Reviews (page 3 of 14)
N.W.A. make a game of it on this album- seeing how many times they could say ‘fuck’ in a song, and then trying to break that record. Early tracks of course had emotional power in their articulating of the frustrations of police power in Compton, but were too abrasive for me to appreciate that much (alongside a dollop of misogyny, as is the case with most rap in this period). However, this was a rare album that improved as it went on as tracks became much more tuneful. Express Yourself, an ironically clean cut condemnation of black musical cautiousness, was a highlight that showed a much more deft touch. Good enough for 3 by the end.
Just like the Ice Cube solo album I had recently, this was often musically pretty good while being lyrically offputting, not so much for the frankly cartoonish depictions of violence, but for the misogyny. ‘I Ain’t Tha 1’ is literally just five minutes of complaining about women. No thanks. There are some undeniable bangers here though, the title track, ‘Fuck tha Police’ and ‘Express Yourself’, being the three best tracks for having a more interesting message, but lots of tracks essentially just consist of bravado and boasting, which gets old rather quickly. A low 3 stars (for the classic tracks).
Dope rhymes but the backing tracks aren't anything special and the vocabulary is limited at best. Can be pretty funny at times, and these guys are authentic af.
i enjoyed it for what it was...plus the movie was decent
This one shouts out to you start to finish.
This album is classic. It was groundbreaking and subversive. The older I get, the more obvious it becomes that Ice Cube wrote most of the lyrics for all of the songs.
Too misogynistic for me to enjoy this at all.
extremely strong opening, doesn't drop off too hard.
First time I head this thought it was interesting. It hasn't aged well as a record but it seems more like a historical piece.
It's just a good album your honor
Vibey, enjoyed the anti-establishment and anti racism themes and social commentary. Did not enjoy the misogyny and characterization of women. 5/10
I feel like I have been sleeping under a rock when I first listened to “Straight Outta Compton.” like how did I not know about this collaboration of iconic rap artists?! these songs made my head bop and hear their battle cries, especially during “F**k Tha Police.” anyways, as my first album for this website, I’d say I’m pretty satisfied and would recommend this album :)
this genuinely got me bobbing my head but yeah completely different reality..
Some songs ware good like Express Yourself
A classic, so I have to treat it with respect. The rap I listen to sounds so futuristic, which I think affected my review. It’s timeless and one of, if not the most, iconic rap albums of all time. Although I don’t listen to a ton of 80s and 90s rap, I understand the influence and how important this album is. My rating for this album is a 3. (Don’t hate me rap fans)
The album that really started gangsta rap. Yeah it’s misogynistic, homophobic, violent, etc., etc. but for gangsta rap this is a modern masterpiece
fuh da police!!!!!!!
When to listen: When you feel like punching something but probably shouldn't. I found the beginning a bit repetitive and tough to listen to but loved the sampling near the end. I think it's more a testament to my love of funk and Motown than this album in particular though. Rap is just not my genre, but I appreciate it nonetheless.
I don't ordinarily listen to rap anymore, but this was very entertaining. I would need more time to gauge if I like what the lyrics have to say on a more personal level, but my first impressions were pretty good.
Falling a bit behind. Forced myself to listen to NWA - Straight Outta Compton Being 56 year old white guy i am clearly the target demographic. ( being 19 when this came out). Pretty good. First three tracks and the final one stood out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kon er ni doorheenkomen, vond t ni per se slecht want ik herken hoe iconisch t is. My name is Ice Cube
Liricistas de otro nivel Honestamente me gustan más las underrated que las más conocidas del álbum, mucho fuego ahí! Gran uso de sonidos de la escena funk y hiphop del momento, innovadores en su forma de combinarlo No me había cuestionado mucho el tema de costa este y oeste, pero esta gente es una digna representante del Oeste, gran referente para muchos de los que continuaron y continúan en el juego Parental Discretion Iz Advised está brutal Express Yourself también se recomienda Gran viaje que termina con una rola tecno
Fun album, interesting to hear how much hip hop has changed since this. Samples, the interplay of the group and overall energy made this an enjoyable listen
yeahh i love that. definitely gonna listen to it again
Niet mijn smaak. Ook te lang. Wel wat goede nummers.
I completely agree with the inclusion of this record on this list, as it is a huge part of hip hop history, but I like a lot more what they did in their solo careers, especially Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. This was not as good for me, but a very important album.
Ха клево, ну правда мне не зашло. Не любительница репа
Straight Outta Compton 4 Fuck tha Police 4.1 Gansta Gangsta 3.3 If It Ain't Ruff 3.5 Parental Discreetion lz Advised 3.4 8 Ball (Remix) 3.2 Something Like That 3.5 Express Yourself 3.4 Compton's N the House (Remix) 3.3 I Ain't Tha 1 3 Dopeman (Remix) 3.3 Quiet on tha Set 3.4 Something 2 Dance 2 3.4 Score: 3.446153846
This pioneering anti-cop album paved the way for Ice Cube to exclusively play hard-nosed police captains.
Would be a 5 if there was less misogyny
Hard stuff yo. This a probably the most fun you can have with gangsta rap. The beats go hard. Top tracks: "Straight Outta Compton," "Fuck tha Police," "Express Yourself"
the misogyny is beyond dated at this point, but the beats and the overall ACAB message are relevant as ever
YES
West Coast hip-hop, gangsta rap.
Problematic due to misogynistic and potentially homophobic language, but actually more tame than I would have guessed. Plus one for ACAB.
Good stuff. But its a lot of violence
Hip-hop at it's best. Not a big fan of this genre, but this one was always my favourite with its undeniable pure street cred in-your-face rebellous energy.
I remember back in the day this was lumped in with 2 Live Crew as the "gangsta rap" that terrified parents. For some reason I listened to 2 Live more back then than I listened to this. 2 Live's juvenile sexual content probably spoke to me more as a teenager than this subject matter. It's amazing how well this still holds up musically. Not so much lyrically, of course...
ugh misogyny
El género me encanta, se me hace medio largo
This was strong. At times, I could hear its age, but the influence it would have is so clear. Really fun
Some pioneering songs but also some clear fillers
Bit much for us
Such an amazing album for a non rap or hip hop listener, I enjoyed the whole shiet hahahahha
Timeless and flawless.
First album and I wanted to expand my horizons, and this is definitely something I wouldn't normally listen to. Beyond the historical impact, I really have to wonder what Ice Cube from 1989 would think of Ice Cube from 2026's Amazon Prime movie War of the Worlds. I actually don't mind this style of rapping. I can understand what they're saying, and there's a comradery and appreciation for each other's skills that I enjoyed. I know this was a very influential album, but a lot of what I heard especially towards the end, was just scared, overwhelmed kids stuck in a system that was designed for them to fail, and I'm guessing that's what resonated so much with teenagers back then.
I had heard this album when I was a teenager. The beats and music in general takes me back. Their voices are very unique. There is a good mix of lyrics from chillin' to making a statement. Re listening to this was a blast.
Feels so familiar yet I don’t think I’ve ever listened to the album. There are a lot of samples that are well put together - the album is in your face and feels real - there’s a lot of old school hip hop style tracks that I didn’t expect towards the end of the album, one in particular made me think of early Beastie Boys.
Got this the day after Enter the Wu Tang. This, I love. Creative, young group of guys creating art.
I struggle too much with the lyrics
OK then, wow. The drum and bass and rapping on this are absolutely relentless and irresistible on this album. The “bitches” stuff is a bit much and is why I bumped this back to 4 stars from the 5 I was considering after the first couple tracks. But then there are other moments that are incredibly funny, and a lot of anger that is real. I am amused that this m-f'ing record has been enshrined in the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. I started off saying "ok we'll just listen to the first 3 tracks of this for now," but ha no I just played the whole thing through. A record quite deserving of its accolades. 4 stars
I like the rhythm and the energy, but the lyrics don't work for me. ★★
Considered a classic, but I’m not a fan.
Absolute classic of Compton rap and has a lot of funky beats with witty text. But still inferior to solo projects of the members (especially Dr. Dre and Ice Cube).
Cultural and musical landmark that stands the test of time. Favorite track: Straight Outta Compton
Liked the beats and the flow. Some funny lyrics too
Beats are nice, bad language is over used.
De første 3 numre er en af de stærkeste åbningsruns nogensinde, resten af albummet er noget op og ned
All time frontloaded plade. To udødelige bangers og en ret blandet pose efter det. Der er nogen riiiigtige stinkers på den sidet halvdel.
What a sick opener.. what a boring ending.
I had heard multiple songs off this album before listening to it today. The lyrics still remain solid and the beats remain funky.
Not too familiar with NWA other than the few hit songs would’ve heard over the years. Been a while since listened to this type of rap, old school gangster rap. You can hear how influential this is to so much of the rap that came later in the 90s. It’s harder than anything on a lot of other 80s east coast based hip hop that I’ve re-encountered here. It’s all simple beats and rhymes and they’re great. There’s also some fun old school hip hop that’s less “gangsta rap” that’s jazzy and funky like Express Yourself, which is a great track. A bit of a change from a lot of the rest, but it’s one of the best songs on the album. Overall this is good. A bit on the long side, and loses a little bit toward the end. Feels like a 3 or 4. Not sure I would choose to listen to it much, but there’s a sound here I like a lot and would add some to an old school hip hop playlist. Going up to 4, because feels like essential listening.
the OGs
In hindsight sight as a 40 year old the lyrical content on many of the tracks seems somewhat immature, gratuitously violent and misogynistic….. but the beats are strong, the samples groovy and you have to appreciate how influential this album was 4
Stunningly good. 4.2/5.
I like it. I love the aggression and the authenticity. Its a bit long and some of the misogynistic lyrics have not aged well. But it's such a culturally important record and I get why it's on the list.
крута
Hugely influential and from the era of rap that I first listened to. Still my favorite style of rap/hip hop, though not something I ever choose to listen to.
Great album, lyrics aged horribly.
These guys really are experts at swearing. Each swear is cooler than the last. Great album, clear what it's influences are, and I prefer those. Still undoubtably great tho.
funky ass beats tengo el vago recuerdo de haber escuchado este album (o al menos parte de este), no se si fue por un documental o si tuve que analizar los videoclips para un tp.
Sounds a bit old school even if the message is still relevant. Lots of anger dressed up in some good rhythm. Good to walk to.
1. Hella viel gerede, chli zu viel szene wo nöd musik sind 2. Gitt genau de vibe wo’s sötti, gangsta’s wo rapped über ihres lebe 3. Geili beats 4. Easy zum lose nebed bi aber au zum vibe 5. Wie so e story, checke actually über was sie reded
Inte min grej, men ikoniskt album
This is street knowledge 🙎🏼♂️
No va
Muy buen album! Se sintió un poco como el inició de algo icónico. Me gusta que se siente una unidad y también una fuerza 4,4 de 5
Oh this’ll be fun… And it was… and painful, actually. My brother had this album when we were kids. I remember recognizing the Beastie Boys samples then. We had arguments. I remember when Eazy-e died of AIDS. I remember loving the funk, hating the life style it was promoting, even then. I still love the funk. I love the sampling. I love the wit and musical acumen. Yeah, that lifestyle kills. They knew it then. Nothing has changed. 4 Boolean: YES, even so
I didn’t like it
Pretty good album and obviously a classic. However, it lacked cohesiveness in my opinion and the tracks seemed to just be randomly strewn together. Furthermore, some of the lines were a bit wack like “I’ll shove my foot up your ass” from Gangsta Gansta and “I ain’t the one to get played like a pooh butt” the latter being a pretty bizarre lyric for a ‘tough’, gangster rap album. Overall, it’s a decent album and I would certainly relisten to several songs on this which is a pretty good hallmark of it being a classic.
Umm too much swearing and all. It's okay, not my type of song.
Great stuff. I have a soft spot for early hip hop. This was a common soundtrack in high school.
From a technical standpoint, this album is fucking remarkable. The instrumentals hold up really well and the fact that a bunch of guys from a deprived area made something that sounds this good is insane. The misogyny is INSANE on this album though Jesus fucking Christ.
5*
its aight I guess a bit too old school for me but I feel the vibe, could only really get 3 tracks into it before it muddled together and I got bored. It's good but just not my style maybe once I'm back in the trad rap mood I'll enjoy it more
This album is such an iconic. Couldn’t stop popping my head the entire time listening to it. Cube’s voice and G’s bars were unbeatable. The group going back and forth in every track is so good. Thr chemistry of this group is top. However, some tracks are so long I kinda get bored waiting for them to end. Overall, great album.
Gran disco
N.W.A.'s message of black struggle and systematic racism within the US still hits like a ton of bricks nearly 40 years later. While the homophobia and misogyny may be an unfortunate product of its time, I'd still recommend any music fan to give this thing a try. I gave this album my first full listen today and I enjoyed the hour I spent with it and I didn't think it dragged at all. The beats can be funky and serve as a suitable background for the rhymes that always delivered with swagger and gusto. There are rare occasions where the beats sound dated, but these moments don't detract from the highs this landmark record has.
Such a powerful album, but the misogyny kind of ruins it for me.
My takeaways: -Ice Cube was clearly the standout member here; sucks that he split from the group after this one -It's wild how much better Dr. Dre's beats were by the time he made 'The Chronic' -Eazy E always sucked -I never realized until just now that N.W.A.'s logo is missing the period after the A. I refuse to believe that this was done on purpose
I appreciate the contribution this group and album made to rap history, but not a single track inspired me to listen more. would've been a 1 if i didn't know their names and other projects so well and liked them
i don't have many positive things to say about this album, but somehow i'm giving it a 4/5
Very good album. I don’t listen to a ton of rap but I can definitely see why this is so famous.
Through back chestnut hills elementary
I listened to a few songs. Not really into rap, so not my favorite.
Incredibly influential album. Some of the best rap songs of all time are on here. But it falls short of perfection due to some songs aging poorly with goofy lyrics.
This is one of those albums that changed rap forever. It wasn't the first gangster rap group. Schoolly D's PSK and Ice T's 6 in the Morning were likely the first gangster rap tracks. And then there was the cover of BDP's first album, Criminal Minded, with KRS sporting an Uzi. But this is definitely the album that blasted gangster rap into the stratosphere as the predominant type of rap for years to come. Unlike many of the albums it inspired in the 90s, this album isn't just about bragging about guns and drug dealing, though. NWA has some serious political and social commentary. Songs like Fuck the Police are just as true today in its scathing of racist police policies and practices as it was in the 80s. Ice Cube's Gangsta Gangsta is my personal favourite on the album, both funky and rebellious. The first three tracks on this album, in fact, are about as hard as any rap album ever has kicked off. And as for the people offended by this album, well that's mostly the point of all the swearing and cartoonish violence. "Do I look like a mf role model?" This is from the 20th century, where being more offensive than the previous generation was a requirement of music. These guys just basically checkmated punk, metal and everything acid rock and Elvis did before them. It didn't get any worse than this, and for the teenager I was when I first heard this in the 90s, that was part of its selling point. Ok, so now, I'm going to go against conventional rap lore and say, purely as an album, this ain't really that great. It's really just the power of those first three songs, and Express Yourself, that made this album so influential. But there is a whole lot of filler here. If it Ain't Ruff is a solid Ren track. Outside of this, most of the rest of the tracks are either remixes or just not that interesting. The production, as Dre has stated himself, is pretty rough around the edges and the samples are pretty standard James Brown samples for this period, with a few Rick Rubin-like rock guitar samples thrown in. I listen to tracks from this album all the time, but I rarely listen to the full album. It's just not that great a listening experience. So for overall impact on rap and music in general, 5/5. For listenability, 3/5. So as much as I feel as a hiphop head that I should go full 5, I just can't.
314/1089 even on the first song this sounds pretty ahead of it’s time, it sounds more like mid-90s than 88 imo that hold true for most of the album tbh it was decent, again albums like this are why i’m doing this challenge, even if i don’t LOVE it faves: Express Yourself, Something 2 Dance 2 59/100
Better than I was expecting. It goes hard, so much attitude. Had a few good tracks in the middle, but gotta go with Express Yourself! 4.25/5
RATING: 6.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: Express Yourself LOWLIGHT: I Ain’t Tha 1
Better than Coldplay
Strange album. Aggro lyrics over dated beats. It's obvious how this album was influential but to a modern listener I'm not sure it holds up on its own beyond being a time capsule of an era.
Needs to be evaluated given the time it was released.
Nice!
This album has the beats and vibe from the music that I generally like in hip-hop. From one listen, I feel like it's Dr. Dre's big moments that represent the highlights, though I admit I don't always follow who's rapping on each track and when. The violence and misogyny is such a big turnoff for me. I think the use of profanity is fine, but I think it should be used as punctuation not space-filler. There's so many instances of mother-fuck(in)(er), that it no longer has any meaning or punch. This is also pretty clearly some singles and some filler... which makes it surprising they leave Express Yourself so late in the tracklist. That's easily the album's best song. I got tired of I Ain't The One and Dopeman and had to skip, but everything else at least had an appealing beat and flow. Even if I didn't like what they were saying, the rapping itself is skillful -- it helped to show the contrast getting this on the back of Californication, which should probably have the subtitle "How NOT to rap" attached to it. All in all, it's probably a middling for the hip-hop albums I've had so far and not something I'd want to return to.
actually a baller random pick for the first album in my project, long overdue foray into hiphop for me solid 3 since about half the album hit well but some tracks got boring fast and the work goes on a bit longer than it needs to. also not a fan of the multiple tracks that just disparage women lmfao
Has 4 classic tracks, the rest are mid or plain trash. Overrated as an album, but I get its classic status. 5/10
This is an important, powerful, iconic album. Woke this white man up. The misogyny, violence and racism turns the message ugly. This album needed to happen. It was important. But, the down side only allows me to give it a 3.
Falls off pretty quickly after first two
Aika painokelvotonta tekstiä. Ei tykkää.
Ihan kivan kuuloista aikakauden hip hop biittejä. Riimeissä omaan makuun likaa uhoamista ja niggamuthafuckaa. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Music, beat, and all is good but the lyrics. F this and F that... I agree with all the other reviews that slam the Explicit lyrics. Not an album that I would think should be preserved and appreciated. It's bad. 1/5
Yes!!!
I was kinda prepared to hate this, given my distaste for gangsta rap, but I actually enjoyed it more than I expected. Still not amazing, but not terrible
Indefensible but hilarious. Their reputation is built on the first two fantastic tracks but the rest of the album also has fun, if diminishing, returns: Gangsta Gangsta and Dopeman are a hoot. The whole band turned out to be assholes, but they earned their place in history. And fuck tha police.
Bra! Stilbildande förstås. Det är ju några låtar där texterna är någorlunda problematiska, till exempel I ain't that 1. Kvinnosynen här är ju bra mossig. Fuck Tha Police (högst aktuell) och Straight Outta Compton är jättebra, även Something like that. Flera andra låtar också förstås. Ice Cube är min favorit i gruppen, rappar bäst i mitt tycke.
jol jol jestem kurwa gangster jestem tuff?😈
this is the followup to "licensed to ill" everyone wanted The Beastie Boys to make. glad they didn't and NWA did.
Très cool, classique, mais tellement long par moment (pourtant dieu sait que j'aime bcp de sons sur cet album)
Deserves its iconic status but there’s no denying how poorly some of the lyrical content has aged. Makes for a slightly tough listen at times. That being said, the production, energy, flows stand the test of time. RYM: N Saved a song: N
One of those album that has been so discussed since it's release it's really pointless to even try and talk about about it. Absolutely revolutionary from its talk on police and race relations in America, but completely aged horribly in a lot of other ways. 7/10
Pioneering. Express Yourself has always been my fav
This album has a really good sound. Was thinking I'd rate it a 4 at the beginning but because of the offensive and unlistenable lyrics at times I'll compromise at 3
For most of this album I thought it was gonna be a definite 5 star. Up until Express Yourself I was loving it. Unfortunately it dropped off a good bit after that. Dopeman in particular I really didn’t care for. Top Track - Something Like That
The sound of the LA riots, police brutality and the birth of Gangster Rap. As a historial artifact this is fascinating, but to actually listen to over breakfast today as a white man in Yorkshire... not really feeling OK with the hate, sexism and homophobia. Pass.
Great album. Not one for family listening.
Undeniable beats, undeniable influence. Sometimes shitty lyrics that I hated more then than I do now even though they may broadly be less acceptable now. I wish I could hate the music for some of its ugly content, but it’s just too good.
starts off quite strongly, but fades after the first few tracks. the beats are high energy but get a lot simpler, the vocal performances aren't quite the same, and the production is only fine by the end. the lyrics are well performed but the content is highly variable, fuck tha police is a classic for a reason but some of the rest are...questionable.
Iconic west-coast album. Never has been my favourite though, they all rap with the same cadence and the basic rhyme schemes get repetitive. The beats are hit or miss and so are the lyrics. I think everyone went on to make much better music after NWA, but there's still so much more passion, energy and creativity in these songs than you'll find in today's rap.
Had listened to this entire album previously, own it. Always a fun listen.
Šiaip patiko, galėjo mažiau apie moterų žudymą :Dd
yeahhh
tja
It’s funny (and expected) with the absolute earth shattering influence this album had how old fashioned it sounds. I would have thought there’d be less obvious run DMC influence but here we are. Also went about twenty minutes too long
It is the late 80s. I'm seventeen. Living in rural Canada. I have heard some rap in passed around cassettes and the occasional track on Good Rockin' Tonight or Coast to Coast on CBC. No black person around that hasn't been seen on tv or VHS movie. There is no hip hop culture here; just artifacts and flotsam and jetsam that get tossed onto the beach of a fairly homogenous culture that is different from the mainstream that is portrayed in the media at the time. We are in a protected bubble. Roseanne or any working class comedy hadn't even made it to our consciousness. Only a few channels with no real American exposure in terms of news. Something big was coming. Tv shows were changing and rage seems to be on the menu. AIDS has already told us to stop having sex. Ronnie and Maggie made austerity a thing. The War on Drugs had a new target that felt a little stilted by the D.A.R.E. program. The hype war was starting to fail. Then comes Gangsta Rap. Fuck the Police was the song we all heard about but for a while had a hard time finding. A friend got a cassette and we listened to it. Already, we were wary of the police. Not ACAB but not friends. In a small town, we knew the kids and the families of the police. Still, this song seemed to get at some truth. Something that seemed more real than being told that we were the problem and that maybe it was the leaders and the people under their control. Heady stuff for a teenager to realize that maybe we are being lied to. This seemed like someone's real life and not the sanitized versions of tv life. I still have a hard time with gangsta rap as it became the dominant genre in hip hop that I could hear without having to look too hard. It is really hard to argue with how good this album is. It is definitely a groundbreaking album, in spite of not being the first. The furor around Fuck tha Police drove this record into relevance and the folks all went on to have impactful careers. Yeah, homophobia, sexism and whatever else is part of everyday life is here. Just reality out here. And maybe some attempts at comedy. Some of the casual misogyny is more neighbourhood sniping at the girls and reflects as posturing by the guys. Other times, it seems like a warning against drug use, materialism, and just fucking around. Some standouts. 'Express Yourself' 'Fuck Tha Police' of course 'I Ain't tha 1' ...and what is that last track? Something 2 Dance 2. On another album, this would be unremarkable. On this, it just reminds me of the roots and stuff for hip hop and rap. Straight up a 4. I haven't listened to this for more than 30 years. I won't be waiting for another 30 to give it a listen again. Hell, it may have given me a chance to revisit the genre.
As a central European guy I am not touched by this "music" at all.
A couple undeniable classics on this album, but I'm glad this type of thing has gone out of style.
There's a lot here to appreciate, but it's just a little too hard to look past all the misogyny in order to do so. There's just soooo much of it. And at a full hour, it gets tiring after a while. I'm still going with 2.51 stars, rounding up to three.
I'd forgotten just how much this falls off a cliff, but what struck me most this time around was how old-fashioned it sounds—not in 2026, but even in 1988. Songs like "Something Like That" sound like straight-up crew party rap from the '70s. (Compare this to what the Bomb Squad was doing on Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, released two months earlier.) Then there's whatever "Something 2 Dance 2" is, and they smartly bury it at the end of the album. Then there's alllllll the misogyny, which would give the incels on 4chan a run for their money. "Straight Outta Compton" is an unimpeachable classic, and "Fuck Tha Police" is right up there too, but you can stop listening after "Gangsta Gangsta" (or, if you're feeling generous, skip ahead to "Express Yourself," then stop).
Strong album!!! Maybe never got past the first 3 songs in the past - I should have. Gotta play this one alone if I want to sing along tho :)
Peknej hiphop
Some really great tracks on this album.
Pues me ha gustado para ser hiphop 80s
I love this album. It speaks truth to what these young guys were seeing growing up. The album art is iconic and this album is responsible for inspiring so many other great rappers. Again, bias for 80s/90s rap. Favorite song - Fuck the police.
Total classic. Still holds up. It’s definitely front-loaded, but even the poorer songs are still memorable in their own way. The aggression and ridiculous lyrics make it all so bombastic, it’s great. 5.
Thos is far brom being the best West Coast album, and imo it isn't even the best N.W.A album, but it is an undeniable classic anyway.
I’ll always love NWA because I’ll always hate cops. That being said, Ice Cube is clearly the weakest of the bunch.
A lot funkier/jazzier than I expected. Really great
Du rap
Groupe important dans la culture hip hop US Je connais bien cet album C’est vrai qu’il peut être un peu répétitif
Sympa!
It is more a socio cultural achievement than a great album. Most of the songs are very similar to each other, and the rappers have a very boring flow. 3/5.
9/10
Obviously super important, should be on this list. Not my personal fave but I understand its place in history. Great production.
The first two songs are iconic. But past that, this has aged pretty poorly. It veers into homophobic and sexist stuff pretty quickly, and it's also just not very much fun. Landmark album, but one listen was enough.
Un début solide avec de bonnes prods et un impact historique indéniable. Le flow devient vite répétitif et l'album s'étire péniblement en longueur. Un classique essentiel pour la culture, mais lassant et difficile à finir.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that these gentlemen do not "Back the Blue". Plus marks for being a pioneering rap album, and for the kick ass beats. Minus marks for the misogyny, anti-gay jokes, and for being a half hour longer than it needed to be.
The instrumental tracks are cool and well-crafted, and they sound incredible musically, but it's not the style of music I usually listen to, so it took me a little while to get into it. Also, some of the songs seemed a bit long, but it's not a bad album at all.
I definitely get how this was groundbreaking for the time, and the use of samples and remixes is pretty cool. I liked the Charles Wright and Beastie Boys incorporations specifically. And yet, between the different rappers coming in and out on the songs, they all have the same flow and lyrical style. The lyrics themselves were a product of their time, at least accounting for the "edgy" "humor" surrounding women and the LGBT community. Nothing I wouldn't expect from an album of this era, though. The messages of the first few songs still hit hard. Favorite track: Gangsta Gangsta (this fucking hook has been stuck in my head for days)
good tunes
Debatably one of the most influential albums ever made and I can imagine that this album must have changed the lives of so many people that listened to it because it's so funky and satisfying to listen to but I am not one of those people. As someone who is not black nor American, I feel a slight twinge of guilt whenever I listen to hiphop tracks that have lyrics that focus on the American experience of racism because I feel like the artist would hate that I'm listening to their work.
I know the title track pretty well and I like it a lot but the rest of the album was fairly new to me. I could easily rehash the old spiel about how I don't agree with all the messaging in this genre of music but I want to focus more on the positive parts. This is undeniably a very influential album and my favourite part about it was how individual each song was. Each track had a narrative that told a clear story and I think if you listen actively, there is a lot to be appreciated and enjoyed. In particular I really liked 'Express Yourself' - I feel like the lyrics speak a lot of truth.
Influential? Definitely. Good? Definitely not.
Lil Wayne reference
3,5
This is absolutely a 'must hear'. It's historic impact can't be understated. What's epic about it is that it still absolutely slaps. 35+ years later and it is (sadly) *ALSO* still relevant. I don't know what that says about society, but I have thoughts I won't expand on here. I'd just be screaming into the same old void. Has any other album ever had such an incredible and powerful opening? "Straight Outta...", is the clarion call of a new era in rap and music, and then its followed up by legendary tracks like, "Fuck That Police", "Gangsta, Gangsta", "Express Yourself", "I Ain't the One", & "Dopeman". Throughout NWA cleverly uses samples and beats to accentuate the lyrics and amplify the message(s). (5/5) This is an important musical flashpoint.
This was a formative work in every definition of the word by a group that would serve as the prototype for nearly every rap group that would ever follow. Raw, filthy, merciless, and unapologetically crude, NWA, for better or worse, cemented gangster rap as a commercially viable genre that painted a picture of inner-city life and offered a social commentary that shook the status quo to its core. Its violent, profane, and misogynistic messages, love them or hate them, drew attention and sold records, and Fuck the Police became a cultural touchstone that was impossible to avoid or ignore. It's a time capsule for sure, and there's a ton of material here that most studios wouldn't touch with a 12 foot pole these days, but that doesn't do much to blunt it's impact and influence. I owned it on cassette, I played it until it wore out, and I knew all of the beats and lyrics. Even though it's aged so poorly that it's almost painful to listen to, I can't bring myself to give it less than the 5/5 I'd have given it 35 years ago.
Variety: 2 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 4 Emotionality: 3 = 3.4 rounded down to a 3 "Yeah there you go that's what I'm sayin/ I like it when that dope stuffs playin" As a sheltered, elementary school aged suburban white kid, in this one was most definitely not my radar when it came out, and in fact I doubt I even heard any of these tracks until '91 or later and then on MTV. And mainly in new stories. By middle school, and on into high school gangsta rap had exploded and become way more mainstream, and this one just got left behind even as me and some friends all listened to other stuff that was blowing up the charts at the time. Snoop Dogg, Dre, Ice Cube, Ice T these were all familiar names by then, but I still wasn't sure exactly who Eazy-E was. Even with those ear wormy hits, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, PM Dawn were all much more my speed. And despite finally having heard the big tracks by then, I don't think I even listed to this all the way through until my 20s. And I've only heard the whole thing a few times. Maybe it was the effect of hearing all the stuff that came after first, but it ever really stuck with me. I didn't hate it, it just wasn't something that "sparked joy" for me. Let's see if things have changed. THE TRACKS "Straight Outta Compton" - An all timer to be sure, and a great opener. It's made very clear here that this will not be a party album. But even though these guys mean business, that doesn't mean no samples, and no musicality. Eazy-E eazilu has the most charisma of any of these guys, but everyone is solid. Sampled: Amen, Brother by The Winstons; You'll Like It Too by Funkadelic; Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9 by Wilson Pickett; Take Me to the Mardi Gras by Bob James; Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) by The Gap Band; West Coast Poplock by Ronnie Hudson & The Street People; Chase by The Staple Singers; It's My Turn by Dezo Daz feat. DJ Slip; Ruthless Villain by Eazy-E feat. MC Ren "Fuck tha Police" - Going to go ahead and call it now, but the most iconic track on the album, and still 1000% relevant today. Maybe even more so. MC Ren has the best verse on this one. Sampled: It's My Thing by Marva Whitney; The Boogie Back by Roy Ayers Ubiquity; Funky Drummer (Pt. 1 & 2) by James Brown; Feel Good by Fancy; Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9 by Wilson Pickett; Funky President (People It's Bad) by James Brown; Sing a Simple Song by Please (Funk Group); Shack Up by Banbarra; Ruthless Villain by Eazy-E feat. MC Ren; Whiskey and Wine by Bram Tchaikovsky; 8 Ball (Remix) by N.W.A.; Dopeman by N.W.A "Gangsta Gangsta" - Musically some interesting stuff going on here, but three tracks in and I'm already feeling that itch on the back of my neck that indicates to me that a lot of repetitive material is on the way. Sampled: Weak at the Knees by Steve Arrington; Be Thankful for What You Got by William DeVaughn; N.T. by Kool & the Gang; Funky Worm by Ohio Players; Troglodyte (Cave Man) by The Jimmy Castor Bunch; Girls by Beastie Boys; Take the Money and Run by Steve Miller Band; Impeach the President by The Honey Drippers; God Make Me Funky by The Headhunters feat. Pointer Sisters; La Di Da Di by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick; Sonnet to My Idol by Lady Reed; My Philosophy by Boogie Down Productions; Eazy-Duz-It by Eazy-E; Ain't No Half-Steppin' Big Daddy Kane; Car Skid and Crash by Jac Holzman; Ruthless Villain by Eazy-E feat. MC Ren; Siren - Ambulance, Fire, Police, Foreign - 1 by Sound Ideas; 2001 by The Cecil Holmes Soulful Sounds "If It Ain't Ruff" - The sound is here much more of a satisfying groove. MC Ren is by far the most underrated guy in the group, and he's much more my speed as far as his flow, and he's the star here. Sampled: A Star in the Ghetto by Average White Band and Ben E. King; Ain't We Funkin' Now by The Brothers Johnson; Ruthless Villain by Eazy-E feat. MC Ren; Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A; Fugitive by Whodini; Gittin' Funky by Kid 'N Play; Funky Drummer (Pt. 1 & 2) by James Brown; Quiet on Tha Set by N.W.A "Parental Discretion Iz Advised" - Hands down the best showcase track on the album. Another solid groove underneath all the guys getting their time in the spotlight. Sampled: I Turned You On by The Isley Brothers "8 Ball (Remix)" - This spotlight track for Eazy-E doesn't do it for me. The old school staccato flow is old hat even in 1988, and Eazy is so much better used elsewhere. Sampled: Bang Zoom (Let's Go-Go) by The Real Roxanne feat. Howie Tee; Yo! Bum Rush the Show by Public Enemy "Something Like That" - Ren and Dre team up here for some solid, but middle of the road material. ren is definitely carrying the weight here. Dre, even on his best day is not the smoothest guy, and feels robotic here. Sampled: Take the Money and Run by Steve Miller Band; I Think I'd Do It by Z.Z. Hill; Down on the Avenue by Fat Larry's Band "Express Yourself" - This one floats to the top, and is built over a great loop from the 70s classic of the same title. It's also a pretty hilarious anti-weed song from Dre. Was he being tongue in cheek here, or was he legit straight edge at the time? Will have to look this up. ( alright - apparently Dre reportedly did not try marijuana until he met Snoop Dogg, who introduced him to it in teh early 90s). Sampled: Express Yourself by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band; Dopeman by N.W.A "Compton's N the House (Remix)" - Another one that doesn't work for me and feels kind of like a placeholder with a VERY old school approach. 1985 called and it wants its beats back. Sampled: Cinderfella Dana Dane by Dana Dane; Eazy-Duz-It by Eazy-E "I Ain't Tha 1" - My favorite sample on the album. Ice cube slows down and leans right into it on here and lyrics aside, this one holds up a bit more musically than a lot of stuff on here. Sampled: The Message (Inspiration) by Brass Construction "Dopeman (Remix)" - Another lowlight for me. This just sounds so OOOOOOLD to my ears. Even compared to other stuff that came out around it. And I get that maybe people weren't necessarily calling these guys sonic innovators or anything, but this is a rough listen. trying not to dig too hard on the lyrics, but this especially does not hold up well. Sampled: I'm Bad by LL Cool J "Quiet on tha Set" - Another Ren spoitlight, but also another ok, if middle of the road track. Musically there's just not much exciting going on here despite 20(!) samples. Overkill for Sampled: Rock Creek Park by The Blackbyrds; I Get Lifted by KC & the Sunshine Band feat. George McCrae; Take the Money and Run by Steve Miller Band; Bring It Here by Wild Sugar; Funky Drummer (Pt. 1 & 2) by James Brown; Scratchin' by The Magic Disco Machine; Funky President (People It's Bad) by James Brown; Catch a Groove by Juice; Ain't We Funkin' Now by The Brothers Johnson; 2001; The Cecil by Holmes Soulful Sounds; Down to the Grissle by Cool C; Just Rhymin' With Biz by Big Daddy Kane feat. Biz Markie; Ruthless Villain by Eazy-E feat. MC Ren; Rebel Without a Pause by Public Enemy; AJ Scratch by Kurtis Blow; Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A; Eazy-Duz-It by Eazy-E; I Believe in Music by The Kay-Gees "Something 2 Dance 2" - The lone party track on a non-party album. This is incredibly dated as well, but in a good way. It's fun, there's a lot going on musically. This has to be the most radio friendly track on here, right? Sampled: You're the One for Me by D-Train; Dance to the Music by Sly & the Family Stone; Change the Beat (Female Version) by Beside; Gang Busters Theme by Gang Busters HIGHLIGHTS - "Straight Outta Compton" - "Fuck tha Police" - "If It Ain't Ruff" - "Parental Discretion Iz Advised" - "Express Yourself" - "I Ain't Tha 1" - "Something 2 Dance 2" MIDLIGHTS - "Gangsta Gangsta" - "Something Like That" - "Quiet on tha Set" LOWLIGHTS - "8 Ball (Remix)" - "Compton's N the House (Remix)" - "Dopeman (Remix)" FINAL THOUGHTS It's hard to think of too many more influential or important albums than this one. It's been called the Sgt. Peppers of gangsta rap, and that's hard to argue against. Sgt. Pepper's is not my favorite Beatles album, and this is also not my favorite material from the musicians involved. Both Dr. Dre and Ice Cube would go on to produce stuff that I enjoy way more than this. I know that's not really the point here, but for me this is list a highly subjective and personal accounting of what I like, and why I like it. This one is nakedly political, and unfortunately fully relevant to the very day I'm listening to it. Not that much has changed since 1988 it seems, and in a lot of ways we're worse off. This is most definitely an album that everyone should listen to. Its message, its production, its reach cannot be overvalued. But you don't have to absolutely love it as a piece of music. When we get there ( and I suspect we will - Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back I think will hold up better for me, both in style and substance. I also find a lot of the stuff from The Clash similarly uninteresting aesthetically for the very same reasons. As far as protest music goes, this is still VERY listenable though. Culturally and historically, sure - S-tier in that regard. Up there with Sgt. Peppers, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Highway 61 Revisited, DARK Side of the Moon, and Thriller. As far as something I can throw on and enjoy this is at best a 3-star for me. I'm tempted, out of respect, to meet the culture at large this halfway and give it a 4, but that just wouldn't fit with my goals here. It just does not hold up for me. And there SO much great music from that period and before that does. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Would kind of defeat the point I think FURTHER LISTENING - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy - The Chronic by Dr. Dre - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted by Ice Cube
In 2017 Judy Garland’s “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” was selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” That same year this N.W.A. Album, “Straight Outta Compton” was also included on the Registry. Talk about strange classmates. Both deserve this accolade. They are part of the fabric of American culture. I heard once on a podcast this album described as The Big Bang of Gangsta Rap. Its an apt term, because to listen to this seminal work here in 2026 is to contend with everything that it has wrought in its explosive origin. Gangsta rap in totality, the soon to be ascendancy of the West Coast, West Coast vs. East Coast, the in-fighting, the feuding, the diss tracks, Doctor Dre, Beats by Dre, Ice Cube, Ice Cube's movie career, Ice Cube internet memes. All of it. "Straight Outta Compton" contained all of this at the beginning and exploded, scattering the atoms of this sound and style throughout the pop culture universe. We would all be witness to the strength of street knowledge. And there is little I could add to this creation myth that hasn't already been said. N.W.A. reached even the dorky white kids like myself. I grew up in the early 90's era of gangsta rap that was downstream of this album. Among my CDs I had The Chronic, Snoop Dogg's debut, Warren G's CD, a bunch of Tupac in addition to my friends that had Ice Cube and Cypress Hill. This album holds up. It is full to the brim with creative energy and confident swagger. Rap seems to achieve its highest forms when it is competitive. Diss tracks and antagonism are part of the language. N.W.A would emphasize the "Attitude" part or their name. And as you listen remember that this is being preserved for future generations as an esteemed piece of culture.
Rap royalty. This one kicked the doors open. Some of it hasn't aged well but this one set the bar.
Interesting turning point in rap. Can't deny the greatness. Didn't expect as much Beastie Boys influence
Lembrei muito de Jet set radio, muito legal conhecer a sonoridade original de muitas remixagens e claro não posso esquecer de "Fuck tha police"
Fantastic. Raw, aggressive, passionate
I owned this tape way back when it came out so matbe that's why it hits different than the Snoop and Biggie albums I reviewed earlier. A level of misogyny and glorification of viloence but somehow it feels more like a story than promotion. More depth and good flow. Still though
I mean cmon its gas
Classic OG
One of my favorite albums. Everything is firing on all cylinders. A fantastic group of rappers who's individual strengths helped cover others' weaknesses. This is definitely a must listen album, especially if you have any interest in rap (and more specifically the gangster rap of the late 80s and 90s). Fuck tha police.
Maaaan, I really wanted to like this album because its very significant for the genre as a whole I feel. But its such a product of its time in a hyper masculine and misogynist subculture. The homophobia ain't misogyny and it for me.
This album had SO much potential. The entirety of it was so well produced, and the rap itself was so good. But I can't excuse the rampant misogyny. Especially on that last track, wtf. I'm side-eyeing every man that rated this 5 stars.
daring, biting, truthful and fun. love the samples they use. an album that had a real cultural impact that's lasting
I guess one of the first proper rap albums.
Tough
Iconic rap album, changed hip hop forever
Hell ya brother
Some great songs like Express Yourself. Still, the album is about 45 minutes too long.
This record is culturally significant for sure. I don't think a lot of it holds up today, though. Either way, it's pretty good. Favourite Track(s): Straight Outta Compton Least Favourite Track(s): Compton's N The House
Incredible. Such a great album.
Finally a good one
Don’t know what all the fuss is about. Must have been a different context.
Its alright, but rap/hip-hop just isnt for me however much of a classic it is. The constant use of slurs got really tedious, really quick.
“Let 'em understand perfection. Let knowledge be the tool for suckers to stop guessing. Cause I don't give a fuck about radio play. Observe the English I display.” -‘Parental Discretion Iz Advised’
I liked the first two songs, the rest were alright
A Canadian white man riding his bike to work in Toro to while blasting this on his speaker garnered numerous white men in their 50s spontaneously singing along with the lyrics... Nostaaaaalgia
It's one of the great totems of hip hop (by which I mean that even I, indie kid to the core, have heard it before). And in some ways it's really good - crystal clear delivery, hugely memorable lines, bouncy instrumentation. It's also dated thematically, which is to say, horrible. And, of course, it's too long by a mile. I love Express Yourself. Once is enough though.
Silly enough I started liking the album a lot more once I started listening to all of the lyrics. At first I would just be listening to instrumentals that sound like they could pretty easily come of a sound board (they actually deconstruct the beat on the last song and it doesn’t make it sound much more complicated), rhyme patterns that aren’t super complex that I can tell, and themes that seemed to all be about beating somebody up, shooting somebody, or disrespecting women. But the storytelling is really what makes it interesting, I particularly thought a lot about I ain’t the one. It has the theme of disrespecting women but really truthful about hey if you’re going out with ice cube this is what you should expect. Made me think about the parasocial celebrity relationships and how it must be hard to trust either party in them. Overall the thing I kept thinking about was how I wouldn’t really consider this to be “cool” music. It reminded me of the bestie boys which I’m not sure if that predates or was inspired by this sound. This album has a lot of horns and generally felt incredibly upbeat for the themes. There wasn’t a song that felt particularly dark despite having a lot of violence and some darker drug themes. I suppose it feels like more of a celebration of the culture they came from which the stories of which they used to become successful even if the upbringing had darkness in it.
cool B) not melodic enough for my personal taste "sometimes i used to wonder, how an ugly dude would get a fine girl's number" 🔥
indeed
Historical, but not for me. The artistry is profound, but so is the negativity.
Some tunes are great - some lyrics are not!
There were sections of this that rose above, but on the whole, this didn't take me anywhere new. Maybe in its time it was special, but I wasn't on this when it happened.
This was my first time hearing this. Not sure why i avoided it for so long. It holds up. I don't love it as much as PE's "It Takes a Nation of Millions..." but it's still pretty great. And damn, I remember the controversy around Fuck Tha Police. Talk about drawing a line in the sand. Definitely belongs on this list. The misogyny not so much.
Before this project, I didn't care for rap. That said, I've listened to this album before and I'm always surprised how much I like it. Yeah, this old white suburban lady rolled up to the Wawa yesterday with the windows rolled down, sunroof wide open, and Fuck Tha Police blaring out of my Civic. I felt so full of jive and gangsta... NWA told it like it really is...decades before the white suburban ladies really heard it.
Outstanding album!
Fuck tha police
guess fuck da police somehow aged really well /j but still, 3:5!
I don't listen to rap usually, but this is pretty good. I don't understand why people are making a fuss over its themes. It's a reality that exists whether you like it or not. Might as well make fun music out of it.
Some classics!
Yeaa nostogic
Solid album.
Very good HipHop album with great flow and bars. Some of it's a bit problematic, but still a solid 5.
"I have trouble with the violent and misogynistic lyrics" Did you try thinking?? Critically, even?! Jokes aside, this album is fucking TNT. Shit was so popular the LAPD got their budget increased.
Didn't need to listen - go straight back to Compton.
It’s soooo good the sexism just hasn’t aged well at all and it’s really hard to ignore in 2026. I do think art should be considered in the context of which I was created and it’s not always helpful to judge it with a modern perspective (although it also is at times). Either way sexism and homophobia wasn’t ok in the 80s and it certainly isn’t now. Tis a moral dilemma !!
Decent but not as good as Wu-Tang
I actually sort of liked the music, but lyrics were just too much. Not for me.
Heard Before? Yes, but not for many years. Notes: - drum programming, sample selection and turntable work among the most interesting of the era. lots of variety between and inside every track. every song has a hook, which is a feature for us non-heads. - posse cuts are intrinsically more exciting for me than solo raps. bring it on. - wordplay is minimal, but the rhymes are tight. flows are innovative for the era - at least things are always changing up. - lyrics are too much for me. unpleasant, not entertaining. but THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT. they do exactly what they set out to do. "we make hardcore jams / so fuck respect". mission accomplished. Verdict: The iconic gangsta rap album, repulsive and fascinating in equal measure. Listen Again? Maybe. It's not my jam but it's awfully effective.
I realize this is a monumental hip hop album. I’m a huge fan of Ice Cube’s style, Dre is one of my favorite producers, Eazy E was a TERRIBLE rapper. First three tracks are straight fire, but you just kind of lose interest after that
I can see why it is well liked but it got a bit repetitive for me.
You lost me at fuck the police.
Angry, angry, angry, in your face protest raps wrapped up in a F bomb box with a AK 47 bow.
Fuck
un classique du rap à l'ancienne. Ca s'écoute tout seul et ça a pas trop mal vieilli
10/10
7/10 Great. Apart from the casual homophobia and misogyny, which brings the score down.
Wowzers. I see why Dionne Warwick called that meeting. Shit bumps tho 🤷🏾
Seminal hip hop but not my thing!
Definitely not my usual style of music, but I surprisingly enjoyed this. I like a lot of others that I've reviewed lately, this was interesting. It had energy, something to say, passion.
very colorful storytelling as usual...the beats don't hook me as much as 90s hip hop because the beats and rhythm are still a little too militant in that 80s hip hop way that I don't find as catchy as the more laid-back style in the 90s influenced by more alternative hip hop, but I liked it more than other rap from this era! Fav tracks: Straight Outta Compton; Gangsta Gangsta; Quiet On Tha Set
Straight Outta Compton Fuck tha Police Gangsta Gangsta Express Yourself
Some songs were bangers, some felt childish and sulky. They didn't quite land. The funky samples made up for it.
Classic, absoluut. Maaar ook beetje whacky en gedateerd. Had er meer van verwacht, zeker na zo'n sterk begin en cultstatus
What a flow
Ik vertaal graag band/groepsnamen naar het Nederlands zodat alle kaaskoppen op deze site kunnen beseffen hoe belachelijk sommige namen eigenlijk zijn. Vandaag moet ik even goed nadenken hoe ik dit het beste kan aanpakken. Dit album van [Geuzennaam] Met Houding is, om het woord maar weer eens te gebruiken, iconisch. Toch staan er geen nummers op die ik in m'n playlists heb staan, want ik vind het over het algemeen geen hele relaxte muziek om naar te luisteren. Het is allemaal iets te typisch. Als album in deze lijst kan ik het een keer wel waarderen. Het is inmiddels wel ietsjes gedateerd (dat 808 cowbell geluid verraad de leeftijd van dit album zoals handen dat doen bij beroemdheden met strakgetrokken smoeltjes). Ik geef 4 sterren. Het is wel een wat lange zit ook.
Violentos
Real niggaz don't die straight up gangstas
Some absolute classics on here like "Fuck Tha Police" and "Express Yourself". I also enjoyed "If It Ain't Ruff" and "Quiet On Tha Set". The beats are great, and you can see how influential this album was on rap for the next couple decades.
قوتد ✌🏻مع السلامة ايزي إ
It is very interesting. Limitless violence.
Yeaaah, boyee. Now we're talking. Look, the album is dated now, sure, but it's like 5 decades old. But it's still more potent, caustic, daring, and powerful than any hip hop album since. Plus it has a collection of bangers. It peters off towards the end, but it's a clear five stars. Anything less than 4 stars and you hate music and hate life.
First class album
Un clásico del hip hop, pero no me gustó tanto como el de Public Enemy
I get that this is culturally important. And I also get how freaking angry young black men must have been (and still are) at the built-in racism in the American system. However, I do (like many) find the glorification of violence and the misogyny harsh and not appropriate to this era. The anger? Fuck hell yes. As for the music and flow... absolutely tight. Also, I was delighted to learn how much these guys gave back to the community over the years.
My very first experience with this album was showing my mom "fuck tha police" hoping she thought I was tough and gangster. We were in the parking lot of disney world. I might be whiter than mayonaise. Best: Straight Outta Compton Worst: I ain't tha 1 Liked songs: 8/13, 62% Light 3
Every time I’ve Cube isn’t rapping the audience should ask “Where’s Ice Cube?” A real transition. Fuck the Police and Express Yourself are on opposite sides of the gangster rap inflection point. It’s good but inconsistent. And too long. And Eazy E isn’t very good.
Hard to rate this one. Would be a 3, but extra point for historical relevance.
Are you kidding me? 5 star of course
Boring beats, repetitive funk guitars. Straight outta Compton, the track is a banger though. Ice Cube best rhymes by far of the lot
Straight Outta Compton charted on Billboard, introduced gangsta rap to the masses, and would change the course of music. It's one of my favorite rap albums ever, though side A outperforms side B by a decent amount.
Bars. Beats. Fun. Funky. Lyrical. The rhymes are top tier. Really good production. Knew a couple of these, but Express Yourself really surprised me, catchy and funky.
The fact the 'Fuck tha Police' is still as relevant today as it was when it was released is depressing, yet proves that N.W.A did in fact, have something to say.
There is really not a lot to say other than this album is awesome and incredibly fun/important
Highly influential for its sound and flow, rightfully so as there are some gems on here. However hating on other minorities to uplift yourself, is not it and sadly, there’s a lot of that, A LOT!
Straight outta Compton is a classic gangsta rap album, Which influenced and popularised gangsta rap as a whole. it had one of the best Eazy - E and MC Ren performances. needless to say, that songs such as "Fuck tha Police" singlehandedly killed censorship, allowed to talk shit about cops and goverment, which gave us tons of good rap songs Album has songs that are unusual for gangsta album - Talking about expressing yourself and having something 2 dance 2. Where Dre talks about individuality and creativity freedom. For 1988s and to this day this album still feels amazing, def top 25 rap albums OAT.
Uhhh, what i can say - this album, at least for now, is not for me, i understand that people say that this is on of the greatest rap albums of all time, but now it's not my cup of tea
It's Straight Outta Compton so you know what you're getting. Birthed a whole genre for better or worse. Still some great stuff on here and some of the members went on to have amazing careers as well. Interesting looking back about how much was made of the lyrics at the time. I wonder how that would go over now?
En Tidal falta la canción 2: Fuck tha police.1. Me encanta como suena el rap de esta época. Me he guardado: «Straight Outta Compton», «Fuck tha Police», «Gangsta Gangsta», «Parental Discretion Iz Advised» y «Dopeman», pero podrían ser más. Me han entrado ganas de ver la película.
Fire start with Straight Outta Compton and Fuck Tha Police back to back, the two tracks from the album I was most familiar with. Gangsta Gangsta isn't far behind with a sick beat. The other highlight of the album is Express Yourself, with a more mainstream appealing sound. The storytelling throughout most tracks on this record is a blast, sometimes clashing heavily with the uplifting beats with very dark themes like in Dopeman. Even a track like Something 2 Dance 2 which shouldn't work for this album does, thanks to the impeccable production. The album overall impressed me the most by how polished it is from start to finish and even though I'd remove a couple of tracks to make it a more compact album with no skips it's undoubtedly a classic and feels way ahead of it's time and I can only guess how groundbreaking it back then, as today it sounds like a kick start to 90s Hip Hop. 9/10
Amazing cohesion from young MCs with seemingless boundless energy. Better interplay than Wu-Tang. Despite being known for the gangsta tropes, there’s that sense of community found in De La and Tribe. Also a surprising amount of homoeroticism.
Está chulo. Traslada perfectamente a la época cani de EE.UU. y seguramente fue precursor de mucha de esa música. Me cuesta destacar alguna canción en concreto. Nueno I ain't that 1 me ha molado
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/n_w_a/straight-outta-compton/ Look, of course it’s a hiphop classic. But after the two opening songs, it loses steam quite quickly. Add to that the somewhat problematic lyrics and you gotta conclude it just didn’t age too well. Still, however, it’s quite a fun listen with a few highlights.
Streetwise gangsta rap that started a movement. Album dips but quality first half.
Most of them actually got out of Compton. Good for them.
Good. My hot take is it’s 3⭐️s but still solid
so cool. every second of this is like wow, they are so cool. no one does it like them
More of a 3.5 for me. Obviously influential album, but the album was too long for my personal preferences.
One of the most iconic opening rap tracks from anywhere in the 80s and 90s (and perhaps into the 2000s). I can't think of a more powerful introduction to a more legendary group. It oozes cool and attitude, two things this album never gives up in its runtime. i learned this album has been preserved in the library of congress! neat. obviously "Fuck Tha Police" is fucking incredible. even contemporary versions of this song ("Close Your Eyes [And Count to Fuck]" from Run the Jewels comes to mind) don't quite reach this song's heights. Always enjoyable, always righteously angry, I'll revisit this album every handful of months or so and be moved.
i can't believe parents didn't want their kids listening to this back in the day
An obvious classic. This is another one that my dad showed me as a young lad, so it's always stuck with me. I feel like I get something new out of each listen, though it may be that the length makes me tune in and out at different times. It's tough to listen to a full hour length album without getting distracted these days. I would blame that on getting old but that seems like something that would get easier with age, so maybe its just donkey brains.
A hugely influential album in my life. Yeah, the raps are outdated, but the politics are still valid and these beats still bang. "Express Yourself" is incredible use of a sample.
Listened to this the way Dre intended: while writing code, sitting in the teen literature section of the Woodford County Library.
13/1001 Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A. (1988) An album whose influence is still heard 38 (!) years later. How would it be possible to rate an album with the title track, "Fuck Tha Police", and "Express Yourself" below four stars? That said, I think that's about the highest it can get. There are several iconic tracks that had an enormous impact on Hip-Hop but, just as with other 80s Hip-Hop, it's impossible to not hear its age. The "Remix" tracks really just do not do it for me, and in general the second half is full of very forgettable early Hip-Hop. And, as much as I hate to say it, I think a lot of Eazy-E's writing and rapping just isn't for me, at least on this album. A very enjoyable album but limited but remembered primarily for its standout tracks. ★★★★
the final phase of the transition from old school to new school. super neat to hear more complex 90s style verses over late 80s production. kinda wish theyd lay off the misogyny but whatever.
3.5
It’s a classic but it’s still not for me.
База
tough 😤
Loved the beats on this.
Looking back it’s so funny how the 808s contrasted the subject manner. This album really set the popular blueprint for the next two decades. (4-4.5)
"Like a lot of people, this was my intro to gangsta rap. It sounded absolutely nothing like the hip-hop I was used to (mainly Public Enemy). The first three tracks are so deadly that they demand a 5-star rating on their own; the fact that the rest of the album can't quite live up to them just shows how far above and beyond they really were—and still are. You can hear everything change in those three songs. It was like a nuclear bomb going off, not only in the hip-hop landscape but in pop music in general. Nothing would ever be the same. They also show exactly what kind of lyricist Ice Cube is. Mix those lyrics with Dr. Dre's beats, and you get such an infectious sound that all of hip-hop started chasing it, but never quite caught it. At the time, did I get that most of the things they were rapping about were true? No. But man, it was scary and exhilarating to hear, and for most of us white suburban kids, it was an intro to a whole different world out there. Parents ignored this at their own peril, and by the time they started paying attention, it was too late. To paraphrase MC Ren: by the time they were paying attention, their whole fuckin' family was wearin' their t-shirts!
I've heard a lot about this album: it's inescapable! I'm glad that I finally sat down and listened to it! I didn't want to skip as often as I expected to want to skip in the first half. There were a few songs where the misogyny was extreme and awful. The bears were like a musical time capsule.
Yeah, I can see why this was so influential. This album doesn't pull any punches and has some really great production in addition to its intense lyrics. I can't say this is my favorite thing, but there is no way I can argue with its place on this list. Favorite track(s): "Straight Outta Compton," "Express Yourself"
Ok
album #34 hugely influential album!! biggest issue is that the second half of the album drags a bit, barring "express yourself". criticism of violent misogyny within the second half is understandable, but if you only criticise black men for this then you are simply racist. keep that energy up for bob dylan and other white men with guitars, okay? ꩜ average track rating: 2.6/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): express yourself, fuck da police ꩜ least favourite track(s): i ain't tha 1, dopeman ꩜ album rating: ★★★☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,055 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 21 (+1 Straight Outta Compton) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 8 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 26
Game changing album, the first time I heard this I was dumbstruck at how raw, poetic and emotional it was. And it still has the same effect. Express Yourself will forever hold a THPS4 shaped place in my heart. 5.0/5.0 Best Song: Fuck Tha Police
It's a big album but feels a bit dated now. Lots of big important tracks, but it feels very 80s compared to a lot of stuff from a similar time. Dr Dre really is a fucking genius though. Bes Track: Fuck Tha Police
This album is a classic for a reason: engaging and occasionally hilarious, musically interesting and mature and throughout it all just unbelievably, effortlessly cool
Great album, brings back memories
There are so many sexist, homophobic, violent, toxic masculinity and overall extreme themes and lyrics that it'll make your head spin. So that'll earn them an extra point for the rating
She rubbed her legs like a cricket. Everytime I listen to the album I hear lines that make we say wow. Such a great group. Too bad Ice Cube didn’t get his $$$$$ they could have made even better.
One of the best ever. When rap was rap.
Very good
Brilliant album
Tbh it’s a very important album, but the cultural relevance that it serves now would be the contrast of how ice cube is now a sellout, and how a lot of rappers today are pro institution. This album serves as the epitome of this.
Surprised to have enjoyed this, but found it an engaging listen
Hard charging rap but pretty repetitive to my ear.
It was good. Kind of repetitive? Like in the songs themselves. Idk
Crazy, they really marked a before and after in the genre, it's true that you want to pass by anarchy but if you listen to it objectively you see a universal reality, a fucking madness
Still sounds innovative to me but not something I would revisit.
Never really realized how much Beastie Boys there is on this album, both in terms of influence and in literal sampling (see: 8 Ball). Lyrically clever, if you can ignore the often pretty despicable attitude (relevant, I suppose) and there's some really, really great production on the album. You can see how this was a must-listen in its era. It feels raw and honest all over. Fav tracks: Straight Outta Compton, Fuk Da Police, Quiet on Tha Set
Not my genre, but still an amazing album for what it is. I couldn’t really get too into the track. That’s why it gets two stars. I see the talent and I see the potential.