Straight Outta Compton

Definitely not one to listen to with kids around! Not usually my cup of tea. Some tracks were good, some not so….

hahahah han nümme gwüsst dass sie soo aggressiv sind fuck tha police isch halt legendär bis jz ischs nachli sehr chaotisch findi aber d beats findi insane paremtal discretion isch de schluss seehr geil! express yourself mega geil! compton's n the house hends glaub versuecht, so vill bösi wörter wie möglich innezhaue hahaha something 2 dance 2 isch mega danceable ehm jo natürlich legendär und mega wichtig und s het au cooli sache gha aber vill isch nöd hängeblibe

classic rap

The big songs hold up even 30 years later, the album tracks not so much

3 Sterne

Straight Outta Compton probably blew minds in 1988, and deservedly so -- from what i can tell, it was basically the first West Coast rap record to actually matter. still, i think that even though it's got some highly influential tracks that i would be crazy to deny (basically the whole A side) it still often has that mid-gear mid-school cheese to it. are the lyrics them being badass gangsters who fuck bitches and kill people? yeah. does the production accurately display the level of hardness in the lyrics? ...sometimes? like, i dunno, sometimes beats like "Parental Discretion Iz Advised" and "I Aint tha 1" are too obvious and cornball to actually give me that impression. i still hear Dr. Dre's red jacket calling to him from the closet like the Green Goblin suit with every 808 "clunk clunk". i appreciate Compton a bit more as a piece of history and as a pioneering record than something you can really give repeated listens. also, making the back half of your album mostly remixes of the last one is always a bad idea.

Their views on violence, race relations, and women are at least questionable, and frequently just straight up problematic. So much of this album goes so hard, and given the political climate and their lived experience, few other albums can be as authentic as this album is. Nonetheless, I don't really feel good saying it's one of my favorites or even one of my highly rated albums.

I get why this is on the list but it has not aged well and both Ice Cube and Dr. Dre went on to do better things between The Chronic and The Predator.

3/5

Some great songs on this album. Also some very misogynistic and homophonic lyrics. Reflective of the time but meh to listen to.

A couple memorable ones but overall not enough for a 4

I know this is a canonical album, but I'm not exactly sure why (besides a series of future frontliners).

All-star cast, but some of the songs are rough

It's a classic. I guess half the album pretty good, but they could've left a fair few tracks off.

I like this album, but I Ain't Tha 1 and Dopeman are some of the worst songs I've ever heard.

i can remember signing fuck the police as a teenager. I thought i was edgy cycling around Lincoln commuter villages on my mountain bike

Enjoyed it more than expected but not my particular taste

They really don't like bitches

close to a 4, but it’s lowkey repetitive and the songs are too long, looked up and i was only on the fourth song, felt like i’d been there for ages. stg

Pre-listening thoughts: guys the website was down and I thought I wasn’t gonna get to review this one today. Thank god it’s back up cause I’m a little excited for this lol Post/during listening thoughts: this is very well produced. It’s creative and has some great wordplay and lyricism. This is such a staple in rap. But. Christ almighty. For every amazing beat and verse on this album, there is a moment of rampant sexism. Just like Doggystyle, it takes me out of it when women are just so violently objectified. It’s like objectively good music but I cannot stand behind some of this! 5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Fuck Tha Police, Express Yourself, Something 2 Dance 2 Least fav tracks: 8 Ball, Dopeman

Despite hearing and reading plenty about this album when it came out, I'm pretty sure I never actually heard any of this album, even the notorious "F*** da police". Speaking of which, it's fascinating how much controversy that song created in the police community and in the press back when this album got released (in Seattle at least), and how much talk there was of preventing album sales to protect police community relations, especially given the explosion of Crips- and Bloods-related gangs all along the West Coast and elsewhere. Looking back in 2024, there's something innocent about the controversy and reaction to this album, but also depressing how little has changed in so many ways. I think it's safe to say that this album didn't stir the pot as much as show a mirror. (I will say, though, that the reputation of this album made me more nervous than I probably needed to be about going to an NFL game in LA's Coliseum in the early 1990s, as I vaguely and erroneously thought the Coliseum was either in Watts or Compton.) I had higher hopes for this album than what I experienced, but it's not a bad album; it's also not all that varied or insightful (although "Express yourself" has a nice almost-De-La-Soul-like vibe), and some songs are just embarrassingly vapid ("Parental discretion iz advised" and "I ain't tha 1" come to mind). I wish that this album was less glamorous-West-Coast-gang-vibe and more aligned with the likes of Public Enemy's searing lyrics, but it is what it was. Several of their members--especially Dr. Dre and Ice Cube--have certainly followed a much longer arc from their roots in NWA, and became more interesting musically as they went solo or on to other groups. (Although I also feel sad seeing Ice Cube's trajectory as he spins further down the conspiracy spiral.)

Undeniably a majorly influential album. Could have been trimmed down a bit to not feel tired near the end. Still enjoyed it but its not an album I would come back to as a complete album. Better than "dude with a guitar" albums overall.

Groundbreaking in 1988, but to me doesn't stand the test of time. Pales in comparison to Dre's later virtuosic production

Some innovative stuff here, but I don’t love the style

Every song sounded the same to me but eventually it grew on me

I liked the beginning and I get it’s importance but it got boring about halfway through

Groundbreaking album, but not my style.

It is good. a genre that i ventured into in the late 80s and early 90s but never really listened to NWA. a great listen. I would likely not buy the record, but I enjoyed it

Not my genre usually! But really enjoyed the lyrics and the beats. I’ve heard a lot about this particular album from people who understand and love rap. Fun to listen to something you usually don’t hear and glad I did it.

Torn on this. On the one hand the album changed the face of rap, so is obviously and important release, and some of the songs actually work really well, it's a combination of rappers that work well with good beats and dj's who can produce good beats. On the other hand... it arguably brought in a wave of shite rap - most of the solo stuff that came after (except Dre) was terrible, and the legions of wannabe copycats were even worse. It's full of questionable lyrics with way too much mysoginy and machismo. And some of the songs are legit shite.

I can see why it was so influential at the time. Unfortunately hasn't aged well in either lyrics and style. Even excluding the bonus tracks it goes on about 15 minutes longer than it needed to. Overall some great stuff mixed with some corny filler.

2,5

Love the production. Hasn't aged the best

Seminal gangsta rap album. Felt dated by now, but no denying it's foundational work I think. It's a 3 for me as none of these tracks made it in to any of my playlists.

It started off great with the first few songs but the momentum never came back. You're just left with a one-sided monotonous sound that doesn't really go anywhere. There are some really great tracks on here but I expected something more. On top of that you gotta deal with those corny ass lyrics. Very good but still a tad bit disappointing. Top 3 Fav: Fuck Tha Police, Gangsta, Gangsta, and Express Yourself Top 3 Worst: Dopeman - Remix, 8 Ball - Remix, and I Ain't Tha 1 3.50/5

Rating: 3.4

Not so bad

Production is crazy. Starts off strong. But pretty long and I got tired of the flow.

I did not use a private session for Spotify. If you have read my previous reviews, and I can't imagine you have, you will know that I feel like an eavesdropper listening to music with a prolific use of the N word. This album definitely falls under that category, even if it didn't it wouldn't make it into my rotation, but I can appreciate what it is.

one of the best opening 5 tracks in rap history, then followed with some ok tracks that drag on for too long. i aint tha 1 and dopeman remix had some crazy ass lines tho. 3/5

Ok

The production is immaculate but 80’s hip hop is still corny.

This album comes out hot as hell with absolutely massive tracks. And, yet, soon thereafter, it loses steam due to thematic monotony and erratic production quality. Make no mistake, the themes of Straight Outta Compton are both visceral and poignant to the untold scores of people who "don't know, don't show, or don't care about what's going on in the hood." But a listener can become nearly numb to it in time, which is a disservice to the message. The inconsistent production is frustrating. At its best, this album sounds well ahead of its time, with the types of layered beats and samples that would soon become the norm. But others feel dated, elemental, and rudimentary. Traversing from one to the other is disappointing. Admittedly, time has not treated the lyrical content well. Violence and misogyny are constant, and occasionally glorified. (Eazy E doth protest too much, methinks). Anyone who wasn't around for the dawn of this generation of hip-hop will likely find this more offensive than it was upon its release. This could be a four star album if only they had tightened up and focused on the strongest tracks. Still, I struggle to make it less that 3.5. Even if you don't like the music or the lyrics, it is undoubtedly a document of it's time.

Production ✅ Flows ✅ Misogyny 🙅‍♂️ Homophobia 🙅‍♂️ Didn’t age well, I know why this is important - especially the political stances which are at once spine tingling when you hear the visceral tone and cheapened by the attitude to women. I wish it was the former that had lived on in hip hop instead of the latter

I know this album is historically important, and it had some good tracks/beats, but overall, I didn’t really like it.

Layered production. A little repetitive with the flow, as per most early Hip Hop records. Easy to see how ahead of its time it was though.

A classic that isn't aging well. I love the lack of skits and the anti police lyrics. But the sexism is just plain weird.

Some great songs but some forgettable stuff

I really enjoyed Fuck the police. Songs are a bit too long - I like the backing beats a lot but they get repetitive after a while. Overall didn't really stand out to me. 2.5 - but I can see the significance.

It's been a long while since I listened to anything off of this. I certainly witnessed the strength of street knowledge with this one. It's classic really but it could but it could be better.

I start off with this one thinking well I am so far from the target market but I am feeling the vibes, even overlooking the misogyny and other nonsense. And then it gets a bit monotonous and it just goes on and on and on. So many of these rapper just love the sound of their own voice. Comes with the territory I guess

I liked a few songs but wouldn't actively listen to it. Feels like rap has moved on a lot!

I like the style, but not to sound like a prude, got tired of the constant profanity. I can see myself coming back to this album occasionally.

Dr. Dre beats og sampling får det her album til aldrig at lyde ens. Dét er fedt. Resten af banditterne på slænget, sørger for at det lyder som om de hygger sig med at afbryde nummerne med deres eget værs. Teksterne er alt fra rå, ærlige, og fjollede.

Jeg begynder at kunne li’ Hip Hop mindre og mindre igennem det her projekt. Eller måske troede jeg egentligt at jeg kunne li’ Hip Hop bedre end jeg kan. Eller også er der meget lidt Hip Hop jeg kan li’. Og det skal gerne være i små doser. N.W.A. er langt fra det værste Hip Hop vi har haft. Titlenummeret og Fuck Da Police er klassikere. Men som album kan jeg ikke svinge mig op til mere end et meget lille 3 tal. Og det føler jeg endda er generøst. Jeg mistede fuldstændig interessen for albummet kort efter de sange var ovre.

I guess you gotta get deeper into these n**gga stories to fully appreciate it. Beats and samples and raps add up to 3 stars for me.

I'd say this is probably the top 10 culturally significant albums of the last 50 years. It has to be on this list. That being said it is so juvenile and just mostly rapping about rapping. Way less bitches and cop killing than I thought (although there is a lot). It's just a bunch of kids who were given the opportunity to speak and they were a bit overwhelmed I think. That being said what they did say became a complete institution. Glad I listened to it once. 2 for personal enjoyment, 5 for cultural relavencyy

What a pull. This first song is so good. It holds up. I’m concerned the rest of this may sound fairly dated/horrifyingly bigoted, but this first song is still great. The beat, every verse, the voices, the energy. Fantastic. Jesus. Back to back?? I thought this song was later. From teenage bravado to a takedown of police brutality that is still exists to this day. Angry, frank, the first f-slur. This truly is a special moment. The MC Ren verse is more lame actually. Generic violence bars. When I say generic, I have to consider that this was 87, 88. Literally nobody was doing this. Man. Three in a row. I came into this knowing three songs and they’re gone. I am heavily concerned. I’m starting to think life really isn’t more than “bitches and money.” God the beat is so good. More slurs! Comes with the territory. Man we loved exclusion. Beat switch is so good. Honestly, Ice Cube and Eazy-E should just take it from here. Is this G-Funk 6 years before Warren G and Nate Dogg flew gently into our rooms and hearts?? A LOT of MC Ren for this one. Oh no. This is repetitive and not in a great way. Were 9 volt batteries really that hype? Yo Ren. This song was also good. Why was it so cool to misspell words. Times have changed. Now you’d be laughed out of your record launch party. CAN ICE CUBE COME BACK???? MC ren has ONE flow. Not considered a prince because I’m a principal. This is word association. Yo uh I spin the globe not an earlobe uhhh. He’s back thank god. So many guitars on this album. The funk guitar samples versus the jazz/R&B is interesting. Easy-E discussing parental discretion for having sex with him. Stick to the over-18s Eazy. If that is your real name. Next “Rap a hole in my dick.” The lyrical crevasse is forming. That famous Kurtis Blow flow with slightly edgy lyrics. This one sucks. Ice Cube required. Beat is salvageable but it says it’s a remix. Damn these special editions. Boring cut and paste song the next time. Starting to feel like Milhouse asking “when are they going to get to the fireworks factory” with regards to our chilly compatriot, Ice Cube. Forgettable. "Express Yourself" was a point I was dreading. The pop samples can go either way and it’s usually off a cliff. We have certainly veered towards the precipice. Albeit slowly. Boringly. There was so much rage and energy in the first three songs. It has come down to a simmer. And now perhaps to a lull as I hate this song as much as I remember. Basic raps over a repetitive pop sample. FUNKY. It’s about time. Compton, along with people (x8) are in the house. The funk disappeared. This sounds like it would play while we waited for the headliner, Ice Cube, to come out. Turns out it’s a diss. Makes sense. This would be devastating to be even remotely compared to this. Oh no. The misogyny break. Why Cube, Why? I wanted you back. And now. Well. You ain’t tha 1. He just wants real love. I Spell girl with a B, while misogynistic, is funnier than anything MC Ren has ever said. Run DMC with gang lyrics. Run- NWA. Dopeman rules. Until it gets into weird sex stuff. Man I’m a broken record here, but I need to listen to more Ice Cube. He is LEAGUES ahead of these bums. Even when he’s corny, he has personality and there’s an urgency and importance to his delivery. This sounds like a poor man’s gangsta gangsta. I’m waiting to hear like old-timey slurs you hear in the sopranos. We’ve pretty much run the gamut with 80’s slurs. Forgettable. Something 2 dance 2 surely is a joke. Cameo making a cameo near the end of this seminal piece of gangsta rap. Man this thing is interesting. Lots of foundational ideas but lacking in energy and originality in pockets. The lyrical themes were new, but the musical ideas weren’t in many cases with a few notable exceptions. 2.5-3 HIGHLIGHTS: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Gangsta Gangsta.

Basically all the stars are for Fuck The Police. I'm sure I'd give out more if y'all didn't hate women so much.

Interesting due to its historical significance, but I'm not going to regularly listen to it. Pretty over-the-top last track in terms of being offensive; I really didn't notice too much out of the ordinary before that point, but I also wasn't paying too close of attention.

всё ещё мало времени хотя кажется это не первая моя попытка в этот альбом. пока норм)

Absolute classic hip hop record. This was such a pivotal moment for the culture, cementing Eazy’s and Cube’s place in the industry. A glimpse into the life of the scene in Compton, laid out in quality story fashion. Typical production style from this era that can be a bit rigid, with little swing, but still some quality beats. A lot of samples taken from this record that have been used for decades since. Happy to see this one on here. Oh, and FUCK THE POLICE.

“Oh noes, this album is filled of misogyny and violence, how can anyone like this” If this is your criteria for rating music, I’m afraid of what kind of music we’d have if it were up to you. That being said, lyrics are doing the heavy lifting here, everything else is kind of meh by todays standards, a 3.5/5 is probably more accurate

Pioneros del gansta rap, N.W.A. accedieron a la fama con un rap violento y sexista, que celebraba en sus canciones la violencia y el hedonismo del mundillo criminal. A finales del 88 publicaron este disco obteniendo un gran éxito underground, sin el apoyo de radios, televisión y prensa musical. Sin atisbos de crítica social o siquiera reflexión sobre la vida del gángster, se limitan a hablar del acoso a mujeres, de conducir borracho o liarse a tiros con la policía, incluyendo un tema, "Fuck tha Police", que provocó que el FBI advirtiera a su discográfica. Hoy su pavoneo sobre una supuesta invencibilidad romantizada suena a una gran exageración y lo que se ha dado en llamar "postureo". Tienen, eso sí, un sentido del humor irreverente que los hizo algo diferentes dentro del rap duro.

Many a review ago I mentioned that I'm able to tolerate misogyny/homophobia/various social ills from past days when the music is bumping. "It was a different time," I say to myself. "No need to get upset." I guess that's still true, but there is some startling shit on here. The way they write about women in particular is, uh, not awesome. The beats knock, the performances are charismatic, and I won't argue that this isn't a classic. But jeez, "Dopeman" in particular had me actually grimacing. Highlights: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Express Yourself, Something 2 Dance 2

Hm

classic eighties rap

Obviously hugely influential, but this is a bit of a chore to listen to these days. Express Yourself and Fuck The Polics still hit though 👍

Straight Outta Compton is the debut album from N.W.A. It is considered to be one of the greatest rap album of all times. This is the first successful gansta rap album - most of the lyrics are celebrations of violence and misogyny. The band "Fuck the Police" attracted the attention of the authorities in the 80s, and added to the notoriety of the album, and the band. Like much of the genre, there is less of the melodic that is typical of most genres. Most of this album is angry and violent - certainly justified, but does not create a listening experience that makes great music. There are some surprises on this album - "Express Yourself" sounds like the product of a different group.

Lovely grooves...and then the misogyny begins.

great album but violence and sexism overshadows

Legends for a reason. I'm a huge Hip Hop fan, and therefore kinda embarrassed that I never listened to this whole album straight through before.

Good but kinda dated, I feel like a dick saying that

Kinda funny kinda wholesome Singles slap I aint the one to get played like a poo-butt Samples go hard Very cali

Got this the day after Snoop’s first record. I like how political this is compared to that. But like most West Coast rap of this era there’s things that don’t age well - mainly the homophobia and over usage of the N-word.

There’s not much I can say about this one, it’s an absolute classic in hip hop, and it definitely deserves its title as one and all the respect it is given. However, it’s far from the greatest of the genre. A great stepping stone, responsible for much of what hip hop has today, but definitely not perfect. A handful of instant classic songs alongside plenty of others that just don’t reach the same heights. I feel like I’m being a little too negative here, I don’t hate this album, not at all. I love so much here, and it’s definitely a worthwhile listen, but hip hop has grown and evolved so much since then.

Primer acercamiento a N.W.A. en formato LP. El primer álbum de estudio de la agrupación es sumamente relevante para entender el fenómeno del Gangsta Rap y el West Coast Hip Hop. Así, si hoy en día hablamos de mega artistas como Kendrick Lamar es gracias en parte al quinteto de Compton. Este trabajo tiene todo lo que necesita un álbum de rap: las rimas, los beats y la actitud. Las letras crudas y agresivas de Cube, y las juguetonas bases de Dre y Yella demuestran esa grandeza. No obstante, es este último elemento, creo yo, el más determinante del éxito del grupo. El álbum realmente se siente como si estos jóvenes de California se estén comiendo el mundo, lo cual finalmente hicieron con su resultado. Ahora, s bien no creo que sea un trabajo excelente, si es sorprendente que se trate de la antesala de lo que harían algunos de sus miembros por separado (como es el caso de The Chronic por Dr. Dre y Death Certificate por Ice Cube). Si tuviese que destacar algún elemento que no fue de mi agrado sería la duración: quizás haber recortado algunos temas habría sido ideal, pues lamentablemente no todas las canciones pegan como los primeros dos temas del LP. No obstante, ello no desmerece la importancia e influencia de este trabajo, el cual es una escucha segura para cualquier amante del hip hop. FAVTRAXS: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Gangsta Gangsta, Parental Discretion Iz Advised, Express Yourself LEASTFAV: Compton N The House (Remix) 3.5/5

The first platinum Gangsta-Rap from 88.

It was okay.

Certainly an album that marked a turn for hip hop music. It is certainly aggressive and rough but some of the social issues it points to still apply. Fuck The Police was as true then as it is now and it's the best track on the album.

The gangsterist of gangster rap, and the a random dance track at the end

Not for me. I appreciate the importance of this album. Rating reflects that.

Yeeeeeeesh. Some of those lyrics didn’t age well.

Influential, and Dre's production is fantastic, a pinnacle moment in hip hop history, but the lyrics are mixed, with a lot of points that still ring true today, but tons of homophobia, sexism, and a general view of violence for the sake of fun. It is hard to even say "that was just the time period," as groups like Public Enemy already had It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, something far more nuanced with just as good production. However, it is tough to deny the impact here. I mean, you still have people quoting the first two tracks' opening lines constantly, and there are tons of production moments that overshadow the lyrics so much that it is easy to tune out anything too hateful, but sometimes it just felt like being edgy for the sake of it. It spawned so many careers that did go on to create greater projects, but when it comes to classic hip hop groups, easy to put NWA on a lower bracket if this is their best material.

The beeeeeaaaaaaaattts. The beats. Amazing album. It’s really mean though.

Classic beats but hard to get by the lyrics

good

3 Stars. (8/15)

Went on a bit loo long, but I generally didn’t mind this. Varied enough to keep my interest for most of the hour, but I probably won’t listen again.

Enjoyed it but not enough for a higher rating.

I had a pretty hard time with this at first, and I'm still kinda wrestling with Straight Outta Compton obviously being a landmark record with some pretty cutting-edge DJing and MCing at the time. It's a bit overlong, but the beats get better as the record goes on, some of the corny flow settles down into some old-school flow. Some of the sampling is ahead of its time and obviously influenced generations of hip hop artists to come. Still, I probably won't have this on for my own listening enjoyment, and while a lot of the material hasn't aged well, other parts of it are derivating even given the time period.

Wow this gansta rap classic drops the hell off after track 3 (except Express yourself and I ain't the 1. I can see why Cube and Dre left to do their own things

So violent ad sexist 😬 it’s a solid album though.

great singles

Fuck the Police and all that. It’s still very relevant 36 years later. The misogynistic lyrics are extremely outdated and off putting by today’s standards, though.

I used to love this album and I understand the impact it had on rap/black america as a whole, but it’s 2024 and I can’t condone anything that glorifies beating women (esp when members genuinely were beating women, tho thanks for apologising Dre, I guess).

Good

My kindergarten class absolutely loved this!!! Fav songs: - Straight Outta Compton - Fuck Tha Police - Express Yourself

Wow, an iconic hip hop album. Not my genre, but good beats throughout. Highlights: straight outta compton, express yourself

You can’t deny the impact and influence this album has had for years and years to come. So many samples have been taken from this album, and just about every underground DJ mixtape has had tracks from this album on them. On a personal level, it’s kind of unfortunate, but albums like this really fall flat for me these days. Overall, I have to say my life is good, I’m pretty happy, and now when I listen to these types of albums, it reminds me of a younger, less evolved version of me. Yuck!!!

Tja, hierdoor begint het weer te kriebelen. Een reviewachterstand van een week ongeveer, dat wordt even aanpoten. Maar deze glipt er even tussendoor uit de losse pols, want dit is gangsta rap, misschien wel mijn favoriete hiphop genre. En het is voor dit genre ook zo'n enorm belangrijke. Een opstand tegen police brutality en ongelijkheid, een oorlogsverklaring aan de politie, maar ook de verheerlijking van grof geweld en het objectificeren van vrouwen. In feite de belichaming van de gangsta rap. De mannen komen zo keihard binnen op de openingstrack Straight Outta Compton. De classic Fuck Tha Police doet het ook altijd goed. Gangsta Gangsta heeft al een vleugje G-Funk, een stijl die pas een aantal jaar later écht populair werd. Gesampled van Ohio Players - Funky Worm. Lekker hoor. Er staan ook nummers op die niet helemaal aan de bekende nummers kunnen tippen, het is geen gangsta rap album als All Eyez On Me of Ready To Die waarbij letterlijk elk nummer een knaller is. Straight Outta Compton een groundbreaking album dat zeker gezorgd heeft voor de exponentiele groei van de gangsta rap en g-funk. Het album is verre van perfect, maar deze hiphop pioniers verdienen een dikke voldoende. Rating: 7,5/10 Highlights: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Dopeman

6,5/10 Норм, классическая чёрная рэпчина. Негры делают то что умеют лучше всего. Не имею ничего против хоршей рэпчины, главное чтобы не русской. Вообще, само по себе существование термина "русский рэп" это сюр, данный "жанр" должен называться коричневый звук. Возвращаясь к альбому, опять же classic, я бы даже сказал true story.

A very impactful rap album. Some of the beats are pretty funky, although some of the production elements sound dated today. MC Ren, for being featured on so many tracks, has lots of unremarkable bars. This is definitely an example of what people who don't like rap think what rap is. I think Ice Cube has lots of poignant lines and biting deliveries. Some songs seem aggro for aggro's sake, like "I Ain't The 1." I can appreciate the album in small doses, but I'm a big fan of the works spawned after this

An important album in the hip hop landscape to be sure but if I'm being honest the album is pretty mid. Aside from Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police and Express Yourself there isn't much here worth listening too.

It's iconic, but is it actually good? The singles are what you would expect, but they're as good as this album gets.

lyrics, beat and a great tempo - enjoyable; dated? sure, but it was groundbreaking back in the day

Classic

Misogynie und homophobie abzug >:(

Some great songs and obvious classic but it's a bit too ''early'' in terms of rap style for my taste

I guess I never really listened to this album all the way through. I was aware it was controversial, and I’ve definitely heard some of the songs, I think I listened to this all the way through years ago. That being said, I didn’t realize how sexist this album is. I would say it’s of its time but I’m pretty sure this wasn’t acceptable even for the 80s. No, I think they were doing it for shock value, and if that’s the case it still didn’t age well. I still like some of the stuff on here, Express Yourself is low key the best song on the album. That and the hits are all solid, even though I can’t stand Eazy E. His voice just irks me. But this one def takes a hit for how poorly some of the songs aged. However, one song has definitely stood the test of time, and unfortunately its message still holds true today. This country really needs to take a deep look into the rampant racism in policing.

Loves the sampling, Express yourself and Fuck that Police were high points. Don't love the misogyny.

Truly a land of contrasts

I don't like rap. The language is awful. But I really like the sound and stories of the songs.

while not exactly my type of music, solid beats, fun samples weaved in, etc. Obvious seismic impact on the music scene, solid entry on the list

I was going to say Straight Outta Compton is a world changing album but unfortunately that’s not true, sadly it’s at least as relevant today as it was in 1988. The aggression, anger and energy of the opening few tracks most have been shocking in 1988. Fuck Tha Police is one of the most iconic songs ever written. The album drags on however, once again, a hip hop records that’s too damn long 7.7/10

After listening to Straight Outta Compton, I have found it is pretty groovy and fun. In some ways, it kinda feels like an early version of Cypress Hill, another hip hop album i quite like. The lyrics still give the idea that the group doesn't really have a good relationship with the cops and that's the kind of lyrics i like most of this album. The album was also rather well produced with all the samples coming together quite well. It is a rather good hip hop album that i think is perfect for all the gangsters still out there. Best Song: Straight Outta Compton Worst Song: Express Yourself

Quite enjoyable 7/10

Good album with some excellent lyrics.

Listened

Was considering a 4 but too much explicit language…

I oscillated between 2 and 4 several times while listening to this. I mean within the genre, this was no Arrested Development where everything was top notch. Some great tracks. Some historic tracks. Some duds. Some offensive world views that shouldn't be perpetuated and applauded. Let's average to a conflicted 3.

I respect this album because of its influence on Hip-Hop and music as a whole. Additionally, it certainly has some incredible songs. I give it props for this. However, the album is just so jarringly sexist that I can't really get into it.

Tough one. Some good tracks and great lyrics, but also pretty misogynistic, crime and violence celebrating, young man bravado. Obvs hugely important, and often a lot of fun. I liked, but didn't love.

While I'm not a huge fan of gangsta rap or the messages it sends - this album is incredibly important in both the musical and historical landscapes of the time. Angry, raw and brave. I can't understand what its like to have grown up and lived in Compton, and while I find a lot of the lyrics challenging there is no denying how impactful and influential this album is sharing for an hour what it might be like to walk in the shoes of Dr Dre, Eazy-E and Ice Cube. It was groundbreaking at the time it came out, and as a big Beastie Boys fan I loved hearing all the samples in the NWA tracks. Probably not something I will revisit, but worth a listen!

This is a seminal album. Late-80s hip-hop was exploding into a fragmented place that would birth a universe. Public Enemy, Run D.M.C., De La Soul?, Tribe Called Quest, and N.W.A. all took direction to make that reality. N.W.A. took the hyper-masculine reality state to the stratosphere on this album. Every member of the group has their skill set on full display at full volume in support of some of the most violent and virulent lyrics imaginable. This is what it meant to be young, angry, and powerless as a black man in 1988. None of it is real, but it comes from the place of distorted realism in a young man's mind. Messages may not have aged well, they may ruffle feathers, but this was the world.

This album is legendary. Do I like it a bunch or want to listen to it often? Not really. It basically invented gangsta rap (apologies to Ice-T) and introduced the world to Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E. I had an uneasy relationship with the lyrics as a young man and my uneasy relationship with the lyrics and misogyny has only gotten more strained as a middle-aged man. "Straight Outta Compton" and "Express Yourself" are the standout tracks for me.

Let's get one thing out of the way: this album is incredibly dated. The flows are legitimately primitive. Rightly so as this is still early days for the genre, but, to a modern ear, it feels very basic in a lot of ways. That said, the social commentary that can be found in this is still very relevant. It would probably hit harder if it wasn't balanced by bragging about crimes, though. I mean, yes, the police shouldn't be treating you like that just because you're young and black. But also maybe don't pull a gun on a shop owner because he's asked if you're drunk, you know?

Cool

Important album for the foundation of Gangster Rap. Some catchy songs and beats!

I know this had a huge impact on many genres and hip-hop/rap as social commentary. It's just a lot all in a row!

Ein sehr gutes Gangsta Rap Album. Hervorragend produziert. Die Texte sind sehr fragwürdig.

I found myself really enjoying a large potion of this album. There are some really tasty bass licks and the tracks have a lot of energy and movement.

I don't know if I like Ice Cube better as a rapper or as an actor, he's pretty good in both

Not my favorite rap album 6/10

There are two things you will learn from the album: 1. N.W.A. hates the police. 2. N.W.A. hates women. Front loaded album with the first two tracks being the most well know, the middle being not great to straight up bad, with the end being ok. It was strange hearing so many Beastie Boys samples in this album to the point where it made me think they produced it but after a google search found N.W.A. was heavily influenced by them. 6/10

A classic, of course.

Fun and can imagine pretty groundbreaking at the time, some amazing iconic songs on there and ages more gracefully than other hip hope from that sort of time. Highlights were gangsta gangsta, straight outta Compton and fuck that police

In terms of a rap album, this wasn't too bad. Not a fan of rap, but I could make it through this album and didn't completely mind it started again. Express Yourself is probably the best on this album. 3/5

I don't think I have listened to this record all the way through before. It is pretty great and about what I expected. I don't know that it's my favorite, but it's good and I can appreciate that it's important.

It’s not really what I normally listen to but you can see why it was so big at the time. Still love Express Yourself.

A landmark album that has aged well musically but not aged well at all lyrically. It has one of the all time great hip hop openers.

Much better than I expected

So much of this is so musically exciting, but with age and context it’s so hard to get past a lot of the content. Same thing happened with a previous Ice Cube solo record. I’m very familiar with this one, my young self listened a lot. I know the merit, I’m just not sure it’s worth it to me any more.

You can brand this a classic, even if it's not your cup of tea. The first two tracks alone have become Rap Standards, songs that are known even to those who have never listened to rap.

Loved it when I was a teenager. Great for nostalgia, but I’m not in any hurry to listen to the entire album

The influence of this album (and group at large) on subsequent rappers is undeniable, however, besides the big hits there isn't much to discern most of the songs from each other

Yes I'ma climb, but you know you need this And the knowledge is growing just like a fetus Or a tumor, but here is the rumor

Funky. Nice funk/soul instrumentals. Shallow lyrics. Audio quality is poor on certain songs.

It’s wild that music about killing, bitches, and drugs can eventually turn into corny mixes and versus, but that is understand with how far hip hop has come in the decades since. It’s apparent how well mixed and produced this is, but it is most certainly a period piece with some classics, and some songs that have served their purpose.

I basically only listened to rap in high school. This was the fourth rap album I bought and it certainly widened my world view as a white suburban 14-year-old. I wore this tape out. Dre brings some great beats to the album. Cube and Ren are great MCs. I’m not an ignorant teen any more though. And the level of misogyny here is through the roof, so I’m going to knock it down a few stars for stupidity.

I read something about how when NWA came out with Fuck the Police hip hop took over being the music of rebellion from rock. It’s certainly an interesting take that I don’t really disagree with. So I get the significance of this album and the rhymes and beats are really good. However the misogyny and homophobia so common in that area of hip hop is kind of jarring in 2024.

I am a fan of aggressive music and clearly this album fits the bill. I liked it enough. To deny its power and influence would be silly but it just doesn’t land the same today. I mean a movie was made about it so it was clearly popular. However, it just doesn’t hit the same as it would have back then. I felt a lot of the lyrics were focused on the same 3 topics and it got pretty stale outside of the main singles that everyone knows this album for. A landmark album that I can appreciate for laying the land for what comes after but one that misses the mark for me personally.

- I know this album was incredibly important, specifically in bringing gangsta rap into legitimate mainstream consumption, and I have a lot of respect for that...but I do feel like it becomes repetitive after awhile. One of those artistic achievements wherein I believe being "the first" is a more important piece than the actual quality of the product. - The first four tracks are solid. But, I think diminishing returns are found almost immediately. The opening track ("Straight Outta Compton") is so goddamn electric. And even if "Fuck Tha Police" is not quite as kinetic, the thematic material boosts it. But, I find myself wanting to tap out about halfway through it all.

good album, but gets a bit repetitive

It's always a little cheesy when people tell you how cool they are. Even if these guys were as hard as Nas in NYC, they come across as posers a little bit because how much they feel the need to tell you how hard they are. Nas actually came across as hard because the music portrayed that very well. I didn't hate this record but I also didn't love it. Dr Dre and Ice Cube can flow pretty well. I don't care as much for the Easy E sections though.

The source code of all gangsta rap. I like how similar this is to punk music at the time. It gives no shits, they say it how they feel. Its angry, but also angsty. There are dozens of things that "don't age well," and things that just generally feel old. However, I think that's ultimately unimportant when it comes to the legacy of this record. They take the flowy but often somber nature of East Coast rap and make it more upbeat and more lively. The angst, crass, visceral (and often juvenile) lyrics and attitude fit right in. This feels like it belongs at the Venice Beach Skatepark as much as it feels like it belongs in the projects of Compton.

Klassiker. Manche Songs besser als andere. Wär mir zu anstrengend am Stück, aber auszugsweise ganz nice.

Boo hoo, there's swear words in my gangsta rap. - Every fucking 1 star review While I see how spamming the word 'fucking' every time you need two extra syllables is lazy, that's not really what they're saying. Fucking fucks, fuck 'em. As always with rap albums for me, it felt too long. And for no good reason either, there are songs that just sound like freestyle near the end, could've ditched them. Despite that, a solid album, I enjoyed the first half.

A super group of great rappers. Performance wise, very excellent. Content, well, not my favorite. Amazing how those angry young men became wealthy and then less angry

Of course I’m aware of this album, but this is the first time I’ve listened. I like it, but honestly don’t understand the hype around Eazy-E.

Not my genre. Had seen the movie but never listened to the music/album. Movie gives it context that a suburban white dude would never know otherwise.

I can see how it was influenced by a lot of music before with the references and utilization of samples and how it influenced music afterward. I do think the overall messages revolting against police violence and racism are important and I like them owning the idea of the truth being rough, however, I do think the heavy handed inclusion of homophobia and sexism undercuts that message. While it did have it's moments of feeling a little too cartoonish, it was cool to listen to something I normally wouldn't.

Lyrics are awful but beats are good

There are some pretty solid tracks on here - the title track, Fuck Tha Police, Express Yourself. But I didn't like it quite as much as the Public Enemy album we got a while back.

Just another perfectly okay album. A lot of probably unintentional humor in the young macho puffery, and a lot of political commentary that induces little but eye-rolls. Rhythmically kind of simplistic, but some good rhymes once in a while.

Enjoyable to an extent - was good to give this album a full listen

Technically great. Hard to get behind most of the lyrics. Ice Cube especially sounded great. His best work until Are We There Yet?

It's fine. But repetitive. All songs blended into each other. Not my favorite lyrics. Understand the historical significance though

That was some straight up hardcore gangster rap right there. I can understand that album was probably super influential for most hip hop artists in the 90s/2000s. I wish I liked early rap more because of how much we are listening to it, and I have liked listening to it as it comes up to broaden the genres. But it still just does not do it for me. Express Yourself is an absolute classic. I did not know that it was NWA because it does not fit this album at all.

Verkar inte gilla kvinnor så mycket...

What an iconic album. A quite good one too. The flow is pretty insane. Arguably one of the most iconic rap albums of all time. I enjoyed it. It was really long however. 3.5

Not my regular go to music, but appreciate the musicianship.

Definitely a raw, definitive album; not a genre I listen to a lot, but I appreciate the value it had to the for the Hip-Hop/Rap movement.

Definitely a product of its time. Great hip hop album, although the messages sent by some of the songs are a little old school and sexist. Can definitely feel the difference between this and something like Wu Tang where flow began to diversify.

Beats are timeless, views on women have aged like milk.

Clutches pearls..."Oh the language!". Powerful lyrics and old school rap. Loved it then and now.

I respect NWA for the dialogue they start with their controversial music. It's very provocative. I don't respect how misogynistic they are.

Strong beats and the essential building blocks for future hip hop

Gangsta Gangsta was alright but like....lol holy cow what a difference in style of rap from this generation to then. It's crazy for me since I always learned the background of NWA before i really listened to their music. Admittedly, it's cringe lol, i was back when i was a kid too, but it's so much more cringe now. What crazy though is as cringe as it was they were really out there doing gangster shit, even though their rhymes were "wack" giving it a 3 out of 5 after thinking it over again, not really my style of rap and the ego showboating drove me crazy lol

A little too “gangster” for me. Didn’t really enjoy the womanizing songs lol

Important but dated

These guys are absolute pioneers of hip hop. Without them there’d be no Eminem (my favourite artist) so I’m glad this album exists. I don’t really enjoy this style all that much but I can’t deny it’s great and is a certified classic.

Liked

good: funky beats, interesting storytelling, nice samples bad: too vulgar at parts, a little long fav song: express yourself least fav song: i ain’t the 1 6/10 not quite my style; might like it more if it was shorter

interesting statement of the times. a good listen

There are some great tracks here that are actually a lot of fun. "Express Yourself" is lovely. But I won't lie, as iconic as this album is, this just isn't my type of rap. Way too many hateful lyrics, sexist, homophobic and violent throughout. Some of it is beginning to sound a little dated. And not every member of N.W.A. is on the same technical level. I love the sampling and when it gets a little funky, but overall, it just isn't for me.

3.4

Album Nr. 27 Für meinen Geschmack nur Mittelmaß - aber dafür das bisher beste HipHop-Album, welches mir bisher vorgeschlagen wurde.

Great highs but lows are there low 6

enjoyed it

The first tracks were kinda okay, but it’s way too long in my opinion.

I really like this album, but on my rating scale it's a 3 because I don't think I'd ever put it on and actually listen to it. Express Yourself, I Ain't Tha 1 and FUCK THE POLICE are my top tracks.

Aun sin ser mi estilo preferido, suenan bien.

I’ve been getting into old school rap and R&B a lot in the past few years. Straight Outta Compton has been on my list to listen for some time. Good album, but I prefer their east coast contemporaries, Public Enemy. Oddly, this is great camping music.

Nokkur góð lög og margt drasl. Margt þarna innihaldslaust en fight the power skín alveg í gegn hjá þeim á sumum lögunum. Ak47 murder bitch bla bla gefur mér bara kjánahroll samt. Var edgy á sínum tíma en orðið svo helvíti þreytt núna.

Skemmtileg lög á fyrri hluta en alltof löng plata. 10 lög hefðu verið alveg nóg. Þetta verður bara endurtekning á því sama og meira fokk, bitches og dick, sem eldist ekki vel. Rappið vissulega að slíta barnsskónum en Public enemy gáfu út It takes a million sama ár, sem er fullorðins. Don´t believe the hype meira segja samplað á plötunni. En platan skilaði sínu og kom þeim á kortið.

Not really my thing. But, okay.

a lot of their songs didnt really age well, but the hits are great. although the run time is way longer than I remember. absolutely a product of its time and awesome for what it ushered in, but I dont know if it stands up to today.

My wife “Okay we get it. You hate women” Me “No babe they don’t hate women they hate bitches. And unfortunately all the women they know are bitches” There’s some great songs on here but it’s about 7 songs too long. Pretty relentless and one note for the most part as well

I can understand why our parents were so scared of this when it came out. In retrospect though it’s really just a bunch of fun macho posturing topped off with a goofy dance number. A while ago I listened to this album to start “expanding my horizons” and dug a couple tunes but it didn’t really grab me. I can appreciate it but it’s just not really my jam. Songs added to Spotify: 0

Wildly misogynistic lyrics, but I should have seen that coming. The music is pretty catchy though, and the angry energy is infectious

I watched "Straight Outta Compton" back when it came out. Hearing the few songs from this album on it, I would think they would be ore impactful. But some of them have lyrics that are just... sophomoric at best. (Looking at you, "Dopeman" and "I Ain't The 1".) Still, the bite of the first two songs alone, WOW! It's an important album, to be sure. But it's not something I can listen to over and over again.

Never explored this album before, but I enjoyed it. I prefer some newer styles of rap but I still appreciate the classics

I can see why this album is on the list, but it's not for me. Some things just don't age well, even if groundbreaking for the time or pointing out injustice. 3/5

This is a record that gets equal parts helped and hurt by context. It is the unfiltered feelings of young men who feel that society has failed them, their families, their friends, their entire neighborhoods. The rage at the marginalization they face is what makes the best lyrics on this album hit hard even today as we realize that not a whole lot has changed. Of course, what hurts the album is also that this is the unfiltered feelings of angry young men. These guys love sex, drugs, and guns and they’re not afraid to tell you about it. Homophobia and sexism in the lyrics run rampant, which is not unusual given the context, but definitely makes it a little bit embarrassing to listen to in front of other people. I swear I’m not even one of those pearl-clutching people who would complain about these themes in Rap music, it’s just really dialed up on this record. Aside from that, I feel like the tracks aren’t particularly amazing outside of the hits. I think Ice Cube introduces himself to us about 6-7 times on the album. Eazy-E (RIP) makes it a little awkward to hear about all the unprotected sex he’s having knowing how he would someday perish. Dre’s production is great but certainly unpolished, you can see the seeds of what he would someday become. I think this lands right in the middle. Top tracks: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Parental Discretion Iz Advised, Express Yourself, Something 2 Dance 2

This album did not age great. The group has a charm that is hard to ignore but some lines fall flat, some songs are really boring and forgettable, but on the singles they’re great. It’s hard to say this shouldn’t be on the list given the influence of not just the album, but the members as well. That being said, I think this album will lose more of its charm as time marches on

Clásico e influyente. Temas que han envejecido genial, otros tantos que no son gran cosa. 7/10

I don’t like it so much, not bad, but not my style

Some great tunes and a few forgettable ones. Notable tracks: Straight Outta Compton Fuck Tha Police Express Yourself

Nicht mein persönlicher Favorit, aber sehr stabiler Klassiker des West Coast Old-School-Hip-Hop. Die Beats sind sehr gut, die Texte sind nicht wirklich mein Geschmack und die Delivery ist halt für die Zeit sehr gut gewesen, aber nicht mehr sehr modern.

Good beats and flow. I really enjoyed a couple of tracks. However a lot of the songs sounded almost identical to me, I couldn't tell you which was which. I was tired long before the end of the album. Very repetitive. The lyrics are a bit dated as well. It does have a certain appeal though.

Oh, again

Bastante vanguardista para la época. Muy buen sonido. Top 3: 1. Something like that 2. Fuck the Police 3. Express Yourself

Hørte ikke det hele men det er old School vred hip hop. Fint nok.

first song screeams hip-hop gangster right off the start

It wasn't that bad! Pretty chilled beats and samples, very much as any hip hop tracks from 80s, and quite "gangsta" lyrics, but compared to some of the contemporary music, it's not that outrageous. Just an album that for some reason became very influential and well-known. Only issue is - it's not in my style. Still though, pretty good job!

Honestly this is a tough listen and not in a fun way, I mean ZERO complaints about the music itself, but the lyrics are pretty over the top and violent/sexist and while I know they're going for hyperbole I just am not having a fun time. Respect for the musicians, but I don't love this one.

Ice Cube: suck my ding-a-ling Eazy E: suck my wing-ding-ding-a-ling Dr. Dre: I will never 😤 smoke weed 🤮 MC Ren: My name is MC Ren The production is awesome on this thing, and the first two songs are two of the greatest rap songs ever. The album is def an enjoyable listen but I will say they pretty much keep the same flow the whole time and all the songs go like a minute and a half longer than you’d think they would. Good album but you can tell it ended up being a precursor to at least Dre and Cube making better music in the future. 6.9/10

The highs are high. The lows are low. The album was too long to get a high rating IMO. There is definitely some absolute timeless raps on this album tho

Express Yourself was my favorite beat, and I felt like the content aged really well. Otherwise, the album was like The Chronic -- had a place in history and legend, just not my playlists.

Revolutionary

I’m not doing this project to talk on the cultural context and significance of an album, that’s been covered. I review these purely through my response to them. I expected this to be cooler than it is. Straight Outta Compton sounds kind of lame sometimes and it’s incredibly homophobic and gross about women. So uh, fuck that. Some nice samples though eg Express Yourself.

Seminal, absolutely. Still has undeniable energy and momentum. Frustratingly it is still perfectly topical. But the lyrics and attitude toward women (and others) haven't actually aged well. Can't really argue with them about the police, though.

Thoughts before listening: I know this is a classic full of iconic songs but I've never listened to it. I do know a few of the songs, and they're fun late 80s/early 90s California gangsta rap. I'm sure the lyrics will be a turn off for me, but I'm excited to hear this album. Review: I really enjoy this album, but as with a lot of the hip hop on here the lyrics make it a tough listen. Still though, I love this era of hip hop where they are rapping over backing tracks that are mostly sampled from 70s funk bands. I like NWA's group approach with distinct individual voices and personalities from each of the members. Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube especially are icons of the genre so it is cool to hear them together interacting on these songs.

Cool, to see the evolution of grangsta rap which i skipped until the tupac/wu-tang era

Eh

Liked this more than most old school hiphop

Yeh it is iconic but not my cup of tea

More culturally significant than good listening

Ever wondered what it would have been like if Blood Sugar Sex Magic was by Dr Dre and Ice Cube rather than the Red Hot Chilli Peppers? Well now you know. 3.5 stars.

3. Laying some respect on the impact this album must have had at the time, but I did struggle to stay focused on it. My main criticism is just the lack of diversity in the album; in the beats, production, lyrical structure and rhyming. Everything just feels very similar from track to track. Love the wide and unapologetic use of sampling though - one of the things I enjoyed most listening was trying to work out where I recognised them from. And there are definitely a couple of bangers sprinkled in there.

Kinda one note, not a lot of variation song to song.

It's OK, but I'm not in a hip-hop kinda mood these days. I like listening to this raw kind of rap sometimes, but it's not usually my style. I can bump to it nonetheless

Good. Enjoyable.

lyrics that say something!

Have listened to it through before. Of course this is a significant album in the progression of hip hop but I feel like had I grown up with it in my prime it would have more of an impact on me today. Today's market of rap and hip-hop is so saturated that it's sometimes easy to wash over albums

What a difficult album to judge cleanly in a pithy review. “Straight Outta Compton” isn’t so much an exercise in songwriting, musicality or storytelling as it is the birth of a movement. With boundless verve and aggression, a posse of L.A gangsters - Eazy E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, DJ Yella, Arabian Prince, The D.O.C, Krazy Dee - channel their lives on the streets of Compton into sixty breathless minutes. Listen to that long, low trombone ringing out across the whole of the opening track, like the foghorn of a ship that’s bringing in a whole new genre. And then it sends the shockwaves out across its domineering first three tracks, from the wilful power of “Straight Outta Compton” to the iconic anti-establishment “Fuck Tha Police” to the mission statement of “Gangsta Gangsta”. If the opening stretch of the album is an unassailable force, the rest of it only holds moments of greatness for me. Today, “Straight Outta Compton” feels nowhere near as artful or consistent as “Enter the Wu-Tang”, hip-hop’s other most celebrated debut from the rival coast five years later… but it is more of a party. While the beats are hollow, often repetitive and unmistakably 80’s, many of the samples are fun and engaging. The tight and brittle funk in “Gangsta Gangsta” and “If It Ain’t Rough”… the pizzicato strings in “I Ain’t Tha 1”… the synth bass in “8 Ball”… they’re all vital pieces of the jigsaw. It’s mainly scratching, brass and slinky funk guitar dominating the soundscapes, with some surprising embellishments (a quick “Let’s Get It On” lift, a piano solo in “Parental Discretion Iz Advised”). The more lacklustre tracks for me were the ones which were much lighter on instrumental samples and were structured around drums only: the empty braggadocio of “Compton’s N The House”, the misogyny-endurance-test of “Dopeman”. These place much less emphasis on the sampling and more from the quality of the lyrics, but anyone looking to “Straight Outta Compton” for poetry is going to be disappointed. N.W.A were chasing the “Parental Discretion” label like a nerdy kid chases the Blue Peter badge: violence, misogyny and homophobia all jostle for attention across the album’s sixty minute running time, in skewed and ugly lyrics I won’t trouble myself to type out. And even putting the content aside, the verses are fairly bog-standard, with straightforward rhyming, rhythm and meter. So my favourite tracks here are the album’s biggest anomalies: “Express Yourself”and “Something 2 Dance 2”, the two least explicit and hateful offerings. The latter ends the album on a disarmingly upbeat note, with a lively Sly and the Family Stone vocal sample. Both of these tracks present a different side of N.W.A, out to party and revel in the art they’re creating, which is much easier to stomach today, being far less problematic or dated. It’s a flawed album from flawed artists, but it’s impossible to deny the magnitude of “Compton”, or the full force of its greatest tracks.

a few goated tracks, also some mid and forgettable tracks lyrics did not age well good samples especially on express yourself the style is a little too on the nose gangsta rap for me which makes sense cuz it was the first one to do it but still 3/5

This came out when I was in high school. I now teach at a high school. This has not held up well lyrically.

Höpöhöpöä teatteria, mutta hyvin rullaa. Vaikuttavaa, koska koukukasta olematta varsinaisesti melodista.

Obviously essential - groundbreaking album within rap. Launched gangsta rap. Not really my thing but listenable.

Surprisingly well mixed and able to understand the lyrics more than most modern rap. Simple yet effective beats. Really heavily violence/drugs/misogyny throughout, further above the social commentary that is also there. Kinda lost me towards the end being a little repetitive.

First 3 songs are great and Express Yourself is good too. The rest is eh to okay.

Better than a lot of early rap 3.5

Fuck da police! Sit se oliki alamäkee.

Glad it exists. I get they meant to shock people who needed to be shocked, and they took it to the furthest extremes they could. Some interesting moments, mostly predictable. Ez had a cool voice. I’m impressed with the variety of flow present in this album.

A little repetitive

I think the popularity of modern rap has made this album a little outdated. Damn. Got some classics though

Horribly problematic but a classic I guess. ACAB also btw

AJ: Gangster rap kings, fer shizzle

I think with more time than a day I can be more into this album, but rap still seems not for me just yet. It hasn't clicked yet or maybe I haven't found the right group. I can see the history and why it was popular but it sounds like most other rap albums I have heard.

Despite having known about this album, this was the first time I'd listened to it. Firstly, I was expecting something a lot harsher, despite the language. Secondly, it was a bit more basic than I thought it would be. An important album for sure, despite it's themes aging poorly, but only a 3/5 on the quality scale.

Misoginy homophobia but it slaps

This album was quite revolutionary. 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." LOL. I used to not like rap very much. I totally blame being raised in such a prominent white area with SOOO much racism. But over the last decade or so I have learned to appreciate SOME. I listened to Eminem yesterday on my bike ride. That mother fucker is hella talented!! The movie that came out in 2015 about this album gave me a lot more insight into the history of this album. In spite of all the hype around this I'm only feeling 2 stars. Okay there were a few good songs there towards the end. I got a giggle out of the last track A Bitch Iz A Bitch LOL 3 stars then.

A couple of absolute classics with a few more top level tracks peppered in. About half still feel like filler to me, though.

This album probably hit a lot harder before Ice Cube sold out. “Man, fuck tha police… but also I will play one in a movie if you pay me enough.”

Definitely a classic hip hop album but a little outdated imo

The beat and music was really good but the lyrics are of course over the top.

First two tracks are super good, kinda loses me a bit in the middle. The energy is nice but some the lyrics are questionable Favorite(s): Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Express Yourself

Those are some very angry fellas

A mixed bag that’s not held up quite as well as I expected. Obviously the raw energy and anger of FTP still makes you sit up and Express Yourself is a stone cold classic. The rest is up and down. Still has to be listened to though.

Good 90s rap street album

Musically enjoyable and I recognise the talents of all involved, but it’s not the hiphop I enjoy. Still, it’s a very iconic album and influenced tons of artists following! 7 out of 10

Another case of "good album in a genre I'm not usually interested in".

It's not my taste in music but I enjoyed it.

Yep, this is misogynistic as fuck, and that's obviously a mark against it. Looking beyond that there's some good tracks on here - quite an array of different sounding tracks - you can tell the influence of the 80's scene coming into the 90's. I quite like how aggressive something like 'Fuck Tha Police' is. If It Ain't Ruff is good. Express Yourself is a tune.

Cool

Like the variety, from Fuk Da Police to the Sly sample in last song. Hate Gangsta Rap macho music but who am I to criticize the lyrics being a white, privileged Dutch guy. Give me Public Enemy's political hip hop anytime, still 3 stars.

3/5. What an opener, back to back the first two songs tell me what they are about. Later in the album, they decide to also show the less flavorful part of themselves, and it does not age well. Plus, many of the flows are similar throughout and I mix up some songs with other ones accidentally. Mostly great beats and important messages, from an honest group of fellas. ACAB.

Classic, good hiphop vibed

Just ok.

Noch nie etwas in der Art gehört, deswegen persönlich 6/10, aber Tracks mit melodischeren Samples Waren sehr gut.

Musicality: 2 - some nice beats but not anything I'd call very creative Production & Sound: 4 - clean Artistic Expression: 5 - mostly unique, there's some sort of meaning there Performance: 4 - they're all good at what they do Engagement & Enjoyment: 4 - I like it, if not for the lyrics Good album, not really great lyrically but it sounds good

As a whole not as good as I remember but the singles will forever remain classic

Si fa ascoltare

Feels very dated. I was kinda surprised with some of the samples on this album that I recognized

J'ai groové, je réécouterais sûrement pour prêter plus attention au texte

3.5

Listened to this whilst cycling from my house into the centre, and felt very pumped up afterwards. I enjoy the flow and the lyrics, and the sampling and beats hit pretty hard. I am trying to justify giving it 4 stars and not 3, but mainly because I can't remember any of it immediately afterwards and won't listen again, 3 it is.

Here we go again.... More misogyny and rapping about how tough you are. Zzzzz Tbf, this is much better than the 90s solo stuff from Dre and the other West coast rappers. They are actually rapping about real issues in this. Fuck the police is sadly still relevant 35 years later. Aside from all the boring posturing, there are some great tracks on this, the best ones are: Straight outta Compton Fuck the police Express yourself 3.5

3 This album is 35 years old and it sounds it. Know it’s a classic that set up a generation of hip hop, but the flow so damn rigid and uniform. It always hits in beat and indistinguishable

Surprisingly pretty good. I’m not a huge fan of rap, but most songs were good.

This was actually quite interesting to compare to other rap bands out at the time and where all the samples come from. Some tracks were pretty one-dimensional in their message, music and meaning (the 'police' song especially) but others were better (Express yourself). I liked the interplay of the different MCs (although this had been around for a decade at least) especially since some of them went onto megastardom. Finally I'm loving reading all the wokes struggling to cope with the nature of the lyrics. Bless their little sensitive souls.

Created Gansta rap which in the end probably wasn't a good thing. Gets some nostalgic stars as I remember listening to this and Dr. Dre's The Chronic allot back in the late 90's

Inte överförtjust i pratsjungning, och de svär ju som borstbindare. Ok ändå.

While I appreciate what these guys did to represent an unseen subculture, what they did to popularize rap music, and the musical ingenuity that went into this album, I can only get so excited about the content of gansta-rap.

3.25

i mean, one of the most iconic albums ever? not one i listen to regularly (or at all) but that fact doesn't reflect its quality. 3.3/5?

2.5/5

A historic hip hop album understandably so, but the lack of sound expansion throughout the album makes it a pretty boring listen by track 4. Flow stays the same throughout no matter who’s rapping and the beats stay redundant.

probably one of the most influential and famous hip hop albums ever and some tracks are brilliant, however it does sound quite dated in terms of both sound and subject matters and is way too long imo 3.5

This album is a lot of fun to listen to and F**k Tha Police is a fucking banger, but it doesn’t pack the same punch that Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet did.

Great beats! This style of rapping and a lot of the lyrical content haven't aged well unfortunately. I get that NWA's attitude was intentionally abrasive, but these guys just didn't see women as people. Express Yourself is also a very funny inclusion on an album largely about raping and killing. All that said, I like some of these songs, and I recognize how important this album was in the evolution of rap from the 80s to the 90s. I'd just rather be listening to Dr. Dre's production on something else.

This album has been a gold standard for the entire rap genre since its inception. That being said the first two songs are known by everyone who can understand the english language, but the rest of the songs in my opinion don’t live up to the standard set by the first two. One thing that stands out with this album is the typical “Ah shit man,” and blaring police sirens and other snippets before the actually music starts, i’ve always been a fan of those for whatever reason. All in all it was a good album, not great but good.

I'm not sure I'd ever listened to the whole album before, and my knowledge of hip-hop in general is marginal. Interesting to listen to and I'm glad I managed to do so. It's obviously massively influential and clearly belongs on this list, but I'm not sure I'd really go back and listen to all of it in one go again. Some nice moments but it dragged a bit and seemed quite long and a bit monotonous at times. Which was unexpected. That's five three stars in the last six albums. Maybe that's just me settling into a scoring system after 47?

This was really fantastic , funky and catchy hip hop, with so many iconic and legendary tracks. but goddam there is so much misogyny in here. like such a crazy amount. like whole tracks just dedicated to the bitches being untrustworthy.

On the positive side, it was a groundbreaking album, launching the gangsta rap genre that still survives. And musically at least half of the tracks are pretty catchy. On the negative side, I don’t like the violence, the mysogeny, and the tough guy act.

A landmark album with three incredible, genre-affirming singles and a lot of other songs that are there I guess (Parental Discretion Iz Advised also slaps) Also - I think the Eazy E hate is kind of out of nowhere, he has some good verses, but considering the track he is most prominent on is 8 Ball I am not at all surprised, that song is ass. Dopeman is also not good, and Something 2 Dance 2 has always been incredibly out of place

This is an old favorite from way back took me right back to high school. You got to love tracks like straight outta Compton, dope man, Express yourself!

Very impactful for obvious reasons considering the context of the time. Still pretty entertaining. Beats are harder and bouncier than a lot of other 80s hip-hop, and Ice Cube and Eazy E are both distinctive and energetic rappers (MC Ren...... well he's not BAD i guess). As far as the subject matter, it's a pretty accurate document of the mentality and vibe of this time for them, if not an accurate document of what was literally happening, lol. Not the kind of thing I'm really attracted to or like to surround myself with these days, but I get it and it's valid artistically. Also what was going on with that last song. Did the label just demand a crappy dance instrumental. Best song: Fuck tha Police