Universal’sStraight Outta Comptonpulled off an impressivebox officewin this weekend, with Sunday’s estimates reporting the biopic took in $56.1 million, a figure that was adjusted up to $60.2 million when the final numbers came in today. The film is also a hit with the nation’s critics, earning an impressive 89% “Fresh” score onRottenTomatoes.com. One of the original members of the iconic rap groupN.W.A.,M.C. Ren, had plenty of praise for the film over the weekend, although he wanted to set the record straight that his contribution to the group was greater than it was portrayed in the film. Here’s what he had to say on hisTwitteraccount.
“Thank you to all the new follows, and thanx to all for your positive words about the film. True fans know my role in the group as far as lyrics are concerned, don’t let the movie fool you about my contribution to the group.”
The rapper was portrayed byAldis HodgeinStraight Outta Compton, but he, along withNeil Brown Jr.’s DJ Yella, were essentially treated as side characters, with the brunt of the story focusing onO’Shea Jackson Jr.‘sIce Cube,Corey Antonio Hawkins’sDr. DreandJason Mitchell’s Eazy-E. New York Times criticManohla Dargiseven calledAldis HodgeandNeil Brown Jr.’s characters “inconsequential” to the story.
OriginalN.W.A.membersIce CubeandDr. Dreserved as producers on the movie, along with Eazy-E’s widow Tomica Woods-Wright, withThe Hollywood Reporterclaiming that there is speculationM.C. Ren’s role may have been minimized because he wasn’t a part of the filmmaking process. Regardless,M.C. Renstill did have plenty of positive things to say about the film, telling the cast and crew they did a “great job of telling our story’.
M.C. Renwas originally signed as a solo artist to Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records before joiningN.W.A.in 1987, as the group was putting together theStraight Outta Comptonalbum. After the group disbanded in 1991,M.C. Renstill stuck with Ruthless Records, releasing the 1992 EPKizz My Black Azz, which is believed to be the first EP ever to go platinum. He released a number of other records through Ruthless before leaving the record label in 1999.
On the originalStraight Outta Comptonalbum,M.C. Renwrote four songs and co-wrote three additional tracks, whileIce Cubewrote five songs and co-wrote four more.The D.O.C.also co-wrote two songs, while one of the group’s former members,The Arabian Prince, also wrote one of the songs. Would you have liked to see more ofM.C. ReninStraight Outta Compton? Let us know what you think, and check outM.C. Ren’s tweets below.
