Five members. Five years. Two albums.
These numbers make up a general description of what N.W.A. consisted of, how long they were together, and how much music they made. And now with the release of "Straight Outta Compton" on August 14, they can add "one movie" to that list.
The movie is essentially a re-telling of the rap group's history, from its start to its disbandment, and everything in between. It's already receiving high praise, with an audience score of 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and critics giving it mostly positive reviews. And thanks to all the hype that's surrounding it, the film is expected to top this weekend's box office.
But the hype isn't in vain. Many people, including myself, either grew up in the era when N.W.A. was big or when the group had an immediate impact to the music that was around while we were rowing up. Later generations either had parents who passed on their music to them, or just happened to listen to "Express Yourself" on the radio and started there.
Regardless of how someone was exposed to N.W.A., it's crazy to think about how five guys from Compton, California, can still have a lasting effect 25 years later. It's a feat that they probably didn't expect when they formed in 1986.
The Beginning
Perhaps the idea behind the group can be credited to the late Eazy- E, who first recruited Dr. Dre. These two men brought in DJ Yella, who formerly worked with Dr. Dre on another rap group. With the help of their producer Arabian Prince, the group recruited Ice Cube and N.W.A. was complete.
During their development stages, N.W.A. appeared on three of the tracks on the 1987 album "N.W.A. And The Posse." These three songs marked the first collaboration between Arabian Prince, DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. A year later, however, Arabian Prince left the group, being replaced by MC Ren after he collaborated on Eazy- E's debut album "Eazy- Duz- It."
Reaching Success (With Some Opposition)
N.W.A. released their first album "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988. Many argued that the release of the album marked the beginning of the so- called genre of "gangsta- rap," but the group instead referred to their music as "reality rap," as it talks about the kind of life they had to live growing up in Compton.
Perhaps the song that garnered the most controversy was "Eff Tha Police," with the rappers talking about doing harm onto law enforcement. This song prompted Milt Ahlerich, assistant director of the FBI office of public affairs at the time, to write a letter to the group, which said "Advocating violence and assault is wrong, and we in the law enforcement community take exception to such action". The album was also one of the first to receive the "Parental Advisory" sticker, which is placed on albums that are not suitable for young people.
Despite this, the album went on to go double platinum, and the group's popularity was at its peak. In a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, Ice Cube explained that the stickers only made young people buy the album more, saying "Kid's wouldn't buy the album unless the sticker was on there".
The End
In 1989 Ice Cube left the group because he felt as though he did not get his fair share of profits from "Straight Outta Compton." The group continued on without Ice Cube to release "Efil4zaggin" in 1991, and the feud quickly escalated as a lot of the songs on the album had many offensive comments directed towards Ice Cube. Ice Cube also used his solo work to retaliate, backfiring with equally offensive remarks.
But after Dr. Dre left for another music label, the group officially ended and another rivalry ensued between Dre and Eazy- E. This went on until Eazy- E's death in 1995 which was caused by AIDS. It was then that all the tension and feuds came to an end, and Dr. Dre and Ice Cube set aside their differences between each other and their late friend.
The Legacy
Since then, the group had an influence on many of today's rappers. Dr. Dre's numerous record labels signed on rappers from Tupac to Eminem to Fifty Cent, with Dre having a hand in some of their hits as well. Many west coast rappers credit N.W.A. for paving a way for them. Most recently Kendrick Lamar commended his hometown group, saying that "They did a lot more than entertain. They told the truth."
And it is Kendrick's statement that I and many other N.W.A. fans resonate with the most. N.W.A. truly changed the hip hop game when it came to what was being rapped about, as it was unafraid and "in your face." Their songs speak truth that can still be relevant for a lot of people today, and it gave hope to people like Lamar who grew up in areas that weren't the best to live in.
And while their influence will still be apparent in the rap game and their songs remain relevant, so too will N.W.A. continue to leave a legacy for generations to come.
