N.W.A. came straight from the underground to $180,712,600 in box office profits this year. The group from the city of Compton has had their narrative laid out for viewers in their bio-drama, Straight Outta Compton, and the results are tremendous.

A compelling history laced with the setting of gang-L.A. provides insight into the realities of the 1990’s hip-hop game. The introduction of the three key characters Eric Wright (Easy-E), O’Shea Jackson (Ice Cube), and Andre Young (Dr. Dre), intertwines the world of drug dealing, police abuse, and warfare between the Crips and the Bloods of Los Angeles into a cohesive blend of crime and ambition.

Each character has their own focus throughout the movie, though the transition is fluid rather than distinct. The weaving of stories helps the viewer track the evolution and erosion of the group while giving the members human emotions and harsh realities in an otherwise characteristically ruthless world.

Speaking of characters, Straight Outta Compton’s casting was some of the best I’ve ever seen within a biopic; especially considering just how many hip-hop personas they had on their plate. Other than Aldis Hodge as MC Ren, the crew of N.W.A. was identical to their real-life counterparts. The same can be said across the board of the supporting characters, who breathe life into the film.

Political, or not so political depending on whom you ask, themes are not shied away from in the slightest as the audience is allowed to watch the origin and development of a certain N.W.A. song that does not place police in a fantastic light. The movie dives into the subject of abuse of police power as well as discrimination against black young men as the central characters, and frankly anyone around them, are harassed by the police and government incessantly. It’s not my place to decide whether or not the actions on either party’s part within the film were accurate to history, but I did feel as if the character’s reactions and observations were a bit too on the nose, (primarily those of Paul Giamatti’s character, Jerry Heller). The encounters felt scripted whereas the rest of the film felt genuine.

I’ll be honest. I grew up listening to N.W.A. thanks to the fact that I’m the youngest of my three brothers. That being said, I was extremely excited for this movie upon its announcement and I wasn’t let down in the slightest. The film was on-point, the presentation and inclusion of the group’s music was phenomenal, and the heart behind the production made me want more by the time the credits were rolling.