Straight Outta Compton lands number one spot in box office

Drew Meklinsky, Eastside Business Manager

The story of hip-hop rap group N.W.A who emerged from Compton, Los Angeles, is grabbing everyone’s attention, landing the number one in the box office for the second straight week. “Straight Outta Compton” follows five young men, Eazy-E, Ice-Cube, Dr. Dre, M.C Ren, and DJ Yella in their journey to revolutionize the music industry. Taking place in 1988, N.W.A’s first album “Straight Outta Compton” stirs up trouble in the eye of the public, and especially the police, as it reflects on the harsh realities of African American life in Southern Los Angeles. 

The film provides viewers with a rich understanding of the impact that N.W.A had on pop culture. It is a fascinating story that all movie fans will enjoy, for it opens up a relatively new genre. Although movies such as Eminem’s “8 Mile” and 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” depict young rappers attempting to make it in the music industry as well, neither compares to the dynamic storyline of N.W.A’s “Straight Outta Compton.” The two hour and twenty-seven minute film does not fail to keep the audience’s attention as each scene brings a new aspect into the rise and fall of the group’s existence. Producer F. Gary Gray does a wonderful job presenting not only the rap group as a whole, but also each individual’s story and how their relationships were affected as a result of the group’s accomplishments and failures.

Another success for the movie was its cast selection. Many people questioned the decision to have O’Shea Jackson Jr. play his father, Ice-Cube. However, viewers enjoyed the similarity to his father in attitude and physical appearance. Overall, each casting member contributed to the movies success.

Rotten Tomatoes scored the film at 90%, Metacritic at 72%, and IMDb at 84%. Nevertheless, Straight Outta Compton was a phenomenal film and one of the best of the summer.