The intersection between hip-hop and geek culture might be bigger than we previously thought. One of my fraternity brothers who raps on Soundcloud is one of the biggest gamers and anime fans I know (Cheap plug: Listen to him here.) Beyond MC Frontalot and Community fans who chill to Childish Gambino, there is a generation of new artists like XV who rap about growing up on Dragonball Z and Final Fantasy.
Nevertheless, I think everybody needs to see this (NSFW) trailer for the upcoming Straight Outta Compton.
Let’s talk about one thing before anything else: the filmmaking. From the introduction with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube revisiting old stomping grounds to the actual film itself, it’s supremely well-made and has all the makings of a culturally relevant piece of pop. I’m just so in love with how it looks. The director of the film is F. Gary Gray, whose previous works include Friday, The Negotiator, and The Italian Job.
Straight Outta Compton looks to be The Social Network for ’90s gangsta rap, about the formation of the infamous N.W.A. (Yes, there were rags-to-riches biopics before The Social Network, but allow me my shorthand.) You have your humble beginnings, doubts from loved ones, all the way to success with scantily-clad women at your side and lawyers throwing legal jargon to scare you. Seriously, you could see mirrors between this and that still-amazing Social Network trailer.
But while Straight Outta Compton has the makings of a strong yet typical biopic, if you know anything about recent American history might know what could set it apart. The racial tensions in the aftermath of Rodney King was a few years after the N.W.A.’s rise to fame, but judging from the trailer they seem to be compressing that time period. Even so, the N.W.A.’s, radical, in-your-face anthem “Fuck tha Police” and other lyrics that left little to the imagination spoke to people, and brought to the world’s attention the divides between communities and their law enforcement. That’s something we are all too familiar with today, twenty years later. The N.W.A. had a titanic presence in everything concerning that national discussion, when they became more than just hip-hop but a voice. Whether their voices helped or hurt matters, that is up to you.
In any case, the movie might be more than an average biopic and could be an extremely topical work upon release, and Geekscape adores the cinema. There are other movies coming out this year, not just Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars.
Will you be seeing Straight Outta Compton? Let us know, homie.