I am a certified, bonified, and qualified East New York – Brooklyn, New York City representative. Hell, without ever appearing obsessive and overbearing, I make it known whenever appropriate. And concerning my birthplace, I’ve never pulled any punches while amidst any conversations that call for the recognition of my hometown. I am exceedingly proud!
But at some point, we all perhaps find ourselves confronted with the wonderment of being from elsewhere; a rightful representative of a place that brimms with an undeniable flyness, mystique, and culture. Offering full disclosure of my own wonderment of elsewhere, California, Los Angeles’, City of Compton, has always been on my list. And after seeing the NWA biopic, Straight Outta Compton, it has absolutely become my #1 pick.
I am an inner-city born and bred child of the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. Hip Hop culture is undoubtedly 1 of the 4 vertices on the principled square upon which I firmly plant my B-boy stance; right over left. Being in tune with the culture has afforded me several realizations, one being Hip Hop’s viability as a form of social activism and awareness.
Coming of age in Brooklyn during the Crack Era, and experiencing instances of police brutality and profiling, Niggaz Wit Attitudes’ (#NWA), Fuck The [Mother Fucking] Police, song was pivotal, and poignant to boot. This song [as well as other NWA songs], along with the group’s mere presence, reflected the sentiments of many and reasserted Hip Hop’s power while establishing the West Coast’s position amongst the culture’s collective of pioneering Emcees. The daftness of the group was remarkable and if you’ve ever questioned the group’s street creditability, the biopic, Straight Outta Compton, provides an exciting portrayal for that ass.
While the persona depictions primarily focus on the lives of Eric “Eazy-E” Wright, Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, and O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson, it doesn’t miss a beat with the cleverly interwoven yet less explored contributions of Lorenzo “MC Ren” Patterson, Antoine “DJ Yella” Carraby, and the arguably infamous, Jerry Heller; with strong respresentations of Suge Knight, Tupac, The D.O.C., and Snoop Dogg.
To the credit of the actors, their ability to capture and convey the qualities of the portrayed personas proved satisfying and informing. More than an entertaining undertaking, the project provided a history lesson that often goes untold and unexplored by those Hip Hop enthusiasts that were not raised on the West Coast. Suge Knight starting out as a bodyguard for the D.O.C; Dr. Dre relinquishing his publishing rights to make his exit from Deathrow Records; Ice Cube’s issues with Priority Records, and the fearlessness of Eazy-E, represent just a few widely known and speculated topics that the work explores.
In the end, I left the movie feeling both satisfied and proud. The pre-release hype of those of us that revelled in the idea of there being a cinematic depiction of one of Hip Hop’s most pivotal and courageous groups was well justified. This is a #TCOHHL (The Chronicles of a Hip Hop Legend) classic and comes highly recommended as an addition to your Hip Hop film library. -DDTurner, #TCOHHL
The Chronicles of a Hip Hop Legend (TCOHHL) 