After one of the founding members of N.W.A., Ice Cube, left the group, things were a lot more rough around the edges for the remaining members. While Dre's production was still on point in its proto-G-funk swagger, the socio-politically charged lyricism and unforgettable lines are few and far between on their second full-length. The first half of the record is quite excellent, however, sounding seamless in their transition into a post-O'Shea sound, with the title-track being one of the best songs they ever put down. That said, the second half of the album devolves into a horrifically hateful and violent attack on all things woman with no self-awareness involved whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, if you can't handle a little misogyny in your rap, you're missing out on some truly amazing hip-hop, but when it's just nonsensically rampant and goes on song after song after song, it becomes taxing and honestly a little disgusting. All this would be easier to handle if they sounded tongue-in-cheek, but they all sound so serious it's kind of jarring. The closer really saves things, harkening back to the greatness of the first half and leaving the record on a good note. It's definitely worth a listen just for the first half alone, but one can't help but think that Niggaz4Life could've easily been much better.
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