"You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge" — so goes the first line of N.W.A.‘s musical statement "Straight Outta Compton," the single that put gangster rap on the map, panicked parents and authorities everywhere, and announced the arrival of a hip hop group that would cause a seismic rumble in the genre. And now, their story is being told on the big screen and the first trailer is here, powered by their breakout song.
O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell play Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E respectively in the F. Gary Gray directed drama, that will track the rise of five young men who brought inner city life to the mainstream in a way that had never been done before. Paul Giamatti is also on board playing music manager Jerry Heller who guided the group during their rise to fame, but later caused friction within N.W.A. by favoring Eazy-E in business decisions. And this first look certainly seems to capture the chaotic and wild milieu the group came from and shared through the mic.
"Straight Outta Compton" opens on August 14, 2015. Watch below.