By K.B. Tindal
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
New York City is the birthplace of hip hop and the rappers in the hometown were the only ones making moves until the late 1980s. Seeing rap music as an outlet, rap scenes in other cities developed, particularly in Los Angeles. Several rappers emerged, representing “gangsta rap,” but N.W.A. had the biggest impact.
Led by Eazy-E, N.W.A. soon became the biggest threat to society in the eyes of the government. After following up their N.W.A. and the Posse EP, NWA formally and rudely introduced themselves with Straight Outta Compton. Hip hop was forever changed when the world met Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella.
N.W.A. broke the door down with the title track and single, “Straight Outta Compton,” and the rap game hasn’t been the same. Once N.W.A. began proudly representing Compton and the lifestyle of Los Angeles County, they inspired other rappers and groups to tell their story. Some could even credit them for other regions starting up.
Outside of the explosive “Straight Outta Compton,” N.W.A. also delivered other singles. “Gangsta Gangsta” was the second single off the album and “Express Yourself” followed in 1989. A lot of younger fans might recognize “Express Yourself” for being a part of the popular video game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which came out in 2004. N.W.A. inspiring a video game from two decades later shows the impact they had on the rap game.
Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Straight Outta Compton‘s release. Twenty-five years after hearing it for the first time, it is still shocking to hear someone say “Fuck Tha Police,” but that was N.W.A. and there will never be another one. In honor of N.W.A. and what they did for hip hop, Hip Hop Vibe decided to reflect back on their debut album, Straight Outta Compton.
Watch “Straight Outta Compton” by N.W.A. below:
Watch “Express Yourself” by N.W.A. below:
Watch “Fuck Tha Police” by N.W.A. below:
Follow K.B. Tindal on Twitter @KBTindal.
