Review Summary: Classic album.
Allmusic: 5/5
Blender: 5/5
Chicago Tribune: 3.5/4
Robert Christagu: B
Pitchfork: 9.7/10
Rolling Stone: 5/5
Picture a hip hop group, that has the likes of Ice Cube, Dr Dre, Eazy-E, and MC Ren. That group that you're picturing, would be N.W.A, one of the best hip hop groups of all time. This group that you're picturing, stirred up a lot of controversy with this here album. With this album, N.W.A had themselves known as, "The World's Most Dangerous Group", rightfully so, because they had violent, and misogynistic lyrics to back up this statement. Although this wasn't the very first gangsta hip hop album (see Ice-T's, "Rhyme Pays"), this was the very first gangsta hip hop to get widely known by the hip hop community, and THE defining gangsta hip hop album. Not only is this the defining gangsta hip hop album, but one of the defining hip hop albums, period, regardless of sub-genre, or place of origin, or any of that. Although Ice Cube is known to have ghostwrote for the other members, the others still had charismatic deliveries, and commanding voices, that would catch your attention so well, that you wouldn't even care who wrote the lyrics. Now for the track by track review.
1. Straight Outta Compton: This song has Ice Cube, MC Ren, and Eazy-E each spitting spectacular verses, and has them rhyming about how they are from Compton. Classic song. This song has been sampled in, "Cummin At Cha" by EPMD, "Hit the Floor" by Compton's Most Wanted, "Rated R" by Redman, and other songs. 5/5
2. F**k Tha Police: This song has all of the N.W.A members, rhyming about their distaste for police. Classic song. This song samples, "Ruthless Villain" by Eazy-E, and other songs. This song has been sampled in, "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" by Ice Cube, "One Time Gaffled Em Up", "Who's F*****g Who?" by Compton's Most Wanted, "Protect and Serve" by UGK, and other songs. 5/5
3. Gangsta Gangsta: This song has Ice Cube and Eazy-E rhyming about how gangsta they are. Classic song. This song samples, "My Philosophy" by Boogie Down Productions, "La Di Da Di" by Doug E Fresh and Slick Rick, "Girls" by Beastie Boys, "Ruthless Villain" by Eazy-E, and other songs. This song has been sampled in, "The N***a You Love to Hate" by Ice Cube, "My Brother's a Basehead" by De La Soul, "Growin Up In the Hood" by Compton's Most Wanted, "8 Ball" by DJ Quik, "Crooked A*s N***a by 2Pac, "This Is a Gang" by Compton's Most Wanted", "Who's F*****g Who?" by Compton's Most Wanted, and other songs. 5/5
4. If It Ain't Ruff: This song is an MC Ren solo, and has him doing his thing. The only thing I don't like about this song, is that him saying lines like, "You're screamin with fear but it's with fear that you're screamin", with him just saying things in reverse, gets a bit tedious, but other than that, this is a classic song. This song samples, "Ruthless Villain" by Eazy-E, "Don't Believe the Hype" by Public Enemy, and other songs. 5/5
5. Parental Discretion Iz Advised: This song has all of N.W.A spitting dope verses, and The D.O.C opening with an amazing opening verse. Classic song. 5/5
6. 8 Ball (Remix): An Eazy-E solo, which has him doing his typical verses. Classic song. This song samples, "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!), "The New Style", "Girls", "Paul Revere", "Hold It, Now Hit It" by Beastie Boys, "Terminator X Speaks With His Hands", "Too Much Posse" by Public Enemy, "Go See the Doctor" by Kool Moe Dee, "Boyz-N-the-Hood" by Eazy-E, "My Melody" by Eric B and Rakim, and other songs. 5/5
7. Something Like That: This song has Dr Dre and MC Ren, both spitting great verses. Classic song. 5/5
8. Express Yourself: This is a Dr Dre solo, with Ice Cube and MC Ren spitting about 2 lines each, and has Dr Dre rhyming about how everyone should be themselves, and how they shouldn't care about radio censorship. Classic song. This song samples, "Down 2 Tha Last Roach" by Eazy-E, and other songs. 5/5
9. Compton's In the House (Remix): This song has Dre, Cube, and Ren rhyming about how they represent Compton. Classic song. 5/5
10. I Ain't Tha 1: This is an Ice Cube solo, that has him rhyming about how women try to milk him for his money, and how they don't really love him for who he is. Classic song. 5/5
11. Dope Man (Remix): This song has Ice Cube, Dre, and Eazy rhyming about a neighborhood woman, who bribes dealers for drugs. Classic song. 5/5
12. Quiet On Tha Set: A MC Ren solo, which has him spitting excellent verses. Classic song. This song has been sampled in, "On the Bugged Tip" by Big Daddy Kane, "Rebel Without a Pause" by Public Enemy, and other songs. 5/5
13. Something 2 Dance 2: This is a humorous song, which has them rhyming about their experiences on the dance floor. 3.5/5
Overall I give this 5/5.
3 Best Songs:
1. Straight Outta Compton
2. F**k Tha Police
3. Gangsta Gangsta
3 Weakest Songs:
1. Something 2 Dance 2
2. If It Ain't Ruff
3. 8 Ball (Remix)
