Ice Cube, Dr. Dre Find Their MC Ren, DJ Yella for N.W.A. Biopic

Aldis Hodge and Neil Brown Jr. join Universal and director F. Gary Gray’s “Straight Outta Compton”

Aldis HodgeUniversal and director F. Gary Gray have found the remaining members of gangster rap group N.W.A, as Aldis Hodge and Neil Brown Jr. have been cast as MC Ren and DJ Yella, respectively, in “Straight Outta Compton,” TheWrap has learned.

Brown Jr. (above) and Hodge (left) join O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube), Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre) and Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E).

Original N.W.A. members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre are producing the drama with Matt Alvarez and Tomica Woods-Wright, while Gray is executive producing with Will Packer and former Universal exec Scott Bernstein.

Also read: Ice Cube’s Son, O’Shea Jackson Jr., to Play Rapper in N.W.A. Biopic ‘Straight Outta Compton’ (Exclusive)

In the mid-1980s, the streets of Compton, California, were some of the most dangerous in the country. When five young men translated their experiences growing up into brutally honest music that rebelled against abusive authority, they gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation. Following the meteoric rise and fall of N.W.A., “Straight Outta Compton” tells the astonishing story of how these young men revolutionized music and pop culture forever the moment they told the world the truth about life in the hood and ignited a cultural war.

Studio executives Jon Mone and Sara Scott will oversee the project for Universal, which will release “Straight Outta Compton” on Aug. 14, 2015.

Also read: Corey Hawkins to Play Dr. Dre in N.W.A. Biopic ‘Straight Outta Compton’

Hodge is currently enjoying a recurring role on AMC’s “Turn,” and he’s a series regular on the upcoming Amazon series “The After.” His recent feature credits include “The East,” “A Good Day to Die Hard” and the Coen brothers’ comedy “The Ladykillers.” He’s represented by Paradigm and the Priluck Company.

Brown Jr. played Guillermo on AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and has a recurring role on USA’s “Suits.” His film credits include Universal’s “Fast and Furious” and Sony’s “Battle: Los Angeles.” He’s repped by Pantheon and David Dean Management.

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