STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

US, 2015, 147 minutes, Colour.
O’ Shea Jackson, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Paul Giamatti, Neill Brown Jr, Aldis Hodge, R. Marcos Taylor.
Directed by F. Gary Gray.

It would help a great deal to have some knowledge of the ghetto music of the 1980s and 1990s, the development of rap music, especially the lyrics of the gangster rap which emerged in Los Angeles, much of it as an anti-authoritarian reaction, especially to the treatment of African- Americans by the police. The Rodney King incident occurs in the middle of this story, giving a great deal of objective criticism to the implications in the rap lyrics.

Straight Outta Compton has been very successful at the American box office. The guess would be that it is extremely popular with African- American audiences. Which means that it plays well to its target audience. Audiences outside the United States will find that they are observers to this culture, to this music, to the social crises – although, with the release in 2015 of the film, there have been so many headlines in the US, read about outside the US, of police violence towards African-Americans?, and a number of police shootings of unarmed black men.

There is a prologue in a house in Compton, and the clash between drug dealers and the police, invading the house and destroying it with the tank like vehicle. Later, the musicians themselves are harassed by the police, made to lie down on the sidewalk – and then Rodney King incident, the riots, the charges against the police, the heightened feelings and rioting, the police officers being found it not guilty. We, the audience are now caught up in this atmosphere of injustice.

There are also the musicians who soon became, especially Ice Cube, Dr Dre, Eazy E… These men came from the streets, with a love of music, way a with words, who developed what became known as gangster rap, with its frank lyrics, the accusations against the police, the taunts. With the help of the producer, a white man, Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti), a businessman but ambiguous in his deals, they record the songs, producing a record, Straight Outta Compton, and go on a national tour with enormous audiences identifying with the musicians and the songs, enthusiastically embracing lyrics. the policing threatening the singers. In Detroit, a shot rings out, panic, chases, arrests – and still defiant musicians during their press conferences.

The cast is quite convincing in its representing the different singers, and audiences who are not familiar, may be surprised to find O’ Shea Jackson Jr in the role of Ice Cube, bearing quite a physical resemblance to the original. He ought to. Ice Cube’s actual name is O’ Shea Jackson and this is his son playing him.

Cinema buffs amongst the audience may remember the films about the gangster clashes between recording studios and personalities from the East Coast and the West Coast, especially the stories of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur, ending with murders. This is reflected here as the original group NFW breaks up, Ice Cube going out on his own, successful as a singer, and beginning a career as a screenwriter and film star. Dr Dre was also a success as a musician and moved on from his Death Row Records which was being controlled by thugs. Eazy E died early, having contracted AIDS.

The film is long, almost two and a half hours, but it creates it atmosphere, shows the personalities involved in the movement, the music and the lyrics and the popular repercussions as well as the social repercussions. Perhaps it is not surprising to find in the final credits that two of the producers for this film were Ice Cube and Dr Dre.

This film contributes to the popular musical history of the US in the late 20th century.

1. The title, the record and its origins, NWA? An American story of the 80s and 90s, an African- American story?

2. The response of the American public, the African- American public? The impact for those who know the music? For outsiders who don’t know the music and have vague knowledge of the characters and gangster rap?

3. The rhythms, raps, the gangster rap and the lyrics, its origins in the African- American community, Los Angeles, Compton, treatment by the police? The development of the music, the different characters, lyrics, recording, the success of the record, the response of the audiences?

4. The presentation of the American police, the treatment of African- Americans, the opening, the group, Eric’s arrival, the drugs, the confrontation, the raid on the house, the tank, the police and the treatment? Setting the tone?

5. The experience of the young men, Ice Cube and his background, Andre and his mother and brother? Eric? The others, poor families, the brutal police? Yet the love of music, the hopes?

6. Jerry Heller, the producer, white, his personality, business sense, gathering the young men, as producer, the work and the studios, the contribution of each member, the success, the record, the lyrics, the energy? The response to the record? And yet the incident of the brutality, the police making the men lie down?

7. The tour, the different venues, the huge audiences, the spectacle, the attacks on the police in the lyrics, Fuck the Police? Jerry and his management? Present all the time? The police in Detroit, the threats, watching in the audience? The group and the defiance, despite Jerry’s warnings? The shots, the chase in the arena, the arrest, the responses, unrepentant, the press conferences?

8. On the road, the parties, the women, sex, drinking, drugs, nudity, guns? Andre and his brother, the story of his death, going to the funeral, with his mother? Ice Cube and his marrying? Dre and Nicole? Eric and his wife, AIDS, her pregnancy?

9. Jerry, the business, his work with the lawyers, the documents and contracts? Ice Cube finding Jerry and Eric, the lobster dinner, the discussion about money, Jerry’s explanation of all the expenses, Ice Cube and his reaction, the decision to leave, to go out on his own?

10. The character of Ice Cube, played by his son, audiences knowing him in succeeding decades, music, his film career? Success on his own, the strong lyrics, clever, vengeance on the others?

11. The Ruthless Company, Eric and Jerry, the differences, the difficulties? Eric and the break with Jerry?

12. Dre, the setting up of Death Row Records, the associates, their size, Suge and hi brutality, pressure on Dre? The background of the 1990s, the killings in the music industry, the rivalries between the coasts? Exemplified by these experiences?

13. The Rodney King incident, the police, the television footage, the commentary, the atmosphere, the trial, the police and their freedom?

14. Dre, the change, with Nicole, confronting the thuggish producers at Death Row, his leaving the money, leaving them?

15. The introduction of Snoop Dogg, personality, singing, with the others, the soundtrack to the movies?

16. Ice Cube, his success, renewing his career, The Boyz in the Hood, films, his script for Friday?

17. Eric, his collapse, AIDS, everyone visiting him in hospital, his wife and concern, her pregnancy, the thousands of messages at his death?

18. The impact of the group, and NWA, Straight Outta Compton? The different men and their characters, potential, what they actually achieved? Looking at them in retrospect and their success?