In 1987, the NWA debuts with a compilation of cuts from Fila Fresh Crew and other affiliates, along with some singles from the original group. The record comes out with Macola Records, the West Coast label that had already launched The Egyptian Lover, and a subsidiary of Kru-Cut Records, Grandmaster Lonzo's label that in 1985 released the debut album of World Class Wreckin Cru. Around the same time, in Compton, Eazy-E founds his own label, calling Dr. Dre from World Class Wreckin' Cru as executive producer and Ice Cube, MC of The C.I.A., a local group, to write the lyrics, DJ Yella and Arabian Prince help Dre in production. In 1986, the Ruthless team produces the lyrics for the song "Boyz-n-the-Hood", originally intended for the New York rap group Home Boys Only (HBO), but the group, signed by Ruthless Records, rejects the track.
According to the Ruthless producers, the cut is good and they convince Eric Wright to perform it himself, who, under the pseudonym of Eazy-E, records the piece: published by Ruthless as a single, it manages to sell about two hundred thousand physical copies. The success of the hit convinces Eazy-E to form NWA, which is originally a hip-hop collective that includes a dozen artists, among which Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and the founder himself, with Yella and Arabian Prince in the role of beatmakers. The group also releases the singles "Dope Man" and "8 Ball", which achieve good success in the streets and convince Wright to put together an EP for the Macola Records, at the time one of the most important local labels in the hip-hop scene: Wright composes the extended play with five songs, the two mentioned above with "A Bitch Iz a Bitch" by Dre and Ice Cube, "Fat Girl" by Eazy and "Panic Zone" by NWA produced by Arabian Prince.
The EP is ready, they just need a suitable cover for the album: Eazy-E gathers all the members of his collective to take the photo for the cover: above, from left to right, DJ Train is partially obscured from the title of the disc, next to him is Sir Jinx, then MC Chip, MC Ren, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, K-Dee, Ice Cube, Arabian Prince and DJ Scratch (which on some covers you can find completely obscured by a black band that introduces you to the various performers of the compilation), crouched down below are Krazy Dee and Candyman. Among the many, there is no DJ Yella, who was already a member of the group. The photo should be fine and is taken to the label, where A&R decide to insert other songs of the members affiliated to the collective, creating a cross between the EP and the compilation: half of the songs are made from what, only after the the release of the disc, will be the NWA group, formed by Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella and Arabian Prince (only later, MC Ren will replace Arabian Prince as an official member of the group).
The other half is made by Fila Fresh Crew, a collective that includes The D.O.C.: the collective is discovered during a trip to Texas by a DJ friend of Dr. Dre. The DOC later became a close affiliate of the NWA, first working as a ghostwriter (including for the next effort, "Straight Outta Compton"), then signing with Eazy-E's Ruthless label. Macola decides that this first effort by N***** Wit Attitudes must follow the trend of the moment and have a more party-oriented and electro-oriented sound, so "Panic Zone" is preferred to Ice Cube's song "A Bitch Iz a Bitch": the success obtained by the following album convinces Priority to reissue this album, and instead of the honest "Scream" realized by Microphone Mike aka Myka 9 and Rappinstine (both rappers related to the World Class Wreckin' Cru), the Ice Cube classic "A Bitch Iz a Bitch" is inserted.
Among the first gangsta rap albums and among the first well-made in the West Coast, this comp is based on classic cuts such as the aforementioned "Boyz-N-The Hood" by Eazy-E, "8-Ball" & "Dopeman": the latter is a pretty successful track, produced by Yella and Dr. Dre, with a catchy hook, timely delivery by Eazy-E & Ice Cube, and with the bridge preceding the third verse which is one of the very first examples of g-funk. Union of dark and violent themes and hard and tight rhythms, the LP is surrounded by a party mood and doesn't get taken too seriously, despite some lyrics playing against the album, such as "Drink It Up" (mockery of "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles, this choice is a sort of musical mess: the three screaming all the way without any sense on a rhythm realized by Dre) and the bad "Fat Girl" with Ron-De-Vu. Recommended to NWA fans.
Rating: 7/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment