There is no doubt that rap music has changed greatly over the decades. Younger generations seem to be forgetting the roots of where their favorite music genres came from. Dr.Dre and Ice Cube decided to give everyone a learning experience with “Straight Outta Compton”.

When I entered the theater to watch “Straight Outta Compton” with my friends I hadn’t heard of any of the reviews or ratings for the movie. I also knew very little about NWA’s history. In the end, I left that theater with a mix of sadness, excitement, and shock as my friends and I tried to review everything we saw.

Directed by F. Gary Gray and produced by Ice Cube and Dr.Dre, this film is the biographical story of the rap group of NWA and this true story is centered around Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy E.

           It was in the mid 1980’s when NWA was formed from the harsh LA streets of Compton and when NWA began its own rap revolution. The group gave the world its introduction to gangster rap, a genre that many first criticized for glorifying gangs, drugs, and violence.

In the movie, a young Ice Cube, played by Ice Cube’s son, defends gangster rap against the media by admitting that their music was a representation of their own reality on the streets of Compton. The movie’s viewers come to understand the harsh reality the rappers lived through.

The acting was excellent because not only do the actors capture the personalities of the original NWA but they also look a lot like like them. Ice Cube’s son, O’Shea Jackson, is a perfect clone of his father, Jason Mitchell revives the deceased Eazy E, and Corey Hawkins emulates Dr. Dre. It was believable to see these actors in character, which is why the audience in the theater that day was laughing, and crying along with the actors.

         The story is character driven with great dialogue, editing, and camera work and the featured songs caused most of the hype in the movie and in the theater.

          However, since this a biographical film meant to commemorate NWA, there are a lot of periods in its history that have been cut out. Drugs, drinking, and partying were present but some of the more serious crimes NWA were involved with were kept away from the screen. The negative parts of the movie were quickly forgotten in favor of showing the overwhelming positivity of NWA’s success.

There are issues with betrayal, lying, and death so it is understandable why NWA no longer exists today. The directors and producers were able to use these elements to convey some unexpected emotions of sadness, again showing the character driven story they wanted in order to commemorate NWA. The scenes in this film were worthy of some of the teary eyed looks scattered throughout the theater.

However, this isn’t just a story about a group of friends rebelling and fighting amongst each other to make music, it is about the problems that their rap reflected: police brutality, black and white race tensions, poverty, and rioting. This is a movie that was released to show that the societal problems that NWA members lived through are still alive today.  

If you’re 18 years or older and you’re a fan of rap, then you should be watching this with your friends. It’s a complete surprise in terms of seeing how truly crazy the lives of Ice Cube, Eazy E, and Dr. Dre were and it is extremely rare to watch a movie with such infectious emotions. When you leave the theater, you’ll probably want to go home and listen to some NWA songs.

I give “Straight Outta Compton” 9 out of 10 Blue Devils.