One of the most controversial rap acts of all time will soon have a movie that chronicles their rise to fame and infamy.
Ice Cube premiered the trailer for the biopic “Straight Outta Compton” about his group N.W.A. The rapper/actor shared the trailer at a recent concert in Sydney, Australia, and some fans uploaded the footage to YouTube, according to Rap-Up.
The film, which is directed by F. Gary Gray, stars Ice Cube’s son, O’Shea Jackson Jr., who plays his father; Jason Mitchell as the late rapper Eazy-E; Paul Giamatti as N.W.A.’s manager Jerry Heller; and Corey Hawkins as rapper and now famed producer Dr. Dre.
The trailer shows scenes from the group members’ tumultuous lives and career.
The West coast rap stars first burst onto the national scene in 1988 after the single “F**k tha Police” from their album “Straight Outta Compton” drew condemnation from law enforcement officials. Their controversial lyrics about women and life in the inner city led to them being banned from radio.
“Let me tell you what I see here,” Giamatti as Heller says in the trailer voiceover. “A lot of raw talent, swagger, bravado. People are scared of you guys. They think you’re dangerous, but you have a unique voice. The world needs to hear it.”
A casting call in July for female extras for the film caused an uproar as it reportedly sought “A,” “B,” “C” and “D” girls with the “A” girls being described as “the hottest of the hottest. Models” and the “D” girls as “African American girls. Poor, not in good shape. “
“Straight Outta Compton” is set to hit theaters in August 2015.
