WWW - strong links to films
Talks about wider issues like black lives matter
Some audience theory
Good pace
Historical texts like Boyz n da Hood
Reference to public enemy
EBI - better groups of history, civil rights
Some slides lacking images
Reference more things such as the documentary
Lacks structure
More detail about public enemy
My presentation will lead to my question about how black people are represented in the media and how in today's society they're mistreated and with the use of rap trying to get their point across but are they reinforcing the stereotypes that the media portray them to be. For example rap is seen to be the way for those who are black to express how they feel through the words of their lyrics which the media and society don't show. Even though this is the case there are some cases where the stereotype of black African Americans are reinforced through rap music such as saying to shoot people and doing drugs although rap is used for a way to express the reality of how blacks are inferior and undermined. There is a moral panic in society today which young people are heading towards the nature pf violence and gangs, they're getting more involved with crimes and not having a positive impact in society. This is also a negative stereotype in todays media and the negative ideology that we all have in society today which is now been transmitted through the use of media texts.
Thursday 29 September 2016
Tuesday 13 September 2016
Friday 9 September 2016
MEST4 Summer Project
The media text that i am going to study will be the film 'Straight Outta Comton'.
Research
ABC
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-03/rapper-ice-cube-on-his-film,-racism,-and-gangsta-rap-lyrics/6748328
This article is about the racism in America especially from the eyes of the rapper Ice Cube which was apart of the notorious group called N.W.A; this is someone who grew up around racism and had to deal with it in South Central La. The rapper Ice Cube himself feels like the death of Rodney King which has happened of 25 years ago hasn't changed racism in society and is very much still around in today's society 25 years on. Whilst being in the group of rappers they had lyrics which were seen as explicit which caused a lot of tension in the community but also sparked a lot of brains to what was happening in society today, they were seen to give a voice to the public which is why they could relate to most of t
he lyrics in the songs which N.W.A released. One of the songs that caused everyone to rebel back was 'f**k the police' which was popular as people felt that in society the police were racist towards the black community.
Daily Telegraph
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/legendary-rapper-ice-cube-shares-message-of-hope-for-future/news-story/9ed07816fd59c77990989e1a8c626dce
Similar to the first article this one is about how racism still exists and that people need to keep their head up. It is to hopefully spark a change in society at a later stage and hopefully in the future to remove racism from the equation.
The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/05/black-lives-matter-protest-sparks-heathrow-traffic-chaos
Although racism is seen in only America in the film it is also present in society today all around the world, with recent deaths of black people from police brutality in America is started a campaign called black lives matter. This is set up so that racism in society can stopped which caused recent protests in the UK, London. This caused people to react on social media and to start taking things into their own hands. The protest caused traffic to arise because roads had been blocked by those who were protesting.
Films, song and texts similar to this
Like me - Joey Badass
Alright - Kendrick lamar
2pac - Changes
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A - F**k the police
Boyz n da Hood
Fruitvale Station
Malcom X
Roots
Of Mice and Men
To Kill and Mockingbird
Public Enemy - Fight the power
2pac - trapped
American History X
Django Unchained
Media Representations
The representation of black males in the films are negative and are seen to be violent. The way they dress are seen to be as thugs which is seen to be a reason why they should be stopped randomly and searched in the street. This also gives a negative representation to the police officers in America who are seen as being racist which is today's issue in society 20 years later which has struck the latest campaign on black lives. Also, the representation of the manager of the group of rappers is also very stereotypical as he is only concerned about himself and the money rather than the clients he is working with. Everyone who was in 'the hood' who is a young black teenage African American dresses in a gangster way which also supports the stereotype of rap influencing the way they dress.
They're being represented in this way so that the audience can understand what society is like and how people were treated and misrepresented due to the representation the media had gave them and the music that they produced. This makes the biography more realistic as the audience are able to understand how gangs were stereotypical accurate and how rap was during the time they were producing it and how everything in Compton was. The area is also represented in a dangerous way where black males lose their lives to the use of guns.
The representation is fair and accurate because today police are also racist and there's been a lot of hate crimes due to police brutality, the fact that this still continues today and still is happening would be more of a reason to believe that back in the early 90s it was a lot more difficult for teenage black African Americans because they were also seen in a negative way if dressed as being a thug which made it hard for them to fit into society. This is probably the reason why there is a lot of hate crimes as the idea of them being this way has made them conform to the nature of it. The representation of rappers was accurate but now over time it has changed and rap isn't as violent or as meaningful yet it does promote hate for police which is why there might still be a reason for police to be cautious and because of this people are fighting back.
A lot of people who have experienced hate crime of have been through racism or police brutality will find it easy to relate to this, mainly those who are African American, they wouldve previously seen films such as Boyz n da Hood, American history X which shows how racism is still alive in society but the lifestyle of black males which is relatable to most of the people in society today. Even in Britain today black people only make 3% of the population out of the 63 million people we have.
Media Languages & Forms
The film was designed to have the specific songs to show the police brutality and the reason behind what was happening in the lives of the rappers. The scene where the rappers come out of the building and get searched straight away is probably signalling that the only place that people are safe from the brutality from police is in the inside of their own homes or locked away from society by being isolated. This is also seen at the start of the film where ice cube is getting arrested for no reason when he was only walking back to his house after the police were arresting other black males on the street.
The significance is that the police are meant to look after those in their community but as soon as they are in a scene they are the ones who are portrayed as the villains which are pestering lives of those who are not doing anything wrong but are judged by the colour of their skin to be criminals and therefore taken by the police. The fact that the police are also the ones who have access to weapons such as guns could also reinforce the use of misusing their power which is the reason for police brutality even in today's society.
The facials expressions and gestures of those performing the song and in the audience of the performance of f**k the police are seen to be angry and with their middle finger being placed up highlights the fact that they aren't happy with the system and that it is corrupt by those who are not of coloured skin by targeting innocent members of society because they're black. The guns reinforce stereotypes of gang members who have possessions of them such as the start of the scene where gang member OG 2 Tone enters the bus and also the scene where Eazy E enters the house where he's getting his money from.
The costumes make it easier for us to identify there who are apart of the rap group as they are coordinating and also those who are living in the ghetto as they dress in a similar way which causes a binary opposition with the police which are identifiable from their uniform. The lighting was always placed on N.W.A when at the concert so it was easier for the audience to identify them, during the scenes where someone was I'm danger such as Eazy E and Suge Knight the lighting in the room was low making it more intimidating for the audience but also the person who is in danger and that specific point in time. The actors were black African Americans who played the roles of the main characters where as most of the police officers were white although there was one black police officer at the start of the film who was seen as an outcast to the black community for selling out to the police. The props that were used which were most effective would've been the scenes where the guns are present this is to show both sides of how those in society are using it compared to the police but also how the group of rappers themselves used them, this was scene where they were in a hotel room and someone had been knocking on the door to find their girlfriend the character had a gun but then was chased away by the group which had also bought out guns to scare them. This is a way that they're misused in society and the reason they were criticised for the lyrics produced as they weren't talking about their reality but promoting violence through what they did themselves. The setting at the start of the film is everyone being in a run down urban area and as they start to become more famous and get money the environment changes to rich expensive houses where only millionaire would be able to afford, it shows the progression of their life and also how the film has progressed.
The soundtrack of the film was a rap album which consisted of Ice Cube, Dr Dre and even Kendrick Lamar who has also done similar things to show how racism is alive in society through his songs one of them being 'alright'. As a result, this makes it easier for the hip hop genre to be identified and the lyrics of the film are also parallel to the scenes.
The main themes are racism and police brutality which is seen through the film even from the lyrics of songs. Also, the life of those who have to live in a place where they're having to be careful of gangs and even the police who are meant to serve and protect in society.
Narrative
The film is biography so the narrative starts off at the same point in all the lives off the characters and progresses as the years go on. There are no flashbacks or gazes into the future just a chronological order of events in the lives of the characters. The audience is positioned in a way where they are able to understand what is happening in society around the characters but each of their lives individually as well, it explores the lives of mainly Ice Cube, Dr Dre and Eazy E. With these three being the main characters in the film we can see what exactly is going on at each point in time in their life.
The hero's are easy to notice in the film as they are the ones who are helping eachother out and trying to get a career from music and the villains are trying to only get what they want which is greed for money. Although some characters seem as they are hero's as the film progresses they are seen for who they are which are villains in the film making it definitive to tell who's who.
The explicit scenes of racism in the film are also noticeable and are iconic as the film is also about what happens in the lives of not only the characters in the film but a statement to those who have been through racism and are fighting it or have fought it during late the late 80s in America and still today as police brutality is still very much alive.
The music in the film that is used is songs which have already been produced by N.W.A before which is noticeable to those who are fans of rap. There are also the clothes of the characters which make them look like thugs and during the scene where the police and arrested them for no apparent reason makes it easier to see through the clothing both groups of people were wearing. The lifestyle of the rappers and violence is easier to see with the use of guns so we can identify where violence was in place.
The main themes are racism and violence, this can be linked to today as we live in a society where racism exists and so does police brutality, the black lives matter campaign is also still trending on social media which shows that even these many years later since racism was happening it still continues.
Genre
The genre that this film belongs to would be music and history, we can easily identify this from the props that are there such as the cars, vinyl records being produced as they aren't produced as often now, the dates that are shown to show it's the past. We can tell that the film is to do with music because from start to finish there's always something to do with music such as raps which are written in books which Ice Cube had at the start of the film, vinyl being produced, Dr Dre and DJ Yella at the club, making the songs ect.
The major iconographic scene in the film is where N.W.A are preforming at their concert where they aren't allowed to preform the song f**k the police but end up doing it and get arrested because of this.
The characters in the film fight back against the police as they refuse to be silent due to the brutality that police show against black African Americans in America.
The text does conform to the genre of the film as it shows all the props which show that it is a music film, there are historic events which also happened that take place in the film which makes it easier for the audience to identify what genre the film is. The text fulfilled what it was suppose to do as it got across all of the main events and showed the music aspect of what happened in the lives of the rappers.
The main stars in the film are the characters in the film who play the roles of the members in N.W.A, they might have been associated with making this type of film before but the actor who played Ice Cube is his own son which would have had some influence from his rather into understanding the rap culture but also rapping himself.
Media Institutions
The institution that is promoted through the film is Ruthless Records with Eazy E and N.W.A were signed to, it also promotes record label Death Row records which is founded by Dr Dre and Suge Knight. Both of these record companies were associated with rap and hip-hop. The institution that produced the film is Universal pictures. The text of the film was distributed through the use of billboards, trailers, interviews before the film was released on cinema and even DVD at a later stage. The institutions gave this recognition to the film itself so more people would know about it and therefore watch it. Also, the institutions in the film would also promotes those who are watching it to go and listen to the music that they've helped publish such as rappers like 2pac, snoop dogg, Eazy E, ice cube and more. With the artists belonging to a record company it not only gives the artist more recognition but also the record company itself.
Media Values and Ideologies
The group itself within the film N.W.A stands for n*****s with attitude, due to this promotes fighting back and not conforming to the norm of society which silences their opinions. It also promotes rap record label Ruthless Records which N.W.A was signed to also rapper Eazy E himself. These signings promote the hip-hop gangsta rap genre of music which Death row records also does through the film. This was founded by Dr Dre and Suge Knight, the company promotes hip-hop which has been known to promote violence before which Suge Knight himself has been apart of as he is part of a gang called the bloods.
Media Audiences
The film Straight Outta Compton would promote a younger audience who are into hip-hop and rap but also those who were growing up listening to N.W.A. The age group would be predominately between 16-45 and a slyly more male audience (60:40 split male to female). This would appeal to those who are reformers as they are the ones who don't want to conform to what society thinks you have to do to be considered normal, they want to challenge the view and do something about it which is why this film will appeal to them because theirs conflict between the police and N.W.A which also links back to the oppositional theory good vs bad, gang vs police, right vs wrong.
The characteristics of the audience would those who are interested in the art of rap music itself and with N.W.A being one of the first groups in rap to do this it will promote them to watch it. Also, there'll be day one fans of N.W.A who will be watching the film as they know the history of what's happened.
The audience is most likely to receive the text through the cinema and DVD when it's been released, there are also ways to access it on sky movies when the films been out for a certain period of time. However, with illegal downloading being at its peak people can find a way to stream the film online rather than paying for it now.
The film made of 200 million dollars and came second on the US charts during the time it was realised which implies that the audience who watched the film was larger than the main target audience which was initially being attracted.
Those who don't know much about racism and the time period that the film was set in may see the film as only promoting gang violence and gangster rap. They may see police not being brutal towards the public but keeping it safe and those who are fighting back are only doing so because of the lyrics of the songs in the film. However, an alternative view would be those who enjoy the film and the music in the film which they grew up on and those specific characters they can relate to, they understand what's happening in the film and rather than being on the side of those who are supporting the police realise that their is racism in society and that the songs were only a way for them to express what was going on in their lives.
Those who are watching the film could get pleasure just from the entertainment side where they want to escape from reality and watch a film, there would also be those who not only want to do this but identify one of the characters with themselves or they have an emotional bond with. For example the death of Eazy E happened over 20 years ago but people who had that emotional attachment to him would know that he would pass away in the film yet may have felt upset or distressed.
For me being in my teenage years living in London urban or underground music is a big thing which is known as grime. This has now become as big as American rap and even before rap itself was a big thing especially being in London and having that diversity. Also because of growing up on music such as rap knowing what the film was about made it easier to understand.
Research
ABC
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-03/rapper-ice-cube-on-his-film,-racism,-and-gangsta-rap-lyrics/6748328
This article is about the racism in America especially from the eyes of the rapper Ice Cube which was apart of the notorious group called N.W.A; this is someone who grew up around racism and had to deal with it in South Central La. The rapper Ice Cube himself feels like the death of Rodney King which has happened of 25 years ago hasn't changed racism in society and is very much still around in today's society 25 years on. Whilst being in the group of rappers they had lyrics which were seen as explicit which caused a lot of tension in the community but also sparked a lot of brains to what was happening in society today, they were seen to give a voice to the public which is why they could relate to most of t
he lyrics in the songs which N.W.A released. One of the songs that caused everyone to rebel back was 'f**k the police' which was popular as people felt that in society the police were racist towards the black community.
Daily Telegraph
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/legendary-rapper-ice-cube-shares-message-of-hope-for-future/news-story/9ed07816fd59c77990989e1a8c626dce
Similar to the first article this one is about how racism still exists and that people need to keep their head up. It is to hopefully spark a change in society at a later stage and hopefully in the future to remove racism from the equation.
The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/05/black-lives-matter-protest-sparks-heathrow-traffic-chaos
Although racism is seen in only America in the film it is also present in society today all around the world, with recent deaths of black people from police brutality in America is started a campaign called black lives matter. This is set up so that racism in society can stopped which caused recent protests in the UK, London. This caused people to react on social media and to start taking things into their own hands. The protest caused traffic to arise because roads had been blocked by those who were protesting.
Films, song and texts similar to this
Like me - Joey Badass
Alright - Kendrick lamar
2pac - Changes
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A - F**k the police
Boyz n da Hood
Fruitvale Station
Malcom X
Roots
Of Mice and Men
To Kill and Mockingbird
Public Enemy - Fight the power
2pac - trapped
American History X
Django Unchained
Media Representations
The representation of black males in the films are negative and are seen to be violent. The way they dress are seen to be as thugs which is seen to be a reason why they should be stopped randomly and searched in the street. This also gives a negative representation to the police officers in America who are seen as being racist which is today's issue in society 20 years later which has struck the latest campaign on black lives. Also, the representation of the manager of the group of rappers is also very stereotypical as he is only concerned about himself and the money rather than the clients he is working with. Everyone who was in 'the hood' who is a young black teenage African American dresses in a gangster way which also supports the stereotype of rap influencing the way they dress.
They're being represented in this way so that the audience can understand what society is like and how people were treated and misrepresented due to the representation the media had gave them and the music that they produced. This makes the biography more realistic as the audience are able to understand how gangs were stereotypical accurate and how rap was during the time they were producing it and how everything in Compton was. The area is also represented in a dangerous way where black males lose their lives to the use of guns.
The representation is fair and accurate because today police are also racist and there's been a lot of hate crimes due to police brutality, the fact that this still continues today and still is happening would be more of a reason to believe that back in the early 90s it was a lot more difficult for teenage black African Americans because they were also seen in a negative way if dressed as being a thug which made it hard for them to fit into society. This is probably the reason why there is a lot of hate crimes as the idea of them being this way has made them conform to the nature of it. The representation of rappers was accurate but now over time it has changed and rap isn't as violent or as meaningful yet it does promote hate for police which is why there might still be a reason for police to be cautious and because of this people are fighting back.
A lot of people who have experienced hate crime of have been through racism or police brutality will find it easy to relate to this, mainly those who are African American, they wouldve previously seen films such as Boyz n da Hood, American history X which shows how racism is still alive in society but the lifestyle of black males which is relatable to most of the people in society today. Even in Britain today black people only make 3% of the population out of the 63 million people we have.
Media Languages & Forms
The film was designed to have the specific songs to show the police brutality and the reason behind what was happening in the lives of the rappers. The scene where the rappers come out of the building and get searched straight away is probably signalling that the only place that people are safe from the brutality from police is in the inside of their own homes or locked away from society by being isolated. This is also seen at the start of the film where ice cube is getting arrested for no reason when he was only walking back to his house after the police were arresting other black males on the street.
The significance is that the police are meant to look after those in their community but as soon as they are in a scene they are the ones who are portrayed as the villains which are pestering lives of those who are not doing anything wrong but are judged by the colour of their skin to be criminals and therefore taken by the police. The fact that the police are also the ones who have access to weapons such as guns could also reinforce the use of misusing their power which is the reason for police brutality even in today's society.
The facials expressions and gestures of those performing the song and in the audience of the performance of f**k the police are seen to be angry and with their middle finger being placed up highlights the fact that they aren't happy with the system and that it is corrupt by those who are not of coloured skin by targeting innocent members of society because they're black. The guns reinforce stereotypes of gang members who have possessions of them such as the start of the scene where gang member OG 2 Tone enters the bus and also the scene where Eazy E enters the house where he's getting his money from.
The costumes make it easier for us to identify there who are apart of the rap group as they are coordinating and also those who are living in the ghetto as they dress in a similar way which causes a binary opposition with the police which are identifiable from their uniform. The lighting was always placed on N.W.A when at the concert so it was easier for the audience to identify them, during the scenes where someone was I'm danger such as Eazy E and Suge Knight the lighting in the room was low making it more intimidating for the audience but also the person who is in danger and that specific point in time. The actors were black African Americans who played the roles of the main characters where as most of the police officers were white although there was one black police officer at the start of the film who was seen as an outcast to the black community for selling out to the police. The props that were used which were most effective would've been the scenes where the guns are present this is to show both sides of how those in society are using it compared to the police but also how the group of rappers themselves used them, this was scene where they were in a hotel room and someone had been knocking on the door to find their girlfriend the character had a gun but then was chased away by the group which had also bought out guns to scare them. This is a way that they're misused in society and the reason they were criticised for the lyrics produced as they weren't talking about their reality but promoting violence through what they did themselves. The setting at the start of the film is everyone being in a run down urban area and as they start to become more famous and get money the environment changes to rich expensive houses where only millionaire would be able to afford, it shows the progression of their life and also how the film has progressed.
The soundtrack of the film was a rap album which consisted of Ice Cube, Dr Dre and even Kendrick Lamar who has also done similar things to show how racism is alive in society through his songs one of them being 'alright'. As a result, this makes it easier for the hip hop genre to be identified and the lyrics of the film are also parallel to the scenes.
The main themes are racism and police brutality which is seen through the film even from the lyrics of songs. Also, the life of those who have to live in a place where they're having to be careful of gangs and even the police who are meant to serve and protect in society.
Narrative
The film is biography so the narrative starts off at the same point in all the lives off the characters and progresses as the years go on. There are no flashbacks or gazes into the future just a chronological order of events in the lives of the characters. The audience is positioned in a way where they are able to understand what is happening in society around the characters but each of their lives individually as well, it explores the lives of mainly Ice Cube, Dr Dre and Eazy E. With these three being the main characters in the film we can see what exactly is going on at each point in time in their life.
The hero's are easy to notice in the film as they are the ones who are helping eachother out and trying to get a career from music and the villains are trying to only get what they want which is greed for money. Although some characters seem as they are hero's as the film progresses they are seen for who they are which are villains in the film making it definitive to tell who's who.
The explicit scenes of racism in the film are also noticeable and are iconic as the film is also about what happens in the lives of not only the characters in the film but a statement to those who have been through racism and are fighting it or have fought it during late the late 80s in America and still today as police brutality is still very much alive.
The music in the film that is used is songs which have already been produced by N.W.A before which is noticeable to those who are fans of rap. There are also the clothes of the characters which make them look like thugs and during the scene where the police and arrested them for no apparent reason makes it easier to see through the clothing both groups of people were wearing. The lifestyle of the rappers and violence is easier to see with the use of guns so we can identify where violence was in place.
The main themes are racism and violence, this can be linked to today as we live in a society where racism exists and so does police brutality, the black lives matter campaign is also still trending on social media which shows that even these many years later since racism was happening it still continues.
Genre
The genre that this film belongs to would be music and history, we can easily identify this from the props that are there such as the cars, vinyl records being produced as they aren't produced as often now, the dates that are shown to show it's the past. We can tell that the film is to do with music because from start to finish there's always something to do with music such as raps which are written in books which Ice Cube had at the start of the film, vinyl being produced, Dr Dre and DJ Yella at the club, making the songs ect.
The major iconographic scene in the film is where N.W.A are preforming at their concert where they aren't allowed to preform the song f**k the police but end up doing it and get arrested because of this.
The characters in the film fight back against the police as they refuse to be silent due to the brutality that police show against black African Americans in America.
The text does conform to the genre of the film as it shows all the props which show that it is a music film, there are historic events which also happened that take place in the film which makes it easier for the audience to identify what genre the film is. The text fulfilled what it was suppose to do as it got across all of the main events and showed the music aspect of what happened in the lives of the rappers.
The main stars in the film are the characters in the film who play the roles of the members in N.W.A, they might have been associated with making this type of film before but the actor who played Ice Cube is his own son which would have had some influence from his rather into understanding the rap culture but also rapping himself.
Media Institutions
The institution that is promoted through the film is Ruthless Records with Eazy E and N.W.A were signed to, it also promotes record label Death Row records which is founded by Dr Dre and Suge Knight. Both of these record companies were associated with rap and hip-hop. The institution that produced the film is Universal pictures. The text of the film was distributed through the use of billboards, trailers, interviews before the film was released on cinema and even DVD at a later stage. The institutions gave this recognition to the film itself so more people would know about it and therefore watch it. Also, the institutions in the film would also promotes those who are watching it to go and listen to the music that they've helped publish such as rappers like 2pac, snoop dogg, Eazy E, ice cube and more. With the artists belonging to a record company it not only gives the artist more recognition but also the record company itself.
Media Values and Ideologies
The group itself within the film N.W.A stands for n*****s with attitude, due to this promotes fighting back and not conforming to the norm of society which silences their opinions. It also promotes rap record label Ruthless Records which N.W.A was signed to also rapper Eazy E himself. These signings promote the hip-hop gangsta rap genre of music which Death row records also does through the film. This was founded by Dr Dre and Suge Knight, the company promotes hip-hop which has been known to promote violence before which Suge Knight himself has been apart of as he is part of a gang called the bloods.
Media Audiences
The film Straight Outta Compton would promote a younger audience who are into hip-hop and rap but also those who were growing up listening to N.W.A. The age group would be predominately between 16-45 and a slyly more male audience (60:40 split male to female). This would appeal to those who are reformers as they are the ones who don't want to conform to what society thinks you have to do to be considered normal, they want to challenge the view and do something about it which is why this film will appeal to them because theirs conflict between the police and N.W.A which also links back to the oppositional theory good vs bad, gang vs police, right vs wrong.
The characteristics of the audience would those who are interested in the art of rap music itself and with N.W.A being one of the first groups in rap to do this it will promote them to watch it. Also, there'll be day one fans of N.W.A who will be watching the film as they know the history of what's happened.
The audience is most likely to receive the text through the cinema and DVD when it's been released, there are also ways to access it on sky movies when the films been out for a certain period of time. However, with illegal downloading being at its peak people can find a way to stream the film online rather than paying for it now.
The film made of 200 million dollars and came second on the US charts during the time it was realised which implies that the audience who watched the film was larger than the main target audience which was initially being attracted.
Those who don't know much about racism and the time period that the film was set in may see the film as only promoting gang violence and gangster rap. They may see police not being brutal towards the public but keeping it safe and those who are fighting back are only doing so because of the lyrics of the songs in the film. However, an alternative view would be those who enjoy the film and the music in the film which they grew up on and those specific characters they can relate to, they understand what's happening in the film and rather than being on the side of those who are supporting the police realise that their is racism in society and that the songs were only a way for them to express what was going on in their lives.
Those who are watching the film could get pleasure just from the entertainment side where they want to escape from reality and watch a film, there would also be those who not only want to do this but identify one of the characters with themselves or they have an emotional bond with. For example the death of Eazy E happened over 20 years ago but people who had that emotional attachment to him would know that he would pass away in the film yet may have felt upset or distressed.
For me being in my teenage years living in London urban or underground music is a big thing which is known as grime. This has now become as big as American rap and even before rap itself was a big thing especially being in London and having that diversity. Also because of growing up on music such as rap knowing what the film was about made it easier to understand.
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