Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A.

1988

3.51

Rating

24396

Votes

11%

27%

35%

20%

Distribution

Genres: Hip Hop Styles: Gangsta

Album Summary

Straight Outta Compton is the debut studio album by rap group N.W.A, which, led by Eazy-E, formed in Los Angeles County's City of Compton in early 1987. Released by his label, Ruthless Records, on August 8, 1988, the album was produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince, with lyrics written by N.W.A members Ice Cube and MC Ren along with Ruthless rapper The D.O.C. Not merely depicting Compton's street violence, the lyrics repeatedly threaten to lead it by attacking peers and even police. The track "Fuck tha Police" drew an FBI agent's warning letter, which aided N.W.A's notoriety, with N.W.A calling itself "the world's most dangerous group."In July 1989, despite its scarce radio play beyond the Los Angeles area, Straight Outta Compton received gangsta rap's first platinum certification, one million copies sold by then. That year, the album peaked at #9 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and at #37 on the popular albums chart, the Billboard 200. Receiving media spotlight, N.W.A's example triggered the rap genre's movement toward hardcore, gangsta rap. As the 1990s closed, if largely through N.W.A's own splintering—yielding successful solo music careers and franchises for Ice Cube and for Dr. Dre—the ripple effects had reshaped rap, R&B, and popular music, influencing popular culture.Remastered, the album's September 2002 reissue gained four bonus tracks. Nearing the album's 20th anniversary, another extended version of it arrived in December 2007. And in 2015, after an album reissue on red cassettes of limited edition, theater release of the biographical film Straight Outta Compton reinvigorated sales of the album, which by year's end was certified 3x Multi-Platinum. In 2016, it became the first rap album inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The next year, the Library of Congress enshrined Straight Outta Compton in the National Recording Registry.

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Feb 10 2021 Author

Most of the messages on this album do not age well. Misogyny, homophobia, violence, toxic masculinity run rampant throughout. The approach was not the best, but the message of the cops vs. the black community still rigs true today. The level of frustration in Compton that spawned the movement of gangsta rap must have been great. The rhyme schemes in today's rap almost make this album feel corny despite deliberate and aggressive violent lyrics.

Mar 27 2021 Author

This may be the most important rap album ever made. You had public enemy doing militant stuff and tribe called quest and others doing rap on social issues. "zingalamaduni" comes to mind. NWA though... they captured the anger and reality of being a young black man. They really addressed all the social issues on the streets instead of in society and it resonated with so many people. Police, goldiggers, dope sellers, other rappers... NWA was out for you. Part of their genius was building their character through their songs. Eazy E especially. I am a huge fan of his character - too cool. He gives props to Dre all over though, which sucks for all their splintering later. Most of the songs hold up extremely well to time. "I ain't the one" is the only one that doesn't hold up - I know what he was going for, but... not all women man. This album has so much variety too - a song for everyone. Folks who roll hard get fuck the police, misogynists get I ain't the one, radio gets express yourself, and clubs get something to dance to. Their sampling is so good and their rhymes seem so effortless. It's really a triumph and deserves all the praise it got.

May 17 2021 Author

I fucking hate the police

Dec 22 2023 Author

It’s interesting how old white people praise Johnny Cash, who sang countless songs about killing people. And praise Bob Dylan for his political lyrics. And love bands like Aerosmith who wrote all these songs about sex. And then they’ll decry how violent, sexual, and subversive rap artists like NWA are. Is it racism? Yeah. I think so. This album is electric. So much energy, so lively. The beats are funky and fun. The mix is exciting. These songs are inherently political. “Fuck tha Police” is just as relevant today as ever. And “Express Yourself” is a call to action for rappers (and to the tone deaf media), proclaiming the importance of freedom of expression—ironically avoiding profanity while criticizing rappers for avoiding profanity to end up on the radio. It feels like they’re creating a “sleeper cell” to infiltrate the radio and bring people to their album. Brilliant. Has some of it not aged well? Yeah, but neither have a lot of the greatest pieces of art. What an album. There’s a reason NWA changed the game.

Nov 30 2021 Author

Despite this being a landmark album, I have trouble with the violent and misogynistic lyrics.

Aug 30 2021 Author

The album that killed my love of hip hop and sent the entire genre on a shitty path for at least 10 years. Fuck this album. Express yourself was a dope track though.

Jul 31 2024 Author

i think you can successfully argue that without this album, Snoop wouldn’t be commentating at the Olympics right now

Feb 18 2021 Author

You know what the fuck it is !! FUCK THA POLICE COMIN STRAIGHT FROM THE UNDERGROUND

May 06 2021 Author

‘Do I look like a mothafuckin' role model?‘ This is a huge landmark album, but it doesn’t really speak to me. The anger and confrontational tone of tracks like Fuck tha Police still kicks pretty hard, and the aggressive lyrics really force you into the artists’ world, but the rampant sexism is hard to ignore, because it’s everywhere. I get that they were never trying to be role-models, and that most of it is really just tongue-in-cheek posturing, but the contempt for women is pretty real, and it hasn’t aged well at all. To me, this is a really important time-capsule of an album, which I’d rather not actually listen to in 2021, but if it’s closer to your world, you’d probably feel differently

Mar 16 2021 Author

Waaaayy too long. I feel like they needed to edit this down to half. The first few songs it was like they were trying to squeeze everyone in. It’s interesting, never listened to the full album and I’m realizing now Gangster rap was created during this album: there’s a stark difference between the songs, some still stuck in the 80s paradigm. It may have been created but it sure wasn’t mastered, later albums Dre would produce like The Chonic abd Doggystyle epitomize the gangster rap style and do it much better. Weird to think the Beastie Boys came out before this, you hear it sampled a few times, it puts the album into perspective, because the beastie boys album was better, more complete song craft. Dr. Dre’s sampling really shines in some of the interludes. Easy E was annoying and not a great rapper—apparently he was a drug dealer and funded the album, most of his shit was written by others and it shows. MC Ren, Dre and Ice Cube all stand out as better. I liked a couple of the more 80’s style non-gangster songs like “Somethit Like That” and “Express Yourself.” Not a terrible album but not yet fully cooked. 2-3, C+, gets extra credit for be prescient re: Fuck the Police.

Feb 11 2021 Author

Ahh I remember going on a geography field trip to Stafford back when this dropped. I saw myself as a bit of a bad ass motherfucker - well as much as an eleven year old could be. I remember learning all of the words to Fuck Tha Police to try and impress a girl I really fancied. On a break time, me and my mate Stanley decided we would wander over and try and show off to this girl and a group of her friends by performing it in front on them. We had the baggy Jean's, the caps, the attitude, but although we wanted to, just about stopped short of blacking up. We were feeling confident and thought we had done a great job and that the girls would now desire our 11 year old white boy bodies. A short while later, our teacher pulled us to one side. The girls had obviously grassed us up for using inappropriate language and "being weird". Our parents were called and I was grounded for two weeks. Two years later I had fingered two of those girls...because I'm a bad ass motherfucker.

Sep 25 2021 Author

Fuck, fuck, fucking motherfuck and more fuck.

Mar 16 2021 Author

Things I noticed: - Lots of Beastie Boys samples getting dropped in the tracks. Makes me wonder if the Beasties actually had credibility in the 80s rap scene - Ren sounds a lot like the lead guy from Jurassic 5 on "Something Like That". The guy who's not Chali Tuna. - Dre brings a surprisingly clean message on Express Yourself. A self-positive, anti-drug, pro-meditation, happy tune on a gangster rap album? What an odd duck on the tracklist - I've never understood why people clown on Dr Dre's rhymes. He seems solid. - Every track left me wishing Ice Cube would jump in with a yayeeYAYYEE, we be clubbin style. This album was fun ("If It Ain't Ruff"), I know its important, but I didn't have any interesting thoughts about it. B-

May 24 2021 Author

This is one of the albums I think of when I think of how present day rap was defined. I remember when I was younger we called it gangster rap but I just read something about how N.W.A. referred to it as "reality rap" instead and my adult mind agrees with that description more. This is the type of album that makes me appreciate the creativity that goes into producing a rap song. It's not my go-to genre of music but I have so much admiration for this craft.

Jan 07 2022 Author

Liked the music but I just couldn’t get on with the sexist lyrics.

Dec 28 2021 Author

Racist, misogynist, violent, hateful. Great beats and delivery, but whining about how hard it is in the 'hood gets tedious. This isn't improving things is it? Just stirring up more racist hatred. Stupid beyond belief.

Jul 26 2024 Author

I hate this putrid crap.

Jul 21 2024 Author

Fuck Da Police... How about Fuck This Shit?

Feb 12 2021 Author

Good album all the way through, with no filler. Its the god damn birth of G-Funk, the rise of Dre, Ice Cube, EazyE, Ren, the DOC. The birth of West Coast Hip Hop and a wide spreading of gangsta rap. The incredible songs (that still hold up) all the way through are only surpassed by the cultural significance of the album.

Mar 17 2021 Author

FUCK POLICE!

Jul 05 2023 Author

One of the more iconic records of this genre. The problem I’ve got with this and others like it is theyre just so one dimensional. Great music, great flow, but lyrically suspect. If I had a pound for every time there was a reference to bitches, money, or being hard as fuck, Id probably have about £147. It just gets old, quickly. Sadly the more important themes which they cover incredibly well are still prominent 30 odd years on which is fucking shameful. That said, it is enjoyable especially as background music. Production is great and they manage to include a few different influences throughout it (I’m sure they borrowed a riff or two from Bowie, especially in Gangsta Gangsta). First time I’ve properly listened to these outside of their hits, but I’ll be back. Probably a 3.5 but I’ll round up to a 4.

Apr 15 2022 Author

The lyrics are provocative, the beats are tight. And I don't just think that because I'm white. The message is evocative and the samples iconic. This shit hits harder than the dankest chronic. The world wasn't ready when album was dropped. The sensible conservative hearts all stopped. The FBI sent them a cease and desist, and when they asked for security, no cops would assist. Their use of hyperbole to make a point, glides through this album like a smooth joint. And so they became the beats that they dropped, and etched their names as gods of hip-hop. This album is definitely one for the shelf, so I'm gonna quit making a fool of myself. Beyond that, I've got nothing else to say say. Except, in closing, they live up to the name, NWA. Tracks I enjoyed: 8 ball, I Ain't tha 1 and of course Fuck Tha Police

Mar 31 2021 Author

So I won’t hand out many easier five stars than this - as brilliant, fun, dangerous, ridiculous as it ever was. Listened on a walk this morning despite putting this on quite a lot anyway and had a shit eating grin as wide as 13 year old me on Xmas day 1989 when I managed to get this past my mum for Xmas 😂 the only rap album I know every single word to. MC Ren technically the best, Ice Cubes lyrics untouchable, Dre and his production, Eazy E just being Eazy E - a game changing album for me personally and for rap music in general - hard to believe what this spawned - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jan 11 2022 Author

As opening tracks go, Straight Outta Compton is a bloody good way to announce yourselves. Following it up with Fuck Tha Police, a song which is even better is terrifying. I'd be scared at this point to even try to compete with this! Gangsta Gangsta is alright too, 808 beeps and all. The quick bit of 70s soul and the Funky Worm sample give a quick hint of what Dre might be up to in a few year's time! It drops right off after this. If It Ain't Ruff and Parental Discretion are sooo dated when you look at other acts putting records out this year. And 8 Ball's 5 minutes feel like 20, in spite of the Beastie Boys samples. Like putting Kurtis Blow in a battle against Kendrick Lamar. This contrast sums up the album. When NWA have something to say, this is a five star album. When they don't, it's outdated old school hip hop except (golly gosh) they swear a lot. The bangers get fewer and further between as the album goes on. You have maybe 5 great songs on this (three all timers) and a lot of filler. NWA's reputation really did the rest. I'm glad they upset all the right people, but even so, I can't give it five stars - it does get four just for the three classics (the singles).

Feb 08 2023 Author

I haven’t heard this before I’m thinking I have probably heard a lot of the songs on it at one point or another. The music is iconic but the contemptuous treatment of women and gays makes it hard to get down with. This hasn’t aged well. A fine historical artifact but nothing I would listen to or recommend today.

Apr 09 2022 Author

Vile. There’s something seriously wrong with humanity when so many people can give 5 stars to this violent, homophobic, misogynistic loser trash.

May 17 2021 Author

“I got a boyfriend.’ Bitch stop lyin!” Eazy-E ruined every song he was on

Feb 14 2021 Author

Hadn’t listened to this in a few years. Starts off hard, first two tracks are amazing. Ice Cube’s delivery on point. I found myself getting a little burnt out after that. Hip hop sound has come so far in terms of production, quality of samples and skill of MCing. Not denying the influence of this record. I just didn’t find it exciting like I once did.

Feb 05 2021 Author

I remember when Northwest Airlines came out with this album. Very controversial at the time. Very controversial now. Crazy talented line-up. I hadn't realized that they sampled the Beastie Boys at the 2:32 mark of 8 Ball

Aug 03 2024 Author

Don't get the hype around this one. Mediocre tunes and too much profanity

Aug 02 2024 Author

Oof, dreadful. I hate rap, only managed a track and a half then tapped OUT (motherfucker)

Mar 07 2023 Author

There's some great songs on this album, but the pervasive misogyny made this difficult to get through. This isn't the casual sexism that you get in a lot of other media; this album *hates* women with several songs that amount to little more than screeds against "bitches." It's a tragedy, because this is otherwise an album about a group of people who feel like media (and life in general) is not made for them, and they're rightly angry about it. But then they turn around and do the same thing to another group of people. A historically very important album, which I'm glad I listened to, but holy shit.

Dec 22 2022 Author

Fuck the police. And women. And Mexicans. And... Surprisingly funky, but very little for me in this.

Oct 13 2022 Author

p631. 1988. 1 star. Arrogant, puerile noise. Shouting "fuck" and "motherfucker" every other sentence is neither "big" or clever. This noise is obnoxious on pretty much every level - misogyny, homophobia, violence, toxic masculinity, its all there if you want it. I don't.

Jul 07 2023 Author

this is the first gangsta rap album ever and keeping that mind they created a masterpiece without any modern influences. dr dre, ice cube, eazy e and more are stars on their own. this being their debut album is crazy. controversial lyrics make this record. the perspective of the group is so interesting to look at and to hear.

Dec 06 2025 Author

it's like a 5 and a 1 made an album together even if we ignore the misogyny and homophobia and so on: some real highs and some awful lows, sometimes even within the same song. probably 20 minutes longer than it needs to be. the good parts are so good though. call it a parabolic 3, on the low end.

Sep 26 2025 Author

At first I didn’t think it was my thing then I caught myself shakin my ass a little

Oct 03 2024 Author

this has nothing to do with how i feel about the album but it is objectively funny to go from this to "are we there yet"

Jun 21 2022 Author

I listened until I could stand it no more. 2*

Dec 15 2021 Author

So much anger, and very one note. Didn't really know where the songs were beginning and ending, just one long profanity session.

Jul 05 2025 Author

Zero interest. Blacks that call themselves niggers get absolutely NO respect from me.

Jan 02 2024 Author

One of the worst albums ever made.

Jan 18 2022 Author

Whe i started this project, I decided I'd listen to all of every album, no matter what. I quite enjoyed the first track but my resolve soon diminished as the album progressed

Nov 02 2021 Author

I can’t do this

Oct 19 2021 Author

Not for me.

Feb 04 2026 Author

There are a handful of albums where it was one way before and another way after it was released. It is a small list. "Nevermind." The self titled Ramones record. "Nation of Millions." Your pick that you are mad at me for forgetting to mention it. "Straight Outta Compton" is one of these records. Every song on side one is a grand slam. There's not a ground rule double until the middle of side two.

Feb 03 2026 Author

Still relevant and sounds fantastic. “Nobody ever made a song called Fuck The Fire Department” This album is extremely important, don’t sleep on it.

Feb 03 2026 Author

Absolute classic of an album.

Feb 02 2026 Author

estilo rap de los 80¨, como nota mmm un 3

Jan 31 2026 Author

“You know I spell girl with a B,” is a crazy line. Still had my head bangin. Musically, it’s just angry me yelling. Culturally it’s a movement. I tried to leave this life behind, so I picked up R&B girlies… not a fan of how it makes me feel but maybe that’s a good thing.

Jan 31 2026 Author

Great old school rap! I added a bunch of songs to my favorites.

Jan 31 2026 Author

Yeah obviously

Jan 31 2026 Author

I can't believe Eazy-E copied Geese getting killed for this cover and nobody's talking about it...smh 5

Jan 26 2026 Author

classic gangsta shiiiii

Jan 12 2026 Author

Peppered with humor, this gritty and hard hitting album delivers. With its misogynistic, controversial and perhaps a bit dated content, NWA successfully blurred the lines between what is real and what is entertainment. Oh Tipper Gore, how do you sleep at night knowing the Library of Congress preserved this album?

Nov 20 2025 Author

Pure classic old-school hip hop.

Sep 22 2025 Author

I feel a little stupid listening to this album because I don’t think a teenage girl was their intended audience lmao. I loved this album a lot and I can def see how it belongs on this list, especially considering how influential it was. Ask miller about what he thinks abt this group. Fav song: super hard to choose but maybe fuck tha police or gangsta gangsta

Aug 15 2025 Author

A classic of Hip Hop history!!!

Mar 19 2025 Author

I can't imagine hearing this for the first time as a white suburban person in 1988. My God. Ice Cube's first verse on the title track has to be one of the hardest rap verses ever recorded and it STARTS the album! Aside from "Express Yourself" I do think the album is a bit top heavy and starts to sound similar by the end (and the misogyny starts to become overbearing) but what a revolution. There is such raw anger on "Fuck Tha Police" and its clearly not coming from nowhere. Would do a 4.5 if possible, but its gotta get the 5 for influence and true shock value.

Mar 18 2025 Author

Simply one of, if not thee, greatest rap album of all time. The lyrics of Cube/Ren combined with Dre's production is perfection. You can still feel the influence in flow to songs like Rapper's Delight and the beats are basic and pumped full of samples which might sound somewhat simplistic these days but I think that gives it a lot of its charm. It might not have the creative rhyming of Eminem or experimental production of Kanye but, considering how young the whole genre was, and the fact it was produced for $12k, it's beyond impressive. Certainly one of the most cited and influencial albums of all time considering how huge the genre is now.

Feb 25 2025 Author

I have witnessed the strength of street knowledge

Feb 14 2025 Author

FUCK THA POLICE COMIN STRAIGHT FROM THE UNDERGROUND!!!! Truly the pinnacle of gangsta rap. First of all, the anti authoritarian themes and attention this album brought to institutional racism was enough to raise serious concerns at the FBI - based. Second - NWA collectively have the kind of 80s early rap flow that often sounds corny to modern ears but absolutely works for them. Third - the use of sampling on this album is sparse but super effective and the production overall is just fantastic. Lightning in a bottle moment. A lot of the lyrical content on this album is very objectionable - there’s wanton violence, drug peddling and abuse, and many creative and hardcore disses to women both specific and general. And yet this was a landmark album in popularizing rap music with mainstream audiences and remains a classic today. I think the reason this album has had its remarkable success is because they create such a vivid and engrossing picture of life in the hoods of 80s LA. You can almost feel the heat rising off the pavement and hear the smattering of car horns in traffic and feel the thumped out bass from low riders cruising by with music way too loud for their sound systems. It feels almost voyeuristic to an audience totally separate from that world and it’s a fascinating hour long peak inside - gruesome and often bleak, but NWA makes it a LOT of fun.

Dec 31 2024 Author

"We wanna fuck you, Eazy!" "I wanna fuck you too!" A more perfect exchange has never been highlighted in popular music.

Oct 09 2023 Author

Some works of art establish themselves as inflection points in their art. SOC is one of those albums. Dre blew doors off the boom bap standard with the innovative west coast g funk sound while Ice Cube and Wren's storytelling broke gangster rap to the world. I mostly don't find the album all that listenable these days but Straight Outta Compton still slams and is always good for stoking my mostly dormant teen defiance. Fuck that Police is timeless and a good reminder that police violence against blacks isn't something new. I'd definitely encourage Mara to listen to Express Yourself but the original Charles Wright version is my preference. The rest of the album has some catchy funk worthy of an old school party.

Apr 07 2022 Author

7th April 2022 Listened throughout the day while in the office. Went out to ping pong then drinks after with work people. One of the greatest came straight outta Compton.

Feb 06 2026 Author

Classic album.

Feb 05 2026 Author

Love this reminded me of being young

Feb 02 2026 Author

Is this peak? Yes. The album that arguably stated a genre. Amazing beats, lyrical flow, style, personality, and several iconic tracks. Would rate a 4.5

Feb 02 2026 Author

Super awesome story telling! I enjoyed it and would def listen again. You just gotta be in the right mood. It was a little aggressive but super good

Feb 01 2026 Author

Funkier than expected and knew a song more than I expected (express yourself) The bonus beats were cute A little long

Feb 01 2026 Author

You have to really put aside any modern sensibilities or sense of morals to enjoy this album. Killing people aside the amount of misogyny is mind blowing, to levels even someone who really enjoys rap wasn't quite used too. Still the album has its place, theres no super complicated multi sylables here, just straight boom bap ish rap. Easy and in your face, every one of NWA gets some time with varying results. Standout tracks include 8 ball and dopeman. Overall its iconic and punchy and its anti establishment message is unavoidable. It does it job of being in your face and refusing to be apologetic, all whilst sounding still incredibly listenable. but falls too flat in subject matter in other areas to really be fantastic.

Jan 31 2026 Author

C’est un gros morceau, beaucoup à dire. Musicalement, c’est énorme, les samples sont excellents, bien utilisés. C’est très politique, ce qui est toujours appréciable. Et d’après ce que j’ai pu lire, c’est un album extrêmement influent aussi bien musicalement que politiquement et je comprends pourquoi. Mais il a aussi les défauts qu’on peut attendre d’un vieil album de gangsta rap de l’époque : y’a de la misogynie très appuyée. Pour ça, ça a très mal vieilli, donc je vais le noter moins bien que ce que j’aurais fait sans ça. C’est un album fondamental, mais il faut l’approcher avec l’esprit critique.

Jan 31 2026 Author

Really good overall. I’m not always listening to old school hip hop but it definitely hits when it hits

Jan 31 2026 Author

Fire

Jan 29 2026 Author

Classic album that (mostly) holds up. Fuck Tha Police is an evergreen song, unfortunately....

Jan 28 2026 Author

Thought this was a really cool record. Having heard a LOT of music inspired by NWA, but never this album front-to-back, my experience suffered a little from the Seinfeld Effect, in that there was a lot that I had heard a million times before, so it didn't feel as fresh or surprising as I imagine it did upon release.

Jan 28 2026 Author

Yeah, it's ridiculously misogynistic, homophobic, and profane, but goddamn is it good. You can feel their anger and rage at the lives they've lived up to that point.

Jan 27 2026 Author

This is one of the most influential hip-hop albums ever made. Everything that can be said about it has already been said in one way or another. I can only add that the immaculate production remains relevant even 38 years after its initial release. The only drawback is that the strongest tracks are concentrated in the first half of the record, and it tends to lose some steam in the second half. Nonetheless, it remains an essential album whose echoes can still be heard in the modern rap scene.

Jan 27 2026 Author

Le début c'était bien la suite encore une fois ça s'abaisse un peu mais très cool tout de même

Jan 27 2026 Author

Légendaire Malheureusement ça sera qu'un 4

Jan 26 2026 Author

Hard AF

Jan 09 2026 Author

The famous iconic songs are indeed famous and iconic. There are some other great tracks here too. There’s also some very ugly misogyny. I could happily go without ever listening to ‘If I ain’t tha 1’ again.

Oct 14 2025 Author

I grew up in a culture that was horrified by gangsta rap, and I still have trouble reading it as reflecting a different experience because of its aggression and misogyny. I tried to listen to this thru the prism of the imprecatory psalms, poems that lamented and sometimes wished for violence to befall their enemies -- and that actually helped me appreciate the anger as well as the desire to insist upon one's dignity, even in a roundabout way that plays into patriarchal or tribalist logics. I came away from this feeling like it was a force of nature, especially the early tracks. I don't know if I'll ever go back to it -- I don't love what kind of person it asks me to be to really embrace it -- but it certainly to me places and stretched me.

Jul 30 2025 Author

3.5 stars I was anticipating an album full of filler and unnecessary skits. While there was some filler, and the known tracks stand far and above the rest, the album maintains its playability due to the wordplay and variability of the different MCs. Ice Cube stands out as the star from the start, but the rest of the crew keeps up. Although Dr. Dre does sound like he’s doing an LL Cool J impression, which he lost by the time The Chronic hit. This is an album that changed rap music and pop culture. It’s important for that reason alone. But unlike many examples of albums that were revolutionary at the time, it is still a fun listen. There are moments that do not age well (closing track “Something 2 Dance 2” stands out as a dud to end the album on), and many of the beats can feel repetitive when compared to the many innovations in rap song structure over time, it is still a good listen that opens with 2 of the best gangsta rap songs of all time.

Jan 07 2025 Author

Some real classics in this! If you can abstract the immorality from it, and not take it too seriously, you'll find that it's a fun ride. It is a bit long and samey though.

Dec 28 2024 Author

The cover artwork of N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton is a striking visual representation of the group's raw energy and the gritty realities they depict in their music. The image features Eazy-E pointing a gun directly at the viewer, creating an intense and provocative perspective that commands attention. This powerful imagery encapsulates the essence of gangsta rap and reflects the album's themes of violence and rebellion. The bold typography, enhances its impact, making it one of the most iconic album covers in hip-hop history. Overall, it effectively conveys the album's message and cultural significance, earning a solid four-star rating. Album artworks rated: 20/1001 The music is pretty legendary.

Oct 09 2023 Author

Lots of foundational stuff. I forgot how good the D.O.C was. A distinctly different flow and rhyming pattern than the typical old school rapper. This group was better than the sum of its parts RIP Eazy-E Early Dre was more influenced by funky funk beats and I miss that . More groovy/danceable stuff. From the snoop era thru the chronic 2001, the beats had some catchy hooks but it was like weed laced with heroin. Smooooooothed out. Not for me

Sep 12 2023 Author

The hits hit hard. The entire album is a little more mixed. Some of the subjects are going to come across as dated. I try to keep the context in mind when rating this one. An iconic album but not as complete as I remember it.

Aug 11 2023 Author

N.W.A. built on the foundation laid by Ice-T and Schooly D. Cube’s hyperbole and sense of humor combined with Dre’s beats were aided by the antics of the PRMC and a formal introduction of rap to white audiences through the unprecedented popularity of the Beastie Boys resulting in a real zeitgeist moment for the group. Without airplay, it became a big hit, made gangsta rap a viable product for the masses, and put the West Coast on the map. Dre would go on to be a better producer (with a hell of a business acumen) and Cube would go on to add a bit of social commentary to his angry street persona (and make many a dumb comedy), but this remains the collective’s most powerful statement together or apart. There are cringey moments.. rap more than any other genre seems to date itself not only through the prolific time stamps throughout its history but by being a record of the mentality of its auteurs. The album would be important beyond the hype given its subtle political message- young black men in America were mad (righteously so) and this was, if nothing else, a way to express that anger without the fear of incarceration. Unfortunately, through both the mechanisms of a society that was censorshiptastic (which was oddly directed with more penalty at African Americans - systemic racism at its finest) and other’s attempts to be real (even if they weren’t), gangsta rap wasn’t a healthy or prison free outlet for very long. They weren’t the first or even the best gangsta act, but they were the big bang and the album is a landmark for hip hop, in both positive and negative ways.

Sep 27 2025 Author

Dirty rap over clean beats. Great flow in an impressive debut album that channeled their anger, but there's a lot of toxicity. Music is a shared experience and the lyrics can be cathartic, but sometimes it creates greater division, anger, or harm — this album rides the line too much, in my opinion.

Jul 31 2025 Author

an older hiphop record that ages pretty great. i'm not a huge fan of gangsta rap personally, and the production was pretty "conventional" (i understand that this is the template of what we considered conventional nowadays, but still). however this was still a pretty fun listen and i find the last track particularly amusing as someone who loves electro. modern hiphop is so far removed from electro and you just don't hear anything like that anymore

Jul 30 2025 Author

These gentlemen seem angry. Love the music (old school samples) and the flow - Ice Cube was especially great and the multiple voice counterpoint with Easy E works really well; this is the rhythmic rap style I love - not necessarily freestyle but the kind you can feel. Ok the lyrics.... have not aged well at all. ACAB obviously but too much of the rest of it is a bit <yeesh> (bitchpussyetc). The key to getting through this album is not listening too closely to a lot of it. Which gets harder and harder as it goes on. Obviously a massive influence (and one of few gangster rap albums I remotely like) and having lived through it even in today's fkd up world it's hard to describe how terrified amerikkka was of these guys at the time - it's almost quaint. I could give less than a shit about the complaints about anti-cop stuff but the misogyny is impossible to completely ignore. 5 for the rap skills, 4 for the music, 0 for the cringe.... since I'll happily listen to 2 or 3 of these cuts, cut it down the middle... 5/10 3 stars

Jun 21 2025 Author

Hard one to review…… Great album for original sound and uncomfortable topics and unflinching lyrics But also awful due to the casual misogyny and objectification that is woven through the songs

Jul 06 2024 Author

An important album that could've used some editing. Cut this down to a tight 30 minutes and it's a perfect 5. At an hour? 3 feels right

Jul 06 2024 Author

I know this is groundbreaking. There are clearly great moments and aspects. But I have trouble listening to so much misogyny and violence.

Jan 16 2024 Author

It is a combative yet playful record, and the first two tracks are fantastic.

Jan 10 2024 Author

This is a complicated album. NWA were and are some of the most talented and innovative artists in music. Any hip hop artist (and many artists in other genres) owe a lot to this group and its members. And frankly, while I probably loved this album in my teens, in my forties, I’m not sure I want to hear some of this stuff. It’s brilliant and groundbreaking. And misogynist and homophobic.

Jan 07 2024 Author

"Dre makes the beats so fun-fun-funky" its true. You can hear the roots here of the production that would dominate the 90s emerging from the sparse drum-machine big BOOM BOOM TISH formula with layering samples from a deep well of jazz, funk and soul - taken to an extreme on what's basically a genre-reinvention cover of Express Yourself, but more varied on most of the other tracks that borrow from 4-7 songs at a time to put a rhythm together. Having a bunch of different rappers performing across the album keeps it fresh, but the songs are all too long/repetitve and the album could be trimmed down a bit too.

Sep 23 2023 Author

Musically, this has actually aged quite well (probably due to Dre and Yella’s production) However, while the lyrics on tracks like FTP and the title track are still relevant today, there’s still a lot of evidence of misogyny and homophobia across the record (despite this being considered the norm at the time) Still, you can’t deny that this ended up being one of the most influential albums in music, let alone hip-hop Favourite tracks: Straight Outta Compton, FTP, Express Yourself

Jan 25 2024 Author

Yeah yeah this album is important, groundbreaking and whatnot, but I really dislike gangsta rap. These guys just keep talking about themselves and what they gonna do and all I keep thinking is 'sit your ass down and shut up, get over yourself ffs'. So annoying, the beats, the guys, the lyrics