Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton

Starring O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Paul Giamatti

Directed by F. Gary Gray

The Story:
"Straight Outta Compton" follows the lives of Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins) and Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell) as they grow up on the mean streets of Compton, California, and decide to use their talents to form their own record label - Ruthless Records - and form the group known as N.W.A, under the tutelage of manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti).

As the group gains national success, their suggestive lyrics about lack of respect for women, authority (especially the police) and glorification of drug use draws ire from authorities, but this only strengthens their resolve to get their message across, without sugar-coating it.  Their unique style of rap delivered with Ice Cube's truthful writing draws popularity and the group attains superstar status.

With this superstar status comes cracks in the foundation, and the lifelong friends turn on one another over money, contracts, and Jerry's obvious manipulations of Eazy-E, causing Ice Cube, and then Dre, leaving N.W.A and starting their solo careers.  Ultimately, the group comes back together over a tragic circumstance, and realize that their brotherhood was more important than fame and fortune. 

The Synopsis:
Growing up as a kid in the 90s, I vaguely remember the rise of the N.W.A and their style of music, but being a kid living in the country, I didn't really listen to that style of music.  So when this movie came out, my friends were surprised I wanted to see it, but after hearing the rave reviews it was receiving, I decided to give it a try.  At over two and a half hours, I was slightly worried I'd find myself getting bored, but I was riveted to the screen from start to finish.

The influence of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E is something that's trickled down to today's modern rap stars.  Without the N.W.A, the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent would never be known, and their talents might've gone to waste.  It's through determination and a strong desire to achieve greatness that these three nobodys from a town known more for its gang violence than anything else could rise above the mediocrity and amass a vast empire that still has an impact today.

Is this film glorifying violence?  Does it showcase going against authority?  Some might debate that, but the film does show how the police treated the stars even before they were stars.  They often arrested them for no reason, harassed them, and called them derogatory names, which led to Ice Cube writing his most famous song about rebelling against corrupt police.  As the film develops, their battle turns from them against the police to one against another, as money, greed and corruption infiltrates their tight-knit group, but ultimately the familial bond they shared overcame those obstacles.

The three main actors - O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube's real-life son), Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell have compelling chemistry, and nothing about their performances feel forced or cliche.  All three men captivated the screen with their charm, wit and street smarts, as they navigated through the highs and lows of their lives.  From family deaths to super-stardom to broken trust, these actors ran the gambit of feelings, and through it all they kept you staring at the screen.

The main message "Straight Outta Compton" tells is that, if you have a dream, you should never give up on it.  Even when failures hit and stress becomes overwhelming, keep pushing to see your dreams fulfilled, because it will then inspire others to achieve their dreams as well.  Seems like a rather "deep" philosophy for a rap biopic, but that's the main theme I drew from the start to closing credits.  

The Summary:
F. Gary Gray, director of "The Negotiator," "Friday," "Law Abiding Citizen" and director of several music videos from the likes of Ice Cube, TLC, Queen Latifah and Usher brings together a compelling story, a stellar cast and great cinematography to tell the story of three artists who, instead of allowing their circumstances to define them, chose to use those circumstances to define a generation.

The Score: A