Dre/Easy-E, relate perfectly to it, and think, “See…if he can live the life of a gangster and make it then I can too! Where I will take the work ethic of Ice Cube and apply it to being relentless in writing more books or finding other means to empower my community I know full well there are many more who look at the lifestyle of Ice Cube/Dr. However, regretfully, I don’t have that much faith in my community’s current state that most are able to make the same discernment. I was able to discern the components where I could derive motivation, and disregard the components of destructive, irresponsible “miseducation”. As a conscious, awake, and educated Black man I was able to decipher the good from the bad in this movie. The mixed emotions were riding high as I walked away from the theater feeling great that I supported a minority movie, but awful that I just contributed to a message of misogyny and genocide. The one Bible verse that consistently rang in my head was “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Mark 8:36.Dre’s into the movie, but in my opinion what they showed was more than bad enough for me to get the picture…they could care less about Black women. They didn’t even insert the worst actions of Dr. The audience erupted in laughter and all I could do was shake my head. There was a scene when Ice Cube pushed a woman by the head outside of the hotel room naked while saying, “Bye Felicia”. The misogynistic treatment of women in the movie was sickening.Most who sell drugs and live the sort of violent lifestyle they promoted end up strung out, in prison, or dead. The success of the few in NWA represents a very small fraction of those who have chosen to live this lifestyles’ success.The music that was purchased by so many glorified a lifestyle that was illegal, reprehensible, and immoral.Yes, NWA was extremely successful, but at what cost to the Black community? Now we come to the part of the movie that makes it one of the worst movies I have ever seen, and it is an entirely moral argument. Their business acumen stayed with them throughout their careers and they have both been able to amass a high level of wealth for themselves. Dre did the same eventually when he was fiscally able to afford to make the leap into independence. Ice Cube understood his true value/potential, and was able to walk away from a $75,000 check. The attempted ban of the music was truly a “golden egg” when it comes to marketing…Easy-E knew exactly how to exploit the opportunity. Had they not made NWA into a public enemy they wouldn’t have received as much exposure. He knew exactly how to put this “reality music” into the eyes of the public and knew how to “pimp” the US Government. These youth were not going to allow their First Amendment rights to be stripped away.īusiness Intelligence: The business IQs of all were extremely high. When the Detroit Police Department were given the order to not allow the group to play the song and they played it anyways, it should have been a proud moment for those strict interpreters of the Constitution. Principled Activism: When the US Government decided to campaign against the “F&$K The Police” song and get it banned, the group huddled together to take a stand with the First Amendment supporting their position. An unwavering work ethic is a key component of every success story. This habit turned hobby brought them off the streets and on to fame. All of NWA spent hour upon hour in the studio making music. Ice Cube was constantly writing poetry and Dre was always in the studio making beats. The stars that “made it” were constantly working on their craft. Despite these odds they recognized that it was illegal to sell drugs and commit violent crimes, but it wasn’t illegal to rap about them. When they walked outside their door the obstacles they had to navigate were tremendous including police brutality, drugs, and constant violent activity. Hustle Despite Overwhelming Odds: Everyday was a struggle in the lives of NWA. In a rare moment of indecisiveness, it was a tough call to decide to give this a “thumbs-up” or a “thumbs-down” because of the numerous conflicting messages. This is the first time I have ever loved a movie, but also hated it almost as much.
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