Avoids the cliches of 'oppressed African Americans'

...of course this film shows what fuelled the lyrics of the songs, but thankfully the film doesn't focus on that so much, but actually the success story that was NWA and the inner conflict that comes with fame and artistic differences.

The film doesn't descend into the 'black people good - white people bad' narrative, that can often accompany stories dealing with themes around black oppression - often cheapening the experience, it just tells the story warts and all, from all sides.

The final scenes are truly devastating as the reality of how damaging fame has been to these men and their relationship hits home.

This is a truly nuanced story that just happens to be about African Americans, and that's what stood out to me. The film really does focus on the success of these guys, not their oppression, which is a breath of fresh air when dealing with films around racial politics.

The film also never descends into melodrama, the material is treated with respect and the actors don't overdo it, they "keep it real:, if you'll allow me :-), which is so much more effective when dealing with this kind of material, than over-the-top dramatics.

Well written, well acted, well directed, and hits the right tone; a truly engrossing film. I highly recommend it.