NIGGAZ WIT ATTITUDES
N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. They were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and are widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music. Active from 1986 to 1991, the rap group endured controversy owing to their music's explicit lyrics, which many viewed as being disrespectful to women, as well as to its glorification of drugs and crime.The group was subsequently banned from many mainstream American radio stations. In spite of this, the group has sold over 10 million units in the United States alone. Drawing on their own experiences of racism and excessive policing, the group made inherently political music. They were known for their deep hatred of the police system, which sparked much controversy over the years.
The original lineup formed in 1986 consisted of Arabian Prince, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube. DJ Yella and MC Ren joined later, with Arabian Prince eventually leaving shortly before the official release of Straight Outta Compton, which came out in 1988, and Ice Cube following suit in December 1989. Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and Dr. Dre would later become platinum-selling solo artists in the 1990s. Their debut album Straight Outta Compton marked the beginning of the new gangsta rap era as the production and social commentary in their lyrics were revolutionary within the genre. NWA's second album Niggaz4Life would be the first hardcore rap album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 sales charts. Rolling Stone ranked N.W.A number 83 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". In 2016, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following three previous nominations.
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| www.worldstarhiphop.com |
The group was assembled by Compton-based Eazy-E, who co-founded Ruthless Records with Jerry Heller. Eazy-E sought an introduction to Steve Yano. Although initially rebuffed, Yano was impressed by Eazy-E's persistence and arranged a meeting with Dr. Dre. Initially, N.W.A consisted of Eazy-E and Dr. Dre. Together with fellow producer Arabian Prince, Ice Cube was added to the roster after he had started out as a rapper for the group C.I.A. Dre would later bring DJ Yella on board as well. Dre and Yella were both formerly members of the World Class Wreckin' Cru as DJs and producers. Ruthless released the single "Panic Zone" in 1987 with Macola Records, which was later included on the compilation album N.W.A. and the Posse. N.W.A was still in its developing stages, and is only credited on three of the eleven tracks, notably the uncharacteristic record "Panic Zone", "8-Ball", and "Dopeman", which marked the first collaboration of Arabian Prince, DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. Mexican rapper Krazy-Dee co-wrote "Panic Zone", which was originally called "Hispanic Zone", but the title was later changed when Dr. Dre advised Krazy-Dee that the word "hispanic" would hinder sales. Also included was Eazy-E's solo track "Boyz-n-the-Hood".
N.W.A released their debut studio album, Straight Outta Compton, in 1988. With its famous opening salvo of three tracks, the group reflected the rising anger of the urban youth. The opening song "Straight Outta Compton" introduced the group, "Fuck tha Police" protested police brutality and racial profiling, and "Gangsta Gangsta" painted the worldview of the inner-city youth. While the group was later credited with pioneering the burgeoning subgenre of gangsta rap, N.W.A referred to their music as "reality rap". Twenty-seven years later, member and co-producer of the Straight Outta Compton film, Ice Cube, commented "they were talking about what really led into the style that we ended up doing, which is now called hardcore gangster rap." Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, as HighPowered Productions, composed the beats for each song, with Dre making occasional rapping appearances. The D.O.C., Ice Cube, and MC Ren wrote most of the group's lyrics, including "Fuck tha Police", perhaps the group's most notorious song, which brought them into conflict with various law enforcement agencies. Under pressure from Focus on the Family, Milt Ahlerich, an assistant director of the FBI, sent a letter to Ruthless and its distributing company Priority Records, advising the rappers that "advocating violence and assault is wrong and we in the law enforcement community take exception to such action." This letter can still be seen at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Policemen refused to provide security for the group's concerts, hurting their plans to tour. Nonetheless, the FBI's letter only served to draw more publicity to the group.
Straight Outta Compton was also one of the first albums to adhere to the new Parental Advisory label scheme, then still in its early stages: the label at the time consisted of "WARNING: Moderate impact coarse language and/or themes" only. However, the taboo nature of N.W.A's music was the most important factor of its mass appeal. Media coverage compensated for N.W.A's lack of airplay and their album eventually went double platinum. One month after Straight Outta Compton, Eazy-E's solo debut Eazy-Duz-It was released. The album was dominated by Eazy's persona (MC Ren was the only guest rapper) but behind the scenes it was a group effort. Music was handled by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella; the lyrics were largely written by MC Ren, with contributions from Ice Cube and The D.O.C. The album was another double platinum success for Ruthless (in addition to girl group J.J. Fad in 1988 and singer Michel'le in 1989). 1989 saw the re-issue of N.W.A and the Posse and Straight Outta Compton on CD, and the release of The D.O.C.'s No One Can Do It Better. His album was essentially a collaboration with Dr. Dre and notably free of "gangsta rap" content, including the N.W.A posse cut "The Grand Finalé". It would become another #1 album for the record label.
N.W.A released their debut studio album, Straight Outta Compton, in 1988. With its famous opening salvo of three tracks, the group reflected the rising anger of the urban youth. The opening song "Straight Outta Compton" introduced the group, "Fuck tha Police" protested police brutality and racial profiling, and "Gangsta Gangsta" painted the worldview of the inner-city youth. While the group was later credited with pioneering the burgeoning subgenre of gangsta rap, N.W.A referred to their music as "reality rap". Twenty-seven years later, member and co-producer of the Straight Outta Compton film, Ice Cube, commented "they were talking about what really led into the style that we ended up doing, which is now called hardcore gangster rap." Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, as HighPowered Productions, composed the beats for each song, with Dre making occasional rapping appearances. The D.O.C., Ice Cube, and MC Ren wrote most of the group's lyrics, including "Fuck tha Police", perhaps the group's most notorious song, which brought them into conflict with various law enforcement agencies. Under pressure from Focus on the Family, Milt Ahlerich, an assistant director of the FBI, sent a letter to Ruthless and its distributing company Priority Records, advising the rappers that "advocating violence and assault is wrong and we in the law enforcement community take exception to such action." This letter can still be seen at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Policemen refused to provide security for the group's concerts, hurting their plans to tour. Nonetheless, the FBI's letter only served to draw more publicity to the group.
Straight Outta Compton was also one of the first albums to adhere to the new Parental Advisory label scheme, then still in its early stages: the label at the time consisted of "WARNING: Moderate impact coarse language and/or themes" only. However, the taboo nature of N.W.A's music was the most important factor of its mass appeal. Media coverage compensated for N.W.A's lack of airplay and their album eventually went double platinum. One month after Straight Outta Compton, Eazy-E's solo debut Eazy-Duz-It was released. The album was dominated by Eazy's persona (MC Ren was the only guest rapper) but behind the scenes it was a group effort. Music was handled by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella; the lyrics were largely written by MC Ren, with contributions from Ice Cube and The D.O.C. The album was another double platinum success for Ruthless (in addition to girl group J.J. Fad in 1988 and singer Michel'le in 1989). 1989 saw the re-issue of N.W.A and the Posse and Straight Outta Compton on CD, and the release of The D.O.C.'s No One Can Do It Better. His album was essentially a collaboration with Dr. Dre and notably free of "gangsta rap" content, including the N.W.A posse cut "The Grand Finalé". It would become another #1 album for the record label.
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| www.ruthlessrecords.com |
1991's Niggaz4Life would be the group's final album. After
Dr. Dre, The D.O.C. and Michel'le departed from Ruthless to join Death Row
Records and allegations over Eazy-E being coerced into signing away their
contracts (while however retaining a portion of their publishing rights), a
bitter rivalry ensued.[3] Dr. Dre began the exchange with Death Row's first
release, 1992's Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin'), and its
accompanying video featured a character named "Sleazy-E" who ran around
desperately trying to get money. The insults continued on The Chronic with
"Bitches Ain't Shit". Eazy-E responded in 1993 with the EP It's On
(Dr. Dre) 187um Killa on the tracks "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" and
"It's On". Eazy-E accused Dr. Dre of being a homosexual, calling him
a "she thang", and criticizing Dre's new image by calling him and
Snoop "studio gangsters". The music video for "Real
Muthaphuckkin G's" showed a still of Dre wearing make-up and a sequined
jumpsuit. The photos dated back to Dr. Dre's World Class Wreckin' Cru days,
when such fashion was common among West Coast electro hop artists, prior to
N.W.A's popularization of gangsta rap. Eazy-E kept dissing Dre and Death Row on
most of his songs until his AIDS-related death on March 26, 1995.
Even Eazy-E's longtime friend MC Ren voiced his dislike for
Eazy-E in 1994, calling Eazy-E a "big-head" and "wannabe
mega-star", and even suggesting that N.W.A should reunite without
Eazy-E.[26] MC Ren later said that the only relationship he had with Eazy-E was
through Ruthless Records, where he released several gold and platinum selling
albums, including Kizz My Black Azz and Shock of the Hour. Eazy-E and MC Ren
would squash their beef shortly before Eazy-E's death in their 1995 duet
'"Tha Muthaphukkin' Real" after two years of not talking to each
other. All bad blood finally ceased within the rest of the group. Dr. Dre, MC
Ren and Ice Cube would later express their re-evaluated feelings to their old
friend on 1998's "Ruthless for Life", 1999's "What's the
Difference" and "Chin Check", 2000's "Hello", 2006's
"Growin' Up", and in the 2011 music video "I Need a
Doctor".
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| www.ymcmb.com |
Although the group disbanded in 1991, they remain one of the
greatest and most influential hip-hop groups, leaving a lasting legacy on hip
hop music in the following decades.[citation needed] Their influence, from
their funky, bass-driven beats to their exaggerated lyrics, was evident
throughout the 1990s and even into the present, and is often credited as
bridging the white/black American musical lines with their appeal to white
Americans in the late 1980s. In Dr. Dre's 1999 single "Forgot About
Dre", Eminem pays homage to the group, rapping "So what do you say to
somebody you hate or anyone tryna bring trouble your way, Wanna resolve things
in a bloodier way, Then just study a tape of N.W.A" referring to the
negative reception of N.W.A's works by the mainstream radio, which considered
their songs to be violent. A scene in the music video for the 2005 single
"Hate It or Love It" by The Game featuring 50 Cent shows Tequan
Richmond and Zachary Williams (portraying a youthful Game & 50 Cent
respectively) being caught spraypainting "N.W.A" on a wall, resulting
in their subsequent arrest by two policemen. The Game also has a tattoo that
says "N.W.A" on the right side of his chest.
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| www.aftermathrecords.com |
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