Hip-Hop has been one the biggest platforms for outspokenness on social issues, especially in the black community. Over the past 30 years, rappers like Tupac, Nas, and Chuck D have spoken on topics like police brutality and systematic racism. However, no talk about rap and social statements is complete without N.W.A.. The group touched on several problematic issues at the core of our country. The group's I-Don't-Give-A-Fuck attitude when calling attention to those issues paved the way for a lot of later artists to make statements about said issues.
N.W.A. was comprised of Eazy E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella. Formed in 1986, their 1988 debut album Straight Outta Compton turned Hip-Hop on its back. The album is on the consensus short list for greatest Hip-Hop albums of all-time. Known as one the pioneering albums of gangsta rap, the album touches on racism, profiling, police harassment and brutality, and the violence and crime that plagued the streets of Compton and South Central Los Angeles. The track "Fuck Tha Police" in particular stands out from the album. The song protested the racism of law enforcement, and resulted in N.W.A. receiving a letter from the FBI.
N.W.A. started fade to as the 80's gave way to the 90's. Cube left in 1989 over money disputes. Dre was next, causing a rift temporarily. Before Eazy succumbed to AIDS in 1995, the group had planned a reunion. But it wasn't to be.
N.W.A. left it's mark on Hip-Hop, and its members' contributions are still felt today. Dre and Cube's accomplishments go almost without saying. But Dre also gave birth to the careers of Snoop, Eminem, 50, The Game, and Kendrick Lamar. Cube's impact switched over to movies as much as with music. Nearly 30 years after their debut, N.W.A still remains impactful, and their words are relevant.
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