STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

'''Straight Outta Compton''' is a genre-defining gangsta rap album by N.W.A. first released in 1988, and later rereleased on September 24, 2002 in a remastered version with four bonus tracks. The album was a hip hop groundbreaker that went on to have an enormous impact on the evolution of gangsta rap.

Contents

Impact

Homages

"Fuck tha Police"

Track listing

Release date confusion

Album singles

Music sample

See also

External links

Impact

This album was a true underground blockbuster, as it reached double platinum sales status, becoming the first album to reach platinum status with no airplay support and without any major tours.
As the hip hop community world wide received the album with a high note, the members of N.W.A. became the top stars for the emerging new era of Gangsta rap while popularizing the rap of Ice Cube.
Because ''Straight Outta Compton'' was an album featuring recurring violent and sexual lyrics and profanity, often specifically directed at governmental organizations such as the LAPD, N.W.A always enjoyed a particular repudiation from Senators and FBI. This situation persisted over the years with the group's visible head, Eazy-E.
In 2003 the TV network VH1 named ''Straight Outta Compton'' the 62nd greatest album of all time. It was ranked 10 in ''Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005". In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source Magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums. It's the group's only album on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (ranked #144), and when comedian Chris Rock wrote an article for the magazine about the 25 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of all time in 2005, "Straight Outta Compton" was #1 on his list. In 2006, the album was listed in the book ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die''.
Seven songs from this album- "Gangsta Gangsta", "Fuck Tha Police", "Straight Outta Compton" [Extended Mix], "If It Ain't Ruff", "I Ain't Tha 1", the remix of "Express Yourself", and "A Bitch Iz A Bitch"- were later released on "N.W.A.'s Greatest Hits"

Homages

Timbaland's album ''Under Construction, Part II'' has an intro song called "Straight Outta Virginia", a homage to N.W.A. and ''Straight Outta Compton''. Likewise, "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the album's title as ''Straight Outta Lynwood'' on his 2006 album. Another homage was paid by rapper Young Buck with his album ''Straight Outta Ca$hville'' in 2004. Also in 2004, Goldie Lookin Chain's first album, ''Greatest Hits'', was released in the U.S. as ''Straight Outta Newport''. On Ice-T's Rap School, one of the performed songs was called "Straight Outta' Prep School".

"Fuck tha Police"

Main articles: Fuck tha Police

The album's most controversial track, "Fuck tha Police" was responsible in great part for the fame of N.W.A as ''World's Most Dangerous Group''.
An excerpt from the lyrics of "Fuck tha Police":

Track listing

#	Title	Time	Performer(s)	Songwriters	Producer(s)	Samples
1	"Straight Outta Compton"	4:19	Eazy-E Ice Cube MC Ren	Eric Wright O'Shea Jackson Lorenzo Patterson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "You'll Like It Too" by Funkadelic ★ Contains samples from "West Coast Poplock" by Ronnie Hudson and the Street People ★ Contains samples from "Get Me Back on Time, Engine No. 9" by Wilson Pickett ★ Contains samples from "Amen Brother" by The Winstons
2	"Fuck tha Police"	5:45	Dr. Dre Eazy-E Ice Cube MC Ren	O'Shea Jackson Lorenzo Patterson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "Funky President" by James Brown ★ Contains samples from "It's My Thing" by Marva Whitney ★ Contains samples from "Boogie Back" by Roy Ayers ★ Contains samples from "Feel Good" by Fancy ★ Contains samples from "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
3	"Gangsta Gangsta"	5:36	Eazy-E Ice Cube MC Ren	Eric Wright O'Shea Jackson Lorenzo Patterson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "Weak at the Knees" by Steve Arrington ★ Contains samples from "Troglodyte" by Jimmy Castor Bunch ★ Contains samples from "Be Thankful for What You Got" by William Devaughn ★ Contains samples from "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers ★ Contains samples from "N.T." by Kool & the Gang ★ Contains samples from "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players ★ Contains samples from "Prison" by Richard Pryor ★ Contains samples from "My Philosophy" by Boogie Down Productions (KRS-One) ★ Contains samples from "The Show" by Slick Rick ★ Contains samples from "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" by Beastie Boys
4	"If It Ain't Ruff"	3:34	MC Ren	Lorenzo Patterson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "A Star in the Ghetto" by Average White Band ★ Contains samples from "Quiet on tha Set" by N.W.A. ★ Contains samples from "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A. ★ The riff heard throughout the song is similar to that of Roy Ayers' song, "Boogie Back" ★ Contains samples from "Ruthless Villain" by Eazy-E
5	"Parental Discretion Iz Advised"	5:16	D.O.C. Dr. Dre Eazy-E Ice Cube MC Ren	Eric Wright O'Shea Jackson Lorenzo Patterson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "I Turned on You" by Isley Brothers
6	"8 Ball (Remix)"	4:52	Eazy-E	O'Shea Jackson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "It's My Beat" by Sweet Tea ★ Contains samples from "Be Thankful for What You Got" by William Devaughn ★ Contains samples from "Yes, We Can Can" by Pointer Sisters ★ Contains samples from "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" and "The New Style" by the Beastie Boys ★ Contains samples from "Terminator X Speaks With His Hands" by Public Enemy ★ Contains samples from "Too Much Posse" by Public Enemy
7	"Something Like That"	3:35	Dr. Dre MC Ren	Andre Young Lorenzo Patterson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "Down on the Avenue" by Fat Larry's Band ★ Contains samples from "Take the Money and Run" by Steve Miller Band ★ Contains samples from "I Think I'd Do It" by ZZ Hill
8	"Express Yourself"	4:25	Dr. Dre	O'Shea Jackson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "Express Yourself" by Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band ★ Contains samples from "Dopeman" by N.W.A.
9	"Compton's N the House (Remix)"	5:20	Dr. Dre MC Ren	O'Shea Jackson Lorenzo Patterson Andre Young	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "Something Like That" by N.W.A.
10	"I Ain't Tha 1"	4:54	Ice Cube	O'Shea Jackson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "The Message (Inspiration)" by Brass Construction
11	"Dopeman (Remix)"	5:20	Dr. Dre Eazy-E Ice Cube	O'Shea Jackson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "Dance to the Drummer's Beat" by Herman Kelly & Life ★ Contains samples from "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players
12	"Quiet on Tha Set"	3:59	MC Ren	Lorenzo Patterson	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "Funky Drummer" by James Brown ★ Contains samples from "I Get Lifted" by George McCrae ★ Contains samples from "Rock Creek Park" by The Blackbyrds ★ Contains samples from "Take the Money and Run" by Steve Miller Band ★ Contains samples from "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A.
13	"Something 2 Dance 2"	3:32	Arabian Prince DJ Yella Dr. Dre Eazy-E	Eric Wright Andre Young	Dr. Dre Yella	★ Contains samples from "You're the One for Me" by D-Train ★ Contains samples from "Dance to the Music" by Sly & the Family Stone

Release date confusion

''Straight Outta Compton's released date was often confused at times. Many sites say the album was released in 1988 and some say in 1989. This is because the album was released twice in the late 1980's: first on vinyl in 1988, and later on CD in 1989.
The CD version contained more songs than the year-old vinyl version.

Album singles

Single information
'"Straight Outta Compton"'	★ Released: 1988	★ B-side:
'"Gangsta Gangsta"'	★ Released: 1988	★ B-side: "Quiet On The Set", "Something 2 Dance 2"
'"Express Yourself"'	★ Released: May 31, 1989	★ B-side: "Straight Outta Compton (Extended Mix)", "Bitch Iz A Bitch"	★ Later "Bitch Iz A Bitch replaced "Rapenstein" on the album "N.W.A. and the Posse". This would explain the better sonic fidelity of the track since it was recorded almost two years later.

Music sample

See also

★ Compton, California

★ Straight Outta Lynwood

★ Gangsta rap

★ West Coast hip hop

★ Efil4zaggin

External links

★ Video for "Straight Outta Compton"