https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBE8s3u3-i4#t=14
The story of N.W.A., rap’s most notorious group, shattered box office records in August, when the F. Gary Gray film Straight Outta Compton claimed the No. 1 slot for two weeks straight, becoming the highest-grossing musical biopic of all-time. Earning an astounding $60.2 million in its opening, the massive momentum which carried the film derived from a masterful marketing campaign that tapped into the culture to unite millions, while bringing the signature components of N.W.A.’s movement to life.
Since its release, some skepticism arose surrounding the accuracy of information presented, and the portrayal of key characters in the story. One of the primary figures referenced was the group’s ex-manager, Jerry Heller. For years, Heller was noted as being the root of conflict and corruption within the group, mishandling business and failing to operate with pure intentions.
Now, Heller has responded in the form of filing a $110 million defamation lawsuit against the film’s producers. Heller proclaims that the biopic has caused irreversible damage to his professional image and reputation, asserting that the makers of the film also failed to receive proper permission to use his likeness. More notably, contrary to the known accounts of Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, Heller refutes ever being the “bad guy” that sparked the group’s downward spiral.