system and calls for action by society at large, but they don't want to incite violence or rioting. The Rodney King riots work as a backdrop for the group's dissension from one another, as well as a retread of current events, including the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner.
The film has been accused of revisionist history which highlights the best of the group, but doesn't cover Arabian Prince's contribution to the group's start, or the domestic abuse by Dr. Dre on the women in his life, or the story of rap group J.J. Fad. Dr. Dre comes out of the film looking squeaky clean, which is unsettling, but for the most part it's a really spot on story. Most of the film deals with Ice Cube and Eazy-E's beef, their manager taking advantage of the situation to make a lot of money, and Eazy-E's illness and eventual death. This is definitely a film worth seeing, and one that deserved better than it got.