Reviews (page 7 of 14)
4 massive songs carry this into the 4s just about
Contrary to popular belief, it's not the FIRST gangsta rap record, it's just the first one to spill over to the mainstream. It IS influential AND important. It is an undeniable, yet very flawed record. It challenged the listener to confront uncomfortable "street" truths about race, poverty and violence in America. It didn't compromise on it's stand against law enforcement and politicians and it spurned a billion-dollar industry of indie producers putting out rap records.
I think I have to give this a better rating for being a gangsta rap album that didn't have any stupid and unfunny sketches baked into it. This album feels like a cultural touchstone. I don't agree with all of the lyrics and ideals, but there are plenty of things that still hit just as hard over 40 years later there's something to be said about that. This isn't just anger for anger's sake, there's a fight against injustice, confusion about where power should lie, a bit of pointed narcissism, and sense that life should be fun. I don't think it can be everyone's thing, but I think it's worth hearing at least once.
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
You can’t deny the impact and influence this album has had for years and years to come. So many samples have been taken from this album, and just about every underground DJ mixtape has had tracks from this album on them. On a personal level, it’s kind of unfortunate, but albums like this really fall flat for me these days. Overall, I have to say my life is good, I’m pretty happy, and now when I listen to these types of albums, it reminds me of a younger, less evolved version of me. Yuck!!!
It's so interesting listening to this now and feeling how tame it is for 2025, but it was so revolutionary in its day. That's how I remember it. The album with explicit lyrics on every track that shocked mainstream America. The lyrics still hold up, again showing we have not advanced in the least as a country. And again, for me, the narratives in these songs really appeal to me and give me perspective on the lives of those considered the "other" in America.
I liked it.
Had "Fuck Tha Police" stuck in my head all day. Overall decent album with some hip hop classics and a few gems that I wasn't aware of. Personal highlight "Parental Discretion Iz Advised"
A classic of Hip Hop history!!!
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
4/5
One of my all time favorite albums... pioneering.
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
c’est pas un album que j’écouterais tous les jours surtout que les chansons sont longues et plutôt répétitives mais bon ça crée quand même une sorte d’ambiance un peu différente (la même ambiance que les quartiers new yorkais dans les années 90 globalement) donc j’aime bien!
Now I know who to thank for all of the crappy music today. It's like they just learned how to say "Fuck" and couldn't say it enough. Couldn't even get through two songs. Not my thing.
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.
This is so not for me. I can’t get into gangsta rap, I respect its impact - I mean I listened to good kid maad city just the other day, incredible album - but I can’t connect with NWA. I had to skip through most of it. Hardly any melodies, the type of lyrics that make me clutch my pearls. Misogynistic nonsense. Hate it deeply. Straight Outta Compton is a great song though. Matt Dillon shoutout on Something Like That. I’m also considering this album just minutes after watching Ice Cube in the 2025 sci-fi masterpiece War of the Worlds. Can’t reconcile that with what I’m listening to. I will not be listening to this one again.
Has a couple bangers but the rest is dated as shit bro. Gotta give it the respect it deserves but you know damn well I’m not bumping this album anymore lol
Good beats by dr dre but fit weaker to the end. Never the less, iconic rap album extremly influencial, maybe bit too vulgar but i feel like that was intended so i guess its ok
Would not have chosen to listen to this, but great album
It’s really too bad that the anti-authoritarian and expressive tracks about Black life also tend towards so much misogyny and homophobia. Lots of killer tracks but this doesn’t age very well on a few fronts.
Pure Fun. Peak of it's era
Straight outta the CD player
classic obviously but not that much into hip hop
Straight Outta Compton is another strong contender for best first track off a debut album. This was Gangsta Rap's big break. Fuck Tha Police is another great song. Ice Cube is by far the best MC in NWA. Dre's style is so different in each phase of his career. If It Ain't Ruff has an awesome beat. Express Yourself is Dre's chance to rap. This is like the Ice Ice Baby sample where it's just lifted almost whole cloth from the original. I love that rappers in the 80s. even gangsta rappers were claiming they didn't smoke weed. Compton's N The House - Remix is hilarious in it's use of the words "wacky wack" over and over to dis other rappers being "wacky wack". I Ain't Tha 1 is the NWA version of the Beastie Boys Girls. The numbers in song titles dates this album. Something 2 Dance 2 is a throwback to Dre's Worldclass Wrecking Crew days.
It's out there, and brutal, but it's one of probably just a few hip-hop/rap albums that I like enough to add to my library.
entertaining
Decent hip hop, didn’t feel too special to me. 3 stars
Much of this is brilliant but i can do without most of Dre and Cube’s cringe bs.
Well gangster
Very cool but a bit repetitive after a while. Enjoyed public enemy more
This album is a delight. It really hits and never really holds back and slumps.
Could not get into it.
6/10 Nice
Excellent album and such a trendsetter.
Now we're talking. Definitely should be on this list.
My youth
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.
Just not my thing
Fuck my life dewddddddd. Another hip-hop album less than a week after the previous one. With this album behind me, I’ll have now listened to 9 out to top 20 hip-hop albums. We’re getting there. N.W.A is a name that vaguely rings a bell. The “Straight Outta Compton” title moreso. I get the impression that this is a solid rep for the genre, though I’m more appreciative of this album being on the shorter end of the hip-hop spectrum (I didn’t know when I wrote these words). Guess I have nothing else to do but get into the music. Shocker: I didn’t like the album. However, as I’ve mentioned previously, the older hip-hop music is, the better. There’s some merit to this music, but the repetitive nature and tepid lyrics are an incredible bore. As far as the alright songs go, “Gangsta Gangsta” is a solid opener. I like the guitars in the background, and the vocals/lyrics are solid. “8 Ball” has an interesting funk sound. That’s about it really. The lyrics are generally pretty boring and uninspired, which is unfortunate as they’re the only things that could have saved the minimal instrumentals. I don’t enjoy highlighting the songs I dislike in these reviews, but “Dopeman” was so agonisingly threadbare and boring. One of the more excruciating tracks I’ve heard through this list. The entire second half of this album kinda goes out to lunch, admittedly. Huh. For whatever reason, the version of this album that I listened to was missing the three big tracks. I never would have listened to ‘em if I didn’t have the premonition that this band made “Fuck tha Police”. “Straight Outta Compton” is okay. I appreciate the sampling and the iconic early 90s hip-hop sound. The aforementioned “Fuck tha Police” is an iconic track, though aside from a solid opening the song meanders and goes absolutely nowhere. “Express Yourself” is a crazy tonal shift. The squeaking sound in the background is kinda annoying, but the rest of the track is solid. I particularly enjoy the mellow sound, and the lyrics are an enjoyable enough time. Gonna check the book for this one. A whole lotta nothing in the entry. Wikipedia says that this album was the first gangsta rap album to break into the mainstream and is “...one of the greatest and most influential albums in hip-hop music”. In my review of “Original Gangsta” I said that there wasn’t much artistic merit in gangsta rap, though as the progenitor of the genre I think this album is at least worth considering. The album also appears to be pretty popular in current years, so I can begrudgingly turn a blind eye to this one.
⭐︎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。
Not my jam
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.
Not for me. Too derogatory towards women. Too heavy and very little to groove to. I like rap with a chorus 🤷🏼♀️
an older hiphop record that ages pretty great. i'm not a huge fan of gangsta rap personally, and the production was pretty "conventional" (i understand that this is the template of what we considered conventional nowadays, but still). however this was still a pretty fun listen and i find the last track particularly amusing as someone who loves electro. modern hiphop is so far removed from electro and you just don't hear anything like that anymore
This is a milestone album but doesn’t age well. The misogyny and homophobia is rough to listen to. But… there is some good and important stuff in there. When they’re calling out systemic racism, they’re on point. But they don’t really stay on that topic. The first two tracks are incendiary, but the album loses energy after that. Aside from the blatant sexism throughout, the repetitive self-aggrandizing gets really boring (I know it’s a feature of the genre but it gets old super fast). The baseline disrespect for women really makes this album unlistenable in 2025, aside from a few tracks. Of note: Straight Outta Compton - a while back I watched the fascinating (Canadian produced!) Netflix docuseries hosted by Shad, Hip Hop Evolution. One of the most memorable parts was when they talked about how radical it was to have Ice Cube on TV in the music video rapping “…from the gang called N— wit Attitudes.” Operative word being gang, not group. A legendary way to open an album. Fuck Tha Police - This is the crux of this record. All the anger and injustice packed into this song I guess explains some of the misdirected rage elsewhere on this album. It’s really, really sad that is song is still so relevant. Parental Discretion Iz Advised - Eazy-E is kind of the worst, no? I like the soul sample on this (checked what it is, it’s an Isley Brothers song). Express Yourself - it’s just fun. A breath of fresh air on this album. Something 2 Dance 2 - what a random way to end this album. I can’t complain. In the 2002 reissue that I originally got linked to, there was a bonus track with awful lyrics called A Bitch Iz a Bitch - I realized it wasn’t on the original release so I’m not gonna bother engaging with it.
I really hated this. It's so fucking long and repetitive and boring. All you really need to listen to is straight outta compton and express yourself. Those are the best songs on this album. The former is a classic, that opening verse is iconic. The later has a great sample that carries the whole track. It's fun. The rest of the tracks are too long and have boring instrumentals, monotonous flows and lyrics that don't age well. Fuck the police is wayyy too long. For the first verse, chorus and post-chorus, i'm into it. But then it goes on for another 3 minutes... so i'm out. Across the board, the beats are made up of very generic, stock sounds. Thats not necessarily a bad thing, but they just don't do much with those sounds, except on that goofy instrumental-ish outro track, that one was fun i guess. The rest were nothing special... but i assume they were groundbreaking at the time. The lyrics are a lot. They're anger is warranted. Talking so directly about racism and police brutality and gang life was groundbreaking in the 80s. I understand how important these messages are, i just didn't enjoy their version of it. A lot of rappers have tackled racism and police brutality since and handled it better in my opinion. The lyrics on a lot of tracks were tough to get through in 2025. If only the instrumentals were exciting, so i could ignore the lyrics and just focus on the music. But again the instrumentals are pretty bare so the lyrics are the star of the show. It's a 1.5 from me and i'm gonna round down.
3.5 stars I was anticipating an album full of filler and unnecessary skits. While there was some filler, and the known tracks stand far and above the rest, the album maintains its playability due to the wordplay and variability of the different MCs. Ice Cube stands out as the star from the start, but the rest of the crew keeps up. Although Dr. Dre does sound like he’s doing an LL Cool J impression, which he lost by the time The Chronic hit. This is an album that changed rap music and pop culture. It’s important for that reason alone. But unlike many examples of albums that were revolutionary at the time, it is still a fun listen. There are moments that do not age well (closing track “Something 2 Dance 2” stands out as a dud to end the album on), and many of the beats can feel repetitive when compared to the many innovations in rap song structure over time, it is still a good listen that opens with 2 of the best gangsta rap songs of all time.
Well I am a fan of ~some~ of the messages that they are displaying and their beats are totally awesome, but some of their lyrics are just soso wow I’m like wow.
These gentlemen seem angry. Love the music (old school samples) and the flow - Ice Cube was especially great and the multiple voice counterpoint with Easy E works really well; this is the rhythmic rap style I love - not necessarily freestyle but the kind you can feel. Ok the lyrics.... have not aged well at all. ACAB obviously but too much of the rest of it is a bit <yeesh> (bitchpussyetc). The key to getting through this album is not listening too closely to a lot of it. Which gets harder and harder as it goes on. Obviously a massive influence (and one of few gangster rap albums I remotely like) and having lived through it even in today's fkd up world it's hard to describe how terrified amerikkka was of these guys at the time - it's almost quaint. I could give less than a shit about the complaints about anti-cop stuff but the misogyny is impossible to completely ignore. 5 for the rap skills, 4 for the music, 0 for the cringe.... since I'll happily listen to 2 or 3 of these cuts, cut it down the middle... 5/10 3 stars
This was great. Have never really listened to NWA, but this is awesome.
Classic
N. W. V. P. A. and V. P. stands for Very Positive! Express Yourself!
Sooooo good. Will be revisiting. Never listened to this album in full and was missing out.
NWA and Rage Against the Machine sing about the same themes, but NWA is good music.
hate cops✅ love butts✅
Not for the faint of heart. Never listened through before, but man this hits. I didn't realize it was '88 - I would have pegged it more in '90-'92 range. Definitely not something that I would have listened to as a kid at that time, but I certainly knew about it. More than 35 years later I'm finally listening to it - anger, violence, misogyny - none of that makes me feel good about listening, and even worse about liking it. But the beats, the voices, the the soundscape is inescapable. Dre, Cube, and Easy E's voices are so iconic, it's hard not to like their verses even when I haven't heard it before.
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.
This album is... horrible. I don't know how I've listened this entire collection of stupid, repetitive and boring stuff. I hate hip-hop, and that's the perfect example of why. There are nice hip-hop songs, but most of them are the same garbage, and that album is even worse... Almost an hour of... this!!?? Really? I feel like I've lost my time today.
Hell yes.
Important album but not for me.
I felt like such a badass when I listened to this album for the first time. I think it still holds up compared to the light rap trash that exists today. Hell, any rap or hip hop album for that matter. It hits hard like a fist to the mouth or a vehicle to a pedestrian. This is what music should be. Entertainment, raw, dirty, funny and nasty. Choice cut: I Ain’t Tha 1
Glad I listened but probably won't again
Culturally important in some regards, but hard to love. There are a few decent songs, and the choice of samples is wide-ranging, the epitome of what producers could get away with before copyright law was in effect. And it was a statement for hip-hop as a whole.
I love this album. I've owned it for a while. I know a lot of people have an issue with the misogyny and violence expressed but in my view they merely exaggerate and mythologise the urban struggle the way that traditional country and western exaggerates and mythologises rural life. It sells a myth of authenticity even if few Compton residents were shooting it daily. Straight outta Compton, F*** the Police, Gangsta Gangsta & Express Yourself are simply great. If you listen to this as a narrative that glorifies struggle, loss and survival set to some frankly killer beats then how can you not love it.
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
I always prefered Public Enemy and the political messaging, but it's hard to deny that this is an absolute classic, and defined rap for years.
Akkurat passe gøy og akkurat passe interessant hiphophistorie.
Hell of a intro to NWA - unreal album. Honestly love so many songs from it.
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.
Pretty good
That was a rough listen
I'll be honest, hip-hop was a huge blind spot for me growing up. Like, all hip-hop. So I'm coming to this kind of cold, which is kind of awesome. I get to rediscover amazing things - like this album. The beats are unbelievably fresh, the lyrics are still relevant (especially now that I'm married to a black woman from just outside of Compton). I'll never totally get it but... I do get it now.
Unbelievably cool! Rap heritage, classic and inspiring storytelling. Ice Cube, Dre, Easy E and MC Ren and Yella .. just awesome.
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.
Yeah
Really enjoyed the tracks towards the beginning of the album but I started to lose interest later on. Fuck the police.
Good album but not my style always
Thumping good time.
N.W.A., fuck Yes! Might as well Fuck The Police, while we’re at it too. This shit really holds up well for how old it is. Tho, it does fizzle out a bit with last few tracks. 4.5⭐️
Obviously this is a trailblazing album - not sure my favorite rappers (and producers) would be around without this. Most of it still holds up - especially the classic hits. It just seems overly long to me. 60 minutes for 13 rap songs (no skits) made it feel like a slog. When it was over, I didn't feel like hitting play again. This is, and will always be, in the rotation - but the lack of instant replay-ability for me makes it a 4.5.
Utter turd
Lotta anger and great beats. Really solid but def old school
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.
Production: 10/10 Lyrics: Hit or miss. I get it: Eazy-E is like the spiritual heart of the group, but he's not a good rapper. Ice Cube is regularly excellent. The themes and overall thesis is unfortunately still relevant. It's also unfortunate that there are regularly word choices which have not aged well. But yeah, there's a reason why this album is on this list. 10/10
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.
the ne plus ultra of gangsta rap
Okay
Unlike the real slim shady, which I had early on this week, I find this more relevant. Where there are gratuitous references there is a context to understand.
I dont like the love of violence and no big fan of rap. The best thing is the music without the lyrics
Absolute degenerate ghetto trash. Zero stars for these niggas. The decline of Western Civilization in one album.
01) Straight Outta Compton - 6,0 02) Fuck tha Police - 6,5 03) Gangsta Gangsta - 6,0 04) If It Ain't Ruff - 6,0 05) Parental Discretion Iz Advised - 5,5 06) 8 Ball (Remix) - 6,0 07) Something Like That - 6,0 08) Express Yourself - 7,5 09) Compton's N the House (Remix) - 5,5 10) I Ain't Tha 1 - 6,5 11) Dopeman (Remix) - 5,5 12) Quiet on tha Set - 5,5 13) Something 2 Dance 2 - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,04 (60/100) Current ranking: 475/611
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 2025, 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. "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).
I agree with my colleague Mr. Ryan, particularly how much better in all ways that Public Enemy was at this same time. Also sorry can't get down with the incel-level misogyny then or now. My older brother and his friends were into all this stuff back then and now they all have Trump flags.
The original. Definitely misogynistic and horrible messaging. But they defined an era and changed this area of music
Kadett, München - HDH, Deutschland. Übel nervig auf Albumlänge.
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
Hard hitting
Dre brings the beats, Cube brings the lyrics and E brings the attitude. Sure, it sounds a little dated at times, but that happens when you change the game and everyone wants to sound like you. There are actually some pretty good songs in there besides the hits.
Not my thing. I do like some rap, but maybe more refined over the years. Felt too shock for shocks take for my taste
Very important album in rap’s canon and has some classic bangers, but man all these dudes were at their worst misogyny-wise during this time. Not to mention besides the hits, there are tons of duds.
Not for everyone
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5. Some of the most famous West Coast, Dre-produced music out there. Iconic to say the least!
EXPRESS YOURSELF
Cool album, hard beats!
der sound ist grossartig, die lyrics und message leider weniger (meins). grosse namen an der startrampe ihrer karrieren.
Bekannte Namen in einer Band. Cooler Gangsta Rap, natürlich sprachlich zu rügen.
Pretty cool, but repetitive
Da, definitivno ne volim rap.
Just beats and rap with meaning.
Hip hop royalty. Few albums contain the history, the energy, the character and attitude, the rawness of gangster rap that really started a whole new chapter for music. Most of the instrumentals remain timeless, but some of them do come across a bit aged obviously some damn near 40 years or so later. The samples on Straight Outta Compton are some of the most iconic samples in all of rap, which would go on to inspire entire discographies of rap legends over time. It's not all pure rage energy, there are genuinely beautiful sentiments on this album too like Express Yourself. There's a sort of braggadocious comradery that just comes with 'hardcore gangster' albums, but N.W.A really fucking capitalized on that. There are some weirder aspects of the album, like the sexism that could for sure make people feel weird in 2025. For what it's worth, this album changed rap and the first half of this album is absolutely mint. Not every song is a classic like that tho.
Real talk this is a 4.5 bc the latter half of the album is forgettable, but it starts off so strong and the production is so good that I can overlook that. Dre, cube, E and the rest of the gang knocked it out of the park with this one. West coast best coast ig
Classic Gangsta Rap album
Good.
This is probably the best (and perhaps the only) album of true Gangsta Rap. Absolute classic, 5 stars
Zero interest. Blacks that call themselves niggers get absolutely NO respect from me.
A great album to a great movie.
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).
So my final album is this shit. Thanks for the journey 1001 songs. Far too much Britpop, British electronica and unknown British bands. I've discovered that gangsta rap is stunningly boring and viciously nasty. I've also found that Bjork is brilliant and PJ Harvey is breathtaking. Now I'm off to journey through the albums of my Australian homeland.
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.
Classic album. Great songs Straight outta Compton, Fuck tha Police, Dopeman and Express Yourself.
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.
Not my vibe but, as the kids would say, it sounded like straight fire. Am I "gangsta" now?
Its great but there is better in the genre
4/5
Straight 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 as the kids say. Yeah this has aged well and is still a joy to listen too, express yourself will never not make me smile, it's a 4 because all of these guys (except maybe EZE) went on to do much better solo stuff but it's still great
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!
Overly long. Every point worth making in their political songs was made, cleverly and enjoyably, by the 2 minute mark. The rest made it interminable.
Great album full of bangers. Lot of creativity in hip hop from this era that makes it fun to listen to
not my style
Fantastiskt ju
As a white Australian teenager, i thought that this album was brilliant. I felt the anger, I loved the beats, I played Fuck tha police loud. It is an album of its time and place. Listening to it now i can appreciate it, but it's not for me
Gets a little tiring after a while. But still, great fun
There is absolutely nothing to recommend about this, the lyrics are awful, the music (I can barely use that word in this context) is monotonous. Its just obnoxious attitude. Fuck this release.
Iconic and great. Will admit the rhyme schemes are little bleh but the tracks still hit hard as hell. would probably go 4.5
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.
CLASSIIICC!!!
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.
Classic
Not one for the office
Don't get more west
Not for me.
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.
Epic
Very good very nice
Good songs were really good, bad songs were pretty bad. Express Yourself an all timer.
First 3 tracks are total bangers, then it drops off big time. Obviously groundbreaking for the time, the advent of gangsta rap. Dre's production is sick. But it all becomes a bit same-soundy for me once those first few tracks are done. Also Eazy-E can't rap worth shit, but we all knew this already.
Still holds up.
Is it really gangsta? Musically, the record is a continuation of the golden-age sound rather than the G-Funk that Dre pioneered a few years later. Lyrically, sure there's a lot of cursing, but the subject matter is much more braggadocious rather than violent. And they save their best for the LAPD... and lets face it, you don't have to be from the hood to hate them.
Loved the rawness of the album and the showcasing of Dr Dre samples. Does get a bit repetitive in terms of message but the energy never drops. Express yourself is a tune though
Listened heavily in high school
Just a raw rap album.
Absolute classic. Top 3 hip hop albums of all time.
quite cool.
Hard one to review…… Great album for original sound and uncomfortable topics and unflinching lyrics But also awful due to the casual misogyny and objectification that is woven through the songs
80s gangsta rap. Ice Cube and Dre. Incredibly influential. Just prefer more melodic music. Runs and beats are great.
A good older hip hop album. Ice Cube, eazy e and Dr Dre together is iconic
Energetic and kinda funky though most of the instrumentals are really shallow/weak-sounding. 80’s bars are consistently quite funny. Standout track is “”If it ain’t Ruff”
There is nothing about this album that I liked - just bad in every way possible.
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.
I think I listened to this one all the way through once before a long time ago. Express Yourself is the track that stuck and would make it into my mixes. Sonically most of the album holds up. The flow just keeps hitting you with syllabic punches that you feel. Eazy-E is the weakest part of this album. If it Ain't Ruff is also in my wheelhouse.
This is a rough listen. I mean, yeah, fuck the police, but this didn't age well otherwise. Yikes. Groundbreaking as it may have been, I'm glad we're mostly past the bitches and hoes stuff. Also, Ice has said some shady shit in recent years. I don't feel like I need to worry too much that I'm being a lame white dude about this.
It would be a 5 were it not for the occasional needless misogyny, and the fact that only knocked off one star is a real testament to the quality of the album. Wonderful stuff, obviously. Some of the most outrageous (positive) rhymes ever recorded. Not intended for me in any way (have any of NWA heard of Grimsby?) and it still speaks to me. Heavily played bangers that are funny, thoughtful, smart, daft, poetic and catchy every time. They are completely justified in talking shit about bad hip-hop, because they make it sound effortless. To be as boring and earnest as I can be: this is a crucial text for learning about the black freedom struggle in the late 20th century. Would send the whole album into space.
Ice cube!
Sweary and misanthropic, but still great music
Straight Outta Compton seems to be the album that aged the least well amongst the "Golden Era" cuts; but it's still damn great when it hits
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.
This record proves that tho bad values aren't made better in the name of 'reality,' they also don't necessarily detract from an album's greatness. Tho N.W.A. was branded the 'world's most dangerous group' when they first hit the scene, 'street knowledge' is only part of their equation. If you were unaware, they may school you to the tragedy of police brutality, but more importantly, Dre, Cube, Ren, and E are informants of America's ugly and universal gangsterism: 'Gangsta, gangsta, that's what they yellin' is a national outcry. Aesthetically, what else is there to say? Cube's continuity w/ Chuck D, Ren's underrated flow, Eazy-E's admixture of criminality and comedy, Dre's fluid, variable production: a deep and ubiquitous influence.
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’ve made a mistake by not listening to this album before. Absolute legends
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.
Really enjoyed it, not my normal type of listen for sure
Trying too hard to be edgy rap, not relaxing at all
Is this because of the ICE thuggery in LA? In any case, N.W.A. says get the fuck outta here with your racist bullshit.
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.
A couple amazing songs and the rest are just ok. A rap classic.
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.
Racist, misogynistic violence pornography set to sick beats Dr Dre is a genius with his beat production. Some great flow on display here too. Unexpected nuggets of wisdom and humour abound - Their seeming hypocrisy ("Don't listen to me" on Parental Guidance, "Don't do drugs" on Dope Man, "Don't do women or materialism" on I Ain't Tha 1) seems tongue-in-cheek and self-aware. Too dang much violence and profanity and bravado and machismo for that 5 though.
No doubt this album has been massively influential. But, do I like it? No, not really, other than Express Yourself (which is great and drags this up a whole star on its own).
A stone cold classic that has more meaning today that a listener would want to believe; keep fighting the power.
It may be very I flue tips but still not my kind of music. The beats are cool though.
Hip Hop but make it theatre! A real classic!
Weak ending to a great album
Based hiphop.
Eerst en vooral ben ik het niet eens met het seksistische en homofobe kantje van dit album, maar ik vrees dat de hip-hop (en misschien wel de algemene muziek-) scène in de jaren 80 dat nu eenmaal was (wat het niet goedpraat natuurlijk). Dat dit een belangrijk album was (en is), is misschien wel gewoon een feit. Het brengt je helemaal in de leefwereld van de buitenwijken in de VS in de jaren 80 (en jammer genoeg blijft dit wel nog altijd actueel). Het brengt me ook terug naar m'n 16-jarige ik, die een nogal old-school hip hop fase had. Gelukkig bleef het bij muziek en liet ik de klederdracht achterwege. 4.5
It feels like a piece of history going through my ears. I find the album catchy, good rhymes, rhythm and storytelling. It set the base from future rap/ hip-hop and rnb artist's
It was ok
No notes
1001 ALBUMS YOU MUST HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE #2 Ooh, now we're talkin'. Now as a huge hip hop fan, I knew there was gonna be some hip hop on the list, but I didnt expect it to be so soon. "Straight Outta Compton" was something I was pretty excited to listen to, and it didn't disappoint one bit. Take the infamous opener "Straight Outta Compton" for example, Dr. Dre's production is simple but gets the point across, and each verse, hell, each line is amazing and memorable, especially Ice Cube's opening line "Straight outta compton, crazy motherfucker named Ice Cube. From the gang called Niggas With Attitude. I mean come on; this is amazing. And it doesn't slow down after that too, like with the police brutality-based track "Fuck Tha Police" or the surprisingly upbeat "Express Yourself". Almost everything is amazing, from the beats to the rhymes throughout. Overall, I now understand the hype and praise, and personally, I think it's all completely deserved. And members like Ice Cube and Dr. Dre would go on to change music, not only in N.W.A., but also in there solo careers too. Overall Score: 90 / 100 Favorite Tracks: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Gangsta Gangsta, Express Yourself, Something 2 Dance 2.
9/10
The quintessential West Coast Gangsta Rap album. Not to defend the violent and misogynistic but this album really set the standards for ‘90s rap. Favorite tracks: Fuck Tha Police, Express Yourself, Dopeman
Classic gangsta rap. Great production, great attitude, good rhymes. Album fades off at the end a bit but overall it's really good. 8/10
> the Beatles.
Some classic shit. Definitely not my thing, but fun to listen to some vintage Dre and Ice. I can see how this influenced so much rap in the 2000's
The start of gangsta rap? Sounds pretty tame compared to what has come subsequently. Still fail to see how this style was launched and gained traction. I’m more the target audience. Some half decent tracks.,
Pretty awesome and it feels like a snapshot in time
Cool album
stopped listening.
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.
Yes!
Repeat listen
It was surprisingly entertaining. But 1 hour of this is too much for me
The lyrics were easier to understand with this group compared to other rap singers. I just don’t enjoy rap.
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.
misogynist, homophobic, and much much more but unfortunately it's also very ahead of its time and exceedingly enjoyable throughout, one of the best hip hop albums of the 80s
unironically i had a phase where i was completely obsessed with this album, and i can only imagine how impactful this would have been at the time of release. i loved this. i appreciate that i am not the target audience, being white and middle class and from rural ireland, but god this is excellent.
Shouting profanities at police officers now feels almost mundane. In the era of Black Lives Matter, people are at least aware of the debate over institutional racism in the police force. Many go to great lengths to deny it but it's a lot harder to ignore the issue now. But when NWA came on the scene, hating the friendly neighborhood cop seemed unthinkable to much of (white) America. But African American parents were all having "the talk" with their kids about police harassment and they were seeing a very different reality. And unsurprisingly, the anger about this situation was coming out. NWA got their warnings from the FBI and plenty of other clutching their pearls. But the message would soon become standard for much of the genre thanks to the template created by "Straight Outta Compton". Sadly and predictably, there is some toxic masculinity here. Sexism, homophobia and glorification of violence are all here, but honestly not as bad as I expected. Future hip hop albums (including those produced by NWA's Dr Dre) would be far worse in later years. Given that this was the start of the infamous gangsta rap subgenre, it's also surprisingly upbeat and funky, while maintaining a harder edge than some of their contemporaries. "Express Yourself" is the clear standout by a mile. It's empowering and unbelievably catchy. Overall, I didn't really expect this album to hold up. Clearly in some ways it's very dated and its popularity got a massive shot in the arm from the FBI which saved it from relative obscurity. Despite all of that, it's still a pretty strong and significant album.
Raw and gritty.
One of the most important, influential and necessary albums ever. And although I object to certain lyrics, I've gotta give this a five. Just undeniable, unapologetic, fuck you energy genius. See the movie. 5
Not a consistent album, but it gets bonus points for the first two tracks and for being OG.
Their debut album. Fuck The Police is a great track. Nice beats and lyrics. These young men are angry and frustrated. Yes they're violent and misogynistic. So was Johnny Cash or The Rolling Stones when they sang protest songs or about sex. N.W.A. aren't lying, they're pissed off and putting their story in your face. Express Yourself is a really good track. Something 2 Dance 2 is my favourite track.
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.
I agree this album is important but it wasn’t for me. Every song except express yourself sounded the same. Over an hour of the same song was a lot
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.
Cool
1. compton - 2.5 2. police - 2 3. gangzta - 1.5 4. rruff - 1 5. parental - 1 6. ball - 1.5 7. that - 1.5 8. ezprezz - 1.5 9. houze - 1 10. tha - 0 11. dope - 1.5 12. quiet - 1.5 13. dance - 1 14. yourzelf - 1.5 15. beatz - 1 16. ztraight - 2 17. bitch - 1
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.
Favorite track: straight outta compton other picks: gansta, f** the police, Compton's in the house
It was ok.
a great album all round tbh
First few songs are 10/10. Other ones are just okay. Still an awesome album
great stuff generally, and forgive me for Woke but why are we calling ppl f*gs
You know when people brag about the lineup of some classic jazz album because it’s filled with incredible musicians that later defined the genre in various projects. This is the hip hop equivalent of that
Old School classic. This may have aged, but it still is an undeniable landmark in rap music. ACAB
A monument to hip-hop music, this album is incredibly badass. It's groovy, passionate, playful, filled with humour and full of hype, yet political, raw, rebellious and full of anger. I always had a sweet spot for this kind of music.
Motherfucker fucking fuck fuckingson fucker fuck fuck fuck
Yo, Ren! (What's up?) Tell 'em where you from! Straight Outta Compton!!!!!!!!
Appreciated, it’s nice for what it is.
Love this album and especially ice cube but I wish he had some more progressive views
8/10… hip hop / gangster rap
Interesting
Do you think if you showed NWA era Ice Cube his new war of the worlds movie he’d shoot himself
The only song I had heard was Straight Outta Compton, but the whole album is good.
This album is a masterpiece. It introduced the world to Gangster Rap. It introduced the world to Dr Dre, Eazy E, and Ice Cube. The days of simple raps about parents and fun ended with an album that is a social statement on minority life, poverty, crime, and racism. It also introduced a musical production that defined a style for decades. I love this album and every song on it. The band could never reach this level again and fell apart after two albums. If I had to pick favorites, it’s the opening track “Straight Outta Compton”, “Fuck The Police”, and “Express Yourself”.
Having not grown up in the same situation as rappers of this era, I’ve never listened to much of the music, but always had respect for the likes of NWA, Public Enemy and the like. After listening to this one, I actually have less respect for NWA. I was expecting some hard hitting tracks, but what I got was, by today’s standards, rather sophomoric repetitive lyrics with forced rhymes about being the greatest, and not caring about anything else. I stopped counting how many times someone said “I don’t give a fuck”. Bottom line, I get that it was a massively influential album, bringing in the Gangsta Rap era, but listening to it without that in mind, it just comes of as juvenile.
My first exposure to Rap was back when I was in Junior High (1986-1987) when kids were trading around tapes, saying "Hey man check this out!" The groups I was listening to were, Run DMC, Fat Boys, Beastie Boys, Fresh Prince. These were the fun times, rapping and beat boxing about ordering a Big Mac at Burger King, and how Parents Just Don't Understand. Rap was fun back then. NWA changed this. Rap was no longer fun, it was violent and angry. I get the significance of this change, but now suddenly, this wasn't universal, it wasn't for everyone.This album is not for me.
one of the best albums ever
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.
I HAD to listen to this before I die? Really?
Relevant for the time. 3.5
STRAIGHT OUTTA MADISONVILLE
Petarda. Szok. Czekałem na to nie wiedząc o tym.
I'll be honest and say that despite knowing of its existence for close to my entire life I still haven't listened to this record. Lauded as one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made, it's honestly baffling that I haven't given it a shot. Of course I've heard many of the songs off here, but it will be interesting to hear them in the way they were intended. Hoping it lives up to the hype. Straight Outta Compton Absolutely iconic song. One of the most recognizable rap songs of all time. Each verse is among the greatest ever. An almost perfect album opener. Hard to beat when it comes to West Coast hip hop. Classic. 5/5 Fuck Tha Police Another one that's hard to beat. The opening line goes beyond hard. Sadly still relevant to this day. Love the beat. It's provocotive, but still fun. Charismatic gangsta rap track. Classic. 5/5 Gangsta Gangsta Three for three for classics so far. The beat is the real star here, feels really dynamic. Amazing sampling. Ice Cube's lyrics are ridiculous to be honest, I find it kinda funny. The foot in yo ass line is a great example of this. Entertaining track. Eazy really shows how charismatic he can be. Fantastic. 5/5 If It Ain't Ruff Love the funky sample. The first verse has a very dancy old school delivery. Fun to move to. Many of the lines are kinda corny, but it works with the delivery so it barely matters. Great. 4.5/5 Parental Discretion Iz Adviced Great bass sample. Dre shows his potential on his verse, it's cleverly written and really solidly performed. Ren is kinda underappreciated, he provides an entirely different energy than the rest of the group making for some nice variety. Good. 4/5 8 Ball - Remix The beat is kinda chaotic. The first verse is really funny, has some great imagery. Very tongue in cheek and entertaining. That Eazy-E is a very charismatic fella, eh? Great. 4.5/5 Something Like That It's not overly serious which I really appreciate. Easy to follow and fun to listen to. Wouldn't call it especially impressive, but remains a good time none the less. Ren And Dre have great synergy and work really well on the beat. Good. 4/5 Express Yourself Another classic track, that still gets some airtime today. Amazing vocal sample, changes its meaning when put into this context. It's still oddly positive. Some of the bars are a bit dumb. Great concept. 4.5/5 Compton's N The House Doesn't hit as hard as the previous tracks. The diss kinda sucks. I feel the performances are a bit flat and the beat is a bit boring. Fine. 3/5 I Ain't Tha 1 Yeah this is kinda fun. The beat really fits with Ice Cube's delivery. A concept as old as time. It's dumb as hell, but it's kinda humorous as well. "Milk Ice Cube like cereal" is a really corny bar yet it still somehow works. Its contents do stray onto the mysogonistic side, but it feels really exaggarated. Feels like it's meant to be entertaining, not actual commentary. 4.5/5 Dopeman Was not expecting this. A fun twist on an anti drug anthem, more specifically anti crack. It's actually kinda cool to hear from these guys. It's maybe a bit obnxious, but I audibly laughed at the ridiculousness of some of the bars on this. It's a fun track, all be it a bit dated. The storytelling remains kinda iffy at times. Good. 4/5 Quiet On Tha Set Love the energy of the beat. Feels really funky. Great sampling. Ren's rapping style remains fun and bouncy while never losing the credibility of his persona. Not spectacular, but still pretty good. Decent. 3.5/5 Something 2 Dance 2 Definitely something to dance to. Incredibly bouncy and fun. Love that they don't always take themselves too seriously. It's a great way to end the album, shows a lot of personality. Good. 4/5 Some of this has aged well, some of it has aged a bit too well and some of it hasn't aged well at all. I'll be the first to admit that my outside perspective on American socio-political issues doesn't really hold much relevancy as a white European. Though from what I can understand the racial tensions in the large cities in America made it so that young black people needed an outlet to make their perspective heard. This album I feel, becomes one of those outlets, taking serious topics such as police violence, profiling, the allure of drugs and self expression and putting it into a radical and prococative context. The messaging is delivered entertainingly with a lot of character and flair and while its lyrics are sometimes a bit problematic they sure as hell are effective. Yes as with most gangsta rap there's misogyny, there's homophobia and it's also aggressive and violent which I totally get is offensive. And while I'm sure they probably held some of those outdated views, I have a feeling a lot of it is made exaggerated for shock factor and to be perceived as edgy. Despite this it suceeds in being really entertaining. It has fun deliveries, that even though they may sound corny as hell today kinda shows a charming side to hip hop that is almost extinct in today's game. It's produced really well, with awesome sampling and well timed chops. I'm also very impressed with the characters they portray throughout, all of them charming in some way. I can picture them having a lot of fun in the studio coming up with their personalities and quips. Speaking of quips, the members have great chemistry with one another, making the group's eventual downfall feel a bit sad in context. Lyrically they work well together, filling in with fresh energy for when it's needed. I would say it does get a bit repetitive listening to guns, cars, money and women a lot of the time, and there are definitely bars that make me cringe here and there. But overall I'd say it's a good time, though I do get how some of the flaws could be hard to get over for some. 4/5 Fave track. Fuck Tha Police
No love for the police, but even less love for graphic descriptions of rape.
Pretty sure I had heard this one once or twice, probably back when the Straight Outta Compton movie came out. Definitely a lot harder edged than similar output from similar acts like Run DMC and Public Enemy, and I think for that reason I'm into it a bit more than those. Definitely not a big fan of a lot of early hip hop that is really sing songy and kind of goofy in comparison, so I guess it's not a suprise I'm more into an album considered to have ushered in the era of even harder edged, hardcore rap. Fuck the Police is an absolute classic and a mantra I couldn't agree more with. I can absolutely see how shocking this album would have been when it first came out, with how intense and direct some of the messaging is like. I found it interesting how Dr. Dre actually really doesn't like the album because it feels like it was rushed. Story goes they wanted something to sell out of their trunks at gigs and whatnot, so they put this album together in 3 weeks, which didn't offer as much time as Dre wanted to really polish the sound. To my ears the album doesn't sound like its rushed in that sense, and maybe the short period of time to record it was a blessing in disguise, because clearly this album blew up and is still considered one of the best hip hop albums of all time.
Og rap. Still slaps.
(I have this on vinyl) First two songs 100/5
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.
Always got time for a bit of NWA.
Influential, inflammatory, a stone cold classic
- “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!
no
Yikes. Some of this record was really hard to listen to. Outside of lyrical content I didn’t care for the production either. Fuck the Police is a great anthem and culturally important and I find it really fascinating that much more opposition was made to the threat of violence against police vs women but either way i just don’t care for it.
Classic.
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
A classic of hip hop. Production top notch. Beats are cool. Rapping decent, glad to revisit.
Exceptional album. Very much enjoyed
While not necessarily my kind of thing (although a younger me ould appreciate how aggressive it is much more), you can certainly why it had so much influence on the genre.
Quintessential listening and a blueprint for everything after it. Also an excellent soundtrack and movie later.
hell na
The foundation for West Coast - GFunk Rap. Unrefined, Raw and completely Immature. The bricks on which the next 10 years of outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap from the West Coast will be built. Every song. Stellar sample. 5⭐️
I've only heard Straight Outta Compton and never any of their other songs, so this was fun. I am not a big rap person, but this was great. Also, "mix em and cook em in a pot like gumbo" is one of my favorite lines in a song ever. I like that they had a lot to say about gang and police culture back in the late 80's early 90's. While it's not something I'll go out of my way to go back to, it's still really good. It gets a 4 because it's better than neutral and it's far from forgettable.
This is an 8.5/10, very good album. I'm leaning toward 4/5.
For me, a classic. The language is a bit dated and offensive but it’s an important rap album.
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.
While I prefer N4L as opposed to this album, it's definitely one of the most notable hip-hop albums ever made. There's no bad track on it, but it's not as aggressive as I'd like it to be.
Groovy, vibe-y, but I cannot rate rap/hip-hop. Probably wouldn't go back to it, just because I don't like the genre.
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.
I don't know. I'm not really sure how I am suppose to relate to a group that calls themselves 'Niggaz Wit Atitudes' being a white Welshman from sunny Cardiff. My Bampy used to have a saying which I won't repeat here. I'm not saying he was right but sometimes I don't think he was wrong either. Ultimately though, regardless of race I just can't abide music that glorifies being a complete dickhead. As Sgt Harper once said in Sharpe, it's no sin to be born in the gutter but it's a terrible thing to want to stay there.
The album that changed hip hop. Its great the energy and the anger is comparable to early punk. It's also interesting as it contains elements of earlier 808 driven funky hip hop. The lyrics are angry and challenging, shouting at the world about the frustations of a very racist LA and America. The genre would end up being very boring and repetative, but this was the one.
Straight outta the muhatafuckin 80s. Game changing album, though not necessarily always in a good way
Whilst I don't like all the gangsta stuff, this is a seminal album. Straight Outta Compton and Fuck The Police are classics.
Born of frustration. Some of the themes haven't dated too well, but still very much worthy of the 1001.
Dr. Dre and Ice Cube are obviously mega-talented dudes, but let's not pretend this is not primarily some juvenile stuff at a time when Public Enemy and others were doing their thing.
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
One of the most influential albums of all time. Ice Cube's bars and Dr Dre's production are the main stars of the show, but the rest of the group showcased their skills well. For a group to only have two studio albums, but one of them to be so well known (everyone and their mom has heard of this) just goes to show how important and influential this album was, not just on music but on American culture.
Good album! You can really hear how it influenced like everything after it, and it's still a nice listen.
I liked it, but I don't think this is one I'm planning on diving back into any time soon.
Incredibly angry and politically charged, a fine introduction to the heyday of gangsta rap. Fuck the police indeed.