“You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge,” hip-hop artist Dr. Dre said in introducing the 1988 single, “Straight Outta Compton.”

Dr.Dre’s line didn’t just represent what the new single was about, but what his group, N***az Wit’ Attitude (N.W.A.) did to drastically change music forever and show the public how Compton was in the 1980s.

Now the new biopic, “Straight Outta Compton,” taking its title from the 1988 single, tells the story of N.W.A.’s groundbreaking work  that changed hip-hop forever and stirred controversy with its unflinchingly honest depiction of life in Southern Los Angeles. N.W.A brought gangsta rap into the mainstream, offering an insider’s perspective of violence and brutality in Compton.

Band members of N.W.A were Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.) and MC Ren (Aldis Hodge). Ice Cube is played by his son, personalizing the character even more.   

Prior to N.W.A, hip hop was friendly and lacked sexual references. For the first time, N.W.A.’s music featured explicit, sexual, street slang, and graphic lyrics containing profanity. The film precisely captures this time period when N.W.A brought gangsta rap to the public, allowing the genre to spread. Before N.W.A, hip hop was only performed in night clubs, but after their first album selling over 10 million copies, hip hop was a touring genre.

Since its release on Aug. 14, “Straight Outta Compton” has captured attention nationwide, particularly in Los Angeles, where the movie is set, making over $56.1 million in its opening weekend, according to the Los Angeles Times.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience rated the film 96 percent, and personally I agree.

Since the previews came out months prior to the movie’s release, I was pumped for the film’s premiere. I didn’t know what to expect, but knowing about the famous rappers was enough for me to want to watch the movie — even if it was two and half hours long.

I watched it on its release date, and was amazed by how many people showed up and how legit everything was. AMC Mercado 20 required identification and the movie ticket every time someone entered the theater because it is rated R.

Once the movie started I could not take my eyes off the screen. It was fascinating to watch the actors portray the roles of the famous rappers to perfection.

That’s not all the cast was able to do.  They also delivered strong and evocative performances of N.W.A’s music.  It was thrilling to watch the characters produce the music everyone knows: like watching hip hop history happen before my eyes.

I didn’t grow up in the 80’s with N.W.A, but the movie made me feel like a witness to their rise, with minor details, like Dr.Dre finding the correct beat to “Nuthin but a ‘G’ Thang” with Snoop Dogg.

Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E’s struggles and journey to success and fame were depicted perfectly in the movie, thanks to the director F.Gary Gray.  Without the strong cast, the film wouldn’t have been as moving as it was.

“Straight Outta Compton” fulfills its mission, breathing life into the original story of a group whose influence is still being felt in the world today; leaving a model for hip hop artists and showing the freedom there is with lyrics.
What the movie leaves behind is an amazement; presenting an electrifying piece of hip-hop history that speaks urgently to this generation; shaping the hip hop culture today.