Three of Compton are Straight Outta The Walking Dead
By Susie Graham
Fans of The Walking Dead still may not have made the connection that 3 of the NWA crew from the critically acclaimed movie Straight Outta Compton are The Walking Dead family.
The actors know each other now, of course, but they all come from different seasons on The Walking Dead. One of the actors wasn’t even on The Walking Dead yet, but we know him now.
I wonder if they talked about it at all on their lunch breaks or if they’ve mentioned it to each other since the filming has ended because perhaps they were immersed in that time period for the sake of the film making.
Read more: José Pablo Cantillo’s new card game
MC Ren
Aldis Hodge portrayed MC Ren in Straight Outta Compton and he was our Michonne’s boyfriend Mike in her flashback. Remember when we met Michonne’s peanut, Andre. Her boyfriend and his friend were sitting at a table talking about a lame event they attended. Those 2 eventually became Michonne’s pets played by Moses J Moseley and Theshay West.
Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre, Corey Hawkins, is our new supply runner from Alexandria, Heath, in season 6. Eugene fully respects his hair game. His hair game and glasses make it difficult to recognize Heath is the same person as Dr. Dre. I’m just starting to see it now after getting to know Heath a little better.
DJ Yella
The hilarious Yella is the non-smiling Guillermo from the Vatos. Neil Brown Jr. played the janitor of the nursing home who took on the leadership role to help the nurses and staff protect the old people who were abandoned there when the dead took over. The Vatos story is one of the most interesting, unexplored, unfinished stories on The Walking Dead.
Were you aware of all three of these Compton/Walking Dead connections? I loved the movie Straight Outta Compton. I wasn’t fully aware of the NWA culture, but I was very into some of the music on the fringe of it. I loved Keith Sweat and Bobby Brown and Michael Jackson. I was in my 20s in the 80s and a teacher. My students knew NWA for sure. It was interesting to see some news events as well from that time period in the setting of the movie.
Congratulations to our The Walking Dead family, Neil Brown Jr., Corey Hawkins and Aldis Hodge for all the success of Straight Outta Compton and all the award nominations. Enjoy the awards season!