It seems like now more than ever musical biopics are the craze. There’s the Aaliyah story, Jimi Hendrix of course and the James Brown film Get On Up. Truthfully they all look a little jokey, but who knows, one of those might be the huge hit we’ve been looking for since Ray or Walk the Line blew us away several years back. The iconoclastic N.W.A. is the next musical act to get the Hollywood treatment with a flick aptly titled Straight Outta Compton.

There are plenty of expectations and the hope is that director F. Gary Gray will capture the grittiness of N.W.A.’s rise to fame. The cast has already been set with a bunch of fresh new faces to represent the boys from Compton, one of whom is Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr. – that venomous scowl did not skip a generation.

It’s a wonder as to how Gray is going to place some of the classic N.W.A. songs. “Express Yourself” is the big one, the crossover hit that brought everybody on board. It’s the most recognizable song on the album, but you don’t want to blow your wad too fast. You got to be tactful with its presentation. Perhaps wait ’til that first record deal comes through and the elation of knowing that they made that all important first step: [LISTEN]

I’m expressing with my full capabilities/And now I’m living in correctional facilities’/Cause some don’t agree with how I do this/I get straight, meditate like a Buddhist

The next obvious choice that’ll have fans bobbing their head in support is of course “Fuck Tha Police.” Pick any moment in N.W.A.’s career to cue this one and you’ll find it to be a welcome soundtrack. It’ll be interesting to see what part it’ll have in the movie: [LISTEN]

Without a gun and a badge, what do ya got?/A sucker in a uniform waiting to get shot/By me, or another nigga/And with a gat it don’t matter if he’s smaller or bigger

With a few well timed montages and some savvy directing the hope is that Straight Outta Compton will have that homegrown feel, the type that made their story unique. We’re talking about the forefathers of west coast rap particularly that G-Funk sound – Arabian Prince anyone?

Much to look forward to, in the meantime we can always revisit Straight Outta Compton and have it bumpin’ on repeat till the movie drops next year: [LISTEN]

So what about the bitch who got shot, fuck her/You think I give a damn about a bitch, I ain’t a sucker/This is an autobiography of the E/And if you ever fuck with me/You’ll get taken by a stupid dope brother who will smother

Photo: TODD MACMILLAN/UNIVERSAL PICTURES