The famous 1989 Detroit concert by N.W.A, then and now
Detroit plays a supporting role in “Straight Outta Compton” in the re-creation of a famous 1989 concert appearance by N.W.A.
In it, the rappers are warned before taking the stage at Joe Louis Arena not to perform the controversial anthem “F--- tha Police.” One very stern officer says, “Just watch yourself.”
The group makes a stand for free speech and starts performing the song anyway. Then Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and the other members are chased out of the arena by the cops and thrown into a police van.
But movies tend to condense and reshape events. What was written at the time about the N.W.A incident in Detroit?
The 1989 Detroit Free Press story on the event said nine adults and nine juveniles were arrested on misdemeanor charges outside the concert. It described a heavy police presence around Joe Louis and quoted Executive Deputy Police Chief James Bannon as saying N.W.A began to perform “F--- tha Police” that night even though the promoters agreed it wouldn’t be included.
“The song was not finished and band representatives couldn’t be reached to explain why,” said the story. An Olympia Arenas executive was quoted as saying the concert “seemed like a lot of the rap shows we’ve done ... nothing extraordinary.”
A few months later, a 1989 story about N.W.A by London’s Guardian newspaper reported that the police stormed the stage to prevent N.W.A from doing the profanely titled song. “The band was escorted to their hotel by more officers, one of whom reportedly said, ‘We just wanted to show the kids that you can’t say ‘F--- the police’ in Detroit.’ ”
Early this month, the Daily Beast did a fact check of “Straight Outta Compton” and presented another wrinkle to the story, drawing from a memoir by former manager Jerry Heller (portrayed in the film by Paul Giamatti).
“The members of N.W.A. were hustled away from the arena by their security and whisked off to the safety of their hotel rooms — only to be arrested later when they sneaked down to the lobby to meet girls, according to Heller.”
The concert scenes for “Straight Outta Compton” were shot at the Los Angeles Sports Arena and the Santa Monica (Calif.) Civic Auditorium.
Some filming took place in Detroit for the Joe Louis Arena scene, according to a Universal representative.
Contact Detroit Free Press writer Julie Hinds: 313-222-6427 or jhinds@freepress.com.