N.W.A. Biopic Finds Remaining Pieces, Newest Cast Members Revealed

Cyrus Langhorne

Diehard fans hoping to learn who will portray N.W.A. members MC Ren and DJ Yella can breathe a sigh of relief as reports claim the main casting has come to an end.

According to reports, Hollywood actors Aldis Hodge and Neil Brown Jr. have joined the highly-anticipated biopic.

Aldis Hodge (Leverage) will play MC Ren, and Neil Brown Jr. (Suits, The Walking Dead) will play DJ Yella, joining the already-cast leads of O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube), Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre), and Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E). The film is currently slated for release next August, and will examine the incredible rise of the N.W.A., one of the most influential groups in hip hop history. (Complex)

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Earlier this month, late member Eazy-E's son/rapper Lil Eazy-E blamed gossip site TMZ for misquoting him about not being cast in the flick.

Earlier this week, TMZ wrote that Lil E was "outraged" that Ice Cube had cast his own son in the movie but did not cast Lil E to portray his father. The younger rapper claims he was misquoted and that he has no ill will for Ice Cube. "[TMZ] just asked me, 'You're not mad? Everyone in the office is mad,'" he said. "I said, 'OK, well, why don't you put it that "TMZ is mad at Cube?"' 'Oh, we can't do that politically.' If they can understand the political value in that, how can you not understand the political value of what's going on in the situation in why I did not get the role? (Rolling Stone)

Eazy-E also denied having any problems with the film's maker and ex-N.W.A. member Ice Cube.

"I'm not upset about [the casting]," adds the rapper. "What Cube did was a great thing and a loving father, that you're supposed to do for your family and your legacy." As for how he feels about Ice Cube, Lil E said, "Besides my father, that's the person I was inspired by; that's like an idol to me." (Rolling Stone)

A photo of Cube, Dr. Dre and director F. Gary Gray with the new cast surfaced last month.

Dre will be played by classically-trained actor Marcus Callender, Ice Cube's son O'Shea Jackson Jr. will fill in for his famous father, and Jason Mitchell (Broken City, Contraband) will take on the role of the late Eazy-E. Cube and Dre posed alongside the actors and director F. Gary Gray. "Finally found the cast for the NWA movie. Me, Gary Gray, Dre w/ Cube, Eazy & Dre #StraightOuttaCompton coming 8/14/15," tweeted Cube. Straight Outta Compton hits theaters on August 14, 2015. Production is set to begin this summer. (Rap-Up)