Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Original members of N.W.A, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre and the cast leads of Straight Outta Compton cover the newest issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Inside the two rap icons talk about the making of the movie, their musical legacy and more. Check out photos and excerpts from the interview as well as an exclusive look at the film’s stars—Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube), and Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre).
“We were just trying to entertain our neighborhood, just us trying to be hood stars,” says Dr. Dre. “It just became something that was much, much bigger than we ever thought, than I ever imagined.”
“It was always about free speech, being able to express yourself, whether people like it or not,” recalls Cube of N.W.A’s early raps (the group made four albums before they broke up in 1991). “That’s the great thing about being in this country, is to be able to speak your mind and not be censored.”
“Our legacy is something that’s very important to me,” says Dr. Dre
“My father would call me before each scene to let me know what he was thinking. A lot of it was getting me to not act. I have so much of his mannerisms and things already in me that I wouldn’t want to be onscreen doing an impersonation. You can do an impersonation or you could become the character. I really was trying to break down those acting walls and just let everything flow,” says O’Shea Jackson Jr.
“This movie will keep shining a light on the problem, especially because of all the situations that are happening in Ferguson and here in Los Angeles. It’s definitely going to keep this situation in people’s minds and make sure that everyone out there knows that this is a problem that keeps happening still today,” says Dr. Dre.
The Hollywood Reporter will appear on newsstand July 31!
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Photo Credits: TheHollywoodReporter
