N.W.A. fans are waiting anxiously for the release the hip-hop trio's biopic, Straight Outta Compton, which is due out in August. Dr. Dre spoke to DJ Big Boy recently, talking mostly about making the movie and about former N.W.A. members Ice Cube and Eazy-E. The mogul also dished on recording some of Snoop Dogg's parts for The Chronic while the rapper was in prison.
Dre revealed that he was a little apprehensive to put out a movie about N.W.A.
"I was just nervous about putting a blemish on our legacy," he said, Rolling Stone notes. "The story had to be told right. And it's incredible, man. I'm really excited about it. We had our ups and downs with the filming process, but now the edit is almost done. We're working on music and what have you, and I think everybody's going to appreciate it, especially everybody from Los Angeles."
Thankfully, Ice Cube persuaded Dre on the movie, and after F. Gary Gray signed on to direct, he was sold. However, it wasn't easy to relive the early days of his career. Actor Jason Mitchell portrayed Eazy-E so well, that Dre got emotional while on set.
"When E's in the hospital and he finds out he has the disease and what have you, his acting was that great. Goosebumps," Dre added (Eazy-E was diagnosed with AIDS in 1995).
As for Corey Hawkins, who was given the task of playing a young Dr. Dre in the film, the rapper gave the actor some valuable advice.
"I told him, 'Listen man, I don't want you to try to copy my mannerisms or the way I speak, I just want you to embody the character and turn it into what you feel it is, and I'll let you know if you're doing something wrong.' That made him feel a little more comfortable about approaching it," he said.
Dre also shared a story about recording Snoop Dogg from prison. The "Gin and Juice" rapper would call Dre at his mother's house where he would tape the phone's receiver to a microphone. The background sounds in "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" were straight from jail.
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