In just a few days, on August 14th, the highly anticipated film Straight Outta Compton hits theaters and it is, without a doubt, a must see.

The riveting film sets the tone from the very beginning that life in Compton is far from easy. To make it off those tough streets, it takes grit, hard work, determination and most importantly “the strength of street knowledge.”  The film tells the story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and Ice Cube and their journey to creating one of the most beloved groups known to hip-hop history — N.W.A.

Using humor, street slang, and of course, notable hit records, the film serves as a simple reminder that rap is the story of the people. Everyday life experiences are reflected in N.W.A.’s lyrics and they held nothing (absolutely nothing) back. Their ability to relate to the people and tell stories such as the ongoing relationship between blacks and the police led them to become an extremely controversial group.

Their hit song ‘Fu*k The Police” certainly made it’s way into the hip-hop history books and served as a blueprint for challenging the government through rap. It also allowed fans to feel empowered enough to speak their mind and not let the rules of society control them. N.W.A. served as a catalyst for using hip-hop to tell a story that was often overlooked and their message was fairly simple: “our art is a reflection of our reality.”

We recently had the chance to speak with one of the most prolific members of N.W.A. and a main reason why the movie was a success, Ice Cube. The west coast legend tells us why it took so long to get a full N.W.A. movie, the different antics him and Dre used to prepare the lead actors, his involvement in the writing of the script, his take on today’s rap beefs and much more.

Read our exclusive interview with Ice Cube below and be sure to check out the Straight Outta Compton when it hits theaters this Friday!