Review Summary: The album that defined gangsta rap and 20+ years later has not been topped as far as impact or influence.
With a name like “Niggaz With Attitude,” N.W.A. was going to be controversial from the get go. Founded by former drug dealer Eazy-E, this crew really came into their own with
“Straight Outta Compton,” it seemed light years ahead of its predecessor
“N.W.A. and the Posse” which was more of a collaborative effort and showed the group in it’s embryonic stage but with this effort (the first proper N.W.A. album) they had equally controversial subject matter.
While groups like Public Enemy were railing against the system, condemning racism and pointing out what was wrong in society, N.W.A.’s approach was to strike back against these things with violence… lots and lots of violence on ‘F*ck the Police,’ the most controversial track on this album for obvious reasons. Calling out racist cops with the line:
“And when I'm finished, it's gonna be a bloodbath of cops, dyin in L.A.” That track in particular caused the FBI to send a letter to their record label and inform them that they were not pleased with the song’s message. Although there is plenty of violence throughout the album, violence against the police was a completely different issue that caused the government to respond but this controversy only helped increase N.W.A.’s profile and enabled
“Straight Outta Compton” to be the first platinum album with no airplay.
The track ‘Parental Discretion Iz Advised’ features the second best lyricist (after Ice Cube) on this album and that would be The D.O.C. who although not an official member, contributed with his pen and helped out the lyrically challenged i.e. Dre and Eazy. This is also the only track that features all four N.W.A. members. Ice Cube wrote nearly half the lyrics for this album and you can be sure that any great line uttered by Eazy-E or Dr. Dre was written by Cube but in their defense, Eazy and Dre have a good enough flow and delivery to pull it off.
Every member of N.W.A. gets a solo track on
“Straight Outta Compton.” Eazy-E has ‘8 ball(remix)’ with a line that Ice Cube would later use to ridicule him:
“Ice Cube writes the rhymes, that I say” with his nasally whine but confident delivery, he is the most recognizable member. Dr. Dre has ‘Express Yourself’’ with the opening line: [i] “I'm expressing with my full capabilities, and now I'm living in correctional facilities,” Dre has a smooth flow and with the right lyrics (Ice Cube’s) sounds like a more than competent MC. With two tracks, MC Ren really shines on the upbeat ‘If It Ain't Ruff’ he blazes through simplistic rhymes like:
“Pumpin the music I keep the music like pumpin” and
“I'm makin a point but it's a point that I'm makin” he continues flipping the same phrases in a different ways with a quick and dexterous delivery that make them sounds better than they actually are. Ice Cube gets his own track on the misogynistic ‘I Ain't tha 1’ that features the hilarious line:
“You want lobster huh? I'm thinking Burger King” and talking about how women are only after guys with money while he
“think(s) with my ding-a-ling.”
Dr. Dre handles the somewhat minimalist but effective production, still years away from the style he would perfect on
“The Chronic” it is still outstanding for the time with it’s numerous James Brown samples and random soundbytes at the right time from the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim and BDP a style that DJ Premier would later become known for. The use of live instrumentation and scratches courtesy of DJ Yella along with samples from Marvin Gaye, Charles Wright, Steve Miller Band and other funk and jazz create the backdrop for some of the most violent lyrics that had ever been put on wax.
The opening trio of songs, the explosive ‘Straight Outta Compton,’ ‘F*ck the Police’ and ‘Gangsta Gangsta’ are powerful political statements and paint a frightening picture of the ghetto life, drugs, gangs and racist police.
“Straight Outta Compton” is an unflinching look at society that strikes a balance between tragedy and comedy, nowhere is that more evident than on ‘Dopeman’
“(Man, I wouldn't touch that bitch) me neither ho go home and wash out your beaver,” a tongue-in-cheek narrative of drug dealers with humor and misogyny to lighten the mood.
“Straight Outta Compton” is not a perfect album and the final two tracks are easily the weakest, mainly the electro-tinged ‘Something 2 Dance 2’ which seems like more of a throwback to Dre’s World Class Wreckin’ Cru days.
The impact of
“Straight Outta Compton” cannot be overstated, although it was not the first gangsta rap album, it redefined the genre and its music hit as hard as the lyrics; it is incendiary, controversial, fun, horrifying, hilarious and insightful all at the same time, it is not only one of the most important hip-hop albums but also one of the best. It would be the only time N.W.A. were able to put it all together for an entire album because after Ice Cube’s departure from the group they lost the edge that made this album so special.
Recommended tracks:
F*ck the Police
Straight Outta Compton
Dopeman (remix)
