With Straight Outta Compton bringing in over 60.2 million dollars at the box office in its opening weekend, there is no denying that it will go down as one of the top movies of the summer for 2015. The movie chronicles the lives of rap group NWA, known as one of the most controversial rap groups of all time.
Although the movie focuses on the group’s controversial music, it also touches on the issue of police brutality which is very prominent in society today. Several black men have died at the hands of white police officers this past year along with many of the officers being acquitted of the crimes. The movie briefly touches on the 1991 beaten of Rodney King. King was beaten by four white police officers who were all acquitted of charges. The film reveals just how much times have not changed because even today black men feel their life isn’t valued by society and they have to constantly deal with being stereotyped and seen as a threat just based off of their appearance.
The film does a good job of explaining why the group chose to rap about certain topics that many would consider controversial. In one part of the film Ice Cube(who is portrayed by his son O’shea Jackson Jr.) justifies the groups music when he tells a reporter that the group raps about the reality that they see, which for many young black men back in the late 80s and early 90s was drugs, violence, and racism. The casting for the film was great as many of the actors embodied the essence of the characters that they portrayed.
Although most NWA fans are now in their 40s and 50s, people of all ages can appreciate the film. The biopic combines comedy, drama and music and gives viewers an in-depth look into the men behind one of the world’s most dynamic hip hop groups.
Photo Credit: Universal Pictures