California crew N.W.A. (N*ggaz Wit Attitudes) are legendary within hip hop, and the members are all, individually, considered pioneers in their own right. With that being said, when rare footage of members Ice Cube and Eazy-E surfaced, fans were quick to lap it up in curiosity.
In 2016, an unseen role-playing videotape emerged on YouTube showing both Ice Cube and Eazy-E performing a robbery scene. The video is a self-made montage that cuts back and forth between behind-the-scenes footage of the rappers’ role-playing and footage of their early live performances.
In the video, a young Ice Cube jokingly discloses, “We actin’, we actin’!” The rappers seem joyful and positive. A far cry from the negative light they’re often portrayed in. In the first scene of the robbery, Ice Cube, with a gun in his hand, enters a hotel bedroom screaming, “Where the money at motherf*cker?! Where the money at n*gga?!” The rappers appear to be making a movie of sorts, and it is very entertaining and endearing, to say the least.
The rare behind-the-scenes footage even features hit-maker Dr. Dre who was the crew’s producer at the time, and shows the young crew boarding a private jet as they tour. During the robbery role-playing scene, we see the late Eazy-E walk in on the crew and quizzically ask, “What the f*ck y’all doing here…destroying the room and shit?!” In response, the young Ice Cube giggles with sheer amusement.
Halfway through the footage, text appears that tells the viewer all of this was “Before the breakup…before the drama….five kids with a dream went for the ride of their lives”. This, of course, refers to before the crew disbanded, leading to Ice Cube recording ‘No Vaseline’, one of the most brutal diss records of all time.
This rare footage is straight from the hip hop vault and is a true throwback to NWA in their heyday. You can watch the full video of the crew below.
