Revisiting NWA´s discography part 4; Dr.Dre & DJ Yella

[Chad Vader]

Yomo & Maulkie; Are U Xperienced? produced by DJ Yella

http://www.amazon.com/Are-U-Xperienced-Yomo-Maulkie/dp/B000008MJO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1235418528&sr=1-1
1. Doors
2. Glory
3. Watch Out Black Folks
4. Mockingbird
5. For The Love Of Money
6. The A Train
7. Soul Psychedelic Side
8. When Your Back's Turned
9. Mama Don't
10. Brain Child
11. Society's Relentless
12. Daddy Rich
13. Are U Xperienced?
14. For The Love Of Money (Instrumental)

Overall;
Somehow this album gets overlooked  ,which is shame. Banging beats and lyrics.
4/5

Yomo and Maulkie; Glory review in The Source Magazine september 1991 #24


Yomo & Maulkie; Are U Xperienced review in The Source Magazine November 1991 #26










Related threads;
Revisiting NWA´s discography part 1; Ice Cube
+
Revisiting NWA´s discography part 2; Eazy-E
+
Revisiting NWA´s discography part 3; MC Ren
+
The ultimate N.W.A family interview thread *magazine scans,reviews etc.*

[EAZY-LI]

so the source diss d.j yella for producing 2 tracks on
eazys it on album. but don't say shit
when he producing a hole album for this guys typical   

why hasnt yella got he own thread chad?

[Chad Vader]

why hasn't yella got he own thread chad?

I figured because he has just produced two albums (top to bottom) by himself hardly nobody would care. 

[Chad Vader]

Dr.Dre and DJ Yella reviews

NWA; Straight Outta Compton review Hip Hop Connection October 1989 NO.9


Eazy-E; Eazy Duz It review Hip Hop Connection November 1989 NO.10


The D.O.C; No One Can Do It Better review in XXL May 2004 NO.58


Michelle review Hip Hop Connection April 1990 NO.15


NWA; 100 Miles and Runnin review in Hip Hop Connection. October 1990 # 21


NWA Niggaz4Life in The Source magazine August 1991 #23


Dr.Dre; The Chronic review in The Source


Snoop Dogg; The Source Doggystyle review;


Snoop Dogg; Doggystyle review Hip Hop Connection


Dr.Dre; Chronic 2001 review in Murder Dog



Dr.Dre; Chronic 2001 review in The Source January 2000 NO.124



Dr.Dre; The Chronic 2001 review in XXL Jan:Feb 2001 NO.22

[The Predator]

Imagine when Detox drops every one and there mother will be writing review's on it.

[Chad Vader]

Imagine when Detox drops every one and there mother will be writing review's on it.

Dre got all odds against him... 

[J$crILLa]

doggystyle got my vote, but there alot of classic albums listed

[Dre-Day]

Yella Boy's on your team, so you're losin'

a bit offtopic, but Yella never talked bad about Cube

[Chad Vader]

Yella Boy's on your team, so you're losin'

a bit offtopic, but Yella never talked bad about Cube

you're right,at least not public...
that "dead weight" line must hurt a little (for Yella)

[Chad Vader]

http://hiphopisntdead.blogspot.com/search/label/N.W.A.
N.W.A. - Efil4zaggin (May 28, 1991)


Even though founding father Ice Cube left N.W.A. after the release of their true debut album, Straight Outta Compton (a disc that O'Shea wrote the majority of, although he was never properly compensated for his work), the remaining members (Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella) didn't seem to be altogether shaken up by the loss. Other than the fact that Dre started taking to the mic more often after Cube's departure, N.W.A. chugged along for an EP release (100 Miles and Runnin') and one more album, Efil4zaggin (it's really called N----z4Life, but the letters were reversed in most publications, mostly as a way to mask the racial epithet for mainstream audiences, but also because it's really fucking hard to type backwards letters, which is how they appear on the actual album cover).

With Efil4zaggin, The World's Most Dangerous Group take their aggression to unheard-of levels, abandoning the mere concept of a somewhat socially conscious N.W.A. track (and yes, there were a few on Straight Outta Compton) in favor of ultraviolence, nightmares about life (and death) in the hood, ridiculously hardcore misogyny, the word "n---a" (which is used no less that four thousand nine hundred and thirty-two times), and a dark sense of humor thrown in for good measure. Musically, Efil4zaggin sounds nothing like its predecessor, with Dr. Dre directing his group onto a newer path, one littered with funk and soul samples and guitars, leaving behind the old-school styling of Straight Outta Compton and upgrading for the new decade. Also, I'm sure Yella helped a little, as well.

After the release of Efil4zaggin, N.W.A. fell the fuck apart, as Dr. Dre (and his main man slash co-writer The D.O.C.) defected to help create Death Row Records after Andre discovered that, alas, Cube was right about being fucked over for royalties. Eazy would grow to relish his executive role, although this didn't stop him from continuing to record music right up until his passing in 1995. MC Ren and DJ Yella would stick with Eazy's label, Ruthless Records, but the damage had already been done, as N.W.A. was no more: the four artists wouldn't record together again in Eazy's lifetime.

However, Efil4zaggin sold a ton of copies, so none of them were hurting for money, at least. Except for maybe Ren, Dre, and Yella, since they weren't actually getting paid, but I believe you get my point. (If you don't, never fear, as I make the same point in a joking fashion elsewhere in this write-up.)

1. PRELUDE (FEAT ABOVE THE LAW)
Given the title, you're probably expecting your average rap album intro. Thanks to the beat (swiped from "Kamurshol", off of 100 Miles and Runnin'), this track is elevated to the level of "good". Oh, and after Above the Law decide to shut the hell up and let Ren spit some serious shit, the song is upgraded to "great", as Lorenzo cements his place as one of the most underrated emcees in hip hop history.

2. REAL N----Z DON'T DIE
This shit fucking rocks. The same melody from Masta Ace Incorporated's "Born To Roll" plays in the background, and the guitars are a fantastic addition. Dre, Ren, and even Eazy also manage to sound threatening, which is a plus. Toss in the chorus from Rare Earth's "I Just Want To Celebrate", and you have a bona fide gangsta rap classic. Yeah, I said it. Up until this point, you hadn't heard Dr. Dre produce anything that sounded like this. The fucker was holding out on us!

3. N----Z 4 LIFE
Probably would have been the album's title track had people been less inclined to censor the disc's name. Anyway, don't look to this song for any sort of social commentary regarding the n-word, because you'll be searching for a needle in the hay, Elliott Smith-style: Ren, Dre, and Eric all fail to come up with any sort of compelling argument for the use of the word. Ren's line "I call myself a n---a because my skin won't lighten" is probably some of the deepest shit he's ever written, though.

4. PROTEST
This skit is pretty dumb for two reasons. One, it sounds to me as if someone is spinning the dial on their radio trying to find their station (with an outdated sound effect that will probably be completely lost on younger readers), so how in the hell is it possible that the unknown hand would change the radio dial to a television newscast? (The jig is up when the newscaster at the N.W.A. concert yells "Turn off the fucking camera!") Two, who in the fuck would take their fucking seed to a N.W.A. concert? That's just terrible parenting.

5. APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION
Dre's beat brings the same type of adrenaline rush that "100 Miles and Runnin'" provided. Even though Dre doesn't write his own lyrics either (see: The D.O.C.), Ren and Dre sound much more natural as rappers than Ruthless Records CEO Eazy-E does, so I was kind of happy to hear Eric's verse interrupted in order to bring listeners to the next skit.

6. DON'T DRINK THAT WINE
A mildly amusing skit. For my two readers who keep track of this sort of thing, this sketch served as inspiration for one of the more bizarre interludes on Redman's Muddy Waters, and album that I would certainly hope my two readers have purchased by now. (Come on, it's Christmas! Buy two for your friends!)

7. ALWAYZ INTO SOMETHIN' (FEAT ADMIRAL DANCEHALL)
I had forgotten about this song's existence until I tooled around San Andreas in a stolen police car. Never one for subtlety, Dr. Dre slips in a potshot at Ice Cube, but otherwise, it's interesting that he actually sounds exactly the same on here as he does now (which I know isn't saying much). MC Ren is the MVP of this shit, though, and his contribution (and the lack of Eazy-E) makes an already good song pretty fucking essential. The bullshit outro (contributed by the guest star) threatens to fuck everything up, though.

8. MESSAGE TO B.A.
A skit dissing the shit out of O'Shea Jackson. Later in the year, Tim Dog would steal this idea for the intro to his Penicillin On Wax, although he would make it a point to disrespect everybody in N.W.A. except for Cube.

9. REAL N----Z
This subtle (as a slegdehammer in a hall of mirrors) Ice Cube diss track is the same one which appeared on 100 Miles and Runnin', except minus the long-ass intro. The sound is a bit cleaned up, but if you've followed me to this point, you've already heard this song, so let's move on.

10. TO KILL A HOOKER
Wow. I definitely cannot understand why N.W.A. failed to garner much of a female following. Naah, I'm just fucking with you. The crew's blatant hatred of the opposite sex makes me wonder why women even bothered to get near the group in the first place. It certainly couldn't have been the money: besides Eazy, none of them had any.

11. ONE LESS BITCH
It's all fictional, of course: most of these rappers out in the world do less dirt than some of your favorite bloggers. However, Dre's nonchalant statement that he had to kill a bitch, and then his insistence on telling the listener how he did it, isn't any less fucked up just because we all know Dre's a happily married recluse of a family man. The music on here is really damn good, though, almost cancelling out the lyrics, which have zero redeeming value.

12. FINDUM, FUCKUM, & FLEE
Eric's reference to "Lesson 3" doesn't make any sense in this context, since "Lesson 2" (in a series about chicks giving blowjobs, a course that actually stops at lesson 2, anyway) doesn't even appear until two songs from now. Also, hearing Dre brag about smacking a bitch sounds really fucking stupid, especially considering the Dee Barnes incident. All of these rappers are adequate enough, but the song itself is only barely passable.

13. AUTOMOBILE
This is simply goofy as fuck, but I always enjoy hearing musicians not taking their craft too seriously. (*cough* Lupe Fiasco *cough*) You'll probably listen to this once and never play it again, but at least you'll chuckle while it spins.

14. SHE SWALLOWED IT
This sequel to "Just Don't Bite It" (from 100 Miles and Runnin') actually sounds really good musically (the bass gutiar licks especially), and the chick in the beginning sounds kind of hot, but ultimately, it's not the best song in the world. It's just ignorant enough to warrant a spot on many playlists, I'm sure. Thankfully, this time we don't have to hear Eazy-E (allegedly) getting blown in the booth.

15. I'D RATHER FUCK YOU (FEAT CPO)
If this hadn't been comprised of three Eazy-E verses, I would have thought this was a mildly amusing skit. Since this is an actual song, though, the joke grows old very quickly.

16. APPROACH TO DANGER
This song doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album. (The title also doesn't really fit into the English language, as well.) It sounds alright, though, save for Eazy's creepy narration, which is scarier than those commercials that were played in Halloween III: Season Of The Witch.

17. 1-900-2-COMPTON
A silly skit that becomes less and less funny with each listen.

18. THE DAYZ OF WAYBACK (FEAT ADMIRAL DANCEHALL)
This is actually a pretty good way to end the album. It's not as sweet and nostalgic as you were probably expecting, given the title, but I still found it entertaining.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Efil4zaggin sounds completely different that Straight Outta Compton: at times it seems that the only two constants from the last project to this one are MC Ren and Eazy-E. Dr. Dre utilizes his time on the album to inadvertently create the blueprint for his G-Funk reinvention on his own solo debut, The Chronic, and also recites his ass off with his prewritten rhymes. MC Ren sounds like the motherfucking man, so much so that it almost breaks your heart when you recall that he's the guy that failed to see any success after the breakup of the group. Eazy-E takes the class clown route on the songs he does appear on, although he spends a lot of time in the office this go round. (I also assume DJ Yella contributed in some fashion.) Fans of The Chronic will fucking love this shit, as it takes the anger from their debut and turns it on its ear, actually creating the better album. Yeah, I fucking said it: Efil4zaggin works much better than Straight Outta Compton.

BUY OR BURN? Musically, this album is the balls. Reward Dr. Dre for a job well done by picking up a copy, preferably the remastered edition that also contains the full 100 Miles and Runnin' EP. If you ignore the lyrics, you'll enjoy this shit even more.

BEST TRACKS: "Real N----z Don't Die"; "Prelude"; "Appetite For Destruction"; "Alwayz Into Somethin'"; "She Swallowed It"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Other N.W.A. stuff can be seen by clicking here.


Written By: Max 6 comments


September 5, 2008
N.W.A. - 100 Miles and Runnin' (August 16, 1990)


1990 saw the release of former N.W.A. member Ice Cube's solo debut, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, an angry album that provided a showcase for arguably the finest writer in the crew. Having left the crew thanks to monetary issues (primarily the issue of not receiving his fair share of publishing, and always having to pitch in for MC Ren's contribution whenever the group ordered out for pizza, especially when getting the pizza was Ren's fucking idea in the first place), he opted to adopt a sligtly more mature outlook: indeed, a quick spin of AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted will show that Cube never actually mentions his former bandmates at all (a passing mention is made to the situation as a whole, but the group is never called out by name, and neither are any of his former friends).

N.W.A., in contrast, had no such hangups.

Cube left the group after their first actual album, Straight Outta Compton, was met with wide critical acclaim and a record number of, um, record sales. In an effort to shift the focus away from the man they dubbed a traitor, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Eazy-E, and DJ Yella quickly recorded and released a five-track EP called 100 Miles and Runnin'. It quickly sold out in stores and eventually earned N.W.A. another gold plaque, thus proving that awareness of the group from the media's perspective was high.

Dre, Ren, and Eazy consistently address their former comrade throughout the duration of the first couple of songs (referring to Cube as 'Benedict Arnold', a nickname which would transfer over to the crew's next full-length release), and their disappointment in Cube's decision to leave over financial issues is both readily apparent and kind of groundbreaking. Needing to fill the void, Dr. Dre steps behind the mic with much more regularity than he ever had before, and had he not done this, who knows where his solo career would be today. Ren sounds as crafty as ever, and Eazy-E, whose rhymes were now written by MC Ren and group affiliate The D.O.C. in tandem, sounded, for lack of a better word, concise, if not as charged as he once was while reciting O'Shea's speeches.

100 Miles and Runnin' ultimately provided enough music to whet the appetites of the millions of suburban white kids who lived vicariously through the gangsta acts depicted in verse by Dre, Ren, and Eric Wright. DJ Yella and Dr. Dre tried their best to create a different sound, in a further effort to deviate from their origins, and although Dre gets the majority of the credit for the production, Yella deserves a pat on the back, as well. But only one pat: if Yella were responsible for more of the music provided on here, he shouldn't have a problem producing for rap acts today by himself, right?

Right?

1. 100 MILES AND RUNNIN'
The beat puts you into exactly the right mindset for an N.W.A. return, with a newer sound that bore only the slightest resemblance to what the group had done previously. Dr. Dre sounds so intense behind the mic that you may not recognize him until he says his own name in his rhyme, as most rappers are prone to do. Nice reference to The Warriors, by the way.

2. REAL N----Z
Ren and Andre pass the mic back and forth (with a brief cameo by Eazy-E), addressing the expectations which were placed upon them, which they were projected to surpass, regardless of the loss of a productive member of their executive staff. This is essentially a State of the Union set to a rap beat.

3. JUST DON'T BITE IT
Completely ridiculous and misogynistic, but at the same time, this is gangsta rap: that's not an excuse, but it is a reason. This isn't really any different from any other gangsta rap act out there, except for the musical portion of it. For what it is, it's not horrible, at least, not until the end of the track, as I truly never needed to ever hear the experience that is acted out during the outro. Sigh.

4. SA PRIZE, PT. 2
After an extremely long intro, this song is revealed to be a sequel to "Fuck Tha Police" (which makes sense, since The World's Most Dangerous Group never had a song called "Sa Prize" in their back catalog), except, of course, minus the presence of O'Shea Jackson. The courtroom motif of the original is abandoned in favor of several skits and interludes explaining why you, too, should be on the lookout for corrupt, racist police officers to generally fuck up: the only downside is that they're essentially preaching to the choir, as corrupt, racist police officers actually are pretty easy to hate and want to fuck up, thanks. The original song is much better, not just musically, but because it had more of an impact on the psyche of America: there wasn't anything like it prior to its release. However, Dre, Ren, Eazy, and Yella's attempt to expand their scope (with some assists from The D.O.C.) is much appreciated.

5. KAMURSHOL
A glorified rap album outro-slash-commercial (hey, I just got it!) for N.W.A.'s upcoming album, whose title was apparently revealed for the very first time on this track. It appears in a backmasked, creepy-as-fuck-sounding form (the album was to be called N----z4life, but when played backward, it sounds a bit like Efil4zaggin, and as such, that became the album's title). Over an unquestionably fucking dope Dre beat (the one which Tim Dog jacked for the intro of Penicillin On Wax: also, Nas, Ja Rule, DMX, and Method Man also liberally borrowed it for their unintentionally boring collaboration "Grand FInale" from the Belly soundtrack), Ren and company talk a massive amount of shit while the same backmasked sample repeats "Efil4zaggin" over and over again, making you believe that Lucifer himself is trying to tell you to murder your parents and/or buy the next N.W.A. album. Possibly both.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Obviously 100 Miles and Runnin' is not an actual "album", so complaining about a lack of cohesiveness is not very productive. This disc was only released as an effort to keep N.W.A. awareness high after the controversial departure of the primary songwriter, Ice Cube, and other than the heightened vocal presence of Andre Young and the production, 100 Miles and Runnin' proves that it was simply business as usual in the Ruthless Records offices. Speaking of Dre, the producer that we're all most familiar with started peeking out from behind the curtains with this EP release, as the sonic backdrops he brings to the table are light-years beyond the old-school flavor from Straight Outta Compton. However, there are only five songs on this disc, which is not enough to make a valid comparison between the two projects.

BUY OR BURN? This EP is not a necessary addition to your CD collection. I suppose that you could simply burn it if you really wanted it now, but when I get to the next N.W.A. album write-up, you'll find that there is another alternative. For now, let it be known that, while this EP was probably the shit to own in 1990 (some of my older two fans may have run out to the store to pick this disc up when it hit shelves), today it doesn't amount to much. At least, it doesn't by itself...

BEST TRACKS: "100 Miles and Runnin'"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Read up on the other N.W.A.-related posts by clicking here.


Written By: Max 2 comments


June 28, 2008
N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton (August 8, 1988)


If you'll recall our last N.W.A. gathering, their unofficial debut album, N.W.A. & The Posse, which was a haphazard attempt by Macola Records to capitalize on the early success of the first singles released by the N----z With Attitude, had sold tons of copies, even though none of the crew members recognized it as a valid representation of their work. As terrible as that album was, though, its success proved that the world was ready for Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, DJ Yella, and (to a much lesser extent) Arabian Prince to provide socially conscious gangsta rap that showed true musical ambition.

So, Straight Outta Compton was born. Most hip hop heads consider this disc to be the group's true debut album anyway, considering that the group had full creative control this time around (except when it came to handling their funds; more on that subject at a later date). It ended up selling millions of copies worldwide, based primarily on some unorthodox marketing techniques that were borderline brilliant back in the day.

Straight Outta Compton was one of the first albums to sport a variation of the Parental Advisory sticker on its cover, which to young white male teenagers (that were the core audience, if history has proven anything) basically meant that this disc would be the perfect way to piss off their parents, thus earning a couple million in sales right there. The video for the title track was also banned from the major music outlet of the day, MTV, but for the life of me I can't remember why (I'm sure it had something to do with violent content, but, you know, some older Metallica videos were pretty violent and those got played). Finally, in a stroke of luck, N.W.A. managed to piss off, of all organizations, the fucking F.B.I. with their "Fuck Tha Police", who proceeded to write a very terse letter to Ruthless Records, one which is apparently on display at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

All of those factors, combined with the fact that Dr. Dre (and, to be fair, DJ Yella, although nobody seems to remember this) had advanced his production skills light years ahead of his own work on N.W.A. & The Posse (which wasn't hard; that disc was made up of a lot of his old, pre-N.W.A. work), resulted in The World's Most Dangerous Group, as was the name of their bowling league, dominating hip hop for a time in the late 1980's, and residual effects are still being felt today: N.W.A. inspired scores of West Coast copycats, most notable among them Dre apprentices Snoop Dogg and The Game, and, oddly, also provided the motivation Q-Tip needed to complete The Low End Theory, which was recorded in response to Dre's craftsmanship on Straight Outta Compton.

I know, that last fact is kind of bizarre, but it's true.

1. STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
Who needs a rap album intro? Cube pretends that N.W.A.'s first few singles never existed and essentially redefines the terms of his crew with his verse. MC Ren doesn't slouch, either, and Eazy at least reads his lines very well, but for me the true appeal in this track lies in Dre and Yella's beat, which sounds nothing like any of their previous tracks and leaves you gasping for air.

2. FUCK THA POLICE
Younger hip hop fans may be thrown off by the corny-ass courtroom skits used as a framing device for "Fuck Tha Police", but once the song hits, its controversial-at-the-time-but-today-not-so-much-as-eyebrow-raising subject matter will bleed into your mind. This shit was incendiary at its time, and the overall message still hits home, thanks to the resiliency of crooked cops everywhere (*cough* Sean Bell *cough*).

3. GANGSTA GANGSTA
Cube's line "We don't get any play from the ladies/With six n----s in the car, is you crazy?" still makes me laugh today. With his three verses, this comes off as an Ice Cube solo track, but after he finishes up the song itself takes a left turn, with Eric Wright batting cleanup.

4. IF IT AIN'T RUFF
I always felt the beat here was too simplistic, but it's just right for MC Ren to demolish during his solo turn here. I also always felt that MC Ren was severely underrated, and I always felt bad that Ren was the one guy from N.W.A. that doesn't seem to get any work today. I mean, hell, even Yella still works in porn. (I also like using the word 'always'.)

5. PARENTAL DISCRETION IZ ADVISED (FEAT THE D.O.C.)
For younger hip hop fans expecting an entire album of "Fuck Tha Police", it should be obvious at this point that Straight Outta Compton is just a regular gangsta rap album with some above-average production values and some seriously lucky publicity. (If MC Eiht or Spice 1 had these lucky breaks, for instance, they probably would be running shit like Dre and Cube are today.) That doesn't mean that the other songs should be discounted, however. This posse cut is pretty fucking awesome, and The D.O.C. sets up expectations for his own solo album pretty well.

6. 8 BALL (REMIX)
An improvement to the already-decent original, which appeared on N.W.A. & The Posse and on various street corners in Compton. A little bit too long, though. It still sounds to me like Dre was listening to Licensed To Ill in his car and decided to make Eazy perform in that style.

7. SOMETHING LIKE THAT
The beat is even more elementary than "If It Ain't Ruff", but Ren and Dr. Dre, in his first rhyme-spitting appearance, have a back-and-forth that is infectious.

8. EXPRESS YOURSELF
The most radio-friendly song on here, and also, coincidentally, the most positive. The video, which received a ton of play on MTV, featured Dr. Dre on a horse, random bodybuilders for no fucking reason, and some of the most ineffective jail cells in history: what's not to like? Oh, and yes, this is the infamous track in which Dr. Dre claims that he "don't smoke weed or cess, 'cause it's known to give a brother brain damage/And brain damage on the mic don't manage". And yet...

9. COMPTON'S IN THE HOUSE (REMIX)
This song doesn't hold up. That's all I got.

10. I AIN'T THE 1
I'm not surprised that Cube found success after he went solo. When you listen to Straight Outta Compton, you'll notice that the tracks that feature O'Shea Jackson seem to sound completely different that the songs with just Eric, Lorenzo, or Andre. I'm almost convinced that Dre did this for his old friend on purpose, as a makeshift demo tape that just so happened to sell millions of copies.

11. DOPEMAN (REMIX)
Another remix of an earlier single, which was also originally featured on N.W.A. & The Posse. This song is okay, and sounds better than the first version, but pales in comparison to the best songs on Straight Outta Compton.

12. QUIET ON THA SET
The beat isn't very good, but Ren, once again, proves his worth to the crew. Not bad for a guy that was a late addition.

13. SOMETHING 2 DANCE 2
Arabian Prince's lone contribution to Straight Outta Compton, which only appears because Eazy-E felt sorry for him, sounds completely out of place on the disc. N.W.A. as a whole was dominating gangsta rap, a genre which they may not have invented but quite possibly mastered, while Arabian Prince was stuck doing the electro-tinged party tracks that Dr. Dre and the like did early on in their careers. This isn't bad, but it makes sense why Arabian Prince wasn't long for the group following the disc's release. This is just a goofy way to end an album such as this.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Straight Outta Compton kind of stalls in spots today, and Dr. Dre's production isn't as consistent or hard-hitting as I remember, but the lyrical performances of both Ice Cube and MC Ren make this project the classic that it is today, as do the relatively small doses of Eazy-E. Not very often does an album come along that redefines its genre, so when it actually happens, it's almost like an event happening in your brain. Not bad for a bunch of guys from Compton that recorded music as an alternative to fucking around in the streets.

BUY OR BURN? Fuck yes, you should have already bought this album. You need to support your hip hop elders, especially since nursing homes cost a lot of money, and if they don't already have that money, you know whose house they're going to stay in? Your house, that's who.

BEST TRACKS: "Straight Outta Compton"; "I Ain't The 1"; "Parental Discretion Iz Advised"; "Gangsta Gangsta"

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
N.W.A. - N.W.A. & The Posse


Written By: Max 3 comments


February 10, 2008
N.W.A. - N.W.A. and The Posse (November 6, 1987)


N.W.A., or N----z With Attitude as their mothers called them, were a merry band of happy-go-lucky young men from the city of Compton, California, who just so happened to both change the face of hip hop and shift the audience's focus from the genre's birthplace of New York to the West Coast. Although there is still some controversy as to whether they actually invented the sub-genre 'gangsta rap' (I'm leaning toward not so much), there's no question that they packaged that material for the widest possible consumption, all while remaining uncompromising in their beliefs, and they were rewarded with massive record sales, street credibility, and a place in hip hop history; the mere fact that rap fans that were born sometime in the nineties actually know who these guys are is proof positive of that, although their roles in the game have shifted somewhat (Are We Done Yet?, anyone?).

Their first release, N.W.A and The Posse, beat the group's "true" debut, Straight Outta Compton, to the shelves by one year. The group had a distribution deal with Macola Records at the time, and while they were touring their hit singles, they discovered that their shady record label packaged together their singles, along with some other random songs that were either unfinished thoughts or older tracks recorded in the same booths but not actually from the group itself, and released the "album" without the group's authorization. The group was understandibly pissed off, but this was no JT The Bigga Figga/The Game situation, where JT released The Game's early recordings as a way to earn some extra money off of the interest Jayceon Taylor spawned from getting signed to (ironically) Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records. Oh, no, this crisis was seemingly averted as N.W.A. and The Posse sold over five hundred thousand copies, earning the group a gold plaque from the RIAA; as such, the tour started capitalizing off of the success of the disc, but N.W.A. (and their label, Ruthless Records, headed up by Eazy-E and Jerry Heller) slowly and carefully extracted themselves from their distribution contract with Macola and set themselves up with Priority Records, which would bring about its own problems, but we'll get to those later.

N.W.A. and The Posse is best known to me as the album whose cover makes it look like N.W.A. consisted of seven hundred members, including The Professor and Mary Ann. In truth, the album, which consists of only eleven tracks, only contains three actual N.W.A. songs (bumped up to four on the Priority/Ruthless re-release in 1989, which is the version I have); the rest of the disc is made up of some Eazy-E solo material and songs from the Fila Fresh Crew (a group that was also signed to Ruthless/Macola, and featured future N.W.A. songwriter The D.O.C.). (I suppose this is how Macola avoided false advertising charges, by referring to the album as being presented by N.W.A. and their posse, but I digress. I also have to say, poor Andre Young, getting fucked over on every record label he ever was signed to, before he started his own: that's some bad luck right there, but you just know that same thing is happening to the majority of the rappers signed today.) The common thread of the album is that every song, believe it or not, was produced by Dr. Dre, since he was essentially the in-house Ruthless producer for everyone they signed, not unlike what Mannie Fresh used to do for Cash Money Records before he decided that quality trumps quantity every time.

For the record, the majority of the people on the album cover are not in N.W.A. The group officially consisted of Andre Young (Dr. Dre, future famed neurosurgeon and part-time gynecologist), O'Shea Jackson (Ice Cube, main songwriter and future actor, who would find success doing fucking kids movies), the late Eric Wright (Eazy-E, drug dealer-slash-money man and semi-successful record label owner, who succumbed to an illness provoked by AIDS in 1995), Lorenzo Patterson (MC Ren, songwriter and future assistant manager of Carl's Jr, and the guy that doesn't even really appear on this album), Mik Lezan (Arabian Prince...sorry, I got nothing), and Antoine Carraby (DJ Yella, the group's second DJ next to Dr. Dre, and the only one to remain loyal to Eazy-E when the shit went down later on). Everyone except for Yella appear in the group shot, which doesn't really make sense, since Ren was the last member to be added to the group, but that's how it goes.

1. BOYZ-N-THE-HOOD
The version that Eazy put on his solo album is a remix of this song. There are only minor differences between this song and its more successful remix, but this version pales in comparison, although it's still pretty decent. (Does that sound hypocritical or what?) Apparently Dr. Dre's perfectionist gene was prevalent even in the late 1980's, as he tinkered with this and two of the "true" N.W.A. songs before their official release on Eazy-Duz-It and Straight Outta Compton, respectively.

2. 8 BALL
The first N.W.A. track, which would also see itself remixed before the next disc. Maybe it's just me, but the Beastie Boys influence seems even more obvious on the original version.

3. DUNK THE FUNK
Fila Fresh Crew, not The World's Most Dangerous Group. This sounds okay, but extremely dated, and would probably be the first song you would outright skip if you were to ever actually sit down with the album.

4. A BITCH IZ A BITCH
Not bad for what it is (ostensibly a song calling out bitches, but advising listeners on the differenences between women and bitches, so as not to piss off half of the world's population), although I feel J-Zone had a better feel for the material later on. On the original Macola vinyl pressing, this track was actually Rappinstine's "Scream", which I have never actually heard, so I can't have an opinion one way or the other, but the name of the group itself is pretty amusing to me. When Priority/Ruthless re-released the album in CD format in 1989, they put "A Bitch Iz A Bitch" in its place, in an effort to trick people into buying more records. ("A Bitch Iz A Bitch" was originally the B-side for "Express Yourself", a single that was released two years from the date this album dropped, which makes this song a gift from the future!)

5. DRINK IT UP
Even though this is Fila Fresh Crew and not N.W.A., this song is still a questionable inclusion. It both samples and imitates the pattern of the Top Notes's "Twist and Shout", although since it is heavily influenced by the Isley Brothers's version of the song, I suppose we should all appreciate Dre's vision. (Perhaps you can do that, but I'll pass.) The only thing that amuses me about this song is picturing Ferris Bueller rapping this song on the float instead of The Beatles's version of "Twist and Shout": now that brings a smile to my face.

6. PANIC ZONE
I actually love this song. This is the only appearance by Arabian Prince, the sometime member of N.W.A. that was essentially forced out after their focus shifted from ripping off Afrika Bambaataa to straight-up gangsta rap music, motherfuckers! Since I happen to like some electro-tinged hip hop, this song has earned a spot on my playlist, although the mere fact that this is a true song by N.W.A. (there was a single released and everything) and not by some no-name group like Rappinstine blows my mind.

7. L.A. IS THE PLACE
Eazy-E and beatboxer Ron-De-Vu present the first of their two collaborations, on which the music overshadows the sparse rapping (mixing problems in the studio, Andre?). While this song doesn't make me want to avoid Los Angeles, it doesn't act as an appealing travelogue, either.

8. DOPEMAN
The final N.W.A. song, of which every single fan of the group has heard its remix. While this is a pretty decent song, it's representative of the identity crisis the group was facing during its inception: make songs to dance to, or make songs intended to point out the real problems of their society? Eventually, they would make their choice, but if you plan on skipping around to only hear N.W.A.'s tracks, you'll be thrown for a loop if this is sequenced right after "Panic Zone". This song also features the first recorded vocal collaboration between Cube, Dre, and Eazy.

9. TUFFEST MAN ALIVE
This is actually the title track of Fila Fresh Crew's debut album, which was to see its release one year later. It's not bad, but there is no way this type of rap music would sell in a world dominated by ringtone rappers.

10. FAT GIRL
Eazy-E and Ron-De-Vu contribute this lame-ass song that is too juvenile to ever be taken seriously. Some of Eazy's storytelling on other songs is pretty good (it helps that he never wrote his own material), but this song can only be considered a practical joke on everyone that bought this album, or, if I'm feeling less harsh, a studio outtake that Eazy recorded as a goof but never intended for release, which is probably closer to the truth.

11. 3 THE HARD WAY
Not an N.W.A. song. This abomination can only be attributed to the Fila Fresh Crew, and it sounds as dull as an eighty-six year old butter knife.

FINAL THOUGHTS: N.W.A. and The Posse is for completists only, which is to say, for people that have made it their life's mission to track down every single song that Andre Young has ever recorded and produced. It's unfair to call it disjointed and unfocused, since it's just a compilation of singles, but any of the five hundred thousand people that bought this crap should be pissed off at the false advertising. It's also unfair to call it "crap", since the actual N.W.A. songs are pretty good, but I feel that you get my point. Luckily for us, N.W.A. soon ended their tour and quickly recorded their official debut, which was controversial for completely different reasons that have nothing to do with distribution; we'll get into that as my schedule permits.

BUY OR BURN? Burn this shit, but only if you absolutely positively have to. Anything that is marketed as an "album" (not an "EP") but only features four songs by the artists the disc is attributed to automatically doesn't deserve your money. Other than "Panic Zone", the other N.W.A. songs can be found (in the case of two of the three songs, in superior remixed versions) elsewhere pretty easily. As I wrote above, this disc is for completists only.

BEST TRACKS: "Panic Zone"

-Max

[EAZY-LI]

we in the house

jj fad

Not Just a Fad November 13, 1990


produced by d.j yella
 
1Intro
2We In the House
3Gold
4Be good ta me
5Work It
6It's da fad
7Not Just a Fad
8We want it all
9Step
10Ain't nothin' comin'
11We'd like to thank

J.J. Fad (Just Jammin' Fresh and Def) made history in 1988 when they became the first female rap group to be nominated for a Grammy for their pop-rap hit "Supersonic." The L.A. trio -- MC J.B. (Juana Burns), Baby D (Dania Birks), and Sassy C (Michelle Franklin) -- were a stark contrast to their Ruthless labelmates and producers, N.W.A. Their 1988 debut, Supersonic, went platinum and stayed on the Billboard charts for over four months. A second album, Not Just a Fad, was released in 1991 but didn't fare well on the charts or with rap fans; the group disbanded the following year. ~ Wade Kergan, All Music Guide

In 1988, the exuberant L.A. hip-hop women of J.J. Fad percolated their way to the top 30 with an annoyingly cute kiddie-novelty called ''Supersonic.'' On their second album, Not Just A Fad determined not to wind up as one-hit wonders, they rap furious but friendly over backing tracks ranging from heavy metal to house music. The trio's rhyme can seem rote at times, but their spirit hardly ever does. They're feminist enough to defend themselves against rude suitors, but they're also unpretentious enough to question rap's trendy preoccupation with its African roots. The live-sounding blues guitar, the sampled radio commercials (''Biogenetic engineering tomorrow — today''), and the druggy way the tempo slows almost to a standstill might well be the brainstorms of producer D.J. Yella (from the gangster-rap group NWA), but these ladies are beginning to take control. Surprisingly enough, J.J. Fad has a future. B+