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N.W.A.
N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music. Active from 1987 to 1991, the rap group endured controversy owing to its music's explicit lyrics, which many viewed as being misogynistic, as well as to its glorification of drugs and crime. The group was subsequently banned from many mainstream American radio stations. In spite of this, the group has sold over 10 million units in the United States alone. Drawing on its members' own experiences of racism and excessive policing, the group made inherently political music. The group's members were known for their deep hatred of the police system, which has sparked much controversy over the years. The original lineup, formed in early 1987, consisted of Arabian P ...
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Straight Outta Compton
''Straight Outta Compton'' is the debut studio album by rap group N.W.A, which, led by Eazy-E, formed in Los Angeles County's City of Compton in early 1987. Released by his label, Ruthless Records, on August 8, 1988, the album was produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince, with lyrics written by N.W.A members Ice Cube and MC Ren along with Ruthless rapper The D.O.C.Kory Grow"N.W.A's 'Straight Outta Compton': 12 things you didn't know" ''Rolling Stone'' website, Penske Business Media, LLC, 8 Aug 2018. Not merely depicting Compton's street violence, the lyrics repeatedly threaten to lead it by attacking peers and even police. The track "Fuck tha Police" drew an FBI agent's warning letter, which aided N.W.A's notoriety, with N.W.A calling itself "the world's most dangerous group."McDermott, Terry (April 14, 2002)"NWA:Straight Outta Compton pt 1" ''Los Angeles Times''. Reprinted at Hip Hop News. Retrieved August 15, 2015. In July 1989, despite its scarce r ...
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Panic Zone
''N.W.A. and the Posse'' is a compilation album, re-releasing N.W.A and associated groups' underground rap songs from the Los Angeles area's rap scene on November 6, 1987.Roni Sarig, ''Third Coast: Outkast, Timbaland, and How Hip-hop Became a Southern Thing'' (Philadelphia: Da Capo Press, 2007)indexing "Fila Fresh Crew" It is regarded as American rap group N.W.A's first but neglected album;Stephen Thomas Erlewine"N.W.A: Biography" ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited 26 Apr 2020.Alex Henderson"N.W.A: ''N.W.A and the Posse''" ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited 26 Apr 2020.Jerry Heller with Gil Reavill, Ruthless: A Memoir' (New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2007). N.W.A's authorized debut studio album, rather, is ''Straight Outta Compton'', released in August 1988. Whereas the ''Straight'' album was certified platinum, one million copies sold, in July 1989, the ''Posse'' album was certified gold, half as many copies sold, in April 1994. Originally not N.W.A's intende ...
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MC Ren
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), better known by his stage name MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Compton, California. He is the founder and owner of the record label Villain Entertainment. MC Ren began his career as a solo artist signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records in early 1987, while still attending high school. By the end of 1987, after having written nearly half of ''Eazy-Duz-It'', he became a member of N.W.A. After the group disbanded in 1991, he stayed with Ruthless, releasing three solo albums including the controversial ''Shock of the Hour'' before leaving the label in 1998. In 2016, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A. Early life Lorenzo Jerald Patterson was born in Compton, California, on June 16, 1969, and raised in Pannes Ave. around Kelly Park. He grew up with his parents, two brothers and a sister. His father used to work for "the government", until he later opened up his own b ...
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Arabian Prince
Kim Renard Nazel (born June 17, 1965), better known by his stage names Arabian Prince or Professor X, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. He is best known as a founding member of N.W.A. Early life Nazel was born in Compton, California to the son of Joseph "Skippy" Nazel Jr., a prominent African-American author and radio talk show host. His musical background came from his mother, a piano teacher and classical musician. His family tried its best to shelter him, sending him to a Catholic school and keeping him busy with football to keep him away from the gangs. The younger Nazel got his first experience with making music at the radio station his father hosted his talk show on; Nazel used the radio station's equipment to put together mixtapes that he would sell at school. Nazel went on to graduate from Junípero Serra High School in nearby Gardena. Music career Nazel took the stage name of DJ Prince and started selling mixtapes at school. While wor ...
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DJ Yella
Antoine Carraby (born December 11, 1961), better known by his stage name DJ Yella, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer and film director from Los Angeles, California. DJ Yella began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru along with Dr. Dre. He later joined the pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A (originally composed of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Arabian Prince and Eazy-E) and became the least vocal but longest-lasting member of the group. His first and only studio album ''One Mo Nigga ta Go'' was released in 1996 through Street Life Records and was dedicated to Eazy-E. After the release of the album he left the music industry to direct pornographic films until 2011, when he started working on a new album called ''West Coastin''. In 2016, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A. Early life Antoine Carraby was born in Compton, California, on December 11, 1961 and raised in Los Angeles. He was passionate about music from a ...
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Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap". Born and raised in Compton, California, Wright had several legal troubles before founding Ruthless in 1987. After a short solo career with frequent collaboration with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, they joined, forming N.W.A, later that year. N.W.A's debut studio album, ''Straight Outta Compton'', was released in 1988. Controversial upon release, it is now ranked among the greatest and most influential albums ever. The group released its third and final studio album, '' Niggaz4Life'', in 1991, and soon after disbanded. During N.W.A's splintering, largely by disputes over money, Eazy-E became embroiled in bitter rivalries with fellow group-members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, who had departed for solo careers in 1989 ...
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Niggaz4Life
''Niggaz4Life'' (also known as ''Efil4zaggin'' as per album cover art, stylized in all caps and horizontally mirrored) is the second and final studio album by gangsta rap group N.W.A, released on May 28, 1991. It was their final album, as the group disbanded later the same year after the departure of Dr. Dre and songwriter The D.O.C. to form Death Row Records; the album features only four members of the original line-up, as Ice Cube and Arabian Prince had already left the group in 1989 and 1988 respectively. ''Niggaz4Life'' debuted at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200, but in its second week peaked at number 1. In 1992, several months after the release of the album, N.W.A released a video named '' Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video'', which chronicled the making of the album and its three music videos, "Alwayz into Somethin'", "Appetite for Destruction" and "Approach to Danger". In 2002, the CD was re-released in two formats. Both had the EP ''100 Miles and Runnin''' appended to th ...
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Jerry Heller
Gerald Elliot Heller (October 6, 1940 – September 2, 2016) was an American music manager and businessman. He was best known for his management of West Coast rap and gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A and Eazy-E. He rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s representing Journey, Marvin Gaye, Van Morrison, War, Eric Burdon, Crosby Stills & Nash, Ike & Tina Turner, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Otis Redding, the Who, REO Speedwagon, Black Sabbath, Humble Pie, Styx, the Grass Roots, and the Standells, among many others. In the mid-1980s, he worked with R&B and hip hop acts like Michel'le, World Class Wreckin' Cru, J. J. Fad, The D.O.C., Egyptian Lover and LA Dream Team. Heller was instrumental in the emergence of West Coast rap music when he managed Ruthless Records with Eazy-E and discovered, signed or managed the likes of N.W.A, The Black Eyed Peas, Above the Law, The D.O.C. and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Dr. Dre brought The D.O.C. and Above the Law to Ruthless in its early days ...
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Ruthless Records
Ruthless Records was an American record label founded by Eric "Eazy-E" Wright and Jerry Heller in Compton, California in 1986, where all of the Ruthless trademarks have been owned by Comptown Records, Inc. since 1997. Several artists on the label such as N.W.A, Eazy-E, MC Ren, The D.O.C., Michel'le, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony have released RIAA certified albums. History N.W.A days The label's first successful single was Eazy's "Boyz-n-the-Hood". It also released singles by underground California acts Frost and J.J. Fad. The label's first album was N.W.A's ''Straight Outta Compton'', which was eventually certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA. Immediately following this was the release of Eazy's solo debut, ''Eazy-Duz-It''. As the six members went on tour in support of their project, some began to voice their displeasure with the financial situation at Ruthless. According to group member MC Ren, it was a common opinion that N.W.A manager and Ruthless co-founder Jerry Heller w ...
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Above The Law (group)
Above the Law was an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Pomona, California, founded in 1989 by Cold 187um, KMG the Illustrator, Go Mack, and DJ Total K-Oss. Biography In 1989, the group signed with Eazy-E's Ruthless Records, while there, the group became an additional influence in pioneering with the group, N.W.A. Their first album on Ruthless, 1990's ''Livin' Like Hustlers'', featured a guest appearance from N.W.A and production from Dr. Dre. Above the Law member Cold187um worked closely with Dre on production and the two had great influence on each other. The songs "Untouchable" and "Murder Rap" became minor hits from the album. "Murder Rap" appeared in the 2008 film ''Pineapple Express (film), Pineapple Express''. The song "Freedom of Speech" appeared in the 1990 movie ''Pump Up the Volume (film), Pump Up the Volume'' and was also featured on the movie Pump Up the Volume (soundtrack), soundtrack album. In September 1990, members of hip hop act Above the Law clashed wit ...
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World Class Wreckin' Cru
World Class Wreckin' Cru was an American electro music, electro group, during the 1980s in the Los Angeles area, that contributed to rap's development. Two of its members, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, attained greater fame as members of N.W.A, which pioneered gangsta rap. A song by the Cru had also featured R&B singer Michel'le. Early career World Class Wreckin' Cru debuted in the nightclub Eve After Dark, owned by Alonzo Williams, an early West Coast DJ very popular in the Los Angeles area. In the 1970s, Williams had begun producing dance songs under the name Disco Construction, named after funk group Brass Construction. At his songs' popularity, Williams arranged nightclub performances. Initially directing its music program was Detroit-born Andre "Unknown DJ" Manuel, influenced by East Coast sounds, like Soulsonic Force, Orbit, and Scorpio. As the 1980s opened, electronic funk arrived, sampling drum beats and borrowing from old-school rap. Disco Construction created a subgroup, the Wre ...
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Gangsta Rap
Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappers flaunt associations with real street gangs, like the Crips and Bloods. Gangsta rap's pioneers Ice-T in 1986, and especially N.W.A in 1988 and the rise of Tupac Amaru Shakur in 1992. In 1992, via record producer Dr. Dre, rapper Snoop Dogg, and their G-funk sound, gangsta rap took the rap genre's lead and became mainstream, popular music. Gangsta rap has been recurrently accused of promoting disorderly conduct and broad criminality, especially assault, homicide, and drug dealing, as well as misogyny, promiscuity, and materialism. Gangsta rap's defenders have variously characterized it as artistic depictions but not literal endorsements of real life in American ghettos, or suggested that some lyrics voice rage against social oppression ...
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