It's been two years since rapper/actor Ice Cube first announced plans to produce a film recounting his days as a member of gangsta rap group NWA. There's finally some news about the oft-delayed film. Director John Singleton (of Shaft, 2 Fast 2 Furious and the upcoming Taylor Lautner-starring Abduction) may be the man to helm the project, according to The Playlist.
The bio pic would be the first time Singleton and Cube will be working together since 1995's Higher Learning. Cube also starred in Singleton's Boyz n the Hood, which was nominated for two Oscars in 1991. So far, there have only been early talks, but a script is reportedly finished and there's already a working title, “Straight Outta Compton.”
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With Ice Cube as producer, it will be interesting to see how the filmmakers treat the story of the Compton rap group. In the late eighties, NWA helped popularize west coast hip-hop and spawned the careers of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. After the release of the group's 1988 debut Straight Outta Compton, Cube left the group over disagreements regarding royalties.
The remaining members (which also included MC Ren and DJ Yella) exchanged barbs with Cube in the following years. Eventually, the group dissolved after Eazy-E and the others also had a falling out. It wasn't until the former's succumbing to AIDS in 1995 that the original members made amends.
There are still many unanswered questions about the film. How will the bio pic portray the conflicts between the group's members? Will the film stir up old animosities among the living members? Will Lil Eazy-E play the role of his father? And could this be the big comeback film for John Singleton, who hasn't had a hit since producing 2005's Hustle & Flow?
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