Straight Outta Compton

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Straight Outta Compton is the debut album of N.W.A and was released in January 1989 on Priority and Ruthless Records. Dr. Dre, DJ Yella and Arabian Prince produced, and the lyrics came from Eazy-E, Ice Cube and MC Ren, with help from The D.O.C. Ruthless was founded in 1987 by Eric Wright, who also rapped as Eazy-E. Until then, hip hop in Los Angeles had been mostly dance-oriented. This album described life in Compton, with hostility towards rivals and police.

Fuck tha Police earned the group a warning letter from an FBI official, and MTV refused the video for the title track. Despite little radio airplay outside Los Angeles, it became the first gangsta rap album to go platinum, in July 1989. The first reviews were mixed, but later the record was regarded as one of the most influential in hip hop history. In 2016 the album entered the Grammy Hall of Fame, as the first rap album.

Listening

Track list

1. 1Straight Outta Compton4:19Apple Music ↗
2. 2Fuck tha Police5:46Apple Music ↗
3. 3Gangsta Gangsta5:37Apple Music ↗
4. 4If It Ain't Ruff3:34Apple Music ↗
5. 5Parental Discretion Iz Advised5:16Apple Music ↗
6. 68 Ball (Remix)4:53Apple Music ↗
7. 7Something Like That3:36Apple Music ↗
8. 8Express Yourself4:25Apple Music ↗
9. 9Compton's N the House (Remix)5:21Apple Music ↗
10. 10I Ain't tha 14:55Apple Music ↗
11. 11Dopeman (Remix)5:20Apple Music ↗
12. 12Quiet On tha Set3:00Apple Music ↗
13. 13Something 2 Dance 23:24Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗

See also

• N.W.A.