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dc26 - straight outta compton: 25 years later lyrics

on august 8, 1988, arguably the most influential album in rap music history dropped. fueled by three soon-to-be superstars (ice cube, dr. dre, and eazy-e), it not only affected the lyrical direction of hip hop, it affected the sound of it as well, and became the launching point for their careers. the record started a new era in rap, one that would forever change the landscape of it forever. the name of the group was n.w.a

let’s start with production. dr. dre was highly regarded for what he did with the low budget for an album that would today be regarded as a cl-ssic. dj yella also became highly regarded for his work as a co-producer, and the critics ate up the sounds off of such singles as f-ck tha police, straight outta compton, and gangsta gangsta

the lyrics from the songs were highly regarded for their storytelling ability and their bleak, realistic portrait of gang violence in america. most lyrics were written from the mind and experience of ice cube, mc ren, and group affiliate tracy “the d.o.c.” curry, whose influence cannot be underestimated. as some critics were judgmental on the violent minded lyrics, most praised them for telling the cold reality of it all in such a way only they could do it

and now, the stats! a platinum record today is an impressive feat in any genre. within 5 years of the record’s debut on eazy- e’s ruthless records, it was certified double platinum. it reached the billboard 200 chart in 1989 at #37, a rarity for any rap, especially such uncompromising non-nyc rap. critics responded even better: rolling stones: 5/5, allmusic: 5/5, chicago tribune: 3.5/4

not only that, but the album received a #144 ranking on rolling stones “500 greatest albums of all time” list back in 2003. it was on time magazine’s list of “100 greatest albums.” the most surprising fact out of all of this: n.w.a. did this without radio hits, major tour dates, and or very much press. they did it with a 13 track album, 5 strong willed, talented rappers/producers, and one common goal: to make good music

- dc26 lyrics

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