Straight Outta Compton

absolute classic that launched the careers of Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.

Pretty good. Some of it holds up. Some of it not so much I don't think.

4.5 stars. Man this just gets after it from the get-go, what a leadoff track. Ice Cube's writing ability shines through across the record and the sampling is on point. There are some weaker tracks that keep it from being 5 stars ("I Ain't Tha 1", "Compton's N The House - Remix" ) but this genesis of gangster rap is a hit. Standouts are the title track, "Fuck Tha Police", and "Express Yourself".

The OG gangsters Some of the most iconic rap songs are present on this record

Wouldn't have thought I would like it but I did.

Some of the songs on Side B are ass but the hits are so good. The fact that Dr. Dre is probably the third best artist on this album is something different. If this album was just Side A than it would probably be a five but that side B drops it

Loved it

Definitely a seminal album as far as American culture goes. Funny how timeless some of the lyrics are, while the beats themselves are so simple and, dare I say, outdated now.

This album was the start of west coast rap. Just think of the follow up albums from Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. Some of the best rap music of the 90’s! This album was a great start to the genre. Some people complain about the lyrics but it is just representative of the surroundings they grew up in.

A 36 year old album that’s still insanely relevant.

definitely stands out against the other older rap albums on this list. never bad

American gangsta rap classic. This is hard album is renown around the world. While extremely threatening, the lyrics are thought provoking about racial disparities and violence, and the rhyming scheme is top notch. The musicality and sampling style is also notable.

Still feels really visceral.

Like a raw historical snapshot from a disenfranchised community

Some all time bangers but a lot of what feel like filler songs.

Classic rap album.

fav songs: straight outta compton, fuck the police, gangsta gangsta, something like that amazing storytelling, high energy, impactful

Man what a riot. All round fun album - the sketch in Fuck Tha Police killed me, and Parental Discretion Iz Advised is another standout for me. I liked it, just don't have much to comment.

Yes maaaate! So good to listen to this on a Thursday morning in December. Lyrically brilliant and then awful. Musically the same. The beats are either incredible or so sparse it’s barely a song. Great to hear lyrics said here first that get used in hip hop for the next few decades too.

Raw, uncensored look at hood life in a way that was never seen in music before. Kicked open the door for west coast gangster rap. If this album offends you then maybe you should be offended by the environment that created it.

Oh, my!

What a calling card

I had fun with this album and sort of felt like I was listening to an audiobook or musical lol. Good storytelling boys! Quite enjoyable. Yes, fuck tha police indeed.

Classic

Gets the 4 for paving the way for dozens (if not hundreds) of other artists. Also, Fuck the Police.

Cool. Lots of famous lines and beats. Great background. Actually paying attention it gets old. Songs all sound very similar. Production sounds cheap compared to todays standards.

Very hectic- makes me feel like a have street cred just listening to it- so a big thumbs up from me.

Klassiker, besser als ich gedacht habe.

I understand all the misgivings about the content and the lyrics. However, unlike some of the rap that has been shortlisted, at least this album deserves to be on the list. It’s bond a generation I am going to give it a higher star rating because at least it is a seminal album.

It's some classic 80s hip-hop; what's not to like? Pretty samey, but some quality tunes. Favourite tracks: Straight Outta Compton, 8 Ball - Remix, I Ain't Tha 1, Something 2 Dance 2.

Iconic but not really my vibe for a whole hour

Bangers throughout great albums

Didn't listen but I've listened before. Never been a huge fan of this era of rap

Compton’s in the muthafucking house. Fuck the police is a forever classic.

Iconic. The rhymes are dated but Dre, Ren and some of Ice Cube’s hold up. Eazy is Eazy. Love it

Pretty good rap album

Classic so many bangers and super interesting samples…i think even a steve miller sample??

aggressive, still,

NWA definitely got NWAttitude. The lyrics are harsh, raw, angry, and totally without filter. I can't even imagine trying to express their reality. I'm not now, or ever will be in it but I was held to their narrative by every beat and word on this album.

Awesome production, I love the group dynamic with switching around to the different members. I think Dre had a lot of my favorite verses

Aight

Kickstarted rap for a lot of the world, one of the most influential albums of all time

My first old school hip hop album, first heard "express yourself" playing tony Hawk's underground 2, my parents weren't too happy with me listening to "fuck the police", but it's message about police brutality and profiling black Americans resonate three decades later.

i was really impressed with the writing and the way they made fun of themselves in some songs, enjoyed it way more than i thought i would, but hated how they talked about women

I thought it would be all stone cold gangster rap bangers, but was surprised by the more traditional hip hop tracks in there too, reminding me of it's age and I guess how much of a diversion some of the tracks were from what was around at the time. Yes it is misogynistic, etc, but I think mostly that was them committing to the bit.

Classic, in the way that it feels small compared to where we're at. Intensity like this doesn't get put out anymore

Wisselend tussen tijdloos en gedateerd, paar klassiekers, paar goede nummers, paar matige. Wat goed is, is ook echt goed!

Life ain't nothing but bitches and money

Appreciate the significance of this album, but it just didn't fully click for me. I wanted to love it, but a few of the songs were a little too unrefined. "Express Yourself" is an absolute top tier rap song though. 3.5/5 Will probably listen again

Much better than I had expected. A very angry album. Too much misogyny. Glad I listened to it.

This is another album it’s hard to oversell. Its influence crosses genres and economics; and it continues to influence today.

Fuck the Police

Classic record. Old cube is goated

Classic

Favourite song is “express yourself”, then fuck the police (which I like to listen to as I drive my electric car to my nice software engineering job, having no opps/issues with police) Ice cube has the best lyrics. Fun to sometimes look up the individual rappers, like yella, and check out their best songs Iconic album, and the movie is also worth watching

Such a good album. The title track is just so sick. Easy Es voice is my fave I think but they all sound so tight

So much energy and such a great opening to an album! Rest of the album a bit difficult to live up to the opening but still v cool.

Compton's N the house feels pretty empty. Otherwise, I wasn't a fan of hip hop, but this made me love it, I will probably listen to it again even though this genre isn't my favorite. Catchy, some basslines are just different than the ones I'm used to, in a very good way. It has pretty important themes, which are coming trough flawlessly. Cool album cover. Something 2 dance 2 is fun.

Stilistisch prägend, inhaltlich ikonisch, musikalisch funky af, technisch ein wenig aus der Zeit gefallen. 4/5

Pretty slay, 3.75 stars. Would listen again. Fuck the police.

N.W.A. and Public Enemy is the reason Uncle Phil's hair went grey and thinned by the second season of Fresh Prince. Really strong despite slacking a bit in the middle.

Funny how the last album we got was 'Under Construction' by Missy Eliott, and I said how refreshing it was that she was taking a stand for the ladies. Enter this album, which is the polar opposite of that. I might get lynched for giving this a 4 star, but I'm just a bit tired of the older hip-hop beats. It was the same feeling with Run-D.M.C. Eazy-E´s rap is also so annoying to listen to, don't like his flow at all. Still, you can't deny how influental the album has been for hip-hop, and catapulting Dr.Dre and Ice Cube, for example, towards very successful careers.

An iconic album! The opening tracks are all hits. I feel like the album has aged quite poorly and listen to by itself it isn't that great. Still it's undeniably an album which in the context of when it was released is excellent and took rap to the main stream. Very hard to pinpoint a score for me as I have quite mixed feelings about it.

Groundbreaking.

"damn that shit was dope" these beats go crazy. they do. not. do it like this anymore

3.75

A lot more fun than I was anticipating!

Surprisingly good beats- some of the lyrics were angry but sound justified. A nice throwback.

Great album to start, got a little repetitive for me near the end.

Brani Preferiti: - "Straight Outta Compton" - "Fuck Tha Police" - "Gangsta Gangsta" - "Express Yourself" Note: Un album che ha segnato la storia del Hip-Hop americano, piaccia o non piaccia il genere è un qualcosa di innegabile. La prima metà di questo album è un fuoco che inizia a perdere fiamma nella sua seconda metà.

I knew the hits but had never listened to the rest of the album. It definitely drags near the latter part and like most rap albums hasn't aged well. However the highs are high and it has some bangers that are still prevalent to today.

Bursts out of the gate. Might have enough hits to get a five rating if the album were 35 minutes long, but the filler drags it down.

Solid. Classic. Crazy good.

Classic

Never listened to this album all the way through before, enjoyed it although while some of the songs and themes are still timely re police violence and racism, some of the lyrics don't stand up to modern day listening. Rap has changed a lot since this album came out.

You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge. Despite all the legitimate critiques you can make against the often deplorable content, and lesser music made in its wake by imitators, this record still slaps when it comes to the sound and delivery. It's a sonic masterpiece. If I could replace nearly all the lyrics with those more in a PE or BDP vein and keep every flow intact I'd be listening to this record to this day rather than treating it like a historical artifact to appreciate. But then again, I was never the audience either and I can respect that.

Album gets better outside popular songs. A lot of lyrics about biker shorts.

A classic, genre defining heavyweight from the founders of gangster rap. Always love it

7/10

Gangster rap was born here. Offensive by today’s standards but still iconic. Essential Tracks: 1. Straight Outta Compton (Playlist) 2. Fuck Tha Police 3. Express Yourself

I love old-school rap. The beats are so much more interesting than current rap.

Raw and un-flinching rap album, nothing sums up 80s America more than this

Probably the best album to listen to while running

Another Masterpiece. An hip hop album where the skits make sense and enhance the songs. Hate the lyrics and message all you want, this is real, and remains so. The cadence shifts and punctual liberties taken here shape talented artist to this day.

Good Tsp album with a couple of banging songs

Way more aggressive than I remember

I enjoyed this album. Not appropriate for kids and zero respect for women, but the artists are clearly talented and a critical part of musical history and culture.

These guys are the pioneers of modern hip-hop and gangster rap in general. It is kind of crazy how much hip-hop changed not 5 years after this album came out. This is a good album, but the flow and instrumentals are very rudimentary, and "hipity hop" This group also birthed the extremely successful individual careers of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Easy E. This is a light 4/5

Oh man, early 90s hip hop misogyny is a little difficult to sit through. Definitely stops this album from being 5 stars for me. Otherwise, straight bangers throughout

The first 5 tracks a really good to great. It drags a bit from there outside of "Express Yourself", my favourite song of theirs. favs: Express Yourself, Gangsta Gangsta, Fuck tha Police, Straight Outta Compton worst: I Ain't tha 1

4 “You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge” Has there ever been an opening line to an album so badass and yet so fitting? The development of gangsta rap with this album was a turning point for the genre, and depending on who you ask it either marked the end of the golden era or the start of a new one. As someone who grew up on punk music, I find myself in the latter category - an angsty album that’s both in your face and delivering a sociopolitical message? Yeah man, sign me up. So, this was one of the few rap albums I owned as a teenager, and at that point in time I would have told you this is an eazy 5. Well, I still really enjoy this album, but it’s not quite as great as I remember. I’ve seen a lot of people write this off as sexist and outdated, but to be honest that’s not really the qualm I have with the album - not that I’m pro-sexism by any means, but I’ve always kind of interpreted the lyrics to be the reflection of the true no-holds-barred way of life in Compton, California and in no way intended to be a glamorization. My issue was more of the fact that I just totally forgot how much filler is on this thing - I was thoroughly enjoying myself when I started listening and was really convinced this might still be a 5 in my book, but starting with Compton’s N The House I feel like the album loses a bit of steam and then never picks it back up again. Dopeman was a song I remember being a fan of in my younger days, but it really didn’t do much for me in my listening here, and apparently I somehow wiped out the fact this album ends on an incredibly out-of-place note with Something 2 Dance 2. Who the hell’s idea was it to end this thing with a dance number? … Oh, Arabian Prince’s. That explains a lot. Still a really good album for the most part - you really can’t go wrong jumping in on any of the first eight tracks. Either way, even if you hate it, it’s hard arguing with the importance of this album on all of rap music, and the careers and legacies each member has had since its release has made N.W.A. feel like a retroactive supergroup of sorts. An album 100% deserving of being on this list.

While some of the subject matters haven't aged well, some of them have, and almost all of the beats are still fresh as ever. Favorite tracks: "Fuck Tha Police", "Express Yourself", "Straight Outta Compton"

West Coast hip hop,gangsta, raphardcore, hip hop.

Still epic.

Eazy-E cant rap, but the rest was solid.

On kyllä yksi parhaita hiphopin klassikko levyjä

ACAB

Literally perfect microcosm of its era

Solid. Iconic. Fun. The only thing against the album is that the songs get repetitive pretty quick as most of them have a very similar beat. Most, not all. Also, lyrically, some problematic themes. Other than that, possibly the best debut rap albums of all time (if we’re not counting N.W.A. and the Posse) by one of the best rap groups ever. The influence is incalculable and I’ll always enjoy listening. 4/5

Basically the best west coast rap album, so much better than all the follow ups it spawned, including those released by NWA members. The beats hit harder, flow is better and even though the core theme is very gangsta it's much wittier than say Dre's debut album which makes it much more palatable. Even the skits are kept short and actually add to to the songs! I think the straps/hoes schtick is a bit too grating to give it full whack but overall it's great.

There are some absolute classics on this album but I hadn't listened to the whole thing before. A whole hour of "bitches" and "hoes" gets old by the end with Dopeman being the worst of track by far. I listened to the 2022 remaster which sounds really good. The fact that some of these tracks are still relevant is sadly not surprising as this keeps coming up in other albums too. Overall I enjoyed the album and will listen to it again. Highlights: Straight Outta Compton Fuck Tha Police Parental Discretion Iz Advised Express Yourself

At the time it was highly original and went onto make the band members superstars and influence numerous others. There aren't many albums or bands that influence feature films but this did. It is powerful, angry and for the times it was on point. For the record itself, the quality slips a little on the second half.

Superb. Express Yourself is an amazing track. The first two songs announce an entire genre into the mainstream perfectly. Some lyrics haven't aged very well, but the significance of this album can't be denied.

One off for the language!

7/10. Pretty enjoyable, though only a few songs really felt like hits.

It's really good but there are some dinky-dinky-ass beats on this album. 8/10

A classic.

First half os great second half average.

Pretty good actually

I've known this album since before I was even really into music, an absolute genre-defining classic. I've obviously already listened to a handful of the tracks on this album over the years, but have never given the album a full listen through before. Off my first listen I'm already discovering songs like Parental Discretion Iz Advised and Quiet On Tha Set that I've never heard before, that really solidify the album and the overall sound for me. 8 Ball was the first track that didn't hit entirely for me, I think it was mainly the beat that was throwing me off, however I feel this one could grow on me. Something 2 Dance 2 seemed really weird for the album for some reason, it could potentially grow on me but the lyrics and the beat really just don't do it for me at the moment and feel very strange. Favourite tracks off first listen (overall favourite is marked with a *) are the Title track, Fuck Tha Police, Gangsta Gangsta, If It Ain't Ruff, Parental Discretion Iz Advised, Something Like That, Express Yourself*, I Ain't Tha 1, Dopeman, Quiet On Tha Set Least favourite tracks are 8 Ball, Something 2 Dance 2

Absolute classic. The first three tracks alone bring this up to 4 stars minimum. Obviously the hits on here are absolutely essential music, but a ton of the albums cuts are also infectiously good as well and feature some insanely well executed verses. Plus, the influence this album had is absolutely palpable, you can really feel how much of this style was emulated (to varying success) in pretty much every hip hop album to come. Some tracks are pretty barebones compared to what the artists behind NWA are capable of, so I can’t give it 5 stars, but it’s damn close.

I’m late to the hip hop party but enjoyed this album’s vitality.

Well this was a blast to listen through.

Idk what I was expecting but on the most part this was way better. Super engaging production, tight themes, well executed. I feel like it lost me towards the end, but the first half could genuinely be 5 stars

Love how relentless this goes

need to finish!

Don't kill me, but I seem to be a bigger Public Enemy fan. That being said, still a great album.

1988. Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Express Yourself

This album makes me want to fire pot shots at the LAPD 👍

Certified classic what can I say

This one is tricky because I understand the context, I understand the historical significance and legacy it left. They were on the right side of history with the police in a conflict that still hasn’t been solved. But outside if the police stuff, the hatred especially of women especially, but also the Hispanic community and the homophobia just really makes it hard to fully get behind what they were trying to say.

a classic - paved the way for a whole new type of rap music. also paved the way for misogyny, materialism and mindless violence. you cant have it all.

Fuck Tha Police is a classic anti-establishment song, Gangsta Gangsta is really fun despite it leaning into the more unsavory aspects of NWA, and Express Yourself is that fun little song you've heard in commercials. But after those 3 tracks, the quality dips pretty hard, and I'd probably recommend you listen to the solo outings of Dr. Dre and Ice Cube instead.

Some great some not so great but definitely history making.

Cool album, Express Yourself is a banger

++

3.5/5

Gangsta rap is maybe a net negative overall and not my scene, but this album stands apart. It's the samples that make it, Wikipedia helpfully lists them for each track, loads of avenues to explore further. Yes it's offensive, it's not that it hasn't aged well, it was offensive then. That is kind of the whole point. First three tracks and Express Yourself obviously classics, also really enjoyed Ain't Ruff and Parental Discretion. Tracks I thought were a bit shit: 8 Ball,

Not bad, with a few exceptions. I liked Quiet on the Set quite a bit, and found myself bobbing around in my seat as the album went on. I actually think this is a bit of a grower and I'd revisit. 3.5/5

If I were to have listen this for the very first time, I would probably give it a one star, mostly due to the lyrical content. However that isn't he case I can recall hearing this for first time in High school in 80s and to be honest not even sure what to think, it was aggressive and brutal and nothing I heard before. They made a statement with music, one can argue about the message but it was powerful and controversial. I don't listen to this album very often anymore but I will rate if I was 16 again.

I'm not a fan of this type of music, usually. But there is no denying the talent on this album, the wordplay of the artists, and the interplay of each of them. I shockingly, to me, really found myself enjoying it all the way through.

Really enjoy this album. You can argue that a majority of the album sounds pretty much the same but I really like that sound so I don't mind. Some great hits and the songs in between are mostly good. Small critique. They introduce themselves too much. Every song they say "Hey it's me rapping if you didn't know and the group's name is NWA" for the 5th song in a row

This is a classic album for hip hop, no doubt about that. When you listened to it often enough you feel the limits of the early hip hop though. And it is still funny to me how activists these days hail it as some sort of emancipation for black people (which is certainly true to some extent) but ignore the positive attitudes towards guns, drugs, violence and the overwhelming sexism.

Echt jeugdsentiment. De raps klinken nu wel wat gedateerd, maar wat een impact hebben zij gehad op de hedendaagse rap en hiphop.

The sampling used in most of the songs was impressive. It was cool to connect samples from other artists too.

The great grand pappy of generations of hip hop

The Blueprint

Little dated by todays hip hop standards but of course a solid classic with some unforgettable tunes.

Brutal album! More hard-core than most punk and metal,I remember when it first came out my New Jack Swing loving friends were genuinely terrified by it. The message is clear and strong, the anger is evident. Some of the language is nothing but sexist trash and I wonder if it was every acceptable.

YES! That is all.

Culturally significant and is some great hip-hop. Some lyrics haven't aged well but the message is still clear and rings true to this day.

Obviously an incredibly seminal album for all sorts of influential and cultural reasons and it's very good in places but I think I preferred Fear of a Black Planet a few weeks ago by comparison.

classic

This album has a lot of messages which didn't age well - Homophobia, misogyny and such. Some messages aged unfortunately well - The police vs the black community especially. There's no doubt that this was the album that sparked the golden age of gangsta rap, and really defined the sound of rap for years to come. Gangsta rap is by no means my favourite genre, but I can really appreciate this for its history. Favourite: Express Yourself

Very good

A legendary record by revolutionary musicians, pushing a powerful message for their people. The homophobia and misogyny doesn't hold up well. Not all of the songs on here are bangers, but the majority are classics. Highly influential group.

Perfect album to end the week on. I listened to this a few years ago when I was going through Hip Hop albums and also had been inspired by the movie. Straight out of Compton and Fuck the Police are classics. Knowing the behind the scenes of how this was created and all the greats that are part of NWA just makes this a very historical album. It isn't a perfect album, but with the hip hop we are getting on this list, it more than earns its place. I also hope Stevie extra enjoys If It Ain't Ruff.

Definitely a classic right here! It's still wild to me that this album was made in the '80s, it definitely feels ahead of its time. And yet, at the same time, many of the instrumentals do sound dated today. But the songs that bang STILL bang more than 30 years later. The title track, "Fuck the Police," and especially "Express Yourself," what a jam. There's a unbelievable amount of profanity and violence all over this, and it had all the right people quaking. The West Coast had something to say. Ice Cube and Dre would both go on to have illustrious solo careers, but this time and place was special. Definitely worth watching the movie of the same name to get some additional insight. I love this album; I may not love all of it, but it's so important. Favorite tracks: Straight Outta Compton, Express Yourself, I Ain't tha 1, Fuck the Police, Gangsta Gangsta, Compton's N the House, Something 2 Dance 2. Album art: Classic group shot right here, the whole group standing over you before you get shot I guess. Part of me always sees this as the view from inside a trunk, but I don't know if that's accurate. Great font too. 4.5/5

West Coast hip hop,gangsta, raphardcore, hip hop.

I had heard some songs from this album and wasn't expecting to like it much. But it was great. I really liked I Ain't Tha 1.

I love the talking, humor, sampling and beats and drum sounds. Favorite track: Parental discretion iz advised. Great beat, love the count in into then the beat comes on and he just starts talking before he comes in Great album, would love to let it inspire me

The first half of this album is way funkier than I remember it being!

Absolutely brilliant. 4-5 tracks on there that are timeless bangers. The rest sound a bit dated, I’d have to say but still one of the great albums and arguably the most influential in rap music.

Working essentially with posse cuts, N.W.A avoid leaving Straight Outta Compton in the mold of the first three tracks. The record has plenty of simple compositions, but careful sound design is evident up front while pop, funk, and dance music lie scatter as deeper cuts. I realized quickly that I was only familiar with the surface of the record. Straight Outta Compton doesn't end up transcending that, but it mixes provocation with music calculated to attract; Deserves some of the reputation and is designed to engender the dismissive kind.

The sampling choices and production job are top notch!

Saw the movie but had never listened to the full album. Understanding the context probably elevated the album in my ears, but I really enjoyed this. Love Dre’s beats and Ice Cubes rhymes in particular.

Lots of albums on this list aren't a "must" "before you die". This one is. Historic.

Pau Tonto

Hands down the most I've ever enjoyed a hip hop album, and possibly the only hip hop album I've ever been inclined to listen to more than once. I didn't pay massive attention to the lyrics, but the instrumentation, cadence and tone of the vocals, and general atmosphere was somehow appealing. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: Straight Outta Compton Date listened: 16/02/23

Fantastic album! Great singles. Some of the album cuts are underwhelming, though

A legendary album

The foundations of "Gansta Rap" as a fully formed genre start here - social commentary, lack of concern for anyone that opposes them, and tons of misogyny. Not my cup, but still an unforgettable and powerful album.

I don't recall ever having listened to this album before...the gangsta rap not being my favorite hip-hop style. And it certainly has its flaws for me as far as lyrical content. However, the West Coast feel with funky tracks does have some appeal!

I was anticipating this to end up being a little too much for my taste; I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. It was honestly on track to be 5 stars, but there was a stretch of the album following Express Yourself that just dipped off for me. Cut out like four of those songs and this album would be sooooooo much better.

This album is another exception to my distaste of old-school hip-hop. The rest of the album doesn't really compare to the first two songs (except for maybe I aint tha 1) and the misogyny still hasn't aged well (but better than Eminem music) but as a whole it's still really solid. It very clearly captures the anger and rage about discrimination and police brutality at the time that still resonates to this day. It's also really good driving music.

Having never gotten around to listening to this album, I was pleasantly suprises by it’s quality! The rapping itself is quite good, at least by 1988 standards, but the production is what really stands out. Along with plenty of minor details, the beats adjust to the verses, choruses, bridges, interludes and sometimes change altogether for the latter half of a song. This makes for a much more vibrant and enjoyable listening experience. Although, you definitely don’t need me to tell you to listen to it.

una fiesta

This album just isn't quite as good as I remembered. Yes there are classics here but there's also some far less classic material. It's still a good album but it isn't the 5 I thought it was. If you had asked me like 10 years ago I'd have rated it higher. 3.5 bumped to 4 because the good stuff is really good

what hasn't been said about this album at this point. it revolutionized gangsta rap and helped it become the dominant style of hip-hop while also launching the careers of ice cube, dr. dre, and eazy-e. the title track and "fuck the police" being the first two songs on the album is a crazy move, especially because those are the two best songs on the album. unfortunately, it doesn't quite reach those highs again: but to be fair, it is hard to follow up those classic songs. there are definitely some moments that have aged strangely on this album. it is very funny hearing dr. dre out of all people rap about how weed gives you brain damage on "express yourself" considering he would later go on the make "the chronic" and would also help start snoop dogg's career. and it was hard not to laugh hearing mc ren and dr. dre call people "wacky wack" on "compton's n the house - remix" because it's just so insanely 80's. also, the first verse on "i ain't the 1" is very rough but the song gets better the longer it goes on for. the album ends with "something 2 dance 2", the only song on the album that features short-lived member arabian prince with a fun electro-hop beat. and while it is not as "cool" as the rest of the album, it sure is fun and i think it's a good closer. overall, this is a very good album but it is not perfect, as it does have some moments that are rough around the edges. but the stuff that is good is really good.

Perfect start to gangsta rap

Straight up hitter, this is what 'old but gold' should be defined by.

there's.... a lot of homophobia and sexism on this album it's a product of its time and the Black culture of the same timeframe, but YEESH there's some questionable stuff on here. "have the authority to kill a minority" is still an all-time bar though. there's a lot of Black liberation on this album that probably opened up the world views of a lot of suburban white kids at the time (i would have eaten up this album at 14 if it had just come out) i can see why it's revolutionary, but man has some of this stuff not aged well. this is like blazing saddles as an album

Gangsta rap klasik koji definitivno zaslužuje biti u knjigama.

Amazing album. Dropped a point for the misogyny etc 4/5

Amazing use of samples and musical flare to create soething unique for the backdrop of a political movement through lyrics. That said, the later Ice Cube tracks feel kinda out of place.

This was a lot more enjoyable than I was expecting and probably deserves a bit more exploration. Fave tracks are Parental Discretion Iz Advised, Express Yourself, and I really like the way Something 2 Dance 2 wraps up the album.

I've never considered myself a rap fan but I can get down with this album.

Hmm i don't really like this kind of rap. But some of the songs are clever.

A pivotal album in the genre and one with a very important song. However, I feel that most members needed more time to perfect their sound and talents

Yarp

3.5, giving it the 4 because of its status in history.

Rodney King. LA. The spark that lit a city.

Klassieker van een stel boze jongens. De samples tussendoor maken het zeker de moeite waard. Over de teksten zullen we het maar niet hebben. Toch heeft dit mede de 90s hiphop bepaald. 3,5 ster, maar ik ben in een goede bui. 4 stuks

This is the album that finally broke my suburban, white parents — they were absolutely beside themselves when they heard me listening to “Fuck the Police.” It was wonderful. Thank you, NWA. ❤️

A classic 90s hip hop record. Not as great as I remember it being, but still great nonetheless

muy diver. me divirtió mientras hacía un origami

A bit dated but still great

Despite the subject matter, this feels playful like some pre-teens making up rhymes in front of their mirror. It's gangsta rap that isn't taking itself too seriously yet and hasn't been sold out yet. I can also hear the beginnings of the funk part of g-funk. Ren has the best flow. Something 2 Dance 2 is ridiculous with a Mighty Mouse sample and teasing bad words.

N.W.A were revolutionary in the formation of the genre of Gangsta Rap. What they did on this record would set the stage for a lot of what came out in the 90's/00's. N.W.A consisted of: Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren, Arabian Prince, and DJ Yella; many of who would have successful solo careers outside of the group in later years. I watched the movie Straight Outta Compton which follows the beginnings and career of the members of N.W.A. It was a great movie, highlighting their come up from the ghettos of Compton, the drug dealing/gang violence that they were surrounded by in their formative years, and the racism that was rampant in the USA in the 70's (especially the racism shown to black teenagers by white people in positions of authority (ie. judges and policemen)). Given this rough upbringing, you can understand why gang violence/anarchy/misogyny are the topics covered heavily on this album. This was music that gave a voice to the hundreds of thousands of oppressed across America (songs even got banned from radio stations (notably Fuck Tha Police)). Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. The sampling and flow of the album was seamless. I have listened before, and will definately listen again. Favourite songs: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Express Yourself, Gangsta Gangsta, Parental Discretion Iz Advised, Dopeman, Quiet On Tha Set, Compton's N The House (Remix) Least favourite song: Something 2 Dance 2, Bonus Beats, If It Ain't Ruff 4/5

Un clásico

favourite song: gangsta gangsta least favourite song: dopeman album only loses a star for the misogyny and homophobia, otherwise a perfect album

Hip hop and rap are normally not my thing. But I can see why this is label as a classic. The beats are top notch and the lyrics mostly are dark, gritty and most of all come from the truth. The only downside I can find is some of it seems to drag on. Especially some of the instrumental pieces. Will listen to again for sure.

Too long, dated lyrics, but still a load of fun. Put me in such a good mood in the morning, honestly. The first few tracks are unmatched with my favorite song being FUCK THA POLICE STRAIGHT FROM THE UNDERGROUND - man these young gentlemen sure have a way with words.

As a teenager in the 70’s /80’s my parents and other adults feared Heavy Metal music - they thought it dangerous and corrupting. “Fools” was the general reaction from me and my peers. I didn’t believe that music could be dangerous. Then N.W.A. released ‘Straight Outta Compton’ and I started to understand why they were afraid - music that directly and aggressively challenges societal institutions you respect is disconcerting (for my parents it was heavy metal challenging religion, and for me it was NWA challenging law and order - which at the time I truly believed was mostly just). It took me a while to take the time to listen The album’s political / racial themes seem to be undercut by the blatant misogyny. That said, great beats/raps/jams throughout most of the album, but hard for an old white guy to sing along. Better than a 3.5. Rounding up.

This album is a classic, but well, a lot of the songs lyrics didn't age well at all lol. Except for F*ck the Police, that just got even truer with time.

A hip hop classic record made by legends. High quality rap for sure.

Very interesting to listen to and compare the systemic problems facing the Black community during the same period.

Classic

The record is a historical landmark because it almost singlehandedly spawned a whole subgenre of hip hop, gangsta rap, for better (sometimes), and for worse (a lot of other times). In spite of the obviously dated sound, nice energy throughout, and plenty of killer rhymes and music. Now I didn't have the time to check the wikipedia page, but was this one selected by the Library of Congress for its "cultural importance"? Given the topics addressed by this album and the language used in it, I would roll on the floor with laughter knowing it's on those shelves... 🤣 Number of albums left to review: less than 800 approximately, I've temporarily lost count here. Number of albums I'll keep on my own list: half so far, approximately (including this one) Number of albums I might keep: a quarter Number of albums I won't keep: another quarter.

Užasno sirov ali i dalje kul.

Though performative, seems credibly and – perhaps more to the point – earnestly so. Some of the beats are tight and basic-sounding (as 30-year-old records invariably do), but it’s much richer, and not nearly as one-note as one recalls. The soulful song-on-the-radio-esque "Express Yourself" the fun Steve Miller sample-snippet on “Something Like That,” the singalong humor of "I Ain’t Tha 1” and the borderline novelty “Something 2 Dance 2” add more than a bit of texture and straight-up fun. And in the end ,there is as much about sexual politics as social protest (which seems not quite as flat and obvious, not as shocking, as in back in the day).

With the bombastic political and gangsta lyrics, it's easy to forget how much dance music is on this album. Dre always knew how to get people moving.

good

Ah, the good old days, when every rhyme would land on the end of the bar like a bag of bricks. I like the aggression, groove and sampling. "Kicking. Like the kick from a kick drum. Yella Boy on the drum getting dumb... programming a beat that's hitting. And if you listen then you know we're not bullshitting" lol. lmao. Raise your hands if you're not the one to get played like a poo butt!

Bussin

dre is so good. I never LOVED this album or NWA for that matter. I definitely enjoy solo Dre, Cube, and Eazy more than I enjoy them as a collective. I feel like they each had more to prove on their own, especially dre. Everyone’s heard the chronic, but this is what made dre dre. Definitely a classic. Even if it is dre though, Beats are a little too dated for me.

I really liked this - a good sound and some real emotions.

A ground breaking classic rap album, the birth of gfunk and west coast hip hop. This really is a ground breaking album and the messages on police brutality and racism is still relevant today, but other themes of the album have not dated well at all. Makes some of the album feel a bit cringe to listen to now. Still more than deserves to be on the lists.

One of my favorite hip hop albums. I'll start out with the two major weaknesses. For one, Ice Cube and Dr Dre vastly carry the album. The other rappers don't have the same intensity that Ice Cube has, which can leave you distracted elsewhere. The second weakness is that the sound is super dated. Just like with Run-DMC's debut, it tends to recycle the same samples in the same song too often. In an hour long album where each track averages more than 5 minutes each, it makes it sound too repetitive. This is why I unfortunately can't give it a perfect score, especially when Raising Hell and Licensed to Ill avoided both problems before this came out. Highly influential, with this and It Takes a Million kicking hip hop into the mainstream and serving as the primary influences of the next decade's golden age rappers. But other than that, it's just an incredible listen. Really aggressive with serious topics on racism and gangsta life displayed quite accessibly to audiences not used to this kind of music. The production is fun, and samples are funky (thanks Dre). The lyrics are funny despite their dark topic matter. Some songs like "Express Yourself" even give me goosebumps. There's some dated jokes here, including misogyny, so take some tracks with a grain of salt. Even though Ice Cube did better in his solo work, I love the diversity of the three personalities and their styles, which makes this album feel grander and more collaborative. I loved half the songs, others I enjoyed a decent amount, but there were a few like "8 Ball" or "Comptons N the House" that were just tiresome for their length.

The classic, one of the few rap records I know through and through. Old school story time is so much fun.

i really love ice cube.

N.W.A heavily relays on their lyrics in order to express their message of black cultural and the realities of living in black communities.

Classic simple beats wit a production to match an array of rappers to breed a new style of hip hop.

This is such a good album. Found myself bouncing to most of the beats. A couple of songs midway through lose their way a bit which prevents this from being a 5 but goddamn it’s good. 4.5/5

Feel like you definitely hear why people were concerned about misogyny in 90s gangsta rap in this album, but other than that, it is a pretty good album.

Production holds up more than expected. Simple and powerful.

I won't pretend to know much about rap and hip hop, but this feels pretty incredible for a debut album. The 3 opening tracks (title track, Fuck tha Police and Gangsta Gangsta) are incredibly strong and other highlights include 8 Ball, Express Yourself, Dopeman and Quiet On that Set.

4.3⭐️

Listened Before? Y This is a straight up gangsta rap classic. The amount of talent on this record is incredible. There's almost no bad parts at all. Very violent and somewhat dated (mostly misogyny), but I enjoy it a lot. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Straight Outta Compton

I think I’ve covered my take in gangsta rap sufficiently... I appreciate this, respect and enjoy the wordplay, and see it’s stature as a cultural artifact. But the absolute degree to which I’m a tourist in the world it depicts is something I’m not completely comfortable with, and the frequent refrains of murder, mayhem, and misogyny wear me out.

Best Song: Fuck Tha Police. Timeless, perfect track that manages to be both clever and anthemic. One of the best examples of righteous anger in a song. Worst Song: 8 Ball. The rhythm + rhyme-scheme felt a little too Dr. Seuss. Overall: The rapping is great, with each member bringing their own flavour that sounds distinct without any obvious weak links or outright stars. The selection of beats here are also good and groovy. The whole album feels a bit long, but it's tough to complain when the whole runtime is actual tracks and not inflated with skits, like a lot of other albums of its era. Still, maybe the best rap album of its decade.

Amazing album with dated atitudes.

Enjoyed, these ladz have many important stories to tell

What do you think Eazy E is getting at with this lyric: So slip the see-note and you can choke On a wind ding ding-a-ling down your throat Foreplay to me ain't shit When you spread them, I'm ready, then you can get the dick Of the Eaze, if you can deal wit the size But if you can't, parental discretion's advised

This is good.

This was great! Loved the absolute FUNK of some of the songs. I'd listened to this album before, but a long time ago - I think whilst travelling with Benji. The song just slagging off women was a bit annoying, but I did enjoy the rest of it. Lots of humour in the songs as well as talking about serious issues or just their lifestyles

It's all good stuff

A few classics that still hold up today, solid flows and lyricism, goes hard

Hello my nizzles

pretty banger. production unexpected good

It’s a three and a half really. Don’t tell rob I didn’t give it a five.

An evergreen of old school west-coast rap. Somewhat surprisingly, I had a lot of fun listening to this record - it has to do something about the pure energy coming from all the artists. And the bounce - the bounce is real! Highlight: Something 2 Dance 2 - love it's light-hearted and laid-back nature

- Good beat and Energy - Bad Language - Parental Discretion Underrated - Least Favorite: 8 Ball - Good first 5 kind of went downhill from there still a good album though, surprised kind of

Amazing and powerful - avante garde on a racial issues level - prehistoric on a gender level - beats groove to a tee - every tracks feels like the genesis of another sub genre of hip hop. It’s a seminal record tarnished by it’s toxic masculinity and - well to a degree the glorification of violence - And well yeah it’s a product of its environment and time but it doesn’t get exempt from the lens of the future. They could have easily done away with ‘A bitch is a bitch’ and still had the one of the most ripping hip hop record of all time. It would have gotten my 5 stars had it been a little more … enlightened on certain aspects.

"If ya fuck wit me I'll put a foot in ya ass" - words to live by.

repiola

Great fun, this one - some of the best sampling and mixing in any of the rap albums we've had - the lyrics are droll, delivered with bags of energy.

fuck da poilice

Already knew the title track and Express Yourself but was still surprised at how good the album is - no annoying skits, just a lot of good rapping over a range of fantastic samples. Can see why this is so highly rated.

Tiukkaa shittiä

Legendaarinen ja aikakauteensa tempaava

4.25

4, classics

Serious OG energy. Not my favorite style of music but this is good.

Прикольный альбом. Чёрный рэп, класс :)

Amazing flow, smooth rhymes. Beats are dated, but still sound great. One of a kind.

This is an all time classic album whose legacy will last forever. I am not a fan of rap or hip hop and I am certainly not qualified to speak to the message of the album, but it is a great album musically and socially. Great album!

This album was influential to the point where it was preserved by the Library of Congress which is ironic considering its anti-establishment message. First of all, much of the messaging here has aged poorly. The misogyny, homophobia, and toxic masculinity are not necessary to the central message of this album and take away from in in retrospect. Some of these beats are incredible while others feel stuck in the 80s. I enjoyed the use of samples some of which are some of the best sample work I’ve ever heard. This album feels like it’s in between styles and on the cusp of developing a more complex flow pattern while still having a foot firmly in straight 80s style delivery. Caveats aside, this album is one of hops hop’s statement records and with good reason. Here we see the emergence of g-funk and gangsta rap.

One of the origin albums of "gangsta rap". (7/10) FT: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck The Police

Extremely influential album. I think I am able to separate my enjoyment of the style from the content. It felt very performative at times, almost like a skit. Not sure if that was the intent but it seems like it especially when you learn about Dr. Dre's past (see World Class Wreckin' Cru) but good on them for being the leading edge of a genre. I think most of the music it spawned was garbage but this one was pretty good as long as you didn't take it too seriously. 3 stars for enjoyment, but add a star for influence.

LP

80s Sound. I can see its significance at that time. Today, from a european perspective, it is so out of date with all its hate, swearing and stereotypical black/white gangsta crap. Nevertheless a nice retro listening

Kyl nää länsirannan klassikot vaan toimii musapuolen osalta. Ei häviä tuotanto yhtään nykyräbälle. Tekstit sitten taas lähinnä kuraa, vaikka osan pystyy ymmärtämään yhteiskunnallisesta näkökulmasta. Mut vissiin tän levyn takia kaikki toksisuus ylipäätään yleisty räbässä. Onneks tälleen aktiviteetin taustamusana pystyy aika hyvin filtteroimään mitä haluaa sisäistää. Ja silloin toimii yhtä lailla kuin se Dren Chronic. Ehkä tää on väärin antaa lyriikat anteeksi, mut annetaan nyt niukka 4/5.

Already finished. Solid album. Nothing crazy. 7/10

Thought it was an easy 5 coming in, but some of the deeper cuts didn't age well at all. Still has some all-time bangers, though. Best track: Fuck tha Police

I think I've heard every song on this album prior to this, but I'd never listened to it as an album. One of the things that stood out to me is that Dre's production style, which would emerge fully-formed when he started putting out solo records fro Death Row, is not well-developed here. It sounds more like an 808 with a bunch of samples layered over it. I think it's interesting because the addition of those samples makes this sound much less dated than Run DMC's work in the mid 80s. The approach to rapping is much more full formed with this album, which I think accounts for a lot of its appeal. This album delivers lyrically, and all of the participants appear to be at the top of their game here, though several of the artists achieved greater heights as solo artists. A deserved classic that has aged really well, perhaps because the misogyny that would be so pervasive in later gangsta rap albums is much less prominent here 4/5

90's Brooklyn

Another classic. Ice cube knew what he was doing.

Legendarisk album, men lidt langt og ikke helt så musikalsk som jeg kan lide dem. Men vigtigt

2/6

What a classic. Great rapping, beats. The themes haven't aged well but it's still fun to listen

Always enjoyed this, love those old school rap samples and beats. It's a shame no one's really doing that any more. I'd give it the full 5 but let's be honest, Eazy-E wasn't that good. 4/5.

As a hip hop fan had never listened to this whole thing. Amazed at how relevant and influential it all was MC ren and easy-E could easily have been as big as Ice Cube if things had been different. 4.4 could easily could have been 5

Classics throughout 4.3/5

I remember when this album was in the spotlight in the late 80s. I was aware of it but had not actively listened to it. It's fantastic. My ears are drawn in by so much, and the layers here are really cool. A lot of R&B and funk sampling here, more textural blending with the vocals than one might expect, and the lyrics are compelling. When I think about the years during which this was recorded and released...wow, that was nearly 35 years ago. Wild how relevant the lyrics still are.

My brother gave me this CD to listen to during a family road trip. Blew my fucking mind, and tasted like the sweetest of forbidden fruits. A classic. -1 star just because the sexism is a bit grating in this day and age for my personal taste.

Very cross people made this record. Some iconic bangers here. Breathtaking

That crazy MF named Ice Cube...

8/10

Normally I'm not a big hip hop fan, but i knew some of these tracks and could listen to them again.

not a fan of the lyrics. ground breaking beats and flows though.

Yea, it's pretty darn good isn't it? Keeps good energy going, big hits spaced throughout. A classic!

If you told me Dr Dre, Ice Cube, and Easy E were in a band, id think 5 stars. That being said, it rocks but im not sure how much replay id give it. Im a tough critic, 3 or 4 … out of the rest ive graded thus far, i didnt need to skip many, maybe one, so 4

nice

Classic, essential, a little dated and clunky, but still very fun. 4/5

Dels primers grans clàssics del hip hop, és un dels pocs que realment m'ho sembla, juntament amb algun de Run DMC. Molt per sobre en tots els sentits dels clàssics de la costa Est, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E i companyia excel.leixen a l'hora de crear una hora de la millor mala baba, violència verbal amb intel.ligència, en uns temes que, a diferència dels de Public Enemy, t'atrapen amb els seus samples, recitats i bases de primer nivell. Com la gran majoria de discos del génere, és massa llarg i no tot el minutatge eatà a la mateixa alçada, però és impressionant la gran quantitat que sí ho està

Raw and angry.

Classic

Classique album de rap. Je connaissais deja beaucoup de chanson mais d’autres metaient inconnues. J’aime le style depus longtemps. 4.25

Καλύτερο απ´ όσο περίμενα. Εντυπωσιακό ότι το ραπ είναι καθαρό και καταλαβαίνεις τι λένε.

Some of the content has dated, some really hasn't, but you can't fault the delivery.

Opening track, Straight Outta Compton is iconic. Fuck the Police--not what I remember it being. Seemed so 'hard' at the time, and the cursing and n'word is--but it has a lot more storytelling and interesting mixing in the background. The rest of the album doesn't have any great hooks. Forgot the lack of traditional song form (choruses, bridges, etc). I'd definitely not listen to it today--but it's a Hall of Fame record for its historical impact. 4 stars for its place in history.

Definitely front loaded, but what an opening!

3.5

Urgent, Thrilling, so of its time, esp. some of the misogynistic lyrics

This album is important but there are some duds

Classic

BRA SKIT

Party akin to Gremlins 2. Made me understand a ton of bad white rap too!

Some funny shit in here. A few of the songs sound pretty similar and Eazy-E says pretty much the same thing in every song

really fun album old school hip hop is fun to listen to every now and then and it was nice to listen to this classic I give it an 8/10

Ehh, good but not my cup of tea anymore

Classic. Iconic. UPDATE: Love the outro jam for "Parental Discretion Iz Advised."

This album is angry and fun

Not much to be said… fucking solid

// Favs: Straight Outta Compton / Fuck Tha Police / It Ain't Ruff Score: Decent to Strong 4

Old school rap Catchy Heard of the second song before Reminds me of beastie boys

It's a classic. Some great samples. I love Ice Cube. Of course the lyrics are pretty vulgar and juvenile (and occasionally racist, sexist etc), but I can almost rationalize that in a punk rock kind of way. I will say, it's pretty uneven. Some all-time great stuff but also some that just feels a bit like filler. I think I remember it as better than it actually is.

Bumpin

Each track is awesome but extremely repetitive. We get it. You're mad. Still great.