Few hip hop acts have ever matched the influence and iconic status of N.W.A,
whose edgy and compelling debut album Straight Outta Compton launched the
gangsta rap era which gave hip hop its political heart, its rampant capacity for
offence and its trailblazing sense of danger. They brought a raw and virile
street style to the masses which appalled the traditional music industry but
made N.W.A the flagship of the new rap era during which they sold over 9 million
records in the US alone. They were initially formed by Eazy-E, founder of
Ruthless Records, who gradually introduced the...