Streets of Compton

Compton is a small city in the Los Angeles area that is notable for a higher than normal crime rate and a greater than average number of entertainment and sports personalities who call it home. Originally aired on the A&E cable network, this documentary details the strange dichotomy between Compton's rich cultural heritage and its tragic history of violence. Compton was initially a predominantly middle-class white community until the enactment of fair housing laws in the late 1960s witnessed the near-simultaneous arrival of African-Americans and mass exodus of the white population. The demographic change also heralded a rise in gang warfare, most dramatically with the infamous Crips and Bloods. Compton hosted an artistic renaissance in the mid-1980s when the Skateland USA rink became the epicenter of West Coast rap, with talent such as Dr. Dre and Ice Cube gaining fame from the live music presentations at the venue. But the music was not enough to keep out the criminal element, and Compton's twin reputations for talent and trouble created an uneasy environment. Narrated by rapper The Game, Streets of Compton features provocative input from music figures including Lil Eazy-E, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince, plus actors Anthony Anderson and Niecy Nash, on the city's pluses and minuses. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)