N.W.A - N.W.A and Their Family Tree (Album)
Coming straight outta Compton is the latest compilation tribute album to the “world’s most dangerous group”, N.W.A.
This CD is a clear display of what happened to gangsta rap over the years. N.W.A were at the forefront of the creation of this genre which has seen its roots forgotten in recent times. For that reason it is great to see the effort to remind the world of how gangsta rap evolved and how fundamental N.W.A were in the process, but N.W.A and their Family Tree also serves to show how it all went wrong. The first half of the album features classic, well chosen N.W.A songs Straight Outta Compton, Boyz-n-the-Hood, Dopeman and Express Yourself which are the best possible representatives of how this genre is meant to sound – yes it is violent and features all the themes that parents worry will corrupt their young innocent children, but they are also social commentaries which tackle issues which gangsta rap emerged as a response to – racism, police brutality, censorship, inner city living conditions, and so forth.
It is the second half of song choices which are disappointing. This compilation would have been much better if those choosing the songs stuck to the good music that N.W.A members and friends produced after their unfortunate break-up. Instead they stuck with the songs that made money, such as Bitch Please by Snoop Dogg and Xzibit, neither of which was really too closely related to N.W.A but just happened to be Dr. Dre’s little sidekicks. The second half of the album seems to forget that gangsta rap wasn’t all about fucking each other’s bitches and snorting coke off AK-47s or whatever. Once upon a time it also had political and social messages within it. But those songs just didn’t sell as well as Drop It Like It’s Hot…
Still, N.W.A and their Family Tree includes all the main players in the gangsta rap game to emerge out of the ashes of N.W.A, including Westside Connection and The D.O.C. It’s just that the song choices weren’t made with much thought. Including something like Dre and Snoop’s Little Ghetto Boy would be a much better representative of what N.W.A gave to the world than a song by Nate Dogg.
It’s not bad, but I suggest a copy of Straight Outta Compton instead.
