STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON   3.2***

         Five young men - Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy E and DJ Yella - walking towards you, lined up in a row coming into the picture frame like modern-day gunslingers - full of swagger and the defiant air of young men who have grown up and experienced the brutality that comes with being black and living in one of the poorest and most dangerous communities in 1980's America - the city of Compton, CA., south of downtown Los Angeles.  These are the members of the pioneering "gangsta rap" and West Coast hip hop group N.W. A. (an abbreviation of Niggaz With Attitude) whose "rags-to-riches" story is told in “Straight Outta Compton”.. They have been friends since childhood and band together to express the rage they feel at society's inequities; to bring to attention to the destructive nature of racism practiced by the authorities in their neighborhoods; police who are supposed to be the "enforcers" of justice but instead interact with urban black men by treating them like enemies with no regard for their civil rights. N.W.A. fought back with raw screaming authenticity – RAP lyrics that told their stories, attacking with the heavy rat-a-tat-tat of drum beats and rhythms and with words shouted out with the passion of long pent up anger ……

The group's 1988 song "F**k tha Police" is prominently featured in the movie  While taking a break outside their recording studio, the group is humiliatingly searched and taken down by the local cops  Motivated by the incident, the group puts voice to the abuse experienced by them and by black Americans in general at the  hands of the police, and "F**k tha Police" was born. As seen in the movie, the song became an anthem in many riots and demonstrations.

The characters are brought to life by the compelling performances of its young cast. They exude good  chemistry and contagious camaraderie.        
“Straight Outta Compton” is a relentless and brutish piece of art. It is sharp and honest and shameless.. Fan or not, one can't help but acknowledge the vivid lives of the men behind the new  gangsta rap.

WARNING: This is a hard hitting, often crude story with a lot of bad language, wild parties and violent conduct. It is not for the regular somewhat conservative movie goer.

Rated R for language throughout, strong sexuality/nudity, violence, and drug use.

Clark