The first trailer for the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton debuted last night in time for the Grammy awards. In the fashion of the celebrated hip hop group, the first look at the film is a NSFW preview of all the drugs and violence that shaped the NWA during the gritty 1980s in Los Angeles. Viewers are treated with a nice black and white intro from Dr. Dre and Ice Cube before delving into their throwback years with DJ Yella, MC Ren and Eazy-E. The introduction pays respects to the new talent rising up from south L.A. with cameos from The Game and Kendrick Lamar. Once the trailer begins, there isn’t a moment of subtlety. It’s everything you would expect from the pioneers of gangsta rap.
In the mid-1980s, the five man group came together in inner-city Los Angeles through funky beats and exaggerated lyricism to speak for a silenced generation. The brutal honesty paved the way for rappers to come. They disbanded in 1991, spawning successful solo careers and sparking rivalries. The split is largely believed to have come from the involvement of band manager Jerry Heller, who Eazy blamed for the later feud between himself and Dre.
Straight Outta Compton is directed by F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen, The Italian Job). The film stars Corey Hawkins, Neil Brown Jr., Aldis Hodge, Jason Mitchel and Paul Giamatti as Jerry Heller. O’Shea Jackson Jr. will play the younger version of his father Ice Cube in his first feature film role. The movie hits theaters on Aug. 14.
Watch the trailer above! Warning: the video is NSFW.