There was a small period in popular music history, I would say between 1987 and 1992, when rap / hip-hop was the most vibrant and important type. From Public Enemy’s debut ‘Yo! Bum Rush the Show’ and their next three albums up to Disposable Heroes of Hiproprisy’s ‘Hipocrisy is the Greatest Luxury’. That time period also included the debut albums from De La Soul and N.W.A. However from that time on, the genre became trivialized and self-indulgent.
That rise and fall of rap is reflected in F. Gary Gray’s Straight Outta Compton. From a blistering early career, the group N.W.A. collapsed under the pressure to make a follow-up to their debut album, mired in in-fighting. In that respect, with scenes of the band falling out, excesses when on the road and getting complacent in their luxury homes, it has familiar traits seen in many musical biopic. It even has Paul Giamatti playing a dubious behind the scenes figure, just as he did in the recent Love and Mercy.
However, there is much on this movie to raise it above the norm. The early scenes, expertly chronicling the social / political scene, and placing their worldview in perspective are very impressive. Also recreations of the live performances, and the violent aftermath of some of them are really well-staged. The performances, particularly O’Shea Jackson Jr, playing his father Ice Cube are spot on.
It doesn’t quite reach greatness because of a couple of notable flaws. The film feels a little flabby at a shade under two and a half hours, with some trimming needed in the second half, as scenes start to lose their impact. Also, with Ice Cube and Dr Dre producing, it does have a whitewashed feel as far as those two characters are concerned. The latter in particular comes out of the film in a very good light, both largely ignoring his violent relationship with his girlfriend, and exaggerating how he stood up to the psychotic Suge Knight.
Rating: 7 out of 10