Westside Ridah Report 8.4

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WSRR 8.4

The world’s most dangerous group. August 8th, 1988 N.W.A. released “Straight Outta Compton.”

Originally the crew was Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, after Eazy started Ruthless Records with Jerry Heller. A Kelly Park Compton Crip, Eazy made a lot of money as a street pharmacist, who decided to put a crew together. The group then added and expanded in 87 with Ice Cube (From CIA), Dj Yella (World Class Wreckin Cru), Dre (WCWC), Arabian Prince (solo artist), and later MC Ren. Arabian Prince left after the release due to royalties dispute, which would come up later with Cube and Dre.

This album changed Rap music forever. Though 1 of the fathers of Gangster Rap dropped Rhyme Pays in 1987, none other than Ice-T. The release of Straight Outta Compton unleashed the realities of LA gang life and being a Black Man in Amerikkka, on the mainstream. The crew called their type of music “Reality rap” and dropped Gangsta Gangsta, FTP, and Straight Outta Compton to flood the streets with this new sound. The name of the crew NWA, sparked interest, without much radio play besides South Central, the notoriety slowly grew. FTP was so fire of a song, that expressed the brutality that Black Man faced in Amerikkka at the hands of Police (the extension of the slave catchers before them), that the FBI sent a letter condemning the song and the group, and sending a warning. This is the letter that labeled NWA as “The Worlds Most Dangerous Group.” which of course stuck and became their tagline.

The album ended up going platinum by July of 1989, and peaked at #9 on Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Charts. At each turn, police, fbi, radio stations and MTV shunned the group and their music, which in turn made them blow up on the street. in May of 1989 NWA dropped a video for Straight outta Compton, this video was banned on MTV but aired on Black video shows, and local stations across the country. I swear it aired like once or twice but everyone and they mama video taped it, as it was to be cut out of music video rotations everywhere. The confrontation with police in the video added again to their legend.

The production by Dr. Dre was immaculate, and powerful for only put together in 6 weeks!! The samples were legendary, the beats were filling trunks with sound, and the lyrics .. primarily written by Cube, DOC and some by Ren, brought the reality to the forefront. This album is credited in being 1 of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time, after the Death of Eazy E in 1995, we fast forward to 2015 the story was made into a film by F. Gary Gray.

This album stands the test of time.