Just hours away from being a week old, (August 14) the movie "Straight Outta Compton" is the same title of N.W.A's first album with the same name released in 1988.
The movie is about how N.W.A. got its start in the music business and much more. Dr. Dre wonderfully played by Corey Hawkins is the main music writer while Ice Cube brilliantly portrayed by O'Shea Jackson Jr. was the focal lyric provider. MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) along with Dj Yella (Neil Brown Jr) complete the band while Jason Mitchell who portrays Easy-E is the initial money behind the band in breaking them into the music industry, who also becomes a vocalist for the group.
Before Easy-E joins the group he's just a successful drug dealing friend. While the group is banging around playing small clubs, manager, The D.O.C (Marlon Yates Jr) is frequently arguing and getting mad at the band because his reasoning differs from the creative interests of the band.
"I want people to think about pussy, not pistols," The D.O.C said to Dr. Dre.
From the very beginning, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre wanted to sing about gang violence and political injustices done to blacks in southern Los Angeles, Compton where they are from.
Easy-E fronts the money for the original pressing of "Straight Outta Compton" and quickly hooks up with music manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) who markets the band much better than The D.O.C.
"Straight Outta Compton" is a four and a half star master piece. Even though the movie is R rated, I feel it's appropriate for all ages, maybe not preschoolers and kindergartner's, but my askewed view on reality sees no real harm in young eyes seeing this flick. The nudity is sporadic and quick, and the sexuality and violence is not extreme by any measure in today's era of motion pictures.
Screen writers Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff transformed S. Leigh Savidge and Alan Wenkus story into a movie master piece. Berloff was also one of the story writers.
Even if you hate rap music such as myself; in fact I have a major psychotic anger toward it, but even the sounds pleased my ears in "Straight Outta Compton." I just may acquire myself a copy of N.W.A's first two albums.
While the movie is not a comedy, there are some funny lines. When white manager Heller first takes helm of the marketing, he asks Easy-E if N.W.A stands for No Whites Allowed.
N.W.A translates to N----s With Attitude Easy-E said. I liked how Ice Cube after achieving mass success told a journalists, he's one too, but he tells the ultimate truth. That line in the movie really sparked a future news story for me.
Journalism, on any main stream level shrouds too many of the harsh facts, and "Straight Outta Compton" is a fantastic example of this. Not a must see on the big screen, but highly recommended. Defiantly a DVD and Netflix top priority view when the time arrives.
