It won’t hit theaters until August, but Straight Outta Compton is already one of the most highly-anticipated (and most controversial) films of 2015.
The long-awaited NWA biopic would’ve generated major buzz under any circumstances, but now that the film has been linked to the recent Suge Knight murder arrest (Knight’s alleged hit-and-run took place during the making of the film’s trailer.),Compton is the subject of headlines a full six months before its release.
So it’s no surprise that a commercial promoting the film that premiered during last night’s 2015 Grammy Awards has already resulted in hundreds of thousands of views for the film’s red band trailer:
The spot kicks off with the actual Ice Cube and Dr. Dre cruising their old hood and chatting with relative newcomers The Game and Kendrick Lamar.
From there, we get our first look at the actors chosen to portray Dre and company, including Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson, Jr. playing his father.
The film clearly covers a lot of ground from the formation of the group to its role in the media storm surrounding the LA riots.
As allegations of police brutality against minorities continue to make headlines nearly thirty years after the events of the film, NWA’s controversial lyrics are as relevant now as when they were first recorded…and Straight Outta Compton may well turn out to be one of the surprise hits of the summer.