Watch these unforgettable hip hop films before 'Straight Outta Compton'
As Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Co. release their new N.W.A. biopic "Straight Outta Compton," DW traces the most defining rap films.
Straight Outta Compton
An otherwise unremarkable part of South Los Angeles, Compton was never going to be seen through the same eyes again after hip hop group N.W.A. dropped their landmark album "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988. The 2015 film of the same name charts the group's formation, rise and demise - and the gritty origins of the pioneering hip hop act. DW traces other significant rap films.
Wild Style
Long before "Straight Outta Compton" there was "Wild Style" - hip hop's first feature film, released in 1983. Set in New York, the film follows the story of Zoro, a graffiti artist immersed in the new world of hip hop. The film gave outsiders an insight into an alien world of break dancing, graffiti art and MCing - and has been sampled by landmark hip hop artists, such as Beastie Boys (pictured).
Beat Street
In 1984, hip hop was beginning to enter the mainstream. Nonetheless, director Stan Lathan recognized an opportunity to capture history with his pioneering film, "Beat Street," set in the Bronx. Setting out to portray hip hop culture - from DJs to MCs, b-boys to graffiti artists - the fictional work also features performances from hip hop granddaddy, Afrika Bambaataa.
8 Mile
If hip hop was the exclusive domain of black America, Marshall Bruce Mathers III - aka Eminem - was going to change that. As if his own dramatic rise from obscurity wasn't astounding enough, Eminem decided to immortalize his story in film in 2002, in the loosely fictionalized "8 Mile." The work featured "Lose Yourself," the longest-ever running Number 1 hip hop single in the US.
Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Discovered by Eminem in 2002, 50 Cent quickly became one of the biggest stars in hip hop, with his 2003 album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." Following in the footsteps of his protégé, the native New Yorker turned to the silver screen to tell his own rags-to-riches story, named in honor of his classic album. While panned by critics, the film nonetheless grossed nearly $45 million (41 million euros).
Boyz n the Hood
With the tagline "It ain't no fairy tale," "Boyz n the Hood" isn't just a film about hip hop, but a portrayal of the troubled backdrop that informed the genre in its formative years. Starring N.W.A.'s Ice Cube and Cuba Gooding, Jr., the 1991 film follows Tre Styles, a gifted kid temped into the gangsta world. In 2002, the US added it to its National Film Registry for cultural significance.
Blutzbrüdaz
Hip hop is big business in Germany. In 2011 the film "Blutzbrüdaz" (Blood Brothers) told the story of best mates Eddy and Otis, navigating the murky world of the music biz and the realities faced by young artists confronted with sudden success. Replete with stage battles and dodgy managers, the Berlin-set film also boasted a killer soundtrack featuring German hip hop maestros Sido and B-Tight.
Turn It Up
As the saying goes, your movie is only as big as its stars - and "Turn It Up" aimed for the celestial ceiling with Pras (formerly of The Fugees) and Ja Rule (pictured) in the leads of this ghetto flick. However, money can't buy you everything, and the 2000 film was widely panned. Pras' song of the same name fared better, going to Number 1 on the German charts.
Hustle & Flow
Hip hip just wouldn't be hip hip without pimps and drug dealers. And "Hustle & Flow" has all that and more - telling the story of DJay's (played by Terrence Howard) desire to break free from his profession as a small-time hustler to become a full-fledged rap star. The film won an Academy Award for the soundtrack song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp."
Notorious
George Tilman turned to the life story of rapper The Notorious B.I.G. for his 2009 hit film, "Notorious." Starring Jamal Woolard as "Biggie," the film tells the story of the rapper's rise from a crack dealer to hip hop protégé of Sean Combs, aka Puff Daddy/P. Diddy. The film plots the lay of the land in hip hop in the 1990s, with portrayals of Faith Evans, Tupac Shakur, Suge Knight, and Lil' Kim.