N.W.A. was an American gangsta rap group formed in Compton, California in 1986 — Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, and DJ Yella. Straight Outta Compton (1988) built the template for gangsta rap and even drew an FBI warning letter; the group entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Shop N.W.A. vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
N.W.A. (Niggaz Wit Attitudes) formed in Compton, California in 1986 around Eazy-E (who founded Ruthless Records and assembled the group), Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre. The classic five-member lineup with MC Ren and DJ Yella solidified for the landmark 1988 album Straight Outta Compton. The album - featuring the foundational singles Straight Outta Compton, Fuck tha Police, and Gangsta Gangsta - established the foundational template for gangsta rap as a recognized genre and documented Compton's social conditions for international audiences. The FBI issued a warning letter to Ruthless Records regarding Fuck tha Police. Ice Cube departed in 1989 amid financial disputes with Eazy-E and manager Jerry Heller, launching a solo career. Dr. Dre departed in 1991 to co-found Death Row Records (with Suge Knight), launching his production and label career. Eazy-E died of AIDS-related complications on March 26, 1995 at age 30, ending any possibility of original lineup reunion. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. The 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton (produced by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre) brought their story to new audiences. Their foundational influence on gangsta rap, West Coast hip hop, and broader hip hop history is widely cited.
N.W.A.'s sound is foundational to gangsta rap as a recognized genre - combining gangsta rap, hip hop, West Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop, political hip hop, and electro hop with Dr. Dre's signature production work, multiple vocal contributions across the membership, extensive sample integration, and lyrical content addressing police brutality, gang violence, racism, and Compton social conditions.
Original Ruthless Records / Priority pressings of the N.W.A. catalog are foundational items in hip hop collecting. Multiple anniversary editions of Straight Outta Compton (particularly the 30th anniversary edition tied to the 2015 biopic), audiophile reissues, and the comprehensive Capitol/UMC reissue programs have been released.
Listeners new to N.W.A. typically start with Straight Outta Compton (1988).
