Album Of The Day

Feb 10 2021 Author

4

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

5

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

3

I fucking hate the police

Nov 30 2021 Author

1

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

Aug 30 2021 Author

2

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.

Dec 22 2023 Author

5

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.

Feb 18 2021 Author

4

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

Jul 31 2024 Author

5

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

May 06 2021 Author

3

‘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

3

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

5

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

1

Fuck, fuck, fucking motherfuck and more fuck.

Mar 16 2021 Author

3

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

5

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

3

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

Dec 28 2021 Author

3

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

1

I hate this putrid crap.

Jul 21 2024 Author

1

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

Feb 12 2021 Author

5

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

5

FUCK POLICE!

Mar 31 2021 Author

5

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 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jul 05 2023 Author

4

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.

Jan 11 2022 Author

4

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

3

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 15 2022 Author

5

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

May 17 2021 Author

3

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

Feb 14 2021 Author

3

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

3

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

2

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

Aug 02 2024 Author

1

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

Mar 07 2023 Author

1

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

1

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

Apr 09 2022 Author

1

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

Jul 07 2023 Author

5

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.

Sep 26 2025 Author

3

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

Jun 21 2022 Author

2

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

Dec 15 2021 Author

2

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

1

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

Jan 02 2024 Author

1

One of the worst albums ever made.

Oct 13 2022 Author

1

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.

Jan 18 2022 Author

1

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

1

I can’t do this

Oct 19 2021 Author

1

Not for me.

Nov 20 2025 Author

5

Pure classic old-school hip hop.

Sep 22 2025 Author

5

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

5

A classic of Hip Hop history!!!

Mar 19 2025 Author

5

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

5

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

5

I have witnessed the strength of street knowledge

Feb 14 2025 Author

5

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.

Jan 07 2025 Author

5

Some real classics in this! If you can abstract the immorality from it, and not take it too seriously, you'll find it's a very fun and engaging project.

Dec 31 2024 Author

5

"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

5

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

5

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.

Oct 14 2025 Author

4

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

4

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.

Dec 28 2024 Author

4

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

4

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

4

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

4

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

3

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

3

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

3

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

3

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

Oct 03 2024 Author

3

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"

Jul 06 2024 Author

3

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

3

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

3

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

Jan 10 2024 Author

3

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

3

"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

3

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

2

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

Sep 15 2022 Author

2

On 'Something Like That', Dre explains what it takes to be a good MC: "To create something funky that's original / You need to talk about the place to be / Who you are, what you got, or about a sucker MC." Which pretty much nails all of his group's shortcomings. For his part, the beats are far fresher than the raps.

Jul 31 2025 Author

1

I really hated this. It's so fucking long and repetitive and boring. All you really need to listen to is straight outta compton and express yourself. Those are the best songs on this album. The former is a classic, that opening verse is iconic. The later has a great sample that carries the whole track. It's fun. The rest of the tracks are too long and have boring instrumentals, monotonous flows and lyrics that don't age well. Fuck the police is wayyy too long. For the first verse, chorus and post-chorus, i'm into it. But then it goes on for another 3 minutes... so i'm out. Across the board, the beats are made up of very generic, stock sounds. Thats not necessarily a bad thing, but they just don't do much with those sounds, except on that goofy instrumental-ish outro track, that one was fun i guess. The rest were nothing special... but i assume they were groundbreaking at the time. The lyrics are a lot. They're anger is warranted. Talking so directly about racism and police brutality and gang life was groundbreaking in the 80s. I understand how important these messages are, i just didn't enjoy their version of it. A lot of rappers have tackled racism and police brutality since and handled it better in my opinion. The lyrics on a lot of tracks were tough to get through in 2025. If only the instrumentals were exciting, so i could ignore the lyrics and just focus on the music. But again the instrumentals are pretty bare so the lyrics are the star of the show. It's a 1.5 from me and i'm gonna round down.

Jul 17 2025 Author

1

Absolute degenerate ghetto trash. Zero stars for these niggas. The decline of Western Civilization in one album.

Oct 21 2024 Author

1

Horrible

Sep 25 2024 Author

1

Same review as yesterday. Dr. Dre is a sack of shit.

Sep 04 2024 Author

1

Gangsta (c)rap

Aug 16 2024 Author

1

Argh

Jul 27 2024 Author

1

Never choose this. ever.

Mar 09 2023 Author

1

I’ll be honest, rap groups are absolutely hilarious to me. N.W.A. is literally just an edgier version of *NSYNC. I find it corny and it’s hard to believe that this was one of the defining albums in hip hop history. I’m resisting the inner urges to give this a 1. Never mind, the inner urges won.

Sep 27 2022 Author

1

This was a tough album to endure - I listened to the first 3 ‘songs’ and stopped listening to the album generator for 2 months! I gave it another go today and realised it’s not for me - too many issues to start I haven’t got the energy……..

Mar 31 2022 Author

1

Over my head why this is revered. 3 planks spouting fantasy lyrics in a monotonous, single paced, rhythmically tedious, naff fashion. Pile of nonsense.

Jan 19 2021 Author

1

Hated it. I hate rap. This was particularly bad. Glorifying violence and drugs, chants about killing cops. Not for me.

Nov 28 2025 Author

5

Класіка, тут гарно все, якщо не намагатись вслуховуватись в тексти

Nov 25 2025 Author

5

When Straight Outta Compton dropped in 1988 it was the CNN of the hood. Today it feels like a documentary. This is an important album, a glimpse into life on the streets of L.A in the late 80s. Raw, ugly, and unflinchingly honest. Shocking lyrics about cops mistteating black people proved accurate when the Rodney King video surfaced. A realization came over us that NWA wasn't making this stuff up, this was their world and when the riots occurred we better understood the rage that ignited the fires we watched burn from our living rooms. Most importantly, the music is damn good. The message was heard because the beats were dope, bass thumping, and Eazy Es delivery was on point. It's quite an accomplishment to create music that has you bopping your head while shouting Fuck Tha Police! I've seen some reviews turned off by the mysonogistic/homophobic lyrics, and they are right, a lot of ugly images painted. I'm not one to dismiss those feelings. I'll just say I think it's the cost of creating something honest. Sometimes the truth is ugly, and NWAs world was indeed ugly. To portray that world any differently would have been wrong.

Nov 25 2025 Author

5

Awesome!

Nov 22 2025 Author

5

Classic!

Nov 21 2025 Author

5

If - and this is a big if - you can get past the casual sexism and homophobia- this album is a masterclass. Filled with sick beats, flawlessly integrating four MCs whose voices combine and trade off, every one as strong as the other. It is filled with so much joy and life, while also getting heavy, including what is still the best musical call out of the systemic racism of the police system. But there’s that sexism and homophobia... I’m going to give this five stars, but with a big fucking asterisk.

Nov 21 2025 Author

5

Classic

Nov 19 2025 Author

5

Best Song: Straight Outta Compton The OG of gangster rap (see, I can learn terminology for music!) If you have any interest in rap whatsoever, this is a must listen and even if you don't like hip-hop - this is a time capsule as well as a rap album. 5/5.

Nov 11 2025 Author

5

i dont like those police fellows, i dare say. no others notes

Nov 11 2025 Author

5

9 outta 10 lizard wizards

Nov 11 2025 Author

5

An all out classic. Groundbreaking album.

Nov 10 2025 Author

5

Can't stop thinking about the bassline in Parental Discretion Iz Advised When Express Yourself started I literally went closer to the speaker like :o How had I not heard this before? Had to stop myself adding so many songs to my playlist - most of these albums have 2 or 3 songs on the playlist, and 8 songs into Straight Outta Compton, 4 of those had made it onto the playlist, with two that I was very much considering adding. Howeverrrrr, think the first half of the album was better. Overall still banging. 4.5/5, rounded up Very interesting btw how I've noticed a lot of folk in the reviews denouncing N.W.A.'s misogyny and homophobia - much more than on any other album with similar content. Also a lot of people saying they hate rap and barely gave this a go. Looks a lot like thinly veiled racism to me! Will never for a second stand for misogyny or homophobia, I'm a queer femme person, but I will ALSO not stand for people using outrage as a tool to be racist/colourist. Don't use me as an excuse for your prejudice Anyway, I love funk and this was fun. We love sampling, we love young people being creative

Nov 10 2025 Author

5

What can I say about this album that hasn't already been said. People don't often categorize rap as an "alternative" genre - it typically gets shoehorned into its own category, and new boundaries get redrawn around it. I think this album exemplifies the best of rap as an alternative genre. It defied the mainstream, caused controversy, and was the best of the genre pre capitalist recuperation. Black art always has had the burden of becoming representative of Black people as a whole. It's refreshing to have art that didn't concern itself with optics, and focused on craft and what it wanted to say. It wasn't worried about how white America would take it, and rather took it to task. You create a society that subjugates a group of people for CENTURIES, then create narratives out of the actions they take having to survive said conditions. N.W.A said all this with style, and the best beats of the era. "Express Yourself" is still one of my favorite tracks off this album, a simple but good use of a sample, and punchy lyrics. DJ Yella really is one of the greatest producers of all time. It's hard to pick a standout track on this whole piece, though. Back-to-back hits that work together well. Obviously some regressive attitudes and mindsets, but as said on "Gangsta, Gangsta" "Do I look like a motherfucking Role Model?"

Nov 05 2025 Author

5

Love it

Nov 05 2025 Author

5

Never listened to it before. kind feel like a young gangsta in the '90s when i was a little boy.

Nov 03 2025 Author

5

Total classic. The beats and the samples are incredible. The lyrics maybe haven't aged the best, but it is a time capsule of LA in the 80's and in that lens, it is what it is in my opinion. This was the beginning of a huge music scene and industry from LA and so many of these guys are still household names 30+ years later. Awesome beats, classic hooks and timeless rhymes (if not a little corny in places). 5/5 for sure.

Oct 29 2025 Author

5

The drums on this album are insane! They're big and cavernous, booming like a cannon. The rest of the music is filled out with a mix of hard rock guitars and loose funk. The majority of the album hits hard, but there's a playful streak throughout too. The lyrics are radical and in-your-face (and occasionally reprehensible on the subject of women). "Fuck tha Police" is a classic and an absolute jam. Some of the lyrics are still shocking. They go back and forth from righteous rage to gleeful violence. The title track is incredible too. What an opening statement. "Express Yourself" and "I Ain't Tha 1" are very fun songs -- the more playful side of N.W.A's hard-hitting sound. I'm always amazed by the contrast of how joyful the music is on "I Ain't Tha 1" and how awful the misogynistic lyrics are. This is an entertaining listen front to back. Amazing energy and a unique style that influenced countless other artists in addition to launching the careers of everyone in the group.

Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A.

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