![]() ![]() With the uneasy tension growing between the pair and set against the backdrop of Rodney King, Dre begins to question his career decision and partnership.Īs for Easy-E, he encountered financial problems which forced him to downsize. Suge Knight, clearly defined as the villain of the film, literally and brutally beats Dre’s contract release out of Easy-E. Dre and Suge Knight went into partnership but there was one problem. Ice Cube responded the best way possible – his rhymes and former manager Jerry Heller wasn’t about to escape his wrath.ĭr. If that wasn’t bad enough, he was drawn into a rap battle with former members of N.W.A. Ice Cube went solo and had a hit album but again fell out with his manager due to money being owed and promised to him. They thought the grass was greener on the other side but it led to further problems and complications. It’s interesting to see the contrasting fortunes the leads have. ![]() Marcos Taylor) citing similar reasons to Ice Cube. Dre stayed loyal but later joined Death Row Records along with Suge Knight (R. Ice Cube wrote tracks but wasn’t given the royalties that came along with the accreditation. but the film serves as a cautionary tale for young and upcoming artists and how cut-throat the business can be if you’re not paying attention in valuing your talent.Ĭonsidering the music industry is made up of various factors, they operated by different standards and rules which affected the group in challenging ways.Įasy-E blindly signed cheques, relying heavily on Jerry Heller’s advice in order to serve the group’s best interest. It feels like a cliché that money would be the undoing of N.W.A. Ice Cube: “Ain’t that some shit? Speak a little truth and people lose their minds.”Įazy-E: “See, the truth is, they can do whatever they want with them. The pace changes and it elevates onto a fascinating level where it delves into the divisions and downfall of the group. The power of the film doesn’t come alive until the second half where it becomes more than just a standard, paint by the numbers biopic. ![]() The bad publicity played into their strengths and increased their notoriety. But whenever there was bad publicity such as being told not to perform Fuck Tha Police by the actual police or receiving a letter from the FBI didn’t deter them. They soon became celebrities in their neighbourhoods before attracting the attention of their future manager, Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti).įame and success brings a lot of things – tours, money and wild parties. They saw a gap in the market and watched how the crowd responded to their brand of hardcore music. Straight Outta Compton paints the group as entrepreneurial, self made artists who did it themselves. Cube wrote the lyrics, Dre as producer cut the beats and Easy rapped – not well at the beginning as demonstrated in one funny scene but soon became an essential vocal piece of the group. Their individual stories, skillset and musical interests provided the perfect avenue to express their talent. The first half of the movie is your basic rags to riches tale. That was their badge of honour and what made them famous. Their music might not be to everyone’s taste but to them they were speaking the truth and changing perceptions. Some said their music glamorised violence but that was their world. Police harassment and brutality, racism, gang wars and drugs never escaped their attention. It paints the group as trail blazing heroes and pioneers who dared to dream, providing social commentaries by rapping about what was going on in the streets. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Easy-E (Jason Mitchell) and Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Jr.). The film provides an uncompromising and reflective look of the harsh realities of living in Compton as seen through the eyes of Dr. Just like the group itself, there’s something rebellious about Straight Outta Compton. They think you’re dangerous, but the world needs to hear it.” -Jerry Heller “Let me tell you what I see here: a lot of raw talent. probably seemed like the last thing on anyone’s mind. In a film world where we’ve asked for diversity to be represented, a biopic about the early beginnings of N.W.A. In some ways, Straight Outta Compton is a nice surprise. If you’re a child of the 80s/90s then Straight Outta Compton will bring back memories of your musical youth. ![]()
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