If you were alive in the late 1980s to early 1990s, chances are you remember the beginnings of the rap music movement and some of the more influential talents. One of the biggest and most important groups of the era was N.W.A., short for “Niggaz Wit Attitudes”, comprised of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Dj Yella and MC Ren. The new movie STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON explores the origins of this rap music super group, their rise to fame, and eventual disbandment, all leading up to the tragic death of Eazy-E from aids. As music biopics go, this is one of the more impressive entries to date.

The story opens in 1986 with Eric Wright (Jason Mitchell) aka Eazy-E conducting a drug deal with his cousin, but things go bad and the cops show up just in time to prevent him from getting seriously hurt. It’s a cautionary moment showing Eric needs to get out of this lifestyle and quick. We then meet Andre Young (Corey Hawkins) aka Dr. Dre, a musically-motivated DJ who leaves home due to his discontent mother, leaving her behind with his younger brother in an effort to follow his own path. Then we see O’Shea Jackson (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) aka Ice Cube, another youth caught in the gangster-filled neighborhood police prey on, writing lyrics for songs he’s equally talented at singing. These boys converge with their friends Dj Yella (Neil Brown Jr.) and MC Ren (Aldis Hodge), and it isn’t long before Dre asks Eazy about putting up some money so they can attempt recording some songs. Initially they plan to be the producers and bring in out of town talent to sing the words, but they clash with the intended vocal performers, and are left to put their songs together themselves. By fluke, Eazy ends up finding a distinctive and effective voice for their kick off song, and the record ends up being a hit. Enter Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti), a music producer who sits down with Eazy to formulate a plan to make their group big in the music industry. Heller helps them make a name for themselves, but most of the benefits go toward Eazy and not the others, and it isn’t long before the money and fame begins to drive a wedge between these five friends.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON is actually a somewhat timely film, as much of it takes place around the time of the infamous Rodney King beatings, and deals with the way police targeted black youths in poor neighborhoods, sometimes for no discernible reason… it’s a strange reflection of something we’re seeing daily in the news right now in places like Ferguson. It’s also easy to forget just how important these men were in the music realm at that time, and how many big name rappers came out of their success and connections. Regardless of whether or not you liked the music, it was impactful within that generation, and among all races too. I’m white, and went to high school right around the time these guys blew up, and I distinctly remember how big this music was. I only mention my race because one thing I recall is how songs like “Boyz-n-the-Hood” and “Straight Outta Compton” were popular and highly played no matter who you were. The controversial track “Fuck tha Police” gained worldwide attention when it led to police and security protesting against the group and insisting they not play it in concerts… something that is covered in the film.

Some might argue that the movie makes these guys out to be heroes or highly respectable underdogs, and maybe there’s some truth to that, but director F. Gary Gray (THE ITALIAN JOB, LAW ABIDING CITIZEN) doesn’t shy away from the ugly sides of the music industry, particularly in matters of money. It’s worthy of note that Gray also directed the Ice Cube hit FRIDAY, and that movie is referenced in here as well. O’Shea Jackson Jr. is one of the most impressive performances in the film, if only for the fact that he’s the spitting image of his father, so much so I spoke to a woman after the screening who thought the later scenes were played by the older Ice Cube – when I explained to her that was still his son, she couldn’t believe it. Corey Hawkins is terrific as Dr. Dre, and an inspired choice for the role as most recently he’s been turning heads on Broadway. In some ways Dre is the driving force of the movie, carrying the audience through the various actions of each character, and becoming a voice of reason among the clashing personalities. Jason Mitchell is also wonderful as Eazy-E, the most tragic and haunted figure of the group, who ultimately paid to biggest price for his rise to fame. He walks a careful line between sympathetic guy from a rough life, and man overcome by the allure of sudden success, and it’s an excellent reading – the kind of performance that will hopefully open more doors for the impressive young actor. Mitchell’s best scenes are playing off Paul Giamatti as his questionable agent Jerry Heller. And Giamatti is of course right at home in his role as the awkward outsider trying to keep the boys in line, but perhaps not always having their best interests at heart. Neil Brown Jr. and Aldis Hodge aren’t used as prominently as Dj Yella and MC Ren, but do get some nice moments as important players in the story. There’s also a strong and scary performance by R. Marcos Taylor as producer Suge Knight, who became a thorn in the side of the group, and a threatening presence to be reckoned with especially for Eazy-E. Taylor is frightening in the role, and again shows how the industry can go to some dark and unexpected places when least expected.

This film was produced and overseen by original N.W.A. members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, and I imagine they made sure there was an added layer of authenticity in the proceedings. They’ve even noted how the concert scenes feel like they’re looking back in time. Any scenes involving the group performing are highly impressive, and make you feel like you’re there watching in person. Running almost 2 and 1/2 hours, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON never feels long or boring, and stays rather engaging and tight. Oddly enough it almost seems like there was more movie that didn’t make the cut, perhaps fleshing out some of the more briefly seen characters in the story, or presenting resolve to a few of the otherwise dangling plot threads. I was very surprised there’s not a single clip or mention of MTV, which was such a big part of that era and was one of the biggest spotlights on the group during their rise in popularity.

This is a movie that should be seen, even if you’re not into rap music, as outside of being highly entertaining it’s one of the more honest portrayals of the music industry and how fame and success doesn’t always lead to riches… at least not right away. Though despite the young aspect of the leading characters, it is very much not a film for younger audiences. Parents would be strongly advised to not take their kids just because they want to them to see what was big in their time. This is an adult story with adult content, but for the right audience it’s also a must-see experience.

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