Director F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job) is channeling a new kind of cinematic verve for his upcoming feature Straight Outta Compton. A biopic of revolutionary rap outfit NWA, it chronicles the early years of the musical pioneers and how their unique brand of hip-hop changed the face of music forever.
Named after the band’s highly-influential 1988 debut LP, the movie purports to tell the story of their meteoric rise to fame. The group’s formation and subsequent material sparked a cultural war due to their songs shedding light on the harsh reality of life in Los Angeles’ notorious suburb of Compton.
With full approval of the band’s founding members, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube slap their mark on this new trailer via a bespoke introduction. Their onscreen counterparts, played by Corey Hawkins and O’Shea Jackson Jr., can be seen in this fresh preview alongside Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Aldis Hodge as MC Ren, and Neil Brown Jr. as DJ Yella.
Fans of the group will find plenty of new footage to rifle through, building onto what previous trailers have established. It’s a thrilling watch that provides sufficient appeal to those who may not be familiar with NWA’s output. Whether you’re a fan or newbie, make room on your calendar for Straight Outta Compton when it opens on August 14, 2015.
In the mid-1980s, the streets of Compton, California, were some of the most dangerous in the country. When five young men translated their experiences growing up into brutally honest music that rebelled against abusive authority, they gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation. Following the meteoric rise and fall of N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton tells the astonishing story of how these youngsters revolutionized music and pop culture forever the moment they told the world the truth about life in the hood and ignited a cultural war.