Straight Outta Compton (Rated C)
Cast: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Jason Mitchell, Corey Hawkins, Paul Giamatti
Genre: Biographical Drama
Dwight's Rating: 3 Stars
The more things change, the more things stay the same!
Police brutality or claims of excessive force; public demonstrations and violent riots! These have become all too familiar cries and sights in American cities like St. Louis, Baltimore and New York during the last couple of years. But these issues have long been major problems in U.S. urban centers, and the city of Los Angeles in the late 80s and early 90s had more than its fair share of this kind of drama.
That's why the timing of the release of the new biopic, "Straight Outta Compton" is so remarkable. It chronicles the rise and collapse of the pioneering rap group, N.W.A. But at the same time, it provides an amazing snapshot of a turbulent time in L.A.'s history, and shows that so few things have changed, even in the last 30 years.
The film's name is derived from the title of the group's seminal and extremely controversial 1988 debut album that changed music and pop culture, and essentially birthed the violent and sexually- charged "gangsta rap" genre.
It tells the story of the three most famous N.W.A. members: Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Eazy-E -- three friends from the tough Compton neighborhood of South L.A. As young men, they have to deal with a lot, especially the unbelievable cruelty of the Los Angeles Police Department, the infamous L.A.P.D.!
You don't really have to know much about N.W.A to appreciate "Straight Outta Compton". You probably don't even have to be a fan of rap or hip-hop -- though that would certainly help. There is a quite a bit of violence and sexual situations, and of course there's coarse language -- this is about gangsta rap after all. But there are compelling and captivating stories here, driven by some extremely interesting characters.
The characters are played by some interesting actors: Ice Cube is played by his real life son, O'Shea Jackson Jr. Jackson has adopted the family's name, and might as well be his father's identical twin. The other actors aren't exactly spitting images of the people they're portraying, but the performances are decent enough. In particular, Jason Mitchell stands out as Eric "Eazy-E" Wright. And as always, Paul Giamatti -- who could turn playing a blank sheet of paper into an Oscar-worthy performance -- is excellent as manager Jerry Heller.
As was well known at the time, Dr. Dre is portrayed as the emotional center for the group, and the consummate music man and producer. Ice Cube is the brilliant writer of most of their powerful lyrics. And Eazy-E is the businessman, whose partnership with Heller would eventually lead to the fissures in the group. Along the way we get to see some of the names that would come to dominate gangsta rap in the 1990s, like Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tupac Shakur, and mogul Suge Knight, who apparently was the devil himself.
We even get to see the origin of the popular urban saying "Bye Felicia", which gained notoriety as a line from the 1995 film "Friday" starring Ice Cube. It is an overwhelmingly enjoyable (even when its disturbing) movie. But there are some issues. They are slight, but notable.
I would have been a pre-teen when N.W.A hit it big. I was not very familiar with their music at the time, and certainly, ZNS Radio wasn't playing it in those days before private broadcasters existed in this country. But by the time the group had split, and Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy E embarked on solo acts in the 90s, I would have been very much aware, in awe, and a fan of some of their big hits, especially those of Cube and Dre who had established themselves as the early kings of West Coast hip hop.
As a result, I have a few issues with the way the core characters have been portrayed. Yes, we've now come to know Ice Cube as a family man and a big movie star. And Dr. Dre is a mega-producer and the Beats Electronics millionaire.
But back in the 90s, it was quite easy to believe that both, along with Eazy-E, were the street thugs they rapped about. It's hard to listen to Ice Cube's iconic "Today (It) Was A Good Day" and not think that it's entirely autobiographical, and not just a story about what he's seen on the streets.
Back in the day, Cube seemed like a very angry young man. It's the same with the lyrics from some of the songs from Dre's monster-hit album "The Chronic". Who didn't believe these guys were "gangstas"?
But "Straight Outta Compton" portrays Cube and Dre like the sweetest, most innocent guys around. Sure Cube gets a little testy with a music industry executive, and a frustrated Dre breaks several traffic laws in his Ferrari. But otherwise we're made to believe they're largely good, idealistic kids, who just wanted to make it big while developing their art and passion.
Eazy-E's early drug dealing is acknowledged. But we see him as a relatively good-natured and savvy businessman, who was a bit too easily influenced by his manager. All three are made to seem like almost helpless bystanders, as the big bad music industry -- and bat-crap crazy people like Suge Knight -- exert their weight, trying to lead them astray.
Some notable aspects of the story are downplayed.
While the eventual breakdown of the relationships between the rappers is addressed, I remember the feuds running for much longer than and much more bitterly than the movie suggests. It neglects to mention Eazy-E's ultimate "diss song" to Dre, "Real Mutha---G's" (Eazy's biggest solo hit). That song was really only a response to Dre's skewering of Eazy in "Dre Day".
The music video featured a character named "Sleazy-E", that made Eazy look like a jheri-curled buffoon. Things got really nasty, and they all rapped about killing each other. About the only person who appears to be exactly like all the rumors we've heard is Suge Knight. The often-imprisoned mogul is depicted as a complete sociopath.
While it might be for the best that the other un-pleasantries were left off the table, it does give a sense of a lack of authenticity. It becomes clear why these choices were made during the closing credits. We see that the producers are none other than Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Tomica Woods-Wright, Eazy's wife. So, with the possible exemption of Knight's, take with a grain of salt the complete accuracy of these characterizations.
Even with the passage of time, it's clear that things haven't changed much with the issue of musicians having "beef" with each other, and singing about it. Modern hip-hop seems to thrive on it, and it's sinking into pop music, with the acrimony living on and even longer on Twitter now and other social media.
About the only thing that has changed is hip-hop itself. It's sad to me that as a teen in the 90s, some of what at that time seemed like the worst kind of rap ever, is arguably better than what is considered the best of hip-hop today.
Yes, most everyone can agree that there should be little tolerance for rap songs that sing about killing and disrespecting people. But the "reality rap" of the good ole days is so much more relatable than this bizarre "fantasy rap" we have today. And one suspects the materialism of the latter will only continue to fuel the sad reality that gangsta rappers sung about in the first place.
Maybe it's me, and perhaps I've already become one of those old men who think that the music "the kids" listen to today is crap. But I actually think some of today's pop music is incredibly fresh and creative. And I can see the appeal of some of today's hip-hop. Sure, it's catchy stuff, but it won't hold up well in the next five or 10 years.
Compare that to what Dr. Dre and Ice Cube and Eazy-E were doing two and three decade ago. That music is timeless, and as fresh as ever. And, as such, I'm grateful for "Straight Outta Compton" for renewing my appreciation of what was an incredible time for rap music.
o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.
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