…Given Straight Outta Compton just passed the $80 Million mark in profits made since its premiere last weekend, I’m not exactly surprised. Since it IS TMZ that is reporting it, I admit I’m a bit skeptical to take the announcement at face value.
Thr sequel, titled Dogg Pound 4 Life will apparently pick up where the N.W.A’s biopic left off. The new movie will focus on Snoop Dogg and Tupac’s early rise though Warren G, Kurupt and the late Nate Dogg’s careers (For those who don’t know, he died five years ago after suffering a stroke) will be touched on as well. It will presumably cover Death Row Records’ rise and fall under Suge Knight, who Dr. Dre worked with during the label’s early years before leaving to found Aftermath.
Speaking of, I touched on this in my review of Straight Outta Compton but Suge is believed to have had a hand in the deaths of Tupac and Biggie Smalls and possibly Easy-E’s death as well. Suge is currently sitting in prison where he belongs on unrelated murder charges. And he’s dying from a medical complication. AND going blind. Sweet irony, I know.
Anyways, a source told TMZ the new movie will do what Straight Outta Compton didn’t do and not shy away from the influence Gang Violence had on West Coast Rap. I think that idea will backfire if they go all in. Eminem, 50 Cent and N.W.A. were smart in skirting around this in 8 Mile, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and Straight Outta Compton, respectively. Not touching it doesn’t mean it wasn’t an influence. You only need to listen to their music to know it was. That doesn’t mean they need to revisit it in such lucid detail.
Ice Cube and his son put out a joint statement earlier today saying they will not be involved in the new movie despite rumors spread saying they were involved. Ice Cube is currently in Europe promoting Straight Outta Compton, which will make it European debut this weekend. Andre Young, who played his father Dr. Dre in the N.W.A. biopic will reprise the role in the new movie, who is also co-producing the new film.
Seriously thinking about it, there’s not much to tell about Death Row: The label was formed by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, The D.O.C. and Snoop Dogg in 1991. The label fell apart after Dre left in 1995 and Tupac’s death the following year. Suge Knight serving time after Tupac’s death left the label without strong leadership and that ultimately killed the label, which filed for bankruptcy in 2009. Everyone was long gone by then to boot.Death Row died with Tupac prettymuch. Everything released after his death was remixes and unreleased tracks made by Dr. Dre and Tupac.
Snoop Dogg is said to be heavily involved as the movie will mostly focus on the label he formed after leaving Death Row, The Dogg Pound. That makes sense given unlike N.W.A., Death Row was quickly forgotten after Tupac’s death. The ironic thing is several artists who were with Death Row ended up dead–Tupac was just the most known. Some say that’s the reason they tried rebranding as Tha Row and why everyone left.
Serene Adventure.net 