Straight Outta Compton Page #4

AS WE MOVE through the place, we see CUBE, JINX and TYREE

standing near the wall: JINX and TYREE are busy clocking the

GIRLS, but CUBE is studying a ripped-out page of LYRICS.

ON STAGE, wearing purple satin jackets with WORLD CLASS

WRECKIN CRU on the back, DRE spins some ‘80s R&B while his

boy, YELLA, leans down, hollers at a GIRL in the crowd.

Dre spots someone moving through the mass of people -

DRE:

Yo, Yella, man -- Lonzo comin’!

Yella quickly moves to the record crate, starts sifting

through them to look like he’s busy as -

LONZO WILLIAMS, club PROMOTER and Dre’s BOSS approaches. He

leans over to Dre:

LONZO:

Gonna make sure nothin’s poppin’

off outside. Keep them fat asses

shakin’. None of that rap bullshit,

you hear? I want people thinkin’

‘bout p*ssy not pistols. (then) And

Yella, I saw you talkin to my lady.

Keep your f***in hands to yourself.

Lonzo shoots Yella a look, then disappears from the stage.

DRE:

Why you f***in with that nigga’s

girl, man?

YELLA:

Why not?

Dre chuckles, immediately searches the crowd, locking eyes

with CUBE. Dre gives him a NOD, and Cube takes a breath,

heads toward the Stage --Moment of truth.

17.

IN THE BACK, EAZY and REN are surrounded by ladies. But

Eazy’s attention is clearly --

ON STAGE. Cube appears next to Dre, who’s cuing up a new

record. He stops the music, grabs the mic:

DRE:

Compton! I got my homie -- he's

about to get his rhyme on for

y’all! Give it up for Ice

muthafuckin' Cube!

Dre hands the mic to Cube as the crowd eyeballs him with

suspicion and restraint. They’re clearly not gonna give him

respect til he earns it. Cube steels himself, clenches his

jaw, puffs out his chest. And time turns eternal before --

DRE drops the needle on Steve Arrington’s funked-out WEAK AT

THE KNEES (hardcore NWA fans will recognize this track as the

original sample for GANGSTA GANGSTA).

Cube starts rapping, his voice powerful, thick with attitude:

ICE CUBE:

Here's a little somethin’ about a

nigga like me. Never shoulda been

let out the penitentiary. Ice Cube

would like to say, That I'm a crazy

muthafucka from around the way.

Since I was a youth, I smoked weed

out, Now I'm the muthafucka that ya

read about. Takin a life or two,

that's what the hell I do. Don't

like how I'm livin’, well f*** you!

After only a few lines, the crowd’s CHEERING. HOLLERING.

Dancing. An infectious vibe.

And we DRIFT back to Eazy, standing with Ren, feeling the

f*** out of this music, pensive look on his face. Something

crystallizing as we -

16 INT. DOO-TO’S CLUB - LATER 16

Yella spins a number for the crowd, who seem less energized

now that Cube’s off stage. To the side, LONZO chews out Dre --

LONZO:

I'm this close to firin’ your

monkey ass! You tryin’ to start a

riot up in here?! You know I don’t

want that hardcore sh*t played in

my club, but I turn my back and you

do that sh*t anyway..?

18.

DRE:

I’m just tryin’ to keep you in

business. Open your eyes. They went

crazy to that sh*t --

LONZO:

You’re up on that stage ‘cause I

put you there. You're a bad ass DJ,

I’ll give you that, but you don't

listen and I'm gettin’ real tired

of arguing all the time. You know

it’s plenty DJs out there who'll

play what I want ‘em to play. Guys

that don’t bite the hand that feeds

'em. Now you take a backseat to

that sh*t.

He glares at Dre before taking leave. Dre watches him go,

body coiled tight. Jaw clenched.

YELLA:

Don’t trip off him, homie.

DRE:

Man, Lonzo ain’t got no vision.

Dre nods, yeah-yeah, but his eyes have landed on EAZY across

the room -

DRE (CONT’D)

Oh sh*t -- Check out this nigga.

Yo, take over for a minute.

Yella nods, commands the decks. Watches as Dre heads to -

A17 THE BACK OF THE CLUB A17

EAZY’s kicking it with REN, talking up several GIRLS. But

when Eazy sees Dre approaching, he smoothly shoos them away.

EAZY:

Dr. Dre, how you been doin’?

DRE:

What up, E? Been a minute.

EAZY:

You know. Out here on the grind --

Nice jacket.

Dre looks down at the purple satin.

DRE:

It's the uniform. I make it work.

19.

EAZY:

You remember Ren from Kelly Park,

right?

Ren and Dre give each other a respectful nod.

REN:

Wuddup, Dre.

EAZY:

Heard you been spendin’ a lot of

time at your auntie’s house. How’s

the couch life?

DRE:

It’s f***ed up. I’m too tall for

that sh*t. Plus I got my woman and

baby livin’ there. It's hard. But

everybody can't do what you do.

EAZY:

Yeah, but what I do is playin’ out,

fast. Muthafuckas are gettin’

locked up and laid down out here

left and right. Time to make a few

changes.

DRE:

Yeah. Change ain't bad. Sh*t, I’m

tryin’ to make a few changes my

self.

EAZY:

What you mean?

Dre pauses, considering how to proceed...

DRE:

Man, you should think about dumpin’

some money into this music sh*t. I

got some ideas -

YELLA (ON THE MIC)

Yo!

Dre turns to find Yella up on stage in the DJ booth, mouthing

“LONZO,” as he points into the crowd. Dre follows Yella’s

finger, spots Lonzo slowly moving through, greeting people as

he goes.

DRE:

Sh*t I gotta get back up there.

Let’s talk about this later. Think

about it...

20.

Eazy just smiles, nods, as Dre heads off...

17 EXT. DOO-TO'S CLUB - LATE AT NIGHT 17

Dre exits the club, usual crate of records in hand -

TYREE (O.S.)

Do I know you!?

DUDE (O.S.)

What!?

Dre turns to find -

TYREE, all up in the face of some DUDE.

TYREE:

Nigga, you heard me!

Tyree shoves the dude -- Dre’s eyes light up! That’s my

brother! He drops his crate of records, bumrushes the Dude

and COLD-C*CKS HIM. The Dude just drops, dazed.

Dre turns to Tyree, adrenaline pumping.

DRE:

What he do!?

TYREE:

Muthafucka over here lookin’ at me

like he know me!

Dre can’t believe it --That’s it?

DRE:

Tyree, you gotta stop doin’ this

sh*t, man!

The down Dude slowly gets onto his knees, stumbles to his

feet just as -

WHOOP! WHOOP! An L.A. Sheriff’s Dept. SQUAD CAR rolls into

the lot, lights on Dre, Tyree and the Dude. In a hurry, the

two OFFICERS are out of the car, approaching the guys -

OFFICER 1

We told everybody to clear this

parking lot! What’s going on!?

DRE:

We got this, Officer -

21.

OFFICER 1

I didn't ask you what you got! Get

the f*** home!

DRE:

I am home.

Officer 1 gets right in Dre’s face, nose to nose.

OFFICER 1

If you don't start walking -

But Dre just stands his ground, head cocked to the side,

defying the Officer. In a flash -

BAM! Dre finds his face planted into the hood of the squad

car! Cuffs slapped on! Same for Tyree and the Dude as we -

18 EXT. COMPTON POLICE STATION - EARLY MORNING 18

DRE emerges from the Police Station, police property bag in

hand, to find EAZY waiting for him beside a fresh ‘63 IMPALA

LOWRIDER.

EAZY:

They got you for carrying records?

That’s some gangsta sh*t, Dre.

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