Reviews (page 9 of 13)
Eazy-e is easily the hardest part to get through this album. I'm not really into hip-hop/rap so this is usually what I would listen to, but that's why we are here, to listen something that we usually wouldn't. I know this album is historic for the genre I couldn't bring me myself to like it
Solid 3.5!
This is definitely a gangster rap record. Though I enjoy this era of rap, the album's lyrical content(especially "I ain't the 1", assuming that wasn't seen as offensively sexist even when it came out)aged poorly. It's full of violent, sometimes sexist raps, albeit placed over excellent beats. NWA stands for N****z with Attitude, and they live up to their name on this record with attitude in spades. I can't deny that it's influential and well made, though; that would be an exercise in futility. The album also runs on a little too long; it could stand to lose a couple tracks.
I Ain't Tha 1 is the worst song I've ever heard.
Not for me ig Much like Elvis in the late 50s and Led Zeppelin in the early 70s, NWA enters on that are of those "groundbreaking musical acts that undeniably reshaped society" and whoever denies that gotta have some racial bias bc this clearly served as a standpoint for modern rappers and if you can't see it then that's your problem Does this make the music good tho? I mean quality is subjective but not rly imo just like Led Zeppelin and Elvis and early Beatles the music here is alright at best compared to other styles within their genres I get why that'd be hype for some especially older hip-hopheads but honestly that was disappointing af not the hardest gangsta shit and some songs are plain dumb (I ain't tha 1) Maybe it was good for west coast folks? I'm not rly into that shit. Must've been a "you had to be there" thing and even if I were I definetely ain't the target audience While it's a rly interesting album to analyze retrospectively as a piece of musical history nothing rly caught my attention except for Fuck tha Police (that one was dope captured the nature I was looking for) and Parental Discretion Overall I'd rather be bumping to other stuff by public enemy, WTC and beastie boys that's more of my thing but at least NWA managed to put hip-hop on the mainstream
it does set a standard....but do i like it?
I don’t feel like the target audience and that’s intimidating. I respect it for how important it was in the context of time and place, and “express yourself” is great. But so many of the lyrics are crude or misogynistic that it’s a bit hard to get past. If the lyrics of “I ain’t the 1” weren’t half as bad, I would’ve really liked it.
Hard to review. The misogyny is a big woah. But there's some great rhymes and beats on here.
Classic gangsta rap, revolutionary for its time, not for me
There are almost enough bad tracks for me to mark this down to a 2 but it deserves at least a 3 for the better ones.
It's a classic again, clearly see the influence in other albums, just not my taste
Do you know that I came up with the idea for Sesame Street? I came up with it before PBS. The white man stole it. That's right. I was gonna call it "N.W.P." - N!66@z With Puppets. Catchy, ain't it? -Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back
6/10
Best Track - "Express Yourself"
N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton still hits like a brick through a storefront window—blunt, unruly, and absolutely foundational, dealing in harder-edged funk loops and drum-machine shrapnel long before Dre’s smoother G-funk refinements. Some of the lyrical extremity feels engineered for shock alone, but the group’s chemistry and the tectonic shift they triggered remain undeniable: the title track serves as their mission statement, “Parental Discretion Iz Advised” slips some swing and sly piano stabs into the assault, “Express Yourself” offers a bright, radio-ready breather, and “I Ain’t tha 1” showcases Dre’s minimalist production even as Cube’s misogynistic lyrics age poorly. Meanwhile, “Gangsta Gangsta” blurs fantasy and menace, “8 Ball – Remix” channels crunchy Rick Rubin vibes through Compton grit, and “Dopeman” nods to Ice-T while previewing the high-pitched synth that would later define G-funk.
I recognize the cultural significance. I remember thinking whoa at the time. Credit for that but too angry to listen to regularly.
Brings me back
Solo puedo decir: fac da polis
Not bad at all just all too similar. Like a meter long cannoli couldn’t tell when one song finished and the next started just merged into one long album.
These fellas clearly have rhythm but one hour of rap is simply too much for me. Good tunes tho
5 or 6/10 First time I’ve ever listened to the full album and honestly a bit disappointed. Some absolute bangers and some real let downs. ‘Compton N the House’ is a steaming pile of shit
Alright, some interesting language used.
This album is important as it is divisive The themes of police violence and drug pushing and toxic masculinity are all still relevant today i think Serving as a way to express the anger they feel as Black American’s living in Compton under racism and police violence i think this album realizes that They state themselves that the N.W.A arent role models and this is a very bold first album in its tone Im of two minds about the album I think its both really important and hear and understand the message and anger and i also wouldn’t actively listen to this
Clearly one of the foundational texts of hip hop. The rap style, flow, beat construction and sample selection set the tone for the hip hop of today. It was the genesis of many individual careers and turned out arguably some the best producers, MCs and mix engineers in the business- went onto inspire an entire west coast movement and had a hand in influencing the hip hop landscape we see currently. Without this album we would be seeing a very different world both socio-politically and musically. That withstanding, I don't love this album. For me the strongest thing about the record is the MCs conviction and ingenuity. It set a musical standard and foundation for hip hop, which in its context was a phenom. And that template has been built on again and again- to the point of cliche. Props to this record for its impact and influence, but I find the rhyme schemes, flow and sample selection predictable. Subject matter is dated and out of pocket (Bravado was the point, but the misogyny I can live without), similarly with the production. The songwriting feels formulaic and repetitive. Hearing the same TR-808 on every track eventually gets boring. And the simple formula of funk/jazz guitar sample, with intermittent horn stabs and record scratches gets old after a while. That being said, these were hits at the time- and still are. 2-3 songs that still deserve to be in my rotation. Culturally this record gave a lot, and still continues to influence hip hop to this day. It deserves its flowers- but its not something I'd go back and listen to for enjoyment. MCs today stand on the shoulders of these giants and that shouldn't be understated. We give thanks to the old and grow into the new. 3.5
not my thing
Corny vulgarity
The famous songs from this album (f tha police, express yourself, straight outta compton) stand the test of time. The rest of this album is tiring to listen to. When compared to the best public enemy album of this era this collection of songs is not quite there.
6/10 This album was obviously massively influential and key to the proliferation of gangsta rap, so it's historic importance is without question. It has aged fairly poorly in quite a few regards though, and some of the lyrical content was dodgy even then. With that being said, it's easy to complain about some of the lyrical content of this album, but much of this can be attributed to the marginalisation and ghettoisation of black America during this time. If you essentially criminalise people’s existence and make their lives very difficult to live, why would they adhere to your standards of decency and morality? Would all of the group stand behind these lyrics today? Probably not, but they were young men lashing out in all directions. That doesn't make the worst offenses any easier to hear, but it does offer some explanation. When it hits its heights, this album is really very good. The grooves are funky, driven and insistent and the rhythmic flow of the rapping is great. The more socially conscious lyrics are also great and tell an important story. But at it's weakest, there are some very poor parts. It's over long and some of the tracks are very thin and uninspired. I think Eazy-E is far and away the weakest rapper of the group and he has some of the most crigeworthy lines and delivery across the album. The rest of the guys have their weak spots, but he seems to be the standout with some of the most heinous offenses. This is not really the kind of hip hop that really floats my boat, so it was never going to be troubling the top of my rankings, but at it's best it's a decent and important reflection of it's time and place. Straight Outta Compton - It’s a reasonable start. Bags of attitude, and a nice bit of drive to the beat and the bass, but it’s a bit too repetitive, with only brief pauses and a bit of scratching to break the monotony of a two-bar loop for over 4 minutes. Fuck Tha Police - There’s more groove and swing to this, with a bit more variety even in the verses, and then we get more of a break into the chorus. It’s angry but justifiably so. As Malcolm X said, "You don't have a peaceful revolution. You don't have a turn-the-cheek revolution. There's no such thing as a nonviolent revolution.” This track is a classic. It bounces, it grooves, and it carries a message about how marginalised groups feel while they are criminalised and oppressed. Gangsta Gangsta - Another great funky groove. There's good flow to the rapping, some nice use of sound effects here and there too. The chorus adds a bit of variety, but it is generally a bit repetitive and could do with a bit more range. Some of the sections they throw in for variety also sound quite disconnected from the rest of the track and don't flow that well. If It Ain't Ruff - Again, the groove is decent here, but it's all a bit one note. It needs a bit more depth and range to it to really hold focus. There are some nice moments here and there and it does get me bobbing my head, but it's not one of the strongest cuts on the album. Parental Discretion Iz Advised - There's a theme going here, another decent groove that's overused. One bar going round and round for 5 minutes just doesn't really do it for me. The rapping doesn't seem quite as good here either. There are moments where things seem a tiny bit forced, others that are decent, but it's a mixed bag from that point of view. Odd flex from Eazy-E to admit he's bad at sex, but you do you fella. 8 Ball (Remix) - This one is not good. The music is stilted and too slow, has aged incredibly badly and the whole thing just doesn't flow very well. It's erratically put together, the lyrics are pretty terrible too. Something Like That - The pace picks back up again here, but other than that, it's still not great. The repetitive nature of it all just doesn't engage and it's very thin on harmonic content, so it doesn't really scratch that musical itch. The beat bounces nicely, but it's too thin otherwise. Express Yourself - And we're back in the game. It's funky, driven and super cool. Obviously a great amount of the credit for this goes to Charles Wright and co, but there's actually a good use of the samples, rather than just a loop of one short section, and the rapping is artfully weaved around the music to actually give a bit more range and variety to the track. Great track. Compton's N The House (Remix) - Musically, this is super thin. It's just a sporadic beat and some scratching. The rapping and lyrics are pretty weak too. It all seems pretty hollow and self congratulatory, but without anything particularly funny or interesting. Meh. I Ain't Tha 1 - Good lord, I'm willing to forgive some of the lyrics on this album, but this is total cringe incel level shit. The music isn't bad, but offers no variety so gets boring very quickly. I bet Andrew Tate has this as his alarm. Sheesh. Dopeman (Remix) - And we're back to something with very limited tonal content. It's all very scattergun and disconnected and feels very undercooked and far too loose. The rapping is not particularly great either. The album is really sliding towards the close. Quiet On Tha Set - Wahey, we're back! Good pace, a solid, funky beat and a bit of range and variety to the production. There's also a decent amount of depth to the vocal delivery. A lot of the samples are fairly repetitive, but they're split up well and augmented with extra bits and pieces to keep things moving. This is solid. Something 2 Dance 2 - This sounds very much it's age, straight off the bat. It's got decent pace though and there's some really nice bouncing of the vocals back and forth between the group. It's all a bit of fun, has a decent groove to it, despite the aged sounds. Plus it's where Squarepusher got 'let the bass kick' from, which is cool. A nice way to end.
I was feeling aprehensive about another gangster rap album after the visceral reaction I had to "Ready To Die" but I found this album very interesting to listen to. I enjoyed the samples and interpolations. I didn't get too much lyrical content, because I mostly listen to the music.
I do enjoy the heavy, funky vibe. The album does start to feel like a drag eventually though.
If I don't listen to the lyrics then I have to admit I really enjoy this
Wasn't as into it as I was hoping
Groundbreaking and amazing stylistically. The subject matter and language gets overbearing.
Meh. DNF. Too samey.
Both aggressive and technical. They are for sure historically important and brave for the future of hip hop, with their social criticism.
Some great beats!
A little weird, fun, funky, trancy(?)
Goes on a bit.
way too long
3.4/5 It is a very important milestone in the world of gangsta rap, yes... But also rather mediocre in terms of raw quality. There's some good beats and some good lines, but it's still not a total banger. Especially since a lot of rhymes don't make sense, if they rhyme at all. On the other hand, songs like Fuck Tha Police carry a message that's still relevant in the US today shows how important music can be to transmit issues to the people, and also how seemingly nobody over there learned from the situation 30-50 years ago.
3.0
Gangsta, gangsta. So badass, its become a parody of itself (Straight Outta Compton Dando). Influenced many a non-musical, white bro. If you take the lyrics with a pinch of salt (and not listen to them much), its entertaining enough album.
Amb tots els respectes que li tinc al hip hop però amb 3 temes en tinc prou.
Pretty good album. But I think it was waaay too long. I had trouble actively listening on the last two songs
Production is excellent, flows are decent but lyrics haven't aged great.
Helt ok, finnes mye bedre hiphopalbum der ute.
Skjønner at det her er en klassiker ja, hørt i dag så føltes det jo litt upolert ut men fortsatt solid. Gir det en 3/5
Good influential album. Awesome first 3 tracks. Fades a bit after that. Didn’t sound dated like I thought it might. Some suspect lyrics in places. Respect the police. 3/4 borderline.
Not really my thing, although i appreciate the genre defining status of the album and like the more headline tracks. The whole album is a step too far for me though
Bit of a mix, some of it points to more rounded solo efforts by Dre n Ice, but a good chunk of it sounds not just unpolished but unfinished.
3/5 stars (5.5/10) Favourite song: Something 2 Dance 2 Least favourite: 8 Ball
A little rough for my tastes overall, but I can see where this came from and the environment that led to it and there is talent behind this.
Seminal rap record. Unfortunately it hasn’t aged well due to subject matter and it’s a bit misogynistic. Later eclipsed by Dr. Dre and Ice Cube’s solo work. You can definitely see the blueprint for what’s to come from West Coast rap.
Seminal rap some good ones but the lyrics aren't really relatable to me
269/1089 - Not a boy band fan but this gave me an excuse to listen to "Stakes is High" by De La Soul again.
I respect this album for its place in the pantheon of gangsta rap. It’s a bit hard to really judge thematically because that feels like invalidating the personal experiences of the group members and the lyrics they chose to write. The usage and mixing of samples is intricate and certainly historic if not notorious. Most of the songs feel about a minute or more too long, which makes the album feel too long overall. Despite much of the content, I’ve always been a fan of Eazy-E’s and Ice Cube’s flows. MC Ren does nothing really for me, The D.O.C. is alright, and Dr. Dre got better later in his career. I do think that Express Yourself is one of the best rap songs ever recorded. The bars are creative, the flow is fresh, the sample usage is perfection, and the message is interesting. It’s by far the best track on an otherwise controversial, somewhat cringe-filled album.
Had higher hopes going into this. Just not my favorite older rap album I’ve had so far. Beats sounded similar on most songs, but they were generally still good.
Overall pretty fun but not particularly memorable to me. No review because I don't remember it clearly enough
It didn't age too well, but I can appreciate the importance of the album.
Yikes, these poor kids were so angry and frustrated. How terrible to think that nothing much has changed with regards to the relationship between young urban men and the police. I respect that they turned their emotions into music, but wow, the misogyny is a lot. All that said, there are some iconic tracks that bring you back to the time this album was made.
N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton marks the point in hip-hop where the clean Run D.M.C blueprint changes to favor tales of gang violence, police brutality, and gritty street tales of living in California. I appreciate the more complex beats, provided by Dr. Dre, and the various rap styles and personalties of DJ Yella, MC Ren, Ice Cube, Easy-E, and Dre. Unfortunately, there's a fair amount of misogyny and an excessive focus on violence, but that was the reality in late 80's Compton. There's a lot to like here, but I don't know how likely I am to return to this album. I tend to enjoy hip-hop from the 90's onward, and less of the gangsta style.
Overall mixed feelings I'm not a huuuge fan of 80s/ early 90s rap because some of it can sound very clunky when it comes to the flow. Some songs were solid on this, some had that flow issue. It was alright though.
Super iconic album for sure and a great listen, with a few jams most notably Express Yourself. The social commentary was essential at the time but much of it has aged poorly and hard for a white British man to properly understand. Also very long and could have cut some bloat. 7/10
Pretty ok music
Uuu, a je to prvič, da se je pojavil album, ki ga dobr poznam? Album, k sm ga že večkrat poslušala? Pomojem. Kok exciting. Pa kero nasprotje od učer! Ful sm fen hip hopa in rapa iz tega časovnega obdobja. Začetek je itak hud, nasloven komad. Ice Cube je kle delightfully agresiven. Poj pa itak "Fuck Tha Police", k je perfektn in vedno relevanten. Vključno z vmesnimi 'skeči'. "Gangsta Gangsta" je hud. Do zdj je bil večinoma Ice Cube, k mi je sicer ljub s svojim deliveryjem, a pr "If It Ain't Ruff" je MC Ren na vrsti. K poslušaš rap iz tega obdobja je poj zmer fajn, k kr naenkrat slišiš sample iz enga drucga znanga komada (kle je recimo isti k ga Public Enemy uporabijo). "Parental Discretion Iz Advised" je kul. Naslednji komad mam v spominu, da mi ni najljubši, "8 Ball - Remix". Mogoč glih to k je remix. Čeprou Eazy-E besedila so mi zmer hilarious. Pa ful samplov je od Beastie Boys. "Something Like That" je zanimiv k Mc Ren in Dr. Dre skp istočasno rappata. "Express Yourself" je isto amazing. Zj je pa ta del albuma, k mi je manj ljub. Mogoč bi loh po prejšnjem komadu zaključil. Ne vem kva so Ice Cubeu ženske nardile v tem obdobju, ampak tip je komad užaljen. (I guess mu je opravičeno, ker je bil tko ene 18 star?) "Something 2 Dance 2" mi nkol ni bil všeč. Če bi loh sam prvo polovico albuma, oziroma do "Express Yourself", je gladko 4 zvezdice. Tko pa, sm v včerajšnjem precepu.
Straight Outta Compton - 5/5 Fuck Tha Police - 5/5 Gangsta Gangsta - 4/5 If It Ain't Ruff - 3/5 Parental Discretion Iz Advised - 1/5 Express Yourself - 4/5 (+1 star for the sample) Compton's n the House - 3/5 I Ain't tha 1 - 1/5 Dopeman (Remix) - 1/5 Quiet on tha Set - 3/5 Average score: 3/5 the first 2 tracks are the only ones worth hearing say whatever you want about the homophobia/misogyny/violent lyrics (not at all unique to these guys), this shit just had too much of that 90s corn for my liking. most tracks just didn't age all that well in my opinion i guess i can at least recognize the "impact" this had on hip-hop at the time, so i kept my rating a bit generous
Great album that I grew up listening to.
Quite liked some of the tracks. Didn't totally grab me musically but can understand why the album was influential
just ok i guess
5/10 A different time to be sure. 9-26-2025
I honestly don't think I'm familiar enough with the genre to rate this.
This was a solid time. The beats are good the rapping is great obviously songs like Fuck Tha Police are great and the title track. It goes on a little longer than I’d like though. It’s like a 3.5 rounded down
I just wish we could be angry and hate the cops as much as they deserve without also violently hating women
It’s interesting to note that if you check the other ratings of some of the more vitriolic one star reviews you see that if there’s an album made by black folks you can guarantee it’ll be in their “lowest rated albums” section. You can hide behind pearl clutching outrage and fake virtue all you want but I see through it. That being said I do find the lyrics and delivery to be a bit dated but the beats are pretty solid.
bad middle
I thought I would dislike it more, but it was not bad
NWA, Straight Outta Compton ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Though this and Eazy-E really started L.A. hip-hop/gangsta rap, you could easily argue that these walked so Dre and Cube could run, and it's plain to hear on this record. Yeah, they're busting out a new style but it's very, _very_ 80s-sounding (I'd argue that Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys never _sound 80s_ because nothing in their era sounded remotely like them.) If it makes you nostalgic, go for it. I had way more fun bumping Dre, Snoop, etc. a few years later. They'd taken a tip from _real_ street players by that point and so found a more authentic sound. This era though... Sorry, but rap was still kinda a novelty game and it shows here. Cartoon misogyny. Maybe some genuine anger at the police but hey, at this point in west coast gangsta, you could say Sublime would have more cred.
2.5. Hits you hard with the first two tracks but can't keep it up throughout.
one of the most iconic hip-hop albums that seems to have been quite pivotal for the genre. i imagine it was regarded as a great album at the time, but i don't think it has aged well - as seen by the lyrics and the fact there are just way better hip-hop albums out now. i enjoyed the hits and also liked 'if it ain't ruff' but apart from that the tracks didn't really stand out from each other. my main issue with a lot of hip-hop albums is that they're too long - anything exceeding an hour is pushing it a little bit in terms of repetitiveness. an iconic album nonetheless, just not one i'll have on repeat.
While much of the content on this album has aged terribly, just as much of it is still as relevant as ever. It's insane how so many of the very detailed social issues they call out on an album that's nearly 40 years old is still so hard hitting even today. But I still find it hard to look past a lot of the parts that haven't aged so well, with the violence and misogyny still being such a huge part of it. Overall, I can't deny how influential this album has been to the entire genre of hip hop, but as is the case with many moments on this album, some things are better left in the past.
This album goes hard. Hard is also about all it goes, so it’s a bit of a repetitive listen. But very enjoyable
Moral panic
This is the gold standard of hardcore gangsta hip hop albums. The shit that had white moms calling their congressman in hysterics, terrified of their innocent teenage son joining the Crips. I don't know what's more impressive, the lyrical skill or the intensity. I'm pretty sure if Stephen Miller listened to 3 tracks on this album, his face would melt like the end of the Lost Ark, fucking nazi.
7/10 Favs: Express Yourself; Gangsta Gangsta; Fuck Tha Police
I know the significance, and there’s some classics here but it’s not my cup of tea in general.
Clearly this is an influential album. Has the absolute Gangsta Rap classics in Express Yourself and Fuck tha Police. And it's not a bad album, I just find it... Dated? The lyrics are very much in the edgy teen zone, too. That said, Express Yourself drags the whole album up on its own.
Classic.
Classic but some of the less famous tracks feel a little dated
Essential
A foundational work in its genre. To my ears, the album’s opening is still absolutely breathtaking, though as a whole it might be a bit on the dull side. Still, it can’t really be called a bad record.
My youth was spent listening mostly to speed and thrash metal, but also hip hop including gangsta rap and more artsy stuff like Beastie Boys and De La Soul. Ice-T was big for me, especially after seeing the movie Colors for the first time. Listening to this album now feels very nostalgic, but also interesting as it's not nearly as aggressive as I remember it being. It's surprisingly close to the Grandmaster Flash stuff of the old. This is way more smooth and laid back than I remembered! The late 80's Brit stuff is decidedly more aggressive, but in a different manner, like Silver Bullet (aah, "20 Seconds to Comply", have to spin that too!).
First album on this journey that I’ve already heard before. It’s good but honestly it just wasn’t what I wanted to listen to today. Easy E’s voice is so cool.
Moro moro, tällästä tällä kertaa :D Vanhaa räppiähän tää ois ja parempaa mitä nykypäivän räppi on. Yllättävän funkyä meininkiä tässä levyssä, hauska kuunneltava levy aikansa vaikutusvaltaisimmalta räppijengiltä. Oma lemppari oli Express Yourself biisi. Ei oo kyl sellasta mitä tulee kuunneltua yleensä mut ihan hyvä!
Jätkillä ollu aika funky meininki tätä tehdessä. Parempaa räppiä, entä nykyajan mumble räpit sun muut. Albumihan on aika legendaarinen räppilevy, mutta ei tästä kolmosta enempää multa irtoa.
Yksi merkittävimpiä ja vaikutusvaltaisimpia gangsta rap lättyjä, jota ei musakriitikot 80-luvun lopulla osannut arvostaa yhtään :D Biisit kuulostaa kivan yhtenäisiltä, mutta ei liian itseään toistavilta, kiitos pienien tempo erojen biiseissä. Dre kyllä tuottanu kovan lätyn vaikka ei ollut vielä kauheasti kokemusta tuottajan penkiltä. Vaikka west coast hipitihoppi on lähellä sydäntä, niin tämä ei silti ikinä ole niin kovaa kolahtanut. Helppo kolkki tämäkin.
Kerrankin räppiä jonka sanoista saa jotain selvää. Nyt voi valita tarttuuko melodiaan vai sanoihin. Levyä yhteen putkeen kuunnellessa kappaleet alkavat kuitenkin toistaa itseään ja asennetta alkaa olla jo liikaakin. Tosin viimeinen dance2 biisi oli virkistävä.
Sure to send all the "everything except rap and country" people in your life into absolute conniptions, but a bit uneven. The first half has great production and a whole lot of memorable moments, but it all starts to feel really corny after Express Yourself.
One of the albums that influenced the proliferation of Mutha Fuckas & Niggas - I generally don’t like the rap genre but I enjoyed this more than most
Definitivamente no es el álbum para escuchar en el gym ya que su potencial está precisamente en las letras, y eso es algo a lo que no presto mucha atención cuando estoy levantando pesas. Sin embargo, puedo comprender que este sea un disco clásico de hip-hop, aunque no sea mi estilo preferido. He reconocido la popularísima “F**k tha police” pero me han llamado más la atención “If It Ain’t Ruff”, “I Ain’t Tha 1” y la que abre el disco “Straight Outta Compton”. Para ser un disco de un estilo que nunca escucho no se me ha hecho pesado. Sorpresa final con “Something 2 Dance 2”, que me ha dado muy buenas vibras para lo que dice el titulo.
Every song overstays its welcome. The flow is the same throughout, but the beats are great and there are some fun energetic moments.
Kinda catchy, and there are some iconic songs but I Ain't tha 1 is offputting. 3 stars
Absolutely seminal. Would come to change the landscape of rap and music as a whole. A lot of interesting social commentary and novel aesthetics. A decent amount of it feels quite dated nowadays. Lyrics and melodies that come off as a bit quaint and silly in today's landscape.
The music is good, the rappers are skilled, but the lyrics are very problematic which stops me from enjoying this.
Старый чернокожий рэп. Много звуков микшера, Ice cube. В целом интересно, но не моя музыка.
Unlike AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, this one is still solidly in Old School and sounds a bit dated. The beats are simple and sometimes inventive, but the drum pad is tiring. Also unlike AMW, the sexism/misogyny is not casual, it's the running theme. I get it's groundbreaking, but it's also super cringe now. Would be a 2.5 for me, but bumping for relevance.
Anytime I'm in the mood for NWA, I end up listening to Public Enemy.
Very important albums gor rap but there are a lot of misses here, but also some all-time classics.
Admittedly, this was hard to get through. A lot of aged lyrics and beats. Only 3 stars for the culture.
I love golden age hip-hop. This one starts out with three stone-cold classics. Of course, some of the lyrical content has not aged well and is just kinda noxious, the misogynistic and homophobic stuff. There are better albums from this era too, I admit that I prefer Public Enemy for political lyrics and A Tribe Called Quest for social/cultural songs. And honestly other groups had better production/beats. And Snoop Dogg easily surpassed this for Southern California rap with Doggystyle. But this is still a must-listen (#199) even if it's not perfect just because of the influence and effect on the culture.
Never been a huge fan of the track Straight Outta Compton but on this listen it hit. Its a banger. The same is kinda true of Fuck That Police. The energy carries. However after that I think its pretty downhill. The tracks have aged to be fairly generic. The beats are somtimes good, but they never go anywhere, and on these tracks the energy is not enough to carry. Fave Tracks: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police 3/5
Fine. The first few tracks are great.
Original Gangsta Rap. Lyrics were more violent than political like Public Enemy. Never my genre but not too bad.
Wild how Ice Cube went from F**** the Police to the cuddly softboi he is now.
I can't deny that this was a hugely influential album - it basically birthed the gangsta rap genre. Also, it had both Ice Cube and Dr Dre, each of which were very influential on hip hop. Having said that, I'm not into the whole gangsta rap thing, or the shock value of this album. Also, while Eazy E gets credit for forming this group, I don't think he's as good as a rapper. The sound has one foot in the older sound (like Public Enemy / Beastie Boys / etc) and one foot hinting at the 90's gangsta rap sound.
Alright
Not bad. A bit repetitive. I will listen some more of N.W.A., but not something for day-to-day listening.
Some timeless tracks here but all quite samey
it all rings a bit whacky whack coming from a bluetooth headphones empresario and the star of amazon prime's war of the worlds. i guess we got played like a poo butt. but the title track, fuck tha police, and xpress yself hold up. dig the closing cut as the missing link between 80s and 90s hip hop.
The opening track is amazing, totally timeless and exciting, the rest of the album sounds exactly like you would expect from late 80s hip hop. The gangster lyrics were a huge innovation at the time, but the flows are all in the “well I went to the hat store today and I bought myself a hat, uh huh uh huh” vein
I’m gonna be honest, I never really liked rap or hip hop. When I started this album I was really feeling it, and it was definitely something different. It’s a revolutionary hip hop album. But just like all rap, it becomes a real ear sore after a while. Later it just turned into gibberish sex and violence talk over funky percussion beats. Not all that good but it’s not horrible either. Deserved 3/5
Some good some showing its age, great protest album
This was very good and I can appreciate that this is a landmark album - this is one of those ones that I’ve known I should listen to but a project like this has forced me to do so. That said, I can’t see myself listening to this again so by my own rating system it gets a 3. BUT it is a masterful albums, beats still sound great and rhymes are very good.
classic obviously but not that much into hip hop
entertaining
Decent hip hop, didn’t feel too special to me. 3 stars
Very cool but a bit repetitive after a while. Enjoyed public enemy more
6/10 Nice
No soy rapero pero es un clásico
So influential. Dr Dre’s production and Ice Cubes rapping were next level even at the very beginning. That said this album isn’t prefect and feels dated. A must listen but not essential to own.
⭐︎3.5 ギャングスタラップの草分け的存在。 この頃のラップは全くメロディアスじゃない。 ちょっと苦手。とはいえ、悪い作品ではない。 映画みたら感想が変わりそう。
Musical and influential, of course. Many of the lyrics come across—now and, as I remember it, then, too—as more juvenile than anything else. “Gangsta Gangsta” and “Express Yourself” remain essential. I’d give this 3.5 stars if I could.
N. W. V. P. A. and V. P. stands for Very Positive! Express Yourself!
okay. the first tracks are pretty good, everything else just isn't it. also call me too woke or whatever but the excessive use of homophobic slurs just didnt land well with me.
Glad I listened but probably won't again
Average
nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga... im 100% nigga... Asun pienituloisessa asuinympäristössä, jota kutsutaan hallituksen nimellä "Section 8". Minä ja joukko liittolaisiani hallitsemme tiettyjä alueita tästä osastosta voidaksemme harjoittaa laitonta liiketoimintaamme. Meillä on hallussamme rekisteröimättömiä ampuma-aseita, varastettuja ajoneuvoja, tajuntaa muuttavia estäjiä ja käytämme käteistä vain taloudellisiin ostoksiin. Jos joku haluaa sopia keskeneräiset riidat, annan mielelläni osoitteeni. Haluan varoittaa teitä; olen erittäin vaarallinen henkilö ja rikon säännöllisesti lakia. heh. it aint rough
Classic album, with multiple bangers. It’s not an album I would stick on all the time but it’s great to spin every now and then.
So hard to rate because the music is so good and the lyrics are so misogynistic most of the time. I guess violence and posturing about violence I expect/understand, but wow do they hate women.
A record I liked when I was young and someone swearing in a song was enough for me to love it, but over time it hasn't aged well at all. I understand it's importance in the evolution of hip-hop, and there are a couple of decent Dre beats on here, but the bars are pretty low brow except for a lot of Ice Cube's bars when you can see why he went on to be a star in his own right.
Another iconic album that was a new listen for me. You can hear that they were on to something but I prefer the later albums from Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.
Okay
A foul-mouthed watershed, characterful and direct. Great flow, classic rhymes. Sounds great, love the funk. It's a fucking funny album, provided they meant half the shit they say as tounge-in-cheek! Goes on a bit... Favourite tracks: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Parental Discretion, Express Yourself, 8 Ball
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5. Some of the most famous West Coast, Dre-produced music out there. Iconic to say the least!
EXPRESS YOURSELF
Bekannte Namen in einer Band. Cooler Gangsta Rap, natürlich sprachlich zu rügen.
Pretty cool, but repetitive
Da, definitivno ne volim rap.
Good.
I like some hip hop but this album, aside from the three top streamed songs, can get a bit boring at times. It suffers from the classic hip hop curse of being too long and the production is very limited. 3/5. Influential with some good songs but a boring album
A classic album.
I like the beats, and the first few tracks get this album off to a good start. But the second half wasn't so great (except for Express Yourself).
Some tracks are really dated, some classics too
An interesting time capsule if you're familiar at all with hip hop that came before it. It's clearly a bridge point with some songs in the old Run DMC style and others showing what's to come. Dr. Dre's production is the highlight. Songs like I Ain't tha 1 have a playful, contemporary sound.
Interesting to finally listen to this after being vaguely aware of it for a long time from popular culture. Simple in execution but gets the point across. It almost seems like parody of itself, but I guess that comes from four decades of other things being influenced by it.
The energy of the first two tracks is amazing and really draws you in but I found the album fizzled out as it went on.
Clearly an influential album with a few standout singles. Sounds quite dated now compared with modern hip hop but enjoyable regardless. Felt quite nostalgic!
Gets a little tiring after a while. But still, great fun
Misogyny wins over anti-police sentiment, apparently. First half is full of bangers, the second half drags the album down.
I really like Easy E and Ice Cube's rapping, and I like the beats throughout this. A few of the songs also have strong hooks. As far as early rap, this is toward the top of my list.
I’m torn on this album. The beats are awesome and very funky, and the lyrical content is sadly still relevant. However, I’m not a fan of the sexism and misogyny woven throughout. There are some real bangers on here, but also some tracks that I found to be a bit bland. I’ll rate this 3 stars, which is a shame because I hoped I would like this better. Sick album cover though.
I like Public Enemy a lot, so I should like this one more than I do. The title track is one of the best sogns of the golden age of Hip Hop for sure, but besides that I don't find the album to have that many strong and memorable tracks. I like it still, but it hasn't aged as well or hits as hard as some other similar albums of the era.
Good songs were really good, bad songs were pretty bad. Express Yourself an all timer.
Listened heavily in high school
80s gangsta rap. Ice Cube and Dre. Incredibly influential. Just prefer more melodic music. Runs and beats are great.
It's funny to have Sinead O'Connor two days ago and say it's a protest album and this comes up and I realize some similarities. The message is bold and direct but is telling things the way they are and at the time it was unheard of. I hate to say it but it's pretty simplistic. I understand how it set a lot of groundwork but it feels dated as hell.
Sweary and misanthropic, but still great music
It is energetic and youthful. It was never intended to be appreciated by a 40-something white guy from the Midwest. Glad I listened to it.
I think it's a good album. And I had it back in the day. It's important but I just don't think it holds up. I think I'm going to give it a 3, as a whole mid.
A classic but dated original in gangster rap . Im pretty familiar with the history but actually hadn’t heard many songs on the album . The rhymes are def dated but Dre’s production stands the test of time.
Some good songs. Understand impact at its time. Can’t stand the misogyny and homophobia
I'll never really click with Hip Hop/Rap. But I watched the documentary on Dre so I know the background to this one enough to enjoy it slightly more.
Trying too hard to be edgy rap, not relaxing at all
This album is important in the development of the West Coast/G-funk hip hop history. It's not my favorite NWA album, and I have aged out of being ok listening to music that extols misogyny and violence, so it's hard to ignore the lyrics to focus on the music. However, I think it's important to address the content in music--lyrics are part of what makes the song the song. I was occasionally able to disassociate from the lyrics to hear what was going on musically. There are some good things happening musically on here; ignoring the stuff that sounds like early rap (simple beat with rhymes atop), there's some great funky samples and examples of Dr. Dre's iconic style. Still, I wouldn't revisit this album. I feel sad for my younger self, staunchly listening to degrading music about women in the name of being open minded. We have a lot of other better hip hop to draw from; this is historically important but not an excellent example of the possibilities of the genre.
It's hard to overstate the cultural impact this album has had (especially Fuck tha Police), but it is admittedly outdated. Its reputation of a rebellion anthem is certainly undermined by them apparently being fine with misogyny, which, by today's standards, feels tone-deaf. That being said, I wouldn't put this up to them too much because, despite often being cited as an influence, this album itself was influenced by the cultural zeitgeist it was born in (and it was not pleasant for women, believe it or not). It is a product of its time, but that is not necessarily bad. You can't exactly expect every person from a group that has to constantly spend not an insignificant amount of energy and effort resisting an oppressive system to be an uncompromising progressive mind. Perfect victims don't exist and never have. But I guess the direction Ice Cube later went may imply that his activism was only self-serving after all. I don’t know. I’m not exactly educated on the story of this group and its members, so I’m just shooting off a hip here. As for the music itself… it’s fine, I guess. In my experience, early attempts at something are very rarely one of the best, and this album, being what popularized gangsta rap, is no different. Gangsta rap is corny by definition, and it's not necessarily bad. Of course, these people are not actual criminals and won't shoot you for stealing their girl or whatever. Instead of trying to prove their innocence to the police in an environment that is stacked against them, they went, "Yeah, we do crime. What about it?" The boastful nature of the lyrics is born of frustration with the system and not of actual misanthropic hate or an attempt to appear "cool" (although there's certainly some of that too). The opening track is a banger through and through, and the second one is a classic for a reason, but the rest are just pretty basic. The beats are very repetitive and not that exciting. The dynamic between the rappers is pretty fun, though. This album is not groundbreaking by any means and feels outdated both in its message and sound, but the music is not bad.
Hip hop history that still makes for a fun listen, if you're willing to contextualize some lyrics that aged as well as you'd expect them to (bonus points for modern-day-MAGA Ice Cube!). Also two things are clear after a full listen: 1. Eazy E is the weakest part of NWA 2. NWA is not NWA without Eazy E His rhymes are terrible but his sound is iconic, and I think played a big part in setting the group apart. Beyond the instant classics, "Fuck the Police", "Express Yourself", and "Straight Outta Compton" there are some fun listens here. "Dopeman" has a hilariously anti-drug message, "I Ain't Tha 1" has a hilariously anti-materialistic message, "Parental Discretion Iz Advised" literally says "we're not role models, this is my record, watch your kids, do not blame us". They're proactively mocking all criticisms in a way that's genuinely funny to listen to. This is a 3.5 rounded down to a 3 star, but make no mistake, it was fun to listen to twice while mowing my very suburban lawn -- which I'm sure is exactly how N.W.A. intended the record to be listened to.
It may be very I flue tips but still not my kind of music. The beats are cool though.
Based hiphop.
Cool album
I liked the beats. I enjoyed the music. I found it hypnotic. But there are far too many N-words and misogynistic? - Sexist? Alpha-male? whatever it counts as -lyrics for this middle-aged white woman to feel comfortable with.
It was surprisingly entertaining. But 1 hour of this is too much for me
Man this brings me back to 8th grade! Quite literally nothing relatable, but each member has such a distinct sound that I enjoy.
I mean this with all disrespect, Fuck Tha Police. ACAB. Classic gansta rap, and ages just as you would expect. This isn't the best, but led the way for all hip hop today,
Phenomenal vibes. Great voices. But they put their best stuff at the beginning of the album, so it started dragging around halfway. Last two songs were good again.
Raw and gritty.
Many references to rigor mortise.
Express Yourself is a real bop. Also enjoyed the title track, F*** the Police, I Ain't tha 1, and Something 2 Dance 2. I understand this album is "important", but I greatly prefer the later rap waves with more melody and sampled music.
An iconic album but not one I reach for. Beyond the big songs, particularly enjoyed Something Like That
Well this has held up in terms of retaining some of its shock value (or truthfulness and moral clarity). A number of the beats sound dated (not so surprising) and the flows can't always be taken seriously (obvs). What may seem surprising is the number of straight-up fun (even comedic) tunes. NWA might have been overlooked in terms of hit-making (rather than just attention-attracting). "If It Ain't Ruff" has a infectiously bouncy bass (great sample) and "Express Yourself" is a nifty updating. "I Ain’t Tha 1” and “Something 2 Dance 2” deliver the fun.
Recognize how important this album is. Enjoyed listening but not sure I’ll come back to it. All my memories of this are from white kids listening to it at summer camp, trying to seem cool. Surprised by Express yourself. Also like the beats on the last track.
It was ok.
great stuff generally, and forgive me for Woke but why are we calling ppl f*gs
Motherfucker fucking fuck fuckingson fucker fuck fuck fuck
Love this album and especially ice cube but I wish he had some more progressive views
Cerramos viernes con una banda de hip hop que desconocía, por la que pasaron los grosos de Ice Cube y Dr. Dre que sí ubico. Me llama la atención su idea de proyecto, directo, con letras que no dan vueltas. Qué paradoja que en estos momentos gran parte de la juventud abrace lo que esta banda, compuesta por jóvenes, putean. ¿Estamos en un momento donde ser contracultural y revolucionario es ser conservador? En fin, ojalá que las cosas cambien y no me quede como un viejo melancólico. Hasta el lunes
Had to remind myself several times while listening that this album came out in the late 80s. There was definitely some questionable lyrics but I suppose it should have been expected. A good album though. I'm not really a hip-hop/rap kinda person, so probably won't be one I come back to but still an okay listening experience.
Relevant for the time. 3.5
STRAIGHT OUTTA MADISONVILLE
I vibe with this. An OG for sure. Definitely worth listening to. The songs have nice variety in the instruments and the rapping. Do I love all of it? Nah, but I'd recommend people to listen to it. Straight Outta Compton and Fuck Tha Police are tried and true for sure. 3/5 stars.
- “the unapologetically violent and sexist pioneers of gangsta rap” is a hilarious sentence - can feel the bass in ‘if it ain’t ruff’ - there’s a line that sounds like “get played like a poop butt” it’s pooh butt - again; spectacular musically, can tell why it’s foundational - lyrics are a lot!
I know this is an essential album in hip hop but it seemed every song had the same structure and theme. “Introduce yourself…”. Then how hard do I roll. Simple formula that just doesn’t hold up with some of the other hip hop albums
Moja pierwsza recenzja: Debiut legendarnego zespołu N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton" to przykład albumu, który pierwszą połowę ma zajebiście dobrą i fajnie mi sie jej słuchało, lecz nagle.. po "Express Yourself" zaczyna się bardzo mocno staczać. Album zaczyna się utworem "Straight Outta Compton", który nie jestem w stanie uwierzyć że został wyprodukowany w 1988 roku. Jest to NAPRAWDĘ przełomowy utwór z niesamowitym beatem oraz dobrymi nawijkami. "Fuck Tha Police" również jest na tym samym poziomie, nawet spodobało mi się bardziej od poprzedniego utworu, gdzie Ice Cube znowu daje zajebiste wersy dla słuchacza Potem pojawia się "Gangsta Gangsta", który choć nie jest tak samo dobry jak poprzednie utwory, to nadal jest enjoyable Lecz.. jestem zdania że jedyne dobre utwory po tych trzech to "Parental Discretion Iz Advised" oraz "Express Yourself". Praktycznie cała reszta albumu jest dla mnie fillerem, a po właśnie Express Yourself, pojawiają sie takie utwory jak "Compton's N The House" oraz "I Ain't Tha 1" które dla mnie są słabe. W pierwszym nie ma nic ciekawego, ponieważ beat to sama perkusja, a na cały utwór jest nałożony jakby dziwny robotyczny filtr, którego choć słabo słychać, to irytował mnie przez cały utwór, a drugi utwór po prostu mi sie nie podoba ze względu na lirykę oraz beat też mi jakoś nie siada Ogólna ocena utworów: 1. Straight Outta Compton - 9/10 2. Fuck Tha Police - 10/10 3. Gangsta Gangsta - 9/10 4. If It Ain't Ruff - 7/10 5. Parental Discretion Iz Advised - 8/10 6. Express Yourself - 9/10 7. Compton's N The House (Remix) - 4/10 8. I Ain't Tha 1 - 3/10 9. Dopeman (Remix) - 4/10 10. Quiet On Tha Set - 6/10
What a classic, made me laugh a lot.
I liked fuck the police and express yourself but the album simply felt too long and some of the songs are explicit and lyrics reveal some opinions that didn't age well. As a conclusion I don't hate it but it isn't something I could listen everyday, at least I recommend giving it one opportunity at some points can be fun.
Upstanding young men from a town called Compton singing about hanging out with all the boys, picking themselves off the ground, and the many ways to have a good time. It's fun to stay with the N.W.A.
Title track: "Yo, weekly, monthly and yearly / Until them dumb motherfuckers see clearly" - obsessed. Good start that gives me hope that sometimes 80s rap can actually sound hard. Fuck Tha Police: "I'm a TEEN-A-ger!" Love the Twilight Zone riff at the end too. Gangsta Gangsta: Love the timing of the first rapped couplet. Also - "We wanna fuck you Eazy!" "I wanna fuck you too!" If It Ain't Ruff - love the timings in this one, but the way this is shoehorned in is hilarious: "With the hype of a nine volt BATTERY / And the odds for me to conquer is AVERAGELY good" Parental Discretion Iz Advised: Obsessed with the "SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPPP!" at the end. Reminded me of the Beatles' "I GOT BLISTAS ON MY FINGAS!" Liked recognising the samples in 8 Ball - Remix and Express Yourself Lyrics for I Ain't Tha 1 are fucked but hilarious and yet another representation of how incongruous heterosexuality can be...like...y'all don't even LIKE eachother. Highlight: "You shouldn't be, so damn material / And try to milk Ice Cube like cereal" LOVE the funk on Something 2 Dance 2. Sounds like a Sonic game.
I obviously hear and acknowledge some of the homophobic and misogynistic content that hasn't aged well and/or contributes to the "shock factor" label that gets applied to this album. However, I personally don't find any of it to be that shocking or more offensive than other hip-hop albums from this general time period. To me, the greater social messages of this record are the ones that prevail and matter, and I think the title track and "Fuck tha Police" in particular still hit damn hard all these years later. It's not my favorite style of music, nor my favorite era of it (though some of Dre's work is undeniably great), but it's mostly alright by me. 3.5/5
I liked it, but I don't think this is one I'm planning on diving back into any time soon.
As a big fan of hiphop I was excited to finally see some representation in this list. This album was a first listen for me, but being familiar with the members' later work, it was super fascinating to hear them at this very early stage of their career - notably Dr Dre's production and Ice Cube's rapping. Unfortunately, I don't think the album has aged terribly well, and don't see myself coming back to it much. Definitely a prime choice for this list nonetheless, and I appreciate its huge influence on everything that would come after it.
Just a really difficult album for me to rate. Obviously a very historically significant album but also one that is hard for me to relate to/enjoy. It's not a genre I enjoy and the tone is uber-aggressive but you have to respect the work. 6/10 (3/5)
A bit frontloaded but how can it not be with that opening three song stretch.
a classic album for sure but lyrically i wasn’t the biggest fan of a majority of the tracks
It's okay, heard some of these songs before.
Oldschool rap Album. Absolut nicht schlecht, aber im Moment nicht das nach dem ich suche. Ich kenne eigentlich nur das Lied "Fuck the police".
I can see why the main critiques are there. I do think it is a product of its time. You can feel the vibe of “Us against them”. I can hear the experience in the stories they tell. An entire song about “bitches” is pretty wild though. I get how this is an experience when rising to fame, but being upfront about expectations is a thing. Very edgy, “parental guidance advised” is funny. I can see why it is so iconic and opened the doors for artists today.
I enjoyed it more than I expected. Can't sing along for obvious reasons.
It's difficult to listen to this as a thing unto itself with it being peak "rap older white people listen to and reference." But unzip that baggage, the energy and anger is still potent. It's a monotonous listen, but then that same-damn-thing-every-day-ness is what it seeks to express. I feel the singles are maybe more important to hear than the full album.
This was really a groundbreaking album. It's a snapshot of a specific time and lifestyle - one that persists for many communities in the US today. The rapant sexism is tough to listen to, even when many of the tracks are full of important social commentary (e.g. Fuck the Police). The flows are pretty good and often hard hitting, but the runtime allowed some tracks to seem redundant. A flawed album but good. 2.5/5 -> 3/5
It's hard, reading the lyrics today, to think that this was actually meant seriously. Lyrics like 'I think with my ding-a-ling'... If this were a joke, I'd think it was a pretty funny one. Still, hasn't aged well given the misogyny.
A bona fide classic. I think it holds up pretty well and the songs are fairly diverse.
Hey I've heard of this one!
Surprisingly good for a hip hop/rap album but still not entirely my thing.
This was too long and repetitive. Wasn't bad though, just wish it was shorter 3 ⭐️
a classic i dont enjoy too much
Dope
Musikalisch eich voll kei spass, aber glich d eröffnig füg es grossartigs genre. Ich bin sau grosszügig und runde es musikalsch 2 uf es 3 uf. Greets nach compton boyz 3 gangstas um de block
Didn’t listen to it all, but it sounded interesting from what I heard.
A 42 year old white man probably shouldn’t be blasting this while driving to work but here we are. Not really my thing, but I understand the importance, and some of the rhymes still hit hard. 3/5
This starts off actually pretty damn good, but after the first five dings it falls off a fucking cliff. "Straight Outta Compton" and "Fuck The Police" are obvious highlights. My next favorite was actually "Parental Discretion Iz Advised" not really because of the rapping, but on the funky Groove and the jazzy piano really caught my attention good. The rest of the album is pretty much almost text book example of why I don't like rap. Honestly, can Easy-E go four lines with out saying something about his dick? Also, the backing tracks on "I Ain't Tha 1" are so fucking corny, that it eclipses the total misogynistic lyrics of the rap. Still most of Cube's And Ren's raps across the album are the highlights. I'm gonna go light 3½ just on the strength of the first five songs + "Express Yourself" 7.3 ★★★½
A few cool songs, but wears me a bit out over the course of the runtime. Still, quite coolfor hiphop, since I like this era of hiphop better than most. 3.5 stars
I'm kind of on the fence on this one. While I realize it was a landmark album in west coast hip-hop, specifically gangsta rap, that's never been one of my favorite subgenres of hip-hop. When you look at the hip-hop landscape overall, it feels almost dated by 1989 standards. Over in New York, you had Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim, De La Soul, Beastie Boys, and A Tribe Called Quest all releasing classic hip-hop albums that hold up much better, all within a year of this. I also think Dr. Dre hadn't really found his style yet, and the Ice Cube kind of overshadows the other other rappers. Still, there's some good songs here. The title track and "Express Yourself" are both great, and "Fuck The Police" is more than just shock value. 3.5 stars.
Good production and good beats. But never really got into it. Probably hits better with more listens
a classic. i love the title track and F tha police, but the rest of this album doesn't hit as much for me. vinyl was in collection. Would I listen again? yes Deserves to be on this list? Yes 3.4
Streit (evt straight)
This is tough to review, on one hand the production is fantastic and it's a very important staple in rap history and the messaging about police brutality is as relevant today as it was then, but on the other hand there's not only one but two whole songs back-to-back that are just extremely misogynistic and, as a woman even though sometimes I understand different times existed, there is a limit to what I can take haha. And to top that off there are homophobic and racist lines sprinkled through some songs as well. I also can't comment much about the individual rap abilities since I don't think I'm well versed enough to do so. So I think when you put all that together.. 3 stars is the way to go.
Although this is a monumental release in so many traceable ways, it just doesn’t hold up as a full album. Certainly some Earth-shattering moments of rugged and respectable brilliance, but they are few and indeed far between. Within 3-5 years, hip-hop graduates a few times over both from where beats and lyrics were at this point. But Straight Outta Compton is one of the true blueprints of the entire genre. A record that contains both some outrageously awesome quotables and some cringe too.
There’s no denying that this is a classic which broke down barriers and gave people something that they literally had never heard before. That said, I much prefer the g-funk sound that came a few years later. This album is great and groundbreaking, and revolutionary and all the things for what it is; but honestly, it’s a little old school sounding for me.
3.5
A tough one. Innovative and influential, but a lot of the songs are not very good and most of the lyrics are unpleasant to listen to. I’d be curious to know how many women enjoy this. Express Yourself is the biggest earworm on the record but it has no business being on this track list. You can’t have a song about not smoking weed when every other song is about how much weed you smoke and sell. That said, the first two tracks go hard.
How ironic that Dre is a billionaire and Ice plays a cop on tv. Despite the violence, profanity and misogyny I can see this as a protest album. Different tone but the same approach some ‘60s records. Can’t say I liked it but it definitely belongs on the list.
I was hoping from more political commentary from this, being that “fuck tha police” is the only song I was familiar with. Instead, we mainly get chauvinism here, which is a little hard to stomach. The shallowness of the lyrics is saved by the beats. I find myself wishing this album were instrumental.
Kinda drops off after the first two tracks, but the first two tracks are so fucking good it really doesn't matter. You get cut a lot of slack when you lead off with music that literally changed the idea of rap and pissed off the cops for life.
Better than the usual stuff in this genre
Not in the mood for this, but yeah, it's foundational. 2.5.
This is another album I can't separate from my youth. Some of these songs are amazing and some don't do anything for me. Getting a 4 for nostalgia, downgraded to a 3 for actually listening to the lyrics
Another album that had a big influence on hip hop production and helped keep a focus on black oppression (particularly at the hands of the police). There's a air of anarchy in the message and the delivery, which never hurts either. But, the rampant misogyny really holds this album back. It's only gotten more tasteless over the years. Some of the songs on the back half of the album are fairly forgettable too. It hits differently now than it did in high school. I'll give it 3 stars for the good stuff, but its not a stone cold 5 star classic. (If you don't know it, check out the D.O.C solo album, No One Can Do It Better - someone did a lot of lyric ghostwriting...)
нууу норм, рэп.
A solid first half, but loses steam after. Good beats and decent vocal work. 'Express Yourself' was my fave.
Culturally significant, highly impactful, and undoubtedly flawed. Reflected the unrest caused by police brutality & discrimination in the late 80s, and also the blatant misogyny that existed at the time. Definitely leaps and bounds ahead of other hip hop released during its time from a sonic perspective. Dr. Dre really was ahead of his time when it came to production, and the quality of the grooves across this album really carries it. Express Yourself and If It Ain’t Ruff are favourites of mine.
Album icónico. La primera mitad es mejor que la segunda, pero sigue siendo un gran disco. Grandísimos raps.
Great beats. The lyrics are a problem.
Lots of filler, a few great songs
The more I process this album all I really can say is I'm thankful for the artistic contribution. This is not my cup of tea. Specifically the subject matter. But of course it's not, I can't relate to most of it. I actually dig a lot of the beats/music. So.. I really don't care much for the concept of hardcore.. but I used to! It was hardcore rock, but same idea. Young folks goin hard about whatever. Seems like it should be that way. Debating what's authentic or not feels just as silly as trying to be perceived as a real thug who doesn't give a fuck. At the end of the day, they created something. That's cool. Doesn't mean I'm going to rate it high, haha, but as much as I don't respect the dumb shit they're saying, I respect the work. The art.
Classic, unfiltered, meandering, influential.
I think my mom said something in her review comparing the offensive lyrics to Motley Crue, which I agree with (though I definitely prefer this to Crue any day) in that both are exaggerated performances of masculinity in music. The main difference is in how NWA influenced the popular image of gangsters despite most members not having any actual gang ties and how that lead to a specific type of masculinity being played up in a lot of the mainstream rap of the time...but that's its own conversation. This still stands as one of hip-hop's most important and influential records, whether you think that's a good thing or not. 3.5
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Some really fun songs - Gangsta Gangsta and Express yourself. A few of the hours all blurred together
Yeeaah, yeeaah, the homies got some influence here. The beats are very similar from song to song and the rhymes are simple throughout the album, but made a statement in ‘88. Got some good zuka, zuka in, I was hoping / expecting to hear the Dopeman Christmas carol towards the end of the experience. I know whaccha talkin’ bout. What? (3.3*s) spress yaself! Not bad at all.
I much prefer this attitude in rap over the corny shit but this album does get a little tiring. It hits you hard but then oversaturates with the gangster, fuck you attitude. Introduction to bitches, hoes, drugs, and bangin with this album. Easy E is a less annoying Flav. Dre and MC Red, better Chuck Ds. Significant change in the genre for the better in my opinion but a good balance (which we get in the 90s) is the sweet spot. List deserver at 2.6 stars.
One of the densest albums I've heard. A lot of hip hop albums are, but this especially. I guess I have the benefit of hindsight, but for something which was deliberately courting controversy and aiming to provoke, this doesn't seem so offensive these days. Honestly Fuck The Police sounds like a forerunner of the anger at Defund the Police, etc. However like a lot of punk stuff, when trying to be offensive it often comes across as childish. These guys are working so hard to establish their street cred and now Ice Cube is starring in Ride Along 2 with Kevin Hart. There must be a lesson in that. Anyway, this album said what it wanted to say, hugely influential, etc., and I quite enjoyed hearing it. However as the archetypal gangster rap album I felt like I'd heard a lot of it before in the form of parodies, homages and remixes. The middle tracks were fresher to me, and Express Yourself I think I enjoyed the most just for the choice of backing.
Gangsta Rap never appealed to me. It was ok IMO
Straight Outta Compton- still the Boom Bap that defined the early days of hip hop, but so much angrier. Fuck tha Police- I was only eight when this came out, so I didn't listen to it until about a decade later. I think this was the most explicit anger directed at the police, even though other groups had voiced that anger before Gangsta Gansta- a strangely placed song about how they have embraced their roles as rebels- gangsta rap was not inherently about traditional "gangsterism", but more about rebels living at the edges or society. Homophobia and sexism are huge in this song. If It Ain't Ruff-not about sex as you might expect, more of a brag track about how tuff they are Parental Discretion Iz- funky background- probably Dre's best sampling so far 8 Ball (Remix)- I think Eazy E is bragging about doing cocaine Something Like That Express Yourself Compton'S N tha House I ain't Tha 1- perhaps the high point of misogyny on the album, led by Ice Cube Dopeman- a rare overtly positive message- stay away from crack
Kan meget godt lide det men tror ikke jeg har været i humør til det på dagen? Måske skal jeg tilbagevende.
-wow I am officially 1/4 of the way done this whole thing. crazy -so. the album. not bad? i think I’m more of an east coast and southern hip hop girlie at heart. I know this is an iconic album but it got a liiittle corny for me at times -still had some great highlights though. i loved most of the beats and mixing -Favorites are Gangsta Gangsta, If It Ain’t Ruff, and Something 2 Dance 2
Good album but gets a little repetitive after a while
ААА НЕГРЫ(пиздато, но нудно пиздец)
Cool sound. Very theatrical
Solid late-80s gangster rap. I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting, but it's not like I'm gonna ever listen to this again.
Good beats and rapping and well produced overall. I liked it more than I thought I would.
I can understand why people like this and why it was influential. While I don’t care for rap, I do like hip hop so there was enough here to keep this perfectly tolerable for me.
I'm not the target audience for this album so I can't really say much. If somebody had the aux and played this album I wouldn't mind, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it on my own.
Influential, but does not talk to me.
There’s no denying that Straight Outta Compton is an important album. It helped define gangsta rap, pushed boundaries, and made an impact that still echoes through hip-hop today. But for me, it’s always been an album I respected more than I actually liked. It has moments of brilliance, but overall, it just feels messy, awkward, and like something I could never fully resonate with. The album radiates undeniable energy, with N.W.A. launching in full force on the title track. Aggressive, uncompromising verses are set against a backdrop of heavy, raw West Coast beats, crafted mainly by Dr Dre and DJ Yella. Lyrically, the album takes no prisoners—tracks like “Straight Outta Compton” and “F*** tha Police” confront issues such as police brutality and urban strife head-on. Ice Cube delivers his verses with searing intensity, while Eazy-E’s unique, high-pitched yet menacing delivery lends a distinct flavour, making tracks like “8 Ball” and “Dopeman” particularly memorable. The album feels messy and inconsistent. While some tracks are fully formed, others seem barely held together, largely due to jarring transitions between politically charged, aggressive songs and ones that are cartoonishly over-the-top. The shifts in tone disrupt any consistent feel, making the album appear disjointed. Lyrically, despite bold statements, the violent and misogynistic themes often come off as excessive and dated, leaning more towards shock value than meaningful commentary. Additionally, although there’s undeniable chemistry among the members, certain flows—especially Dre’s—can feel awkward compared to Cube’s natural aggression and Eazy-E’s charismatic delivery. Straight Outta Compton is rightfully hailed for breaking barriers and shaping hip-hop, boasting undeniable moments of brilliance. However, as a complete album, it feels too messy and inconsistent, with awkward transitions and delivery issues that detract from its appeal. While there are noteworthy tracks, the overall experience doesn't compel repeat listens, earning it an underwhelming 3/5.
Didn't age that well tbh, BUT I recognize the influence ofc duh. It's like a 5/5 for influence, 2/5 for where it stands currently, and 2/5 for personal enjoyment, so average 3/5.
I dunno man. Invent a time machine and go back to 1989 to listen to this. I bet it hits.
6/10 Yeah it wasn’t a competition, the East Coast kicked the West Coast’s ass in the 80s, but we can’t say they didn’t try. Straight Outta Compton is rough, a bit messy, and straight up feels so stripped back and unfinished it’s awkward at times, but the best moments really do prop this record up really well. There’s no ignoring the significance of this album for the West Coast, and while it wouldn’t take until the G-Funk era for the West Coast to get its respect, there’s still a legacy that this album earned as a steppingstone for the genre. Still, you can’t help but see this album as being anything more than “playing catch up”, seeing what the East Coast has done by this point, it’s kinda pathetic sorry But I don’t wanna have sex with policemen! ☹️
The first part is classic, but the second part is just a snoozefest (with the exception of some tracks).
Misogyny, homophobia, violence in one hand; anger, opression, resistance on the other. I felt uncomfortable listening some of the lyrics.
The start is incredible but as a whole album I can see where Dr Dre is coming from. It always felt like the poor cousin to Public Enemy to me.
- startet extrem stark - die beats viben stark 90s - lyrics fühlen sich schon sehr outdatet an (misogyn) - die basslines (wenn vorhanden) bei den meisten beats sehr groovy - Irgendwann wird es repetitiv - für den Vibe ganz geil als komplettes Album zu eindimensional außerdem stören irgendwann die lyrics
Although iconic, its highkey problematic
Good album a bit too aggressive with not much let up but a lot of good stuff
3.5. I want to get a time machine to introduce the Ice Cube on this album to Ice Cube now and see what happens.
Historically iconic with a few good tracks. Ice cube getting things started hits hard, but the later songs wane.
I thought I'd enjoy this more but it had some good songs.
Brings me back to hearing it for the first time when I was a teen. Unlike anything I had heard at the time 1001 album worthy: Yes - 31/54
Re-listen from over 10 years ago. Idk liked it better then, it’s slightly better than 3 stars but it’s not 4.
Fyrstu tvö eru bangerar, svo dalar þetta nokkuð. Alveg í lagi fyrir það sem það er svo sem. Express yourself remix er hresst, enda er það hresst lag í grunninn, en þetta fer ekki yfir hjá þrist hjá mér.
good favorites: Express Yourself, Fuck tha Police least favorite: I Ain’t tha 1 gets kinda boring by the end tbh but it starts off strong.
Man never realized how funky some of these beats are
Klassiker
Such an important moment in hip hop. A few really iconic songs that are really bigger than just being songs. But other than that, there's unfortunately alot of filler and gets repetitive. Nostalgia probably at play with this one but I enjoyed it alot in parts, then just kind of coasted through listening to the rest.
Decent opening track, genuinely don't think I've ever listened to it despite being familiar with the title. I enjoyed the booming kick drum and tapping on the hi-hat, and a very faint Starkey and Hutch wah wah. Didn't think the lyrics were all that, but the rhythm to the cadences definitely works well. Fuck The Police does what it says on the tin, but isn't interesting sounding or lyrically compelling. Gangsta Gangsta, If It Ain't Ruff and 8 Ball are very middle of the road. I Ain't Tha 1 is a neat little tongue in cheek number. It struck me as a bit of a predecessor for battle of the sexes songs like Biz Markie’s ‘Just A Friend’ or Outkast’s ‘Roses’. Express Yourself is the highlight. Super effective use of sampling and I feel the lyrics step up at this point. Quiet On Tha Set, Dopeman and Something 2 Dance 2 are far better than similar tracks earlier in the album. Side 2 of the album is better quality than Side 1. Some fully formed ideas, well executed, and other songs that feel unfinished. The album is generally not as iconic or gripping as I'd hoped it would be.
Right back to senior year in high school. Good stuff. 3.75
Writing this review late because I skipped it earlier and I wish I hadn't considering the milquetoast albums that I got at approximately the same time. Funky grooves, scary lyrics, I'm not f****ing with NWA. Extreme, inventive. Not a gangster fan but this is... as serious as they are (Fuc the Police) there's still enough self-awareness about being entertaining it just works better. You don't have to pretend your lived experience was different from them to enjoy this. High 3.
solid - although not my style. The songs I knew were fun, but really, I started to trail off toward the end.
Classic rap album by one of the biggest groups of the genre.
Some solid songs, shame the two strongest weren't available on my streamer. Aware of its importance to Gangsta Rap!
BEATS GO HARD lyrics not so much, but isn’t that the whole point no one expects a gangster to promote positive vibes bit too long whilst some leeway must be given for birthing a whole new genre from this album you can still tell some of growing pains of the style and/or the respective artists also looked it up after listening but weird seeing beastie boys getting sampled when for me I know them for their smapling work P.S: fuck tha police
probably four of the most important hip-hop songs ever made, and a bunch of other stuff no one cares about. something 2 dance 2 is underrated.
Not sure I've got the right words to describe why I liked this one, but I liked it.
Straight Outta Compton is a classic rap album from the 80s that I knew of the popular songs from, but not the whole album. I discovered there were hidden gems on this album. There was unfortunately much misogyny however the raw lyrics put you in a place where these men were being oppressed and you can feel their frustration with the world and those around them. I enjoyed the background beats and authentic feel of the instruments used.