Together they comprised, as Kendrick Lamar recently put it, ‘the perfect cast of characters.’ They were role models for dissent, marrying fury with artistry to make something unignorable. It only seems fair for them to reap the fruits of their labour. Dre and DJ Yella provided the perfect backdrop for the album’s social satire. The producers dropping in for a couple of verses and bossing it? Why not? Dr. Even the conventions of the album format weren’t safe. The faux-ragtag collaboration throughout is irresistable.
They are as striking a trio as you’re ever likely to hear, and the flows of Ice Cube, MC Ren, and Eazy-E bounce off of each other beautifully. The openers - “Straight Outta Compton”, “Fuck tha Police”, and “Gangsta Gangsta” - are what the album is rightly remembered for. The success of today’s hip hop superstars, from Kendrick Lamar to Eminem, is built on foundations laid by N.W.A. The ‘reality rap’ of their debut shone a light on a world much of America hadn’t seen, and did so in a way that impacted everything that followed. Its formula is so ingrained in music consciousness now that it’s odd to think there was a ‘before.’ Skits, samples, obstinance, and anger are the linchpins of many great hip hop albums, but few showcase their chemistry as explosively as N.W.A did in 1988. Straight Outta Compton is an easy album to take for granted. Better rap albums have been released since its conception in 1988, but very few have caused quite the same stir. The impact of this song, this album, and this impassioned hip-hop assembly, cannot be overstated. While that song in particular is something of a black sheep in its optimism and carefree spirit, it is of course “Fuck Tha Police” that epitomises the real essence of Straight Outta Compton: a song inspired by a deadly serious subject matter, yet performed and produced in a way that makes it extraordinarily accessible. Dre drop in every once and while, particularly on “Express Yourself”, which is wonderfully joyous in its message. Ice Cube feels like the main force, particularly on the sublime trio of tracks that open the album, but it never feels like anyone is letting the side down. Whether they’re channelling aggression as an act of social defiance, or simply spitting wacky rhymes about their competitors, the interaction between the group is thoroughly engrossing. The chemistry between Ice Cube, Eazy-E, and MC Ren is unparalleled: the way they bounce off each other has been a clear influence on the likes of Run the Jewels for example. There is an undercurrent of a party vibe, similar to that of Hello Nasty, and the implications of rebellion only add to that sensation. This is a posse after all, not just a lone MC, and the atmosphere of Straight Outta Compton is notably disparate. However, perhaps these are unfair comparisons. In comparison to the likes of Illmatic, To Pimp a Butterfly, and The Marshall Mathers LP, this is where N.W.A’s classic falls short. I find myself longing for the conclusion of Straight Outta Compton, which is a damn shame given the quality of the album’s opening four or five tracks. I presumably speak as a spoilt modern listener, but scrapping these three tracks surely makes it a smoother, more consistent experience, in addition to reducing the album length to less than an hour long. Straight Outta Compton features three ‘remixes,’ and they’re easily the most disposable cuts on the whole tracklist. The opening portion is fantastic - some of the finest hip-hop tunes you’ll ever hear - but the record fades during its second half. That said, I’m not so sure it’s one of the greatest.
Gangsta rap doesn’t come much purer than this, and it remains an essential listen for hip-hop heads old or new. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the record still sounds tremendously exciting, and strikingly defiant. Straight Outta Compton, the acclaimed and influential debut by N.W.A, is a seriously good hip-hop album.
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