N.W.A.
Straight Outta Compton (1988)

review by: Alexander Washburn
Date: 3/29/01

Rap classic. Excuse me, not a rap classic, just a classic. We didn't know it at the time, but it was a rap super group with the late Easy E, Ice Cube and of course, the man who put it all together, Dr. Dre. Forget the fervor it caused and all the bad imitations it spawned, the record from start to finish is solid. Excellent and thoughful samples and meaningful lyrics that unfortunetley got lost when people only focused what they said about the police and women.

NWA was a voice from the streets. In the tradition of rap, they talked about what they lived in and just because middle America was disturbed by the imagery, doesn't downgrade their importance.