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REVIEW: Straight Outta Vulgarity, Misogyny

Bill McGee | 8/20/2015, 10:30 p.m. | Updated on 8/20/2015, 10:30 p.m.
If hearing profane language spoken every other word and seeing young bare-chested women being used as groupie sex kittens is …
From left, actors Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube), Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E), Neil Brown Jr. (DJ Yella) and Aldis Hodge (MC Ren) star in “Straight Outta Compton.”

If hearing profane language spoken every other word and seeing young bare-chested women being used as groupie sex kittens is what you want in a movie, then “Straight Outta Compton” is your kind of movie.

I admit that I went to see this movie because it was my intention to slam it based on my disdain for gangsta rap, N.W.A. in particular, and what the crack epidemic of the late 1980s did to the black community.

I was somewhat disappointed because the movie did not live up to my low expectations.

In all honesty, it is a very good movie. Yes, every other word is profanity, and when N.W.A. becomes successful, the half-naked groupies show up at pool parties.

However, for much of the movie, producer F. Gary Gray chose to depict the struggle of these young men to become successful rappers in a very real and meaningful way.

The young actors get 5 stars for their convincing portrayal of a period in which most of them were probably infants. Notable are O’Shea Jackson Jr., who plays his father, Ice Cube, and Jason Mitchell, who plays former drug dealer-turned-rapper Eazy-E, CEO of Ruthless Records. They and other cast members gave extremely convincing performances worthy of recognition.

The other notable factor that keeps me from slamming this movie is the manner in which the writer, director and producers kept it real. This movie is the real deal and there is no glorification of anything or anybody in this movie. It is the classic tale of young guys wanting to make it in the music industry and all of the demons that jump them from the minute they make that decision.

My personal criticism was going to be aimed at the music industry, distributors and N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller in particular. But after seeing the movie, I don’t have to say a word. Heller was depicted as he should have, and the other people in the industry likewise.

Proudly, I was going to congratulate Dr. Dre and Ice Cube on becoming extremely successful entrepreneurs and entertainment moguls. However, the movie does this for me.

For those who don’t know, Dr. Dre is probably the wealthiest rapper-DJ in the world, having sold his “Beats by Dre” to Apple for $3 billion. In the movie, you see Dr. Dre heroically and truthfully depicted walking away from Suge Knight’s Death Row Records and leaving behind all of his masters, rights and money. He stands up to gangster-thug Suge Knight, talking about starting his new company, Aftermath. From that venture came Eminem, 50 cent, The Game, Kendrick Lamar, with 16 gold/platinum releases to his credit.

While my intention was to let “Straight Outta Compton” have it, I just can’t do it. I despise the profanity, but in reality, many young people talked like that then and do so now.

I hated the nudity and sexual promiscuity, but the movie accurately and poignantly records the death of Eazy-E from AIDS through promiscuous, unprotected heterosexual behavior.

I don’t recommend “Straight Outta Compton” to anyone with tender ears. I don’t recommend it for anyone under 16. And I don’t recommend it for anyone who does not like rap music.

But I give it my unqualified recommendation to everyone else. As I said, they kept it real.

A Richmond native, Mr. McGee played trumpet on hits by The Sugar Hill Gang and several other groups. He later taught music on the secondary and college level, and served as a Richmond Public Schools assistant principal for 19 years. He retired in May. He now produces jazz and gospel music.

A Richmond native, Mr. McGee played trumpet on hits by The Sugar Hill Gang and several other groups. He later taught music on the secondary and college level, and served as a Richmond Public Schools assistant principal for 19 years. He retired in May. He now produces jazz and gospel music.