Froma few bold innovators comes an explosion of new sounds, each branching into subgenres that push the parent genre into uncharted territory.Shoegazetook off with My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain at its helm, thrash metal originated from the likes of Anthrax, Megadeth, andMetallica, while we can thank Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, and Chic for disco.Gangsta rapis no different.
In 1987, rappers Arabian Prince,Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, and MC Ren came together to form N.W.A.,the group that revolutionized rap music, and pioneered the gangsta rap subgenre.The group has only released two studio albums, but each of the six members has gone on to enjoysolo careerswith varying levels of success.
Roughly one year after their formation, N.W.A. released their debut album,Straight Outta Compton,the first gangsta rap album ever to reach platinum sales certification. In 2015, after the release of theband’s biopic of the same name,the album reached triple platinum.A truly special work, it’s unlikely that any rap album will ever top this masterpiece.
Straight Outta Compton Completely Revolutionized The Music Industry
In August 1988, N.W.A. releasedStraight Outta Compton, and the album promptly soared to number nine on Billboard’s Top R&B and Hip Hop Chart, number 37 on the Billboard 200, andreached platinum certification in just under six months.It was the first gangsta rap album ever to reach platinum sales certification.
Rap and hip-hop had been around for about a decade and a half by the time N.W.A. arrived on the scene,planting roots in the Bronx and spreading out nationwide from there. The genre had reached mainstream status by the mid ’80s, and in that time it had undergone a transformation from ‘old school’ to ‘new school.’
Straight Outta Comptonwas the album to usher in the Golden Age of hip-hop, and propel the gangsta rap subgenre into the mainstream. Rap had always been a little bit raunchier, more unconventional in its lyrics,but gangsta rap showcased a whole new level of profanity and anti-establishment, especially on N.W.A.’s debut album.
N.W.A. releasedStraight Outta Compton,and proved that Los Angeles was right up there with New York as far as a dominant hip-hop city goes. Their debut album took the world by storm, andtheir lyrics were more sexually explicit, profane, and violent than any mainstream album had ever exhibited before.
The first track on the album, “F*** Tha Police,” got the attention of the FBI, who wrote a letter to the group condemning the song, saying it encouraged “violence against and disrespect for law-enforcement officer.” (Rolling Stone).This led to many police officers refusing to provide security for the group’s concerts, but only bolstered their popularity.
The opening track wasn’t the only song that ruffled some feathers;the music video for the album’s title track was actually banned from MTV.In the 1980s, MTV was a huge factor for an artist promoting their music, but, similar to the FBI’s issues with the band’s music, the network banned the video for its depiction of violence.
At the end of the decade, N.W.A. ushered in the ’90s with pure rage and brutal honesty. With a new decade on the horizon, the last decade of the millennium no less,the unbridled emotion present inStraight Outta Comptonignited a fire inside of N.W.A.’s fans,and that fire paved the way for countless other artists who followed in their footsteps.
At the time of its release,Straight Outta Comptonwas really the only album of its kind, at least within the public sphere.Never before had an album reached such distinct levels of commercial success while also touching on themes of violence so explicitlythat it caused the FBI to reach out to the artist directly.
Since then, countless artists have matched N.W.A’s fire, tackling similar themes with unapologetic passion.Straight Outta Compton— and its full-length biopic — kicked the door open for others to make angry, explicit, and fearless music without restraint.
