Straight Outta Compton – Music From The Motion Picture

The relationship between a movie and it’s soundtrack is, for obvious reasons, very close. However, the relationship between Straight Outta Compton and it’s soon to be released soundtrack is closer than most.

As you’ll probably know, the film tells the story of how five black teenagers known as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, DJ Yella and MC Ren, came together in 1986 as NWA, then changed the face of hip-hop by channelling their rage at police brutality and race issues into what became known as gangsta rap.

The film was a way in which the surviving band members could give context to NWA songs. As Ice Cube stated in a Rolling Stone interview prior to the films release:

“You had to see why we did the music. You know, not just ‘we were young, angry niggas out of South Central,’ but why did we make those kind of records? We were living in the middle of dope dealing, gangbanging, police brutality, fucking Reaganomics, and there was nowhere to escape.”

So, do you need to watch the film before thinking about buying the soundtrack when it is released on January 8? Not necessarily. Although many of the songs were written the thick end of 30 years ago, the issues that inspired them remain very much prevalent today. Racial hatred and police brutality are as much a blight on today’s society as they were 3 decades ago. And that’s what makes this collection of songs all the more impressive. They are as relevant and as topical today as they were when they were first written. Doesn’t say much for society I guess…

Straight Outta Compton – Music From The Motion Picture is released on 8 January and is also being pressed as a 2-LP vinyl set due for release 22 January.

Tracklist

1. N.W.A – Straight Outta Compton
2. Parliament – Flash Light
3. Eazy-E – We Want Eazy
4. N.W.A – Gangsta Gangsta
5. Funkadelic – (Not Just) Knee Deep
6. Eazy-E – The Boyz-N-The Hood
7. Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Everybody Loves The Sunshine
8. N.W.A – Dopeman
9. N.W.A – F*** Tha Police
10. N.W.A – Express Yourself
11. Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame – Weak At The Knees
12. N.W.A- Quiet On Tha Set
13. N.W.A – 8 Ball
14. ICE CUBE – The N**** Ya Love To Hate
15. N.W.A – Real N*****
16. Ice Cube – No Vaseline
17. Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg – Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang