"Niggaz With Attitude," also known as N.W.A was the world's most dangerous rap group at one point in time. The group that put the west coast on the map in the 1980s is coming to the big screen this fall to finally share their story. The story of N.W.A will explore what it was like for five young black males, from Compton, California during a time they felt black lives didn't matter. Universal Pictures presents Straight Outta Compton, produced by former group members Ice Cue and Dr. Dre, executive produced by one of the hottest producers in film currently Will Packer.
N.W.A is known for expressing the frustrations of being black in America through Hip-Hop music. Despite their aggressive music with a message, the group was named making the style of "gangster rap" cool in Hip-Hop. N.W.A's members included Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, and DJ Yella. The group's debut album "Straight Outta Compton" went double platinum and opened the world's eyes to a place in South Central Los Angeles away from the glamours Hollywood scene. "Fuck Tha Police," "Straight Outta Compton," and "Express Yourself" were some of the albums top hits.
After the success of their first album, the group began experiencing issues which resulted in Ice Cube leaving the group. The remaining members of N.W.A continued to make a second less commercially successful album, then broke up not long after in 1992. Each member of the notorious rap group went on to establish their own solo careers, four of them finding success one way or another in the music industry. Eazy-E the founder of the group's label Ruthless Records and solo artist before N.W.A, picked back up his solo rap career. He was a key player in the beginning of group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's career. N.W.A's three founding members Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E made peace with each other in 1995, soon before Eazy passed away from AIDS.
Dr. Dre became the co-founder of Death Row Records with Suge Knight and the man behind two of the west coast's biggest artist Snoop Dogg and Tupac. Following his split with Suge and Death Row, Dre started Aftermath Entertainment under Interscope Records. All of his artist specifically two of his top selling artist to date 50 Cent and Eninem helped him become one of Hip-Hop's most successful producers and business men. He now stands as the co-founder of Beats by Dre, which in 2014 made him the richest Hip-Hop mogul.
The first to leave N.W.A, Ice Cube didn't do too bad for himself either. He married his wife Kimberly in 1992 and started a family. Cube found success as solo rapper becoming a multi-platinum recording artist completing nine studio albums. He formed a new group in the 90s, Westside Connection which featured himself, Mack 10, and WC (Dub C). Ice Cube became most successful after N.W.A, not necessarily from his music but becoming a huge Hollywood actor. He made his acting debut in "Boyz N Tha Hood," and has achieved box office success in films for over 20 years. Ice Cube is also a film writer, director and producer. His son O'Shea Jackson Jr. will play him in the upcoming Straight Outta Compton movie.
Straight Outta Compton also stars Corey Hawkins, Neil Brown Jr,, Aldis Hodge, and Jason Mitchell. The film is set to hit theaters this August. Will you be checking it out?? Watch the trailer below:
CONVERSATION