The movie Straight Outta Compton follows a group of aspiring rappers on their rocky journey to fame and fortune. The film, which is set in the mid-1980s, depicts many issues surrounding race and law enforcement that remain important issues to this day. Numerous scenes in the movie show the challenges that the artists faced solely because of their race. In one scene the group is taking a break from recording a new song when the police arrive to question them about their activities. Even though they had done nothing wrong, they were targeted because of their race. The police harassed and forced them to the ground before letting them go.

Unfortunately, the portrayal of racial discrimination highlighted many similarities to the present day. I was struck that 35 years later many of the scenes depicting racial tension could, and do, still occur to this day.

Despite the challenges of being a minority from a difficult area, the group was talented enough to make it big. The group’s nationwide recognition led to concern that the lyrics in their songs promoted violence. However, the group never held back any potentially troublesome lyrics which led to a greater following and more confrontation with police. Lyrics such as these are still widely used and still are the subject of debate. However, unlike in the movie where the police shutdown a concert over inflammatory lyrics, today the free speech rights of rappers are more respected.

Ultimately, the group broke up thanks to an agent who pretended to work for the performers’ best interest, but in reality only wanted to enrich himself. I was frustrated that the agent would take advantage of the group’s hard-earned success in order to line his own pockets. I could not help but think what could have come if the group was able to stay together and productive. However, it is a good lesson for viewers to remember that when large amounts of money are involved people may not always have your best interests in mind.