In 1987, a small-time drug dealer forms a hip-hop based group in his hometown of Compton, California. The group's provocative brand of "reality rap" draws backlash from the government and law enforcement as they try to push the boundaries of what hip-hop can be. A few years later, a Seattle-based rock band pioneers a new sound that channels the suburban angst and disillusionment of the era. After the band's mainstream breakthrough, the group must resist the external forces the of the music establishment, while battling their own inner demons--before it all comes crashing down.