Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton is straight outta failure. Having been aware of the NWA story, I knew what to expect from this movie, but damn I still drowned in my own tears. I must first announce the casting for this movie. Throughout some parts, I lost sense on what was movie-made and what was reality. O'Shea Jackson Jr. did an outstanding job at playing his father, Ice Cube. I couldn't resist pointing out the irony that he had a son in the movie, that was supposed to play him. It was less about MC Ren and DJ Yella, and it focused more on Dr. Dre, Easy-E (RIP) and Ice Cube. I guess those three were the focal point of the real story anyway. Corey Hawkins managed to portray Dr. Dre's character beautifully, not only that, he managed to speak and look like him too. And what more can I say on Jason Mitchell as Easy-E, stupendously, sheer class.

 The movie reflected the street violence and police brutality that happened back in 1986. NWA was a group who exploited their right for freedom of speech, and yet still ended up punished for the things they said. A lovely moment in the movie is when Ice Cube said in a press conference, "our art is a reflection of our reality." They were a group who spoke their minds and had big enough balls to confront the world. "Fuck tha police" was a track they released that cause major controversy, but it was this controversy that put them on the pedestal that they deserved to stand on. Bad press is good press. The more they were on the news, the more they were promoting themselves. But eventually feuds break out and there is a lot of friction between the members of the group. Ice Cube left on the account of their manager, Jerry Heller, who may have been tampering with their profits. Dr. Dre left after and joined with Suge Knight to create a successful label called 'Death Row Records' where Tupac Shakur's career was born. Ice Cube went to do his own thing, but Easy-E stuck with Jerry. They took their separate paths, even battling against each other. Eventually things began to calm down and Easy wrote Jerry out of his life. Unfortunately, E was unable to start a new life, since his old one was about to the ground. He tested positive for HIV/Aids and didn't make it in the end. The way F. Gary Gary put this movie together was excellent, it was like looking through a photo-album, except the pictures were moving and there was audio. Superb directing, stupendous acting and an extraordinary tale, based on real-life events. Today's kids can look back in 20 years time and claim this movie to be their best memories, like how I see 8 mile. But today's kids weren't around when NWA were, not even me. Only the members of NWA who are still alive today can live to tell it. Only they knew what went on and didn't. Only they could make the movie successful, and only they could get straight outta Compton to do that.

IMDB: 8.4

Watch the trailer: