N.W.A. Members: Eazy E (deceased), MC Ren, Ice Cube, Dr Dre, DJ Yella
West Coast gangsta rap legends N.W.A. emerged from Compton in 1987, formed by ambitious entrepreneur Eazy-E, production genius Dr. Dre, talented lyricist Ice Cube, and local club promoter MC Ren. Their debut twelve-inch single, “Dope Man / 8-Ball,” dropped under Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records, alongside the iconic track “The Boyz-N-The Hood.” Their early release, N.W.A. and the Posse (1987), offered a glimpse of their potential. With the addition of DJ Yella and The D.O.C., they were primed for the explosive success of Straight Outta Compton (1988), which went triple platinum.
The FBI issued a warning to N.W.A. after tracks like “F*** Tha Police” sparked boycotts and a cultural uproar both within and beyond Hip Hop. Following a contract dispute, Ice Cube left the group, which released the 100 Miles and Runnin’ EP in 1990, and their final album, Efil4Zaggin (Niggaz4Life) in 1991. Legend has it that Dr. Dre’s departure was prompted by Suge Knight threatening their label manager, after which Dre launched a stellar solo career and engaged in a public feud with Eazy-E. Ice Cube also went on to achieve massive success in both music and film, while MC Ren and DJ Yella pursued solo careers with limited impact. Eazy-E passed away in 1995 from AIDS. Despite limited radio play and no mainstream awards like Grammys, N.W.A.’s influence reached every corner of the country, revolutionizing Hip Hop. Their debut N.W.A. and the Posse was certified gold, Straight Outta Compton went double platinum and peaked at thirty-seven on the U.S. Billboard 200, and in 2005, comedian Chris Rock dubbed it the greatest Hip Hop album of all time in Rolling Stone. Niggaz4Life hit number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum, with a staggering eighty percent of its sales coming from suburban areas.
Among the members of N.W.A., none may be as pivotal as Andre Young, born on February 18, 1965, in Compton, a struggling area of Los Angeles. His parents split before his birth, and his mother remarried. His half-brother, rapper Warren G, would later introduce him to Snoop Dogg. Music was a constant presence in the Young household, with soul and funk artists like James Brown, The Supremes, and The Temptations filling the air. By the age of ten, Dre had already begun DJing at house parties, developing an understanding of how music influences mood while analyzing the tracks he played. As he grew up in the late ’70s and early ’80s, George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic became a major influence, inspiring what would later become his signature “G-Funk” sound. Sly and the Family Stone also added a blend of psychedelic and prog rock sensibilities to his musical palette.
In 1980, West Coast rap was still in its infancy, but after attending a Run-DMC show, Young realized he could make his mark in the genre. By 1982, amid the rise of the Crips, Bloods, and the booming cocaine trade, Young joined the World Class Wreckin’ Cru, based at the influential Eve’s After Dark club, and adopted the name Dr. Dre—a nod to basketball legend Dr. J. Dre quickly established himself as a top party DJ in Los Angeles, where he was exposed to a variety of sounds, including Kraftwerk and New Wave, genres that the local clubs didn’t typically cater to. In 1985, WCWK’s independent single “Surgery” sold 50,000 copies thanks to its electronic funk, fast drum machine beats, scratching, and playful lyrics. The success of their 1985 single “Juice” further solidified WCWK’s reputation, but despite interest from CBS offering a $100,000 advance, Dre eventually left due to financial dissatisfaction.
During this time, Dre began mentoring O’Shea Jackson, better known as Ice Cube, who grew up in South Central Los Angeles but attended high school in the suburbs, excelling as both a student and an athlete. Ice Cube formed the group C.I.A. with friends and was brought in by Dre to perform at parties. Also frequenting Eve’s After Dark was Eric Lynn Wright, aka Eazy-E, a former high school dropout and drug dealer who was profiting from the thriving cocaine market to fund Ruthless Records. In 1986, Dre produced, Ice Cube wrote, and Eazy-E attempted to sell the gritty narrative “Boyz-N-The-Hood” to the East Coast group HBO (Home Boys Only). When HBO passed on the track, the trio decided to have Eazy rap it themselves and sold it out of their car trunks. Eazy then approached Dre, MC Ren, and DJ Yella to form a Compton “supergroup,” and all three agreed to participate in what started as an experimental side project. Eazy-E’s manager, Jerry Heller, worked in the same office as Bryan Turner of Capitol Records. Turner met Wright and signed N.W.A. to Priority Records, where they sold over 300,000 copies of “Boyz-N-The-Hood.”
Ice Cube briefly attended college in Arizona, earning a degree in architectural drafting, but his passion for writing raps brought him back in 1988. Eazy had Cube pen tracks like “8-Ball” and “Dope Man,” which were released as a single along with “Panic Zone,” written by Arabian Prince. These singles were featured on their debut album, N.W.A. and the Posse (1987-Macola), which also included tracks like the humorous “Fat Girl” and the Fila Fresh Crew’s “Drink It Up.” This project was part of a larger network of releases in the burgeoning rap scene. Meanwhile, MC Ren brought in The D.O.C. to write lyrics for Eazy-E’s Eazy Duz It (1988-Ruthless), which went on to achieve gold status.
It’s important to note that neither Cube nor Dre were gang members, but they were gang-affiliated. Cube was an athlete and a college graduate, while Dre was a savvy businessman who observed the trends and decided to amplify the profane and violent aspects of their music to the fullest. The concept of “N***** with Attitude” offered an alternative to the political rap of Public Enemy—faithless protest music that was anarchic, cynical, comedic, depraved, and unrelenting. Made on a $10,000 budget, N.W.A.’s fateful follow-up, Straight Outta Compton (1989-Priority), was released on January 27, 1989, with no publicity. Despite receiving no radio play, it went gold in six weeks, selling 600,000 units in the first week alone. Thanks to major label distribution, the album eventually sold over three million copies and earned Ice Cube and Eazy-E letters from the FBI urging them to stop making music. While other hip-hop artists, like Northern California’s Davey D and Kevvy Kev, boycotted airplay, the public embraced it. Dre has stated that they were simply trying to create music that their friends would enjoy, yet the content proved to be eerily prescient.
The second track, “F*** Tha Police,” was inspired by an incident where Eazy-E and Dre had guns pointed at their heads by police for paintballing pedestrians in Torrance. Seventy-five percent of the album featured live instruments, even though the samples became iconic. It depicted a world where the civil rights movement had stalled, and traditional paths to success were closed off to inner-city Black communities. The characters in N.W.A.’s stories found the elusive American Dream through cars, guns, crime, sex, and chaos. Three years later, this artistic discontent would manifest in reality as Los Angeles erupted in riots and flames. The group became a global phenomenon, and their tales of money and women became their reality. Dre bought a massive French colonial mansion, complete with women, cars, and jewelry. Their infamous first tour ended for Dre when he learned that his brother Tyree had been attacked outside a store and died from a broken neck. Soon after, Ice Cube left the group over disputes regarding his recording contract.
The “100 Miles and Runnin’” EP from 1990 took multiple shots at Ice Cube for his departure, serving as a prelude to N.W.A.’s third and final album, Efil4Zaggin (1991-Priority), which spells out “Niggaz4Life” when read backward. Dr. Dre and co-producer DJ Yella crafted a densely layered mix of soul-funk and hard-hitting beats, particularly evident in the track “Real N***** Don’t Die.” With Ice Cube’s powerful voice absent, Eazy-E’s distinctive nasal flow, alongside lyrics by The D.O.C., took center stage. This album, defying expectations, became one of the most unexpected Billboard 200 number-one hits. However, its release was marred by controversy, including an incident where Dre assaulted a female TV host at a Hollywood party, reportedly in retaliation for her mocking N.W.A. on air. Dre faced legal consequences, receiving a fine of $2,500, two years’ probation, and community service.
In 1992, Los Angeles erupted in riots after a jury acquitted white LAPD officers involved in the videotaped beating of Rodney King—an event that starkly exposed America’s deep-seated institutional racism. The U.S. economy was in a recession, contributing to George H.W. Bush losing the presidency, while rising crime rates and a crack epidemic devastated urban communities. During this period, tensions between Dre and Eazy-E escalated over contract disputes. According to legend, Suge Knight allegedly threatened their manager at Priority Records to allow Dre to leave. Dre departed in 1992, igniting a feud with Eazy that was fueled by their respective record sales. That same year, Dre launched his solo career with the single “Deep Cover,” featuring Snoop Dogg, on his new label, Death Row Records. This marked the beginning of a new era with hits like “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.”
Meanwhile, Ice Cube enjoyed success with his solo projects, including AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990-Priority) and Death Certificate (1991-Priority), as well as numerous films. N.W.A. The Legacy Volumes 1 and 2 (1999-Priority, 2002-Priority) included tracks by Snoop Doggy Dogg, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and hits like “California Love” and “Murder Was the Case.” In 1994, Dre and Cube reconciled with the release of the single “Natural Born Killaz” and eventually mended their relationship with Eazy-E before his death from AIDS-related complications in 1995. In 1998, Dre, Cube, and MC Ren collaborated on singles “Hello” and “Chin Check.” DJ Yella went on to direct adult films. An N.W.A. reunion concert took place in 2000, and both Cube and Dre remain influential figures in the music industry.
In summary, the rise of N.W.A. was shaped by funk music, the war on drugs, America’s underlying racial tensions, and a response to East Coast rap. Dre’s production expertise, Cube’s lyricism, and Eazy-E’s ambition combined to create a West Coast rap phenomenon that offered an alternative to the politically charged messages of groups like Public Enemy. While Chuck D urged people to “Fight The Power,” N.W.A. presented the raw, unapologetic “Boyz-N-The-Hood,” sparking the most significant cultural shift in Black art entering white households since the emergence of blues and jazz. N.W.A. was volatile, chaotic, and fleeting, but its impact remains indelible, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to resonate worldwide.
Credit photo: “N.W.A” by john.young.photos is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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