Straight Outta Compton

When Public Enemy, a robust American hip-hop group primarily consisting of Chuck D and Flavor Flav, set out to record an album just a year after releasing Yo! Bum Rush The Show, few could have envisioned the political, social, and musical impact the album would have. The group recorded at Greene St. Recording for 30 days under an intense pre-production at Long Island. As Chuck D said,”It was aggressive, race-against-the-clock teamwork, taking chances in sound." During these 30 days, the group developed

age of 8, watching West coast hip-hop legends Dr. Dre and Tupac film the music video for their anthem to the Golden State, “California Love” as the spark that ignited his creative bonfire. Born on June 17, 1987 to couple who moved from Chicago to Compton with only $500 to their names in order to escape the gang lifestyle, Lamar was exposed to guns, drugs, and violence at a young age. “I 'm 6 years old, seein ' my uncles playing with shotguns, sellin ' dope in front of the apartment.” Lamar witnessed

Once upon a time there was a young boy called Kendrick Lamar, who lived in the rough area of Compton in southern Los Angeles. His dad was a teacher at the local high school and his mother was a part-time cashier at Walmart. He was different than the other boys his age who were dealing drugs and involving themselves with gangs. Kendrick preferred to spend his time listening to music or doing his homework. One Saturday morning Kendrick’s mother wanted him to visit his Grandmother and bring her some

Did you know Ice Cube got a degree in Drafting Architecture? Ice Cube is an important muslim mostly known for his rapping career. Ice Cube is very inspirational for young rappers. O’Shea Jackson was born on June 15th, 1969 in South Central Los Angeles.(bio.com) So, you ask, How did Ice Cube get his name? He got his name when he was a little boy from his brother because his brother said he acted tough for his age.(emgn.com). Ice Cube graduated from Phoenix Institute Of Technology with a two-year

Alright, being used as a protest song. Overall all he plays a huge role in today’s culture, especially today’s black culture. Kendrick Lamar was born June 17, 1987, in one of the toughest and strongest rap culture areas in America. This city was Compton California where he lived and was raised his entire life.

realities of what life for a black person during the 1980s. One of the most prominent rap names during this era that became the voice for many people throughout the nation was the N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitude) rap group. Originally from the streets of Compton, California, these teenagers decided to take on a risk, tackling the music industry head on, publishing their own works that spoke out against corruption. The creation of hip hop’s sub genre, “gangsta rap” during the late 1980s not only sparked widespread

As circumstances of social inequalities are becoming more prominent in the social media and news sources, the appearance of political rap is also becoming more prevalent. It’s very common to hear rappers rap about their struggles and injustices, not only with present day artists but also older groups. For example, N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, Public Enemy, and Nas, who were popular in the late 80’s and throughout the 90’s, were known for their politically charged music and critiques of the American media

In Fuck Tha Police by N.W.A. The song was released in 1988 by Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy E, Yella, and Dr. Dre about police brutality. The opening verse Ice Cube raps, “Fuck the police! Comin’ straight from the underground / A young nigga got it bad ‘cause I’m brown / And not the other color, so police think / They have the authority to kill a minority…” The verses here relate directly to the topic brought in Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. In the song, they talk about the police having

Have you ever thought about how gangs were long ago versus gangs today? Have you heard anyone say that something is the same but different? I read a book, The Outsiders, which showed how gangs were long ago. The gangs of long ago were very different from the gangs of today, but they’re also very similar to the gangs today. Things were done differently back then than now. I’ll be telling you about the similarities and the differences of the gangs from long ago to the gangs of today. First, a major

This area is very poor and revolves around gang violence, sex and drug dealing.” That’s correct, you guessed it right! It’s the infamous Compton. The city that everyone has heard in the news or in a song at one point or another. This definition was taken from Urban Dictionary, a site that allows anyone to define specific words and terms. It is easy to see that Compton is often related with drugs, crime and gangs, but the general public fails to realize the truth behind the suburb. The smaller Los Angeles