Band & Artist Dossier
N.W.A
Origin: Compton, California, USA · Active Years: 1986-1991 (reunions 1999-2001, 2015-2016)
A detailed catalogue profile for N.W.A.
In this archive
1 album / credit record(s) · Hip-Hop/Gangsta Rap
American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1986-87 around Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, later joined by DJ Yella, Arabian Prince and MC Ren. Bankrolled largely by Eazy-E's own money through his newly founded Ruthless Records (co-founded with manager Jerry Heller in March 1987), the group pioneered and popularized gangsta rap with their 1988 debut Straight Outta Compton, whose unflinching depiction of police violence on "Fuck tha Police" drew a warning letter from an FBI assistant director and cemented their self-styled reputation as "the world's most dangerous group." Arabian Prince left just before that album's release and Ice Cube departed in December 1989 over royalty disputes; the remaining four-piece released one further album, Niggaz4Life (1991), before disbanding. N.W.A was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
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Complete 1980s Studio Discography
2 studio albums released from 1980–1989 by N.W.A. Archived records link directly to full dossiers; remaining releases are queued for harvesting. MusicBrainz source.
80s discography & production credits in the archive
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