Eazy-E — Str8 Off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton

After his solo debut in '88, Eazy-E starts working immediately on the sophomore, which should be released in the early nineties and is continually postponed due to the dissolution of the N.W.A and the consequent feuds between the various members of the group. In the intentions of the rapper, the record should be released in the summer of 1995 as a giant double album of 60 tracks, but due to the worsening of his health conditions, the record comes out only nine months after his death, notably reduced and changed. It now features 14 tracks which are an inconsistent college of discarded sessions and track fragments.

DJ Yella tries not to lose the hype that came from Eazy-E's death and packs this obviously frayed and incomplete CD. Besides Eric Wright and Bobcat himself, most of the production is signed by Yella and it's not good music: of the 60 tracks expected, he puts together the only ones with authorized and clarified samples, with the result that in 54 minutes the closest thing to a melodic sample is a loop by the Delfonics in "Gangsta Beat 4 tha Street", posse with BG, Dresta and the duo Menajahtwa that rip the cut.

The whole project sounds like a long cypher, with amateur gangsta themes, shocking lyrics and rhythms that seem to be scrapped straight from the latest NWA album, which is also the last time Yella did beats on a studio album. The eighth track seems to have been exactly removed from "Efil4zaggin" as a skit before "One Less Bitch", to be replaced by that other skit, and Yella had decided to put it here without crediting Dr. Dre as a co-producer. Obviously, it's the low point of the album. Among the guests stand out MC Ren, protagonist of one of the rare almost-good choices of this LP, and the duo formed by B.G. Knocc Out & Gangsta Dresta, who try to recreate their most successful collaboration with Eazy-E a couple of times, always hampered by the shoddy and mediocre beats provided by Yella.

Released by Ruthless with Sony distribution, the album is third on the Billboard 200, first on the rap chart and sells half a million copies in just a few months. It's disappointing, never essential and still not that bad to be completely ignored by fans.