The hip-hop biopic "Straight Outta Compton" revolves around the journey of rap group NWA from their rise to prominence in the late 1980s. The original members were Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and Arabian Prince, before MC Ren (aka Lorenzo Patterson) joined in 1988. The Compton-based rapper is therefore considered one of the core members of the group, and Straight Outta Compton celebrates his legacy as well as that of the other NWA members. But the band broke up in the early 1990s, so where is MC Ren now?
We actually didn't meet him until August 11, when the rapper attended the Los Angeles premiere of Straight Outta Compton at the Microsoft Theater alongside Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Ice Cube . Even though he complained on Twitter a few months ago about not being featured in the movie's trailers, MC Ren seemed extremely happy at the premiere. He had good reason to do so - the rapper's life since leaving NWA has been filled with many collaborations, solo work and a busy personal life. A quick look at the artist's discography shows that he's definitely not been bored over the past 20+ years, so here are some stats to detail what's been going on with MC Ren in the years since he joined NWA
4 studio albums
Since the disbandment of NWA, MC Ren has released four studio albums: 1993's Shock of the Hour , 1996's The Villain in Black , 1998's Ruthless for Life and 2009's Pure Digital Album "Reincarnated ". Additionally, he released the EP Kiss My Black Azz in 1992, which was certified platinum.
13 singles
Between 1992 and 2014, the artist released 13 singles, four of which reached the US Top 100.
1 movie (and corresponding soundtrack)
MC wrote, produced and directed a film titled Lost in the Game, which he distributed along with its soundtrack under his company Villain Entertainment.
Dozens of guests appeared
The rapper has appeared on tracks with everyone from Snoog Dogg to Cypress Hill to former NWA bandmates Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.
1 upcoming EP
MC Ren has a new album coming out soon and he’s very excited about it. Days before the premiere of Straight Outta Compton , the rapper tweeted: "I can't wait to finish my Rebel Music album, it's going to be the hardest record in a while."
So even though MC Ren is no longer a high school student rising up with a new hip-hop group, he's never out of the game. Now, the early days of the rapper's career have been commemorated on Straight Outta Compton , much to the delight of many fans. But they're also happy to know that the rest of MC Ren's career is still a work in progress.
Image: Ruthless Records (2), Villain Entertainment, MCRencpt1 /Instagram, MCRencpt /Twitter
