N.W.A. was one of hip-hop’s most, if not the most, controversial groups. They formed in Compton, California, a suburb of Las Angeles in 1986. After the release of their album Straight Outta Compton in 1988, they were considered by many to be “ America’s most dangerous band”. The album described life in the slums of Compton, especially the first three songs: “Straight Outta Compton”, “Fuck Tha’ Police”, and “Gangsta Gangsta”. Their most notorious song, “Fuck Tha’ Police”, resulted in an assistant director of the F.B.I., Milt Ahlerich, sending a letter to Ruthless Records, the label that represented N.W.A. The letter described how the F.B.I. objected to the lyrical content of the record. This, of course, only served to fuel their publicity and pushed sales of Straight Outta Compton to double platinum.

Their follow up CD Efil4ziggan (Niggaz4life backwards) was less successful, partially due to the loss of Ice Cube. The lyrics on this CD are extremely violent and misogynistic. However, it debuted at no. 2 on the billboard charts.

Ice Cube believed that Eazy-E, the owner of N.W.A.’s record label, was taking more than his share of the profits and quit in 1989. Dr. Dre and Eazy-E had a falling out about record contracts, and separated in an unfriendly manner.

The members of N.W.A. would be very successful in the music business after the breakup. Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren and Eazy-E were members of the band, and would lead successful, if controversial, careers in music. The other personnel were DJ Yella, Arabian Prince and D.O.C. Arabian Prince and D.O.C. left the group in 1988, before the release of Straight Out of Compton.

After he left N.W.A., Dr. Dre went on to become one of the most well-known rap producers. His debut solo CD, The Chronic, went quadruple platinum, and Snoop Dogg’s album Doggystyle,, which was produced by Dr. Dre, went 5x platinum.

Ice Cube has released many solo albums since he was in N.W.A. Ice Cube says that many of the songs he wrote contain relevant social commentary, but critics say that he is misogynistic and rascist. He also has been in many movies, including Boyz N The Hood, Three Kings and Friday.

MC Ren continued to release on Ruthless Records, and with his album The Shock of the Hour, became a more underground act than his other colleagues.

As a DJ, there wasn’t much of a solo career for DJ Yella to puruse. He was the only member of N.W.A. to stick with Eazy-E, who died of AIDS in 1995.

Discography

N.W.A. and the Posse (1987)

Straight Outta Compton (1988)

Efil4zaggin (1991)

Greatest Hits (1996)

The N.W.A. Legacy Volume 1: 1988-1999 (1999)

The N.W.A. Legacy Volume 2 (2002)