Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Great album that I grew up listening to.
Quite liked some of the tracks. Didn't totally grab me musically but can understand why the album was influential
just ok i guess
5/10 A different time to be sure. 9-26-2025
I honestly don't think I'm familiar enough with the genre to rate this.
This was a solid time. The beats are good the rapping is great obviously songs like Fuck Tha Police are great and the title track. It goes on a little longer than I’d like though. It’s like a 3.5 rounded down
I just wish we could be angry and hate the cops as much as they deserve without also violently hating women
It’s interesting to note that if you check the other ratings of some of the more vitriolic one star reviews you see that if there’s an album made by black folks you can guarantee it’ll be in their “lowest rated albums” section. You can hide behind pearl clutching outrage and fake virtue all you want but I see through it. That being said I do find the lyrics and delivery to be a bit dated but the beats are pretty solid.
bad middle
I thought I would dislike it more, but it was not bad
NWA, Straight Outta Compton ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Though this and Eazy-E really started L.A. hip-hop/gangsta rap, you could easily argue that these walked so Dre and Cube could run, and it's plain to hear on this record. Yeah, they're busting out a new style but it's very, _very_ 80s-sounding (I'd argue that Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys never _sound 80s_ because nothing in their era sounded remotely like them.) If it makes you nostalgic, go for it. I had way more fun bumping Dre, Snoop, etc. a few years later. They'd taken a tip from _real_ street players by that point and so found a more authentic sound. This era though... Sorry, but rap was still kinda a novelty game and it shows here. Cartoon misogyny. Maybe some genuine anger at the police but hey, at this point in west coast gangsta, you could say Sublime would have more cred.
2.5. Hits you hard with the first two tracks but can't keep it up throughout.
one of the most iconic hip-hop albums that seems to have been quite pivotal for the genre. i imagine it was regarded as a great album at the time, but i don't think it has aged well - as seen by the lyrics and the fact there are just way better hip-hop albums out now. i enjoyed the hits and also liked 'if it ain't ruff' but apart from that the tracks didn't really stand out from each other. my main issue with a lot of hip-hop albums is that they're too long - anything exceeding an hour is pushing it a little bit in terms of repetitiveness. an iconic album nonetheless, just not one i'll have on repeat.
While much of the content on this album has aged terribly, just as much of it is still as relevant as ever. It's insane how so many of the very detailed social issues they call out on an album that's nearly 40 years old is still so hard hitting even today. But I still find it hard to look past a lot of the parts that haven't aged so well, with the violence and misogyny still being such a huge part of it. Overall, I can't deny how influential this album has been to the entire genre of hip hop, but as is the case with many moments on this album, some things are better left in the past.
This album goes hard. Hard is also about all it goes, so it’s a bit of a repetitive listen. But very enjoyable
Moral panic
This is the gold standard of hardcore gangsta hip hop albums. The shit that had white moms calling their congressman in hysterics, terrified of their innocent teenage son joining the Crips. I don't know what's more impressive, the lyrical skill or the intensity. I'm pretty sure if Stephen Miller listened to 3 tracks on this album, his face would melt like the end of the Lost Ark, fucking nazi.
7/10 Favs: Express Yourself; Gangsta Gangsta; Fuck Tha Police
I know the significance, and there’s some classics here but it’s not my cup of tea in general.
Clearly this is an influential album. Has the absolute Gangsta Rap classics in Express Yourself and Fuck tha Police. And it's not a bad album, I just find it... Dated? The lyrics are very much in the edgy teen zone, too. That said, Express Yourself drags the whole album up on its own.
Classic.
Classic but some of the less famous tracks feel a little dated
Essential
A foundational work in its genre. To my ears, the album’s opening is still absolutely breathtaking, though as a whole it might be a bit on the dull side. Still, it can’t really be called a bad record.
My youth was spent listening mostly to speed and thrash metal, but also hip hop including gangsta rap and more artsy stuff like Beastie Boys and De La Soul. Ice-T was big for me, especially after seeing the movie Colors for the first time. Listening to this album now feels very nostalgic, but also interesting as it's not nearly as aggressive as I remember it being. It's surprisingly close to the Grandmaster Flash stuff of the old. This is way more smooth and laid back than I remembered! The late 80's Brit stuff is decidedly more aggressive, but in a different manner, like Silver Bullet (aah, "20 Seconds to Comply", have to spin that too!).
First album on this journey that I’ve already heard before. It’s good but honestly it just wasn’t what I wanted to listen to today. Easy E’s voice is so cool.
Moro moro, tällästä tällä kertaa :D Vanhaa räppiähän tää ois ja parempaa mitä nykypäivän räppi on. Yllättävän funkyä meininkiä tässä levyssä, hauska kuunneltava levy aikansa vaikutusvaltaisimmalta räppijengiltä. Oma lemppari oli Express Yourself biisi. Ei oo kyl sellasta mitä tulee kuunneltua yleensä mut ihan hyvä!
Jätkillä ollu aika funky meininki tätä tehdessä. Parempaa räppiä, entä nykyajan mumble räpit sun muut. Albumihan on aika legendaarinen räppilevy, mutta ei tästä kolmosta enempää multa irtoa.
Yksi merkittävimpiä ja vaikutusvaltaisimpia gangsta rap lättyjä, jota ei musakriitikot 80-luvun lopulla osannut arvostaa yhtään :D Biisit kuulostaa kivan yhtenäisiltä, mutta ei liian itseään toistavilta, kiitos pienien tempo erojen biiseissä. Dre kyllä tuottanu kovan lätyn vaikka ei ollut vielä kauheasti kokemusta tuottajan penkiltä. Vaikka west coast hipitihoppi on lähellä sydäntä, niin tämä ei silti ikinä ole niin kovaa kolahtanut. Helppo kolkki tämäkin.
Kerrankin räppiä jonka sanoista saa jotain selvää. Nyt voi valita tarttuuko melodiaan vai sanoihin. Levyä yhteen putkeen kuunnellessa kappaleet alkavat kuitenkin toistaa itseään ja asennetta alkaa olla jo liikaakin. Tosin viimeinen dance2 biisi oli virkistävä.
⭐️Express Yourself
Sure to send all the "everything except rap and country" people in your life into absolute conniptions, but a bit uneven. The first half has great production and a whole lot of memorable moments, but it all starts to feel really corny after Express Yourself.
One of the albums that influenced the proliferation of Mutha Fuckas & Niggas - I generally don’t like the rap genre but I enjoyed this more than most
Definitivamente no es el álbum para escuchar en el gym ya que su potencial está precisamente en las letras, y eso es algo a lo que no presto mucha atención cuando estoy levantando pesas. Sin embargo, puedo comprender que este sea un disco clásico de hip-hop, aunque no sea mi estilo preferido. He reconocido la popularísima “F**k tha police” pero me han llamado más la atención “If It Ain’t Ruff”, “I Ain’t Tha 1” y la que abre el disco “Straight Outta Compton”. Para ser un disco de un estilo que nunca escucho no se me ha hecho pesado. Sorpresa final con “Something 2 Dance 2”, que me ha dado muy buenas vibras para lo que dice el titulo.
Every song overstays its welcome. The flow is the same throughout, but the beats are great and there are some fun energetic moments.
Kinda catchy, and there are some iconic songs but I Ain't tha 1 is offputting. 3 stars
Absolutely seminal. Would come to change the landscape of rap and music as a whole. A lot of interesting social commentary and novel aesthetics. A decent amount of it feels quite dated nowadays. Lyrics and melodies that come off as a bit quaint and silly in today's landscape.
The music is good, the rappers are skilled, but the lyrics are very problematic which stops me from enjoying this.
Старый чернокожий рэп. Много звуков микшера, Ice cube. В целом интересно, но не моя музыка.
Unlike AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, this one is still solidly in Old School and sounds a bit dated. The beats are simple and sometimes inventive, but the drum pad is tiring. Also unlike AMW, the sexism/misogyny is not casual, it's the running theme. I get it's groundbreaking, but it's also super cringe now. Would be a 2.5 for me, but bumping for relevance.
Anytime I'm in the mood for NWA, I end up listening to Public Enemy.
Very important albums gor rap but there are a lot of misses here, but also some all-time classics.
Admittedly, this was hard to get through. A lot of aged lyrics and beats. Only 3 stars for the culture.
I love golden age hip-hop. This one starts out with three stone-cold classics. Of course, some of the lyrical content has not aged well and is just kinda noxious, the misogynistic and homophobic stuff. There are better albums from this era too, I admit that I prefer Public Enemy for political lyrics and A Tribe Called Quest for social/cultural songs. And honestly other groups had better production/beats. And Snoop Dogg easily surpassed this for Southern California rap with Doggystyle. But this is still a must-listen (#199) even if it's not perfect just because of the influence and effect on the culture.
Never been a huge fan of the track Straight Outta Compton but on this listen it hit. Its a banger. The same is kinda true of Fuck That Police. The energy carries. However after that I think its pretty downhill. The tracks have aged to be fairly generic. The beats are somtimes good, but they never go anywhere, and on these tracks the energy is not enough to carry. Fave Tracks: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police 3/5
Fine. The first few tracks are great.
Original Gangsta Rap. Lyrics were more violent than political like Public Enemy. Never my genre but not too bad.
Wild how Ice Cube went from F**** the Police to the cuddly softboi he is now.
I can't deny that this was a hugely influential album - it basically birthed the gangsta rap genre. Also, it had both Ice Cube and Dr Dre, each of which were very influential on hip hop. Having said that, I'm not into the whole gangsta rap thing, or the shock value of this album. Also, while Eazy E gets credit for forming this group, I don't think he's as good as a rapper. The sound has one foot in the older sound (like Public Enemy / Beastie Boys / etc) and one foot hinting at the 90's gangsta rap sound.
Alright
Not bad. A bit repetitive. I will listen some more of N.W.A., but not something for day-to-day listening.
Some timeless tracks here but all quite samey
it all rings a bit whacky whack coming from a bluetooth headphones empresario and the star of amazon prime's war of the worlds. i guess we got played like a poo butt. but the title track, fuck tha police, and xpress yself hold up. dig the closing cut as the missing link between 80s and 90s hip hop.
The opening track is amazing, totally timeless and exciting, the rest of the album sounds exactly like you would expect from late 80s hip hop. The gangster lyrics were a huge innovation at the time, but the flows are all in the “well I went to the hat store today and I bought myself a hat, uh huh uh huh” vein
I’m gonna be honest, I never really liked rap or hip hop. When I started this album I was really feeling it, and it was definitely something different. It’s a revolutionary hip hop album. But just like all rap, it becomes a real ear sore after a while. Later it just turned into gibberish sex and violence talk over funky percussion beats. Not all that good but it’s not horrible either. Deserved 3/5
Some good some showing its age, great protest album
This was very good and I can appreciate that this is a landmark album - this is one of those ones that I’ve known I should listen to but a project like this has forced me to do so. That said, I can’t see myself listening to this again so by my own rating system it gets a 3. BUT it is a masterful albums, beats still sound great and rhymes are very good.
classic obviously but not that much into hip hop
entertaining
Decent hip hop, didn’t feel too special to me. 3 stars
Very cool but a bit repetitive after a while. Enjoyed public enemy more
6/10 Nice
No soy rapero pero es un clásico
So influential. Dr Dre’s production and Ice Cubes rapping were next level even at the very beginning. That said this album isn’t prefect and feels dated. A must listen but not essential to own.
⭐︎3.5 ギャングスタラップの草分け的存在。 この頃のラップは全くメロディアスじゃない。 ちょっと苦手。とはいえ、悪い作品ではない。 映画みたら感想が変わりそう。
Musical and influential, of course. Many of the lyrics come across—now and, as I remember it, then, too—as more juvenile than anything else. “Gangsta Gangsta” and “Express Yourself” remain essential. I’d give this 3.5 stars if I could.
N. W. V. P. A. and V. P. stands for Very Positive! Express Yourself!
okay. the first tracks are pretty good, everything else just isn't it. also call me too woke or whatever but the excessive use of homophobic slurs just didnt land well with me.
Glad I listened but probably won't again
Average
nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga... im 100% nigga... Asun pienituloisessa asuinympäristössä, jota kutsutaan hallituksen nimellä "Section 8". Minä ja joukko liittolaisiani hallitsemme tiettyjä alueita tästä osastosta voidaksemme harjoittaa laitonta liiketoimintaamme. Meillä on hallussamme rekisteröimättömiä ampuma-aseita, varastettuja ajoneuvoja, tajuntaa muuttavia estäjiä ja käytämme käteistä vain taloudellisiin ostoksiin. Jos joku haluaa sopia keskeneräiset riidat, annan mielelläni osoitteeni. Haluan varoittaa teitä; olen erittäin vaarallinen henkilö ja rikon säännöllisesti lakia. heh. it aint rough
Classic album, with multiple bangers. It’s not an album I would stick on all the time but it’s great to spin every now and then.
So hard to rate because the music is so good and the lyrics are so misogynistic most of the time. I guess violence and posturing about violence I expect/understand, but wow do they hate women.
A record I liked when I was young and someone swearing in a song was enough for me to love it, but over time it hasn't aged well at all. I understand it's importance in the evolution of hip-hop, and there are a couple of decent Dre beats on here, but the bars are pretty low brow except for a lot of Ice Cube's bars when you can see why he went on to be a star in his own right.
Another iconic album that was a new listen for me. You can hear that they were on to something but I prefer the later albums from Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.
Okay
A foul-mouthed watershed, characterful and direct. Great flow, classic rhymes. Sounds great, love the funk. It's a fucking funny album, provided they meant half the shit they say as tounge-in-cheek! Goes on a bit... Favourite tracks: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Parental Discretion, Express Yourself, 8 Ball
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5. Some of the most famous West Coast, Dre-produced music out there. Iconic to say the least!
EXPRESS YOURSELF
Bekannte Namen in einer Band. Cooler Gangsta Rap, natürlich sprachlich zu rügen.
Pretty cool, but repetitive
Da, definitivno ne volim rap.
Good.
I like some hip hop but this album, aside from the three top streamed songs, can get a bit boring at times. It suffers from the classic hip hop curse of being too long and the production is very limited. 3/5. Influential with some good songs but a boring album
A classic album.
I like the beats, and the first few tracks get this album off to a good start. But the second half wasn't so great (except for Express Yourself).
Some tracks are really dated, some classics too
An interesting time capsule if you're familiar at all with hip hop that came before it. It's clearly a bridge point with some songs in the old Run DMC style and others showing what's to come. Dr. Dre's production is the highlight. Songs like I Ain't tha 1 have a playful, contemporary sound.
Interesting to finally listen to this after being vaguely aware of it for a long time from popular culture. Simple in execution but gets the point across. It almost seems like parody of itself, but I guess that comes from four decades of other things being influenced by it.
The energy of the first two tracks is amazing and really draws you in but I found the album fizzled out as it went on.
Clearly an influential album with a few standout singles. Sounds quite dated now compared with modern hip hop but enjoyable regardless. Felt quite nostalgic!
Gets a little tiring after a while. But still, great fun
Misogyny wins over anti-police sentiment, apparently. First half is full of bangers, the second half drags the album down.
I really like Easy E and Ice Cube's rapping, and I like the beats throughout this. A few of the songs also have strong hooks. As far as early rap, this is toward the top of my list.
I’m torn on this album. The beats are awesome and very funky, and the lyrical content is sadly still relevant. However, I’m not a fan of the sexism and misogyny woven throughout. There are some real bangers on here, but also some tracks that I found to be a bit bland. I’ll rate this 3 stars, which is a shame because I hoped I would like this better. Sick album cover though.
I like Public Enemy a lot, so I should like this one more than I do. The title track is one of the best sogns of the golden age of Hip Hop for sure, but besides that I don't find the album to have that many strong and memorable tracks. I like it still, but it hasn't aged as well or hits as hard as some other similar albums of the era.
Good songs were really good, bad songs were pretty bad. Express Yourself an all timer.
Listened heavily in high school
80s gangsta rap. Ice Cube and Dre. Incredibly influential. Just prefer more melodic music. Runs and beats are great.
It's funny to have Sinead O'Connor two days ago and say it's a protest album and this comes up and I realize some similarities. The message is bold and direct but is telling things the way they are and at the time it was unheard of. I hate to say it but it's pretty simplistic. I understand how it set a lot of groundwork but it feels dated as hell.
Sweary and misanthropic, but still great music
It is energetic and youthful. It was never intended to be appreciated by a 40-something white guy from the Midwest. Glad I listened to it.
I think it's a good album. And I had it back in the day. It's important but I just don't think it holds up. I think I'm going to give it a 3, as a whole mid.
A classic but dated original in gangster rap . Im pretty familiar with the history but actually hadn’t heard many songs on the album . The rhymes are def dated but Dre’s production stands the test of time.
Some good songs. Understand impact at its time. Can’t stand the misogyny and homophobia
I'll never really click with Hip Hop/Rap. But I watched the documentary on Dre so I know the background to this one enough to enjoy it slightly more.
Trying too hard to be edgy rap, not relaxing at all
This album is important in the development of the West Coast/G-funk hip hop history. It's not my favorite NWA album, and I have aged out of being ok listening to music that extols misogyny and violence, so it's hard to ignore the lyrics to focus on the music. However, I think it's important to address the content in music--lyrics are part of what makes the song the song. I was occasionally able to disassociate from the lyrics to hear what was going on musically. There are some good things happening musically on here; ignoring the stuff that sounds like early rap (simple beat with rhymes atop), there's some great funky samples and examples of Dr. Dre's iconic style. Still, I wouldn't revisit this album. I feel sad for my younger self, staunchly listening to degrading music about women in the name of being open minded. We have a lot of other better hip hop to draw from; this is historically important but not an excellent example of the possibilities of the genre.
It's hard to overstate the cultural impact this album has had (especially Fuck tha Police), but it is admittedly outdated. Its reputation of a rebellion anthem is certainly undermined by them apparently being fine with misogyny, which, by today's standards, feels tone-deaf. That being said, I wouldn't put this up to them too much because, despite often being cited as an influence, this album itself was influenced by the cultural zeitgeist it was born in (and it was not pleasant for women, believe it or not). It is a product of its time, but that is not necessarily bad. You can't exactly expect every person from a group that has to constantly spend not an insignificant amount of energy and effort resisting an oppressive system to be an uncompromising progressive mind. Perfect victims don't exist and never have. But I guess the direction Ice Cube later went may imply that his activism was only self-serving after all. I don’t know. I’m not exactly educated on the story of this group and its members, so I’m just shooting off a hip here. As for the music itself… it’s fine, I guess. In my experience, early attempts at something are very rarely one of the best, and this album, being what popularized gangsta rap, is no different. Gangsta rap is corny by definition, and it's not necessarily bad. Of course, these people are not actual criminals and won't shoot you for stealing their girl or whatever. Instead of trying to prove their innocence to the police in an environment that is stacked against them, they went, "Yeah, we do crime. What about it?" The boastful nature of the lyrics is born of frustration with the system and not of actual misanthropic hate or an attempt to appear "cool" (although there's certainly some of that too). The opening track is a banger through and through, and the second one is a classic for a reason, but the rest are just pretty basic. The beats are very repetitive and not that exciting. The dynamic between the rappers is pretty fun, though. This album is not groundbreaking by any means and feels outdated both in its message and sound, but the music is not bad.
Hip hop history that still makes for a fun listen, if you're willing to contextualize some lyrics that aged as well as you'd expect them to (bonus points for modern-day-MAGA Ice Cube!). Also two things are clear after a full listen: 1. Eazy E is the weakest part of NWA 2. NWA is not NWA without Eazy E His rhymes are terrible but his sound is iconic, and I think played a big part in setting the group apart. Beyond the instant classics, "Fuck the Police", "Express Yourself", and "Straight Outta Compton" there are some fun listens here. "Dopeman" has a hilariously anti-drug message, "I Ain't Tha 1" has a hilariously anti-materialistic message, "Parental Discretion Iz Advised" literally says "we're not role models, this is my record, watch your kids, do not blame us". They're proactively mocking all criticisms in a way that's genuinely funny to listen to. This is a 3.5 rounded down to a 3 star, but make no mistake, it was fun to listen to twice while mowing my very suburban lawn -- which I'm sure is exactly how N.W.A. intended the record to be listened to.
It may be very I flue tips but still not my kind of music. The beats are cool though.
Based hiphop.
Cool album
I liked the beats. I enjoyed the music. I found it hypnotic. But there are far too many N-words and misogynistic? - Sexist? Alpha-male? whatever it counts as -lyrics for this middle-aged white woman to feel comfortable with.
It was surprisingly entertaining. But 1 hour of this is too much for me
Man this brings me back to 8th grade! Quite literally nothing relatable, but each member has such a distinct sound that I enjoy.
I mean this with all disrespect, Fuck Tha Police. ACAB. Classic gansta rap, and ages just as you would expect. This isn't the best, but led the way for all hip hop today,
Phenomenal vibes. Great voices. But they put their best stuff at the beginning of the album, so it started dragging around halfway. Last two songs were good again.
Raw and gritty.
Many references to rigor mortise.
Express Yourself is a real bop. Also enjoyed the title track, F*** the Police, I Ain't tha 1, and Something 2 Dance 2. I understand this album is "important", but I greatly prefer the later rap waves with more melody and sampled music.
An iconic album but not one I reach for. Beyond the big songs, particularly enjoyed Something Like That
Well this has held up in terms of retaining some of its shock value (or truthfulness and moral clarity). A number of the beats sound dated (not so surprising) and the flows can't always be taken seriously (obvs). What may seem surprising is the number of straight-up fun (even comedic) tunes. NWA might have been overlooked in terms of hit-making (rather than just attention-attracting). "If It Ain't Ruff" has a infectiously bouncy bass (great sample) and "Express Yourself" is a nifty updating. "I Ain’t Tha 1” and “Something 2 Dance 2” deliver the fun.
Recognize how important this album is. Enjoyed listening but not sure I’ll come back to it. All my memories of this are from white kids listening to it at summer camp, trying to seem cool. Surprised by Express yourself. Also like the beats on the last track.
It was ok.
great stuff generally, and forgive me for Woke but why are we calling ppl f*gs
Motherfucker fucking fuck fuckingson fucker fuck fuck fuck
Love this album and especially ice cube but I wish he had some more progressive views
Cerramos viernes con una banda de hip hop que desconocía, por la que pasaron los grosos de Ice Cube y Dr. Dre que sí ubico. Me llama la atención su idea de proyecto, directo, con letras que no dan vueltas. Qué paradoja que en estos momentos gran parte de la juventud abrace lo que esta banda, compuesta por jóvenes, putean. ¿Estamos en un momento donde ser contracultural y revolucionario es ser conservador? En fin, ojalá que las cosas cambien y no me quede como un viejo melancólico. Hasta el lunes
Had to remind myself several times while listening that this album came out in the late 80s. There was definitely some questionable lyrics but I suppose it should have been expected. A good album though. I'm not really a hip-hop/rap kinda person, so probably won't be one I come back to but still an okay listening experience.
Relevant for the time. 3.5
STRAIGHT OUTTA MADISONVILLE
I vibe with this. An OG for sure. Definitely worth listening to. The songs have nice variety in the instruments and the rapping. Do I love all of it? Nah, but I'd recommend people to listen to it. Straight Outta Compton and Fuck Tha Police are tried and true for sure. 3/5 stars.
- “the unapologetically violent and sexist pioneers of gangsta rap” is a hilarious sentence - can feel the bass in ‘if it ain’t ruff’ - there’s a line that sounds like “get played like a poop butt” it’s pooh butt - again; spectacular musically, can tell why it’s foundational - lyrics are a lot!
I know this is an essential album in hip hop but it seemed every song had the same structure and theme. “Introduce yourself…”. Then how hard do I roll. Simple formula that just doesn’t hold up with some of the other hip hop albums
Moja pierwsza recenzja: Debiut legendarnego zespołu N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton" to przykład albumu, który pierwszą połowę ma zajebiście dobrą i fajnie mi sie jej słuchało, lecz nagle.. po "Express Yourself" zaczyna się bardzo mocno staczać. Album zaczyna się utworem "Straight Outta Compton", który nie jestem w stanie uwierzyć że został wyprodukowany w 1988 roku. Jest to NAPRAWDĘ przełomowy utwór z niesamowitym beatem oraz dobrymi nawijkami. "Fuck Tha Police" również jest na tym samym poziomie, nawet spodobało mi się bardziej od poprzedniego utworu, gdzie Ice Cube znowu daje zajebiste wersy dla słuchacza Potem pojawia się "Gangsta Gangsta", który choć nie jest tak samo dobry jak poprzednie utwory, to nadal jest enjoyable Lecz.. jestem zdania że jedyne dobre utwory po tych trzech to "Parental Discretion Iz Advised" oraz "Express Yourself". Praktycznie cała reszta albumu jest dla mnie fillerem, a po właśnie Express Yourself, pojawiają sie takie utwory jak "Compton's N The House" oraz "I Ain't Tha 1" które dla mnie są słabe. W pierwszym nie ma nic ciekawego, ponieważ beat to sama perkusja, a na cały utwór jest nałożony jakby dziwny robotyczny filtr, którego choć słabo słychać, to irytował mnie przez cały utwór, a drugi utwór po prostu mi sie nie podoba ze względu na lirykę oraz beat też mi jakoś nie siada Ogólna ocena utworów: 1. Straight Outta Compton - 9/10 2. Fuck Tha Police - 10/10 3. Gangsta Gangsta - 9/10 4. If It Ain't Ruff - 7/10 5. Parental Discretion Iz Advised - 8/10 6. Express Yourself - 9/10 7. Compton's N The House (Remix) - 4/10 8. I Ain't Tha 1 - 3/10 9. Dopeman (Remix) - 4/10 10. Quiet On Tha Set - 6/10
What a classic, made me laugh a lot.
I liked fuck the police and express yourself but the album simply felt too long and some of the songs are explicit and lyrics reveal some opinions that didn't age well. As a conclusion I don't hate it but it isn't something I could listen everyday, at least I recommend giving it one opportunity at some points can be fun.
Upstanding young men from a town called Compton singing about hanging out with all the boys, picking themselves off the ground, and the many ways to have a good time. It's fun to stay with the N.W.A.
Title track: "Yo, weekly, monthly and yearly / Until them dumb motherfuckers see clearly" - obsessed. Good start that gives me hope that sometimes 80s rap can actually sound hard. Fuck Tha Police: "I'm a TEEN-A-ger!" Love the Twilight Zone riff at the end too. Gangsta Gangsta: Love the timing of the first rapped couplet. Also - "We wanna fuck you Eazy!" "I wanna fuck you too!" If It Ain't Ruff - love the timings in this one, but the way this is shoehorned in is hilarious: "With the hype of a nine volt BATTERY / And the odds for me to conquer is AVERAGELY good" Parental Discretion Iz Advised: Obsessed with the "SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPPP!" at the end. Reminded me of the Beatles' "I GOT BLISTAS ON MY FINGAS!" Liked recognising the samples in 8 Ball - Remix and Express Yourself Lyrics for I Ain't Tha 1 are fucked but hilarious and yet another representation of how incongruous heterosexuality can be...like...y'all don't even LIKE eachother. Highlight: "You shouldn't be, so damn material / And try to milk Ice Cube like cereal" LOVE the funk on Something 2 Dance 2. Sounds like a Sonic game.
I obviously hear and acknowledge some of the homophobic and misogynistic content that hasn't aged well and/or contributes to the "shock factor" label that gets applied to this album. However, I personally don't find any of it to be that shocking or more offensive than other hip-hop albums from this general time period. To me, the greater social messages of this record are the ones that prevail and matter, and I think the title track and "Fuck tha Police" in particular still hit damn hard all these years later. It's not my favorite style of music, nor my favorite era of it (though some of Dre's work is undeniably great), but it's mostly alright by me. 3.5/5
I liked it, but I don't think this is one I'm planning on diving back into any time soon.
As a big fan of hiphop I was excited to finally see some representation in this list. This album was a first listen for me, but being familiar with the members' later work, it was super fascinating to hear them at this very early stage of their career - notably Dr Dre's production and Ice Cube's rapping. Unfortunately, I don't think the album has aged terribly well, and don't see myself coming back to it much. Definitely a prime choice for this list nonetheless, and I appreciate its huge influence on everything that would come after it.
Just a really difficult album for me to rate. Obviously a very historically significant album but also one that is hard for me to relate to/enjoy. It's not a genre I enjoy and the tone is uber-aggressive but you have to respect the work. 6/10 (3/5)
A bit frontloaded but how can it not be with that opening three song stretch.
a classic album for sure but lyrically i wasn’t the biggest fan of a majority of the tracks
It's okay, heard some of these songs before.
Oldschool rap Album. Absolut nicht schlecht, aber im Moment nicht das nach dem ich suche. Ich kenne eigentlich nur das Lied "Fuck the police".
I can see why the main critiques are there. I do think it is a product of its time. You can feel the vibe of “Us against them”. I can hear the experience in the stories they tell. An entire song about “bitches” is pretty wild though. I get how this is an experience when rising to fame, but being upfront about expectations is a thing. Very edgy, “parental guidance advised” is funny. I can see why it is so iconic and opened the doors for artists today.
I enjoyed it more than I expected. Can't sing along for obvious reasons.
It's difficult to listen to this as a thing unto itself with it being peak "rap older white people listen to and reference." But unzip that baggage, the energy and anger is still potent. It's a monotonous listen, but then that same-damn-thing-every-day-ness is what it seeks to express. I feel the singles are maybe more important to hear than the full album.
This was really a groundbreaking album. It's a snapshot of a specific time and lifestyle - one that persists for many communities in the US today. The rapant sexism is tough to listen to, even when many of the tracks are full of important social commentary (e.g. Fuck the Police). The flows are pretty good and often hard hitting, but the runtime allowed some tracks to seem redundant. A flawed album but good. 2.5/5 -> 3/5
It's hard, reading the lyrics today, to think that this was actually meant seriously. Lyrics like 'I think with my ding-a-ling'... If this were a joke, I'd think it was a pretty funny one. Still, hasn't aged well given the misogyny.
A bona fide classic. I think it holds up pretty well and the songs are fairly diverse.
Hey I've heard of this one!
Surprisingly good for a hip hop/rap album but still not entirely my thing.
This was too long and repetitive. Wasn't bad though, just wish it was shorter 3 ⭐️
a classic i dont enjoy too much
Dope
Musikalisch eich voll kei spass, aber glich d eröffnig füg es grossartigs genre. Ich bin sau grosszügig und runde es musikalsch 2 uf es 3 uf. Greets nach compton boyz 3 gangstas um de block
Didn’t listen to it all, but it sounded interesting from what I heard.
A 42 year old white man probably shouldn’t be blasting this while driving to work but here we are. Not really my thing, but I understand the importance, and some of the rhymes still hit hard. 3/5
This starts off actually pretty damn good, but after the first five dings it falls off a fucking cliff. "Straight Outta Compton" and "Fuck The Police" are obvious highlights. My next favorite was actually "Parental Discretion Iz Advised" not really because of the rapping, but on the funky Groove and the jazzy piano really caught my attention good. The rest of the album is pretty much almost text book example of why I don't like rap. Honestly, can Easy-E go four lines with out saying something about his dick? Also, the backing tracks on "I Ain't Tha 1" are so fucking corny, that it eclipses the total misogynistic lyrics of the rap. Still most of Cube's And Ren's raps across the album are the highlights. I'm gonna go light 3½ just on the strength of the first five songs + "Express Yourself" 7.3 ★★★½
A few cool songs, but wears me a bit out over the course of the runtime. Still, quite coolfor hiphop, since I like this era of hiphop better than most. 3.5 stars
I'm kind of on the fence on this one. While I realize it was a landmark album in west coast hip-hop, specifically gangsta rap, that's never been one of my favorite subgenres of hip-hop. When you look at the hip-hop landscape overall, it feels almost dated by 1989 standards. Over in New York, you had Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim, De La Soul, Beastie Boys, and A Tribe Called Quest all releasing classic hip-hop albums that hold up much better, all within a year of this. I also think Dr. Dre hadn't really found his style yet, and the Ice Cube kind of overshadows the other other rappers. Still, there's some good songs here. The title track and "Express Yourself" are both great, and "Fuck The Police" is more than just shock value. 3.5 stars.
Good production and good beats. But never really got into it. Probably hits better with more listens
a classic. i love the title track and F tha police, but the rest of this album doesn't hit as much for me. vinyl was in collection. Would I listen again? yes Deserves to be on this list? Yes 3.4
Streit (evt straight)
This is tough to review, on one hand the production is fantastic and it's a very important staple in rap history and the messaging about police brutality is as relevant today as it was then, but on the other hand there's not only one but two whole songs back-to-back that are just extremely misogynistic and, as a woman even though sometimes I understand different times existed, there is a limit to what I can take haha. And to top that off there are homophobic and racist lines sprinkled through some songs as well. I also can't comment much about the individual rap abilities since I don't think I'm well versed enough to do so. So I think when you put all that together.. 3 stars is the way to go.
Although this is a monumental release in so many traceable ways, it just doesn’t hold up as a full album. Certainly some Earth-shattering moments of rugged and respectable brilliance, but they are few and indeed far between. Within 3-5 years, hip-hop graduates a few times over both from where beats and lyrics were at this point. But Straight Outta Compton is one of the true blueprints of the entire genre. A record that contains both some outrageously awesome quotables and some cringe too.
There’s no denying that this is a classic which broke down barriers and gave people something that they literally had never heard before. That said, I much prefer the g-funk sound that came a few years later. This album is great and groundbreaking, and revolutionary and all the things for what it is; but honestly, it’s a little old school sounding for me.
3.5
A tough one. Innovative and influential, but a lot of the songs are not very good and most of the lyrics are unpleasant to listen to. I’d be curious to know how many women enjoy this. Express Yourself is the biggest earworm on the record but it has no business being on this track list. You can’t have a song about not smoking weed when every other song is about how much weed you smoke and sell. That said, the first two tracks go hard.
How ironic that Dre is a billionaire and Ice plays a cop on tv. Despite the violence, profanity and misogyny I can see this as a protest album. Different tone but the same approach some ‘60s records. Can’t say I liked it but it definitely belongs on the list.
I was hoping from more political commentary from this, being that “fuck tha police” is the only song I was familiar with. Instead, we mainly get chauvinism here, which is a little hard to stomach. The shallowness of the lyrics is saved by the beats. I find myself wishing this album were instrumental.
Kinda drops off after the first two tracks, but the first two tracks are so fucking good it really doesn't matter. You get cut a lot of slack when you lead off with music that literally changed the idea of rap and pissed off the cops for life.
Better than the usual stuff in this genre
Not in the mood for this, but yeah, it's foundational. 2.5.
This is another album I can't separate from my youth. Some of these songs are amazing and some don't do anything for me. Getting a 4 for nostalgia, downgraded to a 3 for actually listening to the lyrics
Another album that had a big influence on hip hop production and helped keep a focus on black oppression (particularly at the hands of the police). There's a air of anarchy in the message and the delivery, which never hurts either. But, the rampant misogyny really holds this album back. It's only gotten more tasteless over the years. Some of the songs on the back half of the album are fairly forgettable too. It hits differently now than it did in high school. I'll give it 3 stars for the good stuff, but its not a stone cold 5 star classic. (If you don't know it, check out the D.O.C solo album, No One Can Do It Better - someone did a lot of lyric ghostwriting...)
нууу норм, рэп.
A solid first half, but loses steam after. Good beats and decent vocal work. 'Express Yourself' was my fave.
Culturally significant, highly impactful, and undoubtedly flawed. Reflected the unrest caused by police brutality & discrimination in the late 80s, and also the blatant misogyny that existed at the time. Definitely leaps and bounds ahead of other hip hop released during its time from a sonic perspective. Dr. Dre really was ahead of his time when it came to production, and the quality of the grooves across this album really carries it. Express Yourself and If It Ain’t Ruff are favourites of mine.
Album icónico. La primera mitad es mejor que la segunda, pero sigue siendo un gran disco. Grandísimos raps.
Great beats. The lyrics are a problem.
Lots of filler, a few great songs
The more I process this album all I really can say is I'm thankful for the artistic contribution. This is not my cup of tea. Specifically the subject matter. But of course it's not, I can't relate to most of it. I actually dig a lot of the beats/music. So.. I really don't care much for the concept of hardcore.. but I used to! It was hardcore rock, but same idea. Young folks goin hard about whatever. Seems like it should be that way. Debating what's authentic or not feels just as silly as trying to be perceived as a real thug who doesn't give a fuck. At the end of the day, they created something. That's cool. Doesn't mean I'm going to rate it high, haha, but as much as I don't respect the dumb shit they're saying, I respect the work. The art.
Classic, unfiltered, meandering, influential.
I think my mom said something in her review comparing the offensive lyrics to Motley Crue, which I agree with (though I definitely prefer this to Crue any day) in that both are exaggerated performances of masculinity in music. The main difference is in how NWA influenced the popular image of gangsters despite most members not having any actual gang ties and how that lead to a specific type of masculinity being played up in a lot of the mainstream rap of the time...but that's its own conversation. This still stands as one of hip-hop's most important and influential records, whether you think that's a good thing or not. 3.5
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Some really fun songs - Gangsta Gangsta and Express yourself. A few of the hours all blurred together
Yeeaah, yeeaah, the homies got some influence here. The beats are very similar from song to song and the rhymes are simple throughout the album, but made a statement in ‘88. Got some good zuka, zuka in, I was hoping / expecting to hear the Dopeman Christmas carol towards the end of the experience. I know whaccha talkin’ bout. What? (3.3*s) spress yaself! Not bad at all.
I much prefer this attitude in rap over the corny shit but this album does get a little tiring. It hits you hard but then oversaturates with the gangster, fuck you attitude. Introduction to bitches, hoes, drugs, and bangin with this album. Easy E is a less annoying Flav. Dre and MC Red, better Chuck Ds. Significant change in the genre for the better in my opinion but a good balance (which we get in the 90s) is the sweet spot. List deserver at 2.6 stars.
One of the densest albums I've heard. A lot of hip hop albums are, but this especially. I guess I have the benefit of hindsight, but for something which was deliberately courting controversy and aiming to provoke, this doesn't seem so offensive these days. Honestly Fuck The Police sounds like a forerunner of the anger at Defund the Police, etc. However like a lot of punk stuff, when trying to be offensive it often comes across as childish. These guys are working so hard to establish their street cred and now Ice Cube is starring in Ride Along 2 with Kevin Hart. There must be a lesson in that. Anyway, this album said what it wanted to say, hugely influential, etc., and I quite enjoyed hearing it. However as the archetypal gangster rap album I felt like I'd heard a lot of it before in the form of parodies, homages and remixes. The middle tracks were fresher to me, and Express Yourself I think I enjoyed the most just for the choice of backing.
Gangsta Rap never appealed to me. It was ok IMO
Straight Outta Compton- still the Boom Bap that defined the early days of hip hop, but so much angrier. Fuck tha Police- I was only eight when this came out, so I didn't listen to it until about a decade later. I think this was the most explicit anger directed at the police, even though other groups had voiced that anger before Gangsta Gansta- a strangely placed song about how they have embraced their roles as rebels- gangsta rap was not inherently about traditional "gangsterism", but more about rebels living at the edges or society. Homophobia and sexism are huge in this song. If It Ain't Ruff-not about sex as you might expect, more of a brag track about how tuff they are Parental Discretion Iz- funky background- probably Dre's best sampling so far 8 Ball (Remix)- I think Eazy E is bragging about doing cocaine Something Like That Express Yourself Compton'S N tha House I ain't Tha 1- perhaps the high point of misogyny on the album, led by Ice Cube Dopeman- a rare overtly positive message- stay away from crack
Kan meget godt lide det men tror ikke jeg har været i humør til det på dagen? Måske skal jeg tilbagevende.
-wow I am officially 1/4 of the way done this whole thing. crazy -so. the album. not bad? i think I’m more of an east coast and southern hip hop girlie at heart. I know this is an iconic album but it got a liiittle corny for me at times -still had some great highlights though. i loved most of the beats and mixing -Favorites are Gangsta Gangsta, If It Ain’t Ruff, and Something 2 Dance 2
Good album but gets a little repetitive after a while
ААА НЕГРЫ(пиздато, но нудно пиздец)
Cool sound. Very theatrical
Solid late-80s gangster rap. I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting, but it's not like I'm gonna ever listen to this again.
Good beats and rapping and well produced overall. I liked it more than I thought I would.
I can understand why people like this and why it was influential. While I don’t care for rap, I do like hip hop so there was enough here to keep this perfectly tolerable for me.
I'm not the target audience for this album so I can't really say much. If somebody had the aux and played this album I wouldn't mind, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it on my own.
Influential, but does not talk to me.
There’s no denying that Straight Outta Compton is an important album. It helped define gangsta rap, pushed boundaries, and made an impact that still echoes through hip-hop today. But for me, it’s always been an album I respected more than I actually liked. It has moments of brilliance, but overall, it just feels messy, awkward, and like something I could never fully resonate with. The album radiates undeniable energy, with N.W.A. launching in full force on the title track. Aggressive, uncompromising verses are set against a backdrop of heavy, raw West Coast beats, crafted mainly by Dr Dre and DJ Yella. Lyrically, the album takes no prisoners—tracks like “Straight Outta Compton” and “F*** tha Police” confront issues such as police brutality and urban strife head-on. Ice Cube delivers his verses with searing intensity, while Eazy-E’s unique, high-pitched yet menacing delivery lends a distinct flavour, making tracks like “8 Ball” and “Dopeman” particularly memorable. The album feels messy and inconsistent. While some tracks are fully formed, others seem barely held together, largely due to jarring transitions between politically charged, aggressive songs and ones that are cartoonishly over-the-top. The shifts in tone disrupt any consistent feel, making the album appear disjointed. Lyrically, despite bold statements, the violent and misogynistic themes often come off as excessive and dated, leaning more towards shock value than meaningful commentary. Additionally, although there’s undeniable chemistry among the members, certain flows—especially Dre’s—can feel awkward compared to Cube’s natural aggression and Eazy-E’s charismatic delivery. Straight Outta Compton is rightfully hailed for breaking barriers and shaping hip-hop, boasting undeniable moments of brilliance. However, as a complete album, it feels too messy and inconsistent, with awkward transitions and delivery issues that detract from its appeal. While there are noteworthy tracks, the overall experience doesn't compel repeat listens, earning it an underwhelming 3/5.
Didn't age that well tbh, BUT I recognize the influence ofc duh. It's like a 5/5 for influence, 2/5 for where it stands currently, and 2/5 for personal enjoyment, so average 3/5.
I dunno man. Invent a time machine and go back to 1989 to listen to this. I bet it hits.
6/10 Yeah it wasn’t a competition, the East Coast kicked the West Coast’s ass in the 80s, but we can’t say they didn’t try. Straight Outta Compton is rough, a bit messy, and straight up feels so stripped back and unfinished it’s awkward at times, but the best moments really do prop this record up really well. There’s no ignoring the significance of this album for the West Coast, and while it wouldn’t take until the G-Funk era for the West Coast to get its respect, there’s still a legacy that this album earned as a steppingstone for the genre. Still, you can’t help but see this album as being anything more than “playing catch up”, seeing what the East Coast has done by this point, it’s kinda pathetic sorry But I don’t wanna have sex with policemen! ☹️
The first part is classic, but the second part is just a snoozefest (with the exception of some tracks).
Misogyny, homophobia, violence in one hand; anger, opression, resistance on the other. I felt uncomfortable listening some of the lyrics.
The start is incredible but as a whole album I can see where Dr Dre is coming from. It always felt like the poor cousin to Public Enemy to me.
- startet extrem stark - die beats viben stark 90s - lyrics fühlen sich schon sehr outdatet an (misogyn) - die basslines (wenn vorhanden) bei den meisten beats sehr groovy - Irgendwann wird es repetitiv - für den Vibe ganz geil als komplettes Album zu eindimensional außerdem stören irgendwann die lyrics
Although iconic, its highkey problematic
Good album a bit too aggressive with not much let up but a lot of good stuff
3.5. I want to get a time machine to introduce the Ice Cube on this album to Ice Cube now and see what happens.
Historically iconic with a few good tracks. Ice cube getting things started hits hard, but the later songs wane.
I thought I'd enjoy this more but it had some good songs.
Brings me back to hearing it for the first time when I was a teen. Unlike anything I had heard at the time 1001 album worthy: Yes - 31/54
Re-listen from over 10 years ago. Idk liked it better then, it’s slightly better than 3 stars but it’s not 4.
Fyrstu tvö eru bangerar, svo dalar þetta nokkuð. Alveg í lagi fyrir það sem það er svo sem. Express yourself remix er hresst, enda er það hresst lag í grunninn, en þetta fer ekki yfir hjá þrist hjá mér.
good favorites: Express Yourself, Fuck tha Police least favorite: I Ain’t tha 1 gets kinda boring by the end tbh but it starts off strong.
Man never realized how funky some of these beats are
Klassiker
Such an important moment in hip hop. A few really iconic songs that are really bigger than just being songs. But other than that, there's unfortunately alot of filler and gets repetitive. Nostalgia probably at play with this one but I enjoyed it alot in parts, then just kind of coasted through listening to the rest.
Decent opening track, genuinely don't think I've ever listened to it despite being familiar with the title. I enjoyed the booming kick drum and tapping on the hi-hat, and a very faint Starkey and Hutch wah wah. Didn't think the lyrics were all that, but the rhythm to the cadences definitely works well. Fuck The Police does what it says on the tin, but isn't interesting sounding or lyrically compelling. Gangsta Gangsta, If It Ain't Ruff and 8 Ball are very middle of the road. I Ain't Tha 1 is a neat little tongue in cheek number. It struck me as a bit of a predecessor for battle of the sexes songs like Biz Markie’s ‘Just A Friend’ or Outkast’s ‘Roses’. Express Yourself is the highlight. Super effective use of sampling and I feel the lyrics step up at this point. Quiet On Tha Set, Dopeman and Something 2 Dance 2 are far better than similar tracks earlier in the album. Side 2 of the album is better quality than Side 1. Some fully formed ideas, well executed, and other songs that feel unfinished. The album is generally not as iconic or gripping as I'd hoped it would be.
Right back to senior year in high school. Good stuff. 3.75
Writing this review late because I skipped it earlier and I wish I hadn't considering the milquetoast albums that I got at approximately the same time. Funky grooves, scary lyrics, I'm not f****ing with NWA. Extreme, inventive. Not a gangster fan but this is... as serious as they are (Fuc the Police) there's still enough self-awareness about being entertaining it just works better. You don't have to pretend your lived experience was different from them to enjoy this. High 3.
solid - although not my style. The songs I knew were fun, but really, I started to trail off toward the end.
Classic rap album by one of the biggest groups of the genre.
Some solid songs, shame the two strongest weren't available on my streamer. Aware of its importance to Gangsta Rap!
BEATS GO HARD lyrics not so much, but isn’t that the whole point no one expects a gangster to promote positive vibes bit too long whilst some leeway must be given for birthing a whole new genre from this album you can still tell some of growing pains of the style and/or the respective artists also looked it up after listening but weird seeing beastie boys getting sampled when for me I know them for their smapling work P.S: fuck tha police
probably four of the most important hip-hop songs ever made, and a bunch of other stuff no one cares about. something 2 dance 2 is underrated.
Not sure I've got the right words to describe why I liked this one, but I liked it.
Straight Outta Compton is a classic rap album from the 80s that I knew of the popular songs from, but not the whole album. I discovered there were hidden gems on this album. There was unfortunately much misogyny however the raw lyrics put you in a place where these men were being oppressed and you can feel their frustration with the world and those around them. I enjoyed the background beats and authentic feel of the instruments used.
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
Al principio dije "Si me vuelve a salir un disco de rap me mato, ya no me los banco". Pero este tuvo un calibre que se sintió más como hip hop moderno... había pequeñas líneas melodías, samples, y beats genuinamente pegadizos... me pareció un disco sólido (algo largo, pero solido)
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.