Movie Review: Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton chronicles the story of the legendary Hip-Hop group Niggaz With Attitude. Based on true events, the movie focuses on the Compton California crew featuring Easy E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, and MC Ren.

Dre and Yella are popular DJ’s at a club run by Alonzo Williams. After being arrested, Dre convinces drug dealer Eric Wright to invest money into funding Ruthless Records. Cube writes the track Boys in the Hood for a rap group named Home Boys Only, who rejects the song.

With Cube unable to record due to prior commitments, they convince Wright to perform. The journey advances on a ride through the peak of the group’s popularity during the early 90’s, and concludes with Easy E‘s death, along with Dr. Dre‘s departure from Death Row Records.

The script does an awesome job of dramatizing the group’s unlikely rise to fame. It spends a good amount of time showcasing the group’s talent, as well as the naive business moves which lead to the break up of the crew.

Straight Outta Compton also focuses on how the artist’s life experiences effect the passion in creating their lyrics. The screenplay incorporates other celebrities including Jerry Heller, The DOC, Suge Knight, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Tupac Shakur.

O’Shea Jackson, Jr. is off the chain as he renders his father. There is no other actor on the planet that would have done a better job of bringing a young Ice Cube to life. Corey Hawkins does a bang-up job of capturing Dr. Dre.

The writers fulfill Easy E‘s character, and Jason Mitchell executes the roll well. Though the movie does not go into the backgrounds of DJ Yella and MC Ren, the script still nails their perspectives. Neil Brown Jr. and Aldis Hodge respectively hold down those two rolls like champions.

With any biopic film about famous musicians, we want to hear music and see performances. Straight Outta Compton has that covered. The actors record some of the songs fresh for the movie and the script relates the lyrics to the story line, which makes the characters more believable. If you are old enough to know the words to classic N.W.A. songs, then you get ample time to recite and enjoy them.

This film does indeed do justice to the legacy of N.W.A. It will be watched over and over again by many, as it provides a welcomed feeling of nostalgia for anyone who listened to Hip-Hop music during the early 90’s. Do not go into this with hopes of viewing a ‘hood’ movie. Rather expect a feature film that follows the music career of five storied entertainers. And this one is very well done.