Maybe you’ve seen the photo elucidating Dr. Dre’s marked transition to “coming straight out of Cupertino,” and maybe you consider Ice Cube’s cinematic portrayal of a paternal hero a success story given his Jheri-curled past, but that doesn’t mean that either of these individuals, or the surviving members of N.W.A. in general, are willing to understate the significance of their early music careers down in South Central L.A. To that end, a film that’s long been in the works navigating the seminal rap group’s rise and ultimate dissolution, Straight Outta Compton, is set for release this August. So, how about an anticipatory reunion concert in which a few members nostalgically engage in polite police criticism?
Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella will be performing together for the first time in 26 years on June 27 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles as a part of this year’s BET Experience. 26 years! Dr. Dre may or may not also be there, as Ice Cube gave a metaphysical non-answer to Rolling Stone on the subject, but separate from the performance itself — which includes appearances by Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and ScHoolboy Q — is additional word of new N.W.A. recorded material as at least soundtrack to the upcoming film. Ice Cube sort of elaborating:
We’re definitely dibbling and dabbling, so to speak. It’s all about how great it comes out when you’re creating something. We can throw anything together; we can put rhymes and beats together easy. But our expectation level is so high, and if we meet our threshold, the world gets to hear what it is. If we don’t, we still need more time together to make it happen. It’s really some TLC, tender love and care, being put into these records. We’ll see what it is.
Just don’t ponder the potential problems of having an N.W.A. outside of its original cultural context. It’s easier this way.
• Ice Cube: http://icecube.com
• MC Ren: https://www.facebook.com/MCRen.Ruthless.Villan
• Dr. Dre: http://www.drdre.com
• DJ Yella: https://www.facebook.com/DJYELLAOFNWA
More about: N.W.A.
