He had to become the hard-to-read, somewhat intimidating Dr. Casting relative unknowns was intentional, as Ice Cube explained, because he didn't want anyone who already had a reputation 'or was on TMZ' taking away from the story.īecoming N.W.A was a daunting task for the young actors, especially Hawkins. 'Straight Outta Compton' stars a largely unknown cast aside from Paul Giamatti, who portrays the band's former manager Jerry Heller (his character plays a pivotal role in the group's eventual demise). The veteran rap stars have been on and off the set throughout the production. Dre watched the monitors closely, weighing in on details (hubcaps, ball caps) to 'get it right.' Other members of the old group also stopped by, such as DJ Yella and MC Ren. None of us have a degree in anything, but we learned a lot from our environment and they're a testament to following your vision.'īack on the set in Leimert Park, Ice Cube and Dr. For some of us, it inspired us to go out and do our thing.

'Some people say gangsta rap has this bad kind of effect on people, but N.W.A clawed their way out of a negative situation,' said Gray, who has worked on videos and films with various N.W.A members over the years. For better or worse, the sub-genre grew to influence everything in hip-hop that came after it. Eventually they'd popularize a style that would go on to be called gangsta rap. Known as reality rap in the days before iPods and file sharing, N.W.A's raw style on songs like 'F- tha Police' and 'Gangsta, Gangsta' stood out against the more polished party rap coming from the East Coast. Dre then pointed out that all of this, the whole N.W.A story, 'stems from an album created in six weeks for 30 Gs.' And in Torrance, no less.Īsked if a story like theirs could ever happen today, Dr. 'What did we combat all that with? We had music. 'Whether it was money, gangbanging, crack, LAPD and eventually AIDS - everything in the world came down on this group,' Ice Cube continued.

Dre's attention was divided between his former band mate and a reality forensics show playing on a nearby TV. Dre, arguably the world's most successful rap producer, the creative force behind talent such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent and the brilliant businessman whose Beats headphones your kids beg for each birthday.Īs Ice Cube spoke, Dr. Seated next to him was the relatively stoic Dr. Much like his rap persona onstage or his characters in films like 'Friday,' the 46-year-old screenwriter and actor filled the room with a booming voice and gregarious presence.

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