DJ Yella Says Watching ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Was Eerie
Since it was first announced more than a year ago, hip-hop heads and movie fanatics alike have been waiting impatiently for the upcoming N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton. Executive produced by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E's widow Tomica Woods-Wright, the film seemed particularly well-positioned to portray the story of the world's most dangerous rap group with an accuracy that no one else could provide. And now, with the movie finally set to hit theaters in just over a week on August 14 and early reviews praising the movie as both a compelling film on its own in addition to sticking to the facts of history, Straight Outta Compton looks primed and ready to be a big summer blockbuster for more than just rap fans.
That's not to say the movie hasn't had its issues; aside from the incident that landed Suge Knight in a California jail cell facing murder charges, there was some dissension about casting and portrayal within the film. Initially Eazy-E's son was upset about being passed over in casting his father's role, though he later helped out on the film; while as recently as two months ago, one of the founding members, MC Ren, was upset that neither he nor DJ Yella were included in the initial trailers promoting the movie. Those proved to be bumps in a road that, for the most part, has everyone else on board and supportive of the film, with director F. Gary Gray hoping that the end result will help spark a change within the current hip-hop climate.
One N.W.A alumnus who has been relatively quiet about Straight Outta Compton has been DJ Yella, who along with Dr. Dre helped produce much of N.W.A's early material, including the film's iconic namesake LP. But just because his name hasn't been in the headlines doesn't mean Yella isn't working; the longtime producer has been heavily involved with a series of reissues, vinyl and cassette releases and special editions for much of the group's back catalog. Now, with Straight Outta Compton days away from its theatrical release, XXL got DJ Yella on the phone to talk about the film, his memories of being in N.W.A and the eerie feeling of re-living Eazy-E's death on screen. —Dan Rys
That's not to say the movie hasn't had its issues; aside from the incident that landed Suge Knight in a California jail cell facing murder charges, there was some dissension about casting and portrayal within the film. Initially Eazy-E's son was upset about being passed over in casting his father's role, though he later helped out on the film; while as recently as two months ago, one of the founding members, MC Ren, was upset that neither he nor DJ Yella were included in the initial trailers promoting the movie. Those proved to be bumps in a road that, for the most part, has everyone else on board and supportive of the film, with director F. Gary Gray hoping that the end result will help spark a change within the current hip-hop climate.
One N.W.A alumnus who has been relatively quiet about Straight Outta Compton has been DJ Yella, who along with Dr. Dre helped produce much of N.W.A's early material, including the film's iconic namesake LP. But just because his name hasn't been in the headlines doesn't mean Yella isn't working; the longtime producer has been heavily involved with a series of reissues, vinyl and cassette releases and special editions for much of the group's back catalog. Now, with Straight Outta Compton days away from its theatrical release, XXL got DJ Yella on the phone to talk about the film, his memories of being in N.W.A and the eerie feeling of re-living Eazy-E's death on screen. —Dan Rys
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