Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton
Original 1989 cover
Studio album by
N.W.A
ReleasedJanuary 25, 1989 (1989-01-25)[1]
RecordedJuly–August 1988
StudioAudio Achievements
(Torrance, California)
Genre
  • West Coast hip-hop[2]
Length60:16
Label
  • Ruthless
  • Priority
Producer
N.W.A chronology
N.W.A. and the Posse
(1987) 		Straight Outta Compton
(1989) 		100 Miles and Runnin'
(1990)
Singles from Straight Outta Compton
  1. "Gangsta Gangsta"
    Released: November 1988[3]
  2. "Express Yourself"
    Released: May 1989[4]

Straight Outta Compton is the debut[5] studio album by American hip-hop group N.W.A, released on January 25, 1989, through Priority and Ruthless Records.[1][6][7] It was produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince, with lyrics written by the group's remaining members Eazy-E, Ice Cube and MC Ren, along with Ruthless rapper and N.W.A affiliate the D.O.C.[6] Beyond depictions of Compton's street violence, the lyrics repeatedly threaten to lead it by attacking peers and even police. The track "Fuck tha Police" drew an FBI agent's warning letter, which aided N.W.A's notoriety, with N.W.A later calling itself "the world's most dangerous group".[6][8][9]

In July 1989, despite its scarce radio play beyond the Los Angeles area,[7] Straight Outta Compton became the first gangsta rap album to receive platinum certification for having sold 1 million copies.[6] That year, the album peaked at number 9 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and at number 37 on the Billboard 200.[10] Receiving significant media coverage, the album triggered hip-hop's movement toward hardcore gangsta rap.[11] Though initially receiving mixed reviews from critics, it is now widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential albums in hip-hop music and of all time.[12]

In September 2002, Straight Outta Compton was reissued with four bonus tracks. Almost two years away from the 20th anniversary of the album's release, another reissue of Straight Outta Compton was released in December 2007 with "tribute remixes" of four tracks off the album and a live version of "Compton's n the House" as bonus tracks.[13] In 2015, after an album reissue on red cassettes,[14] theater release of the biographical film Straight Outta Compton reinvigorated sales of the album, which by year's end was certified triple platinum.[6] In 2016, it became the first rap album inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[15] The next year, the Library of Congress selected Straight Outta Compton for preservation in the National Recording Registry, for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[16]

  1. ^ a b Contrary to the album's copyright and publishing date of 1988, the following sources indicate that Straight Outta Compton was not officially released until at least early 1989:
    • "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
    • "Interview: Ice Cube Talks About The Making of Eazy-E's "E..." Complex. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
    • Cash Box. William and Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center. Cash Box Pub. Co. May 27, 1989.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
    • "Ice Cube -Interview". www.bombhiphop.com. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
    • "Ice Cube Keeps Cool . . . Chills Clash". Los Angeles Times. March 25, 1989. Archived from the original on April 13, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
    • Vognar, Chris. "How a Dallas rapper made his mark, even after losing his voice". Chron.com. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
    • "Hip-Hop Nostalgia: N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton" (Press Kit, 1988-1989)". hiphopnostalgia.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
    • "Straight outta Compton /NWA. Detailed Record View". publicrecords.copyright.gov. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  2. ^ "Straight Outta Compton – N.W.A – Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  3. ^ "Billboard 1988-11-26" (PDF). American Radio History. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 12, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  4. ^ "Cash Box 1989-06-10" (PDF). American Radio History. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 21, 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  5. ^ Kory Grow (August 8, 2018). "N.W.A's 'Straight Outta Compton': 12 Things You Didn't Know". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone, LLC. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e Kory Grow, "N.W.A's 'Straight Outta Compton': 12 things you didn't know" Archived May 3, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Rolling Stone website, Penske Business Media, LLC, 8 Aug 2018.
  7. ^ a b David Diallo, ch. 10 "From electro-rap to G-funk: A social history of rap music in Los Angeles and Compton, California", in Mickey Hess, ed., Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide, Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast (Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Press, 2010), pp 234–238.
  8. ^ Musician (Amordian Press), 1991, volume 147, p 59 Archived October 6, 2023, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ^ McDermott, Terry (April 14, 2002). "NWA:Straight Outta Compton pt 1" Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Los Angeles Times. Reprinted at Hip Hop News. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  10. ^ "Tenth Ruthless anniversary: For the record" Archived October 6, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, Billboard, 1997 Aug 9;109(32):R-16.
  11. ^ Jeff Chang, Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2005), pp. 327–328 Archived October 6, 2023, at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ^ Staff, SPIN (July 9, 2003). "The 15 Most Influential Albums of All Time". SPIN. Archived from the original on August 16, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  13. ^ Omar Burgess (October 10, 2007). "HHDX News Bits: NWA and Eazy-E" Archived February 7, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. HipHopDX. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
  14. ^ Universal Music Group announced that Straight Outta Compton would be reissued as a limited-edition red cassette on April 15 as part of Universal's Respect the Classics series [Pietro Fililpponi, "Universal announces more N.W.A re-releases, 'Straight Outta Compton' cassette tape, Friday 20th anniversary vinyl", Gotham News website, Gotham News LLC, 2 Apr 2015].
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ "National Recording Registry Picks Are 'Over the Rainbow'". Library of Congress. March 29, 2016. Archived from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
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