Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON has already become an unexpected box office hit and taken in $140 million in the US up against a budget of $28 million and has received positive reviews from critics. Now being released in Australian cinemas this week is the much anticipated bio of the rise and fall of one of the most well-known hip hop groupswho revolutionised pop culture and politics with their music: N.W.A – Straight Outta Compton. The group began in humble beginnings in the rough and broken neighbourhood of Compton in Los Angles.

Appropriately, the film borrows its title from the name of the lead single from their 1988 debut album which propelled them in super stardom.

The film’s release couldn’t be timelier, screening in the very middle of the hostile and violent relations between police forces and African-Americans.The movie chronicles the lives of the N.W.A and its members with O’Shea Jackson, Jr portraying his own fatherIce Cube, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Aldis Hodge as MC Ren and Neil Brown, Jr. as DJ Yella.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON has been directed by F. Gary Gray, whose directing credits include The Negotiator,The Italian Job and Law Abiding Citizen.

One of the qualities of the film is the length that the crew went to recreate the timeframe and bring the story to screen, including real archive footage of the news and concerts by the group. The filmmakers spent nearly three years of searching and casting auditions for the lead roles, choosing relatively unknown actors over big stars.

This film was an emotional experience, watching the story unfold and chronicling some of the defining actions the group witnessed such as the Rodney King beating, police harassment and the L.A Riots which sparked their most controversial and influential hit single “F tha Police”.

Fans that grew up with this group will enjoy this film and reflect on the 1980s and the rise of gangster rap and hip hop whilst younger audiences will learn and appreciate the origins of this music genre and the lives of those that made it revolutionary.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON is screening in cinemas now.