Editing N.W.A (section)

===''Eazy-Duz-It'' and ''Straight Outta Compton'' (1988–1989)===
N.W.A released their debut studio album, ''[[Straight Outta Compton]]'', in January 1989.<ref name="release date" /> With its famous opening salvo of three tracks, the group reflected the rising anger of the urban youth. The opening song "[[Straight Outta Compton (song)|Straight Outta Compton]]" introduced the group, "[[Fuck tha Police]]" protested [[police brutality]] and [[racial profiling]], and "[[Gangsta Gangsta (N.W.A song)|Gangsta Gangsta]]" painted the [[World view|worldview]] of the inner-city youth. While the group was later credited with pioneering the burgeoning subgenre of [[gangsta rap]], N.W.A referred to their music as "reality rap".<ref>Duff, S.L. [http://music.yahoo.com/ar-259130-bio--NWA N.W.A. YA BOY Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814193417/http://music.yahoo.com/ar-259130-bio--NWA |date=August 14, 2007 }}. [[Yahoo! Music]]. Retrieved August 17, 2007.</ref>

Twenty-six years later, member and co-producer of the ''Straight Outta Compton'' film, Ice Cube, commented "they were talking about what really led into the style that we ended up doing, which is now called hardcore gangster rap."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ice-cube-on-n-w-as-reality-rap-and-straight-outta-compton-movie-106622/|title=Ice Cube On N.W.A's 'Reality Rap' And 'Straight Outta Compton' Movie|last=Grow|first=Kory|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=February 20, 2016|date=April 15, 2015|archive-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403204606/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ice-cube-on-n-w-as-reality-rap-and-straight-outta-compton-movie-106622/|url-status=live}}</ref> Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, as HighPowered Productions, composed the beats for each song, with Dre making occasional rapping appearances. The D.O.C., Ice Cube, and MC Ren wrote most of the group's lyrics, including "Fuck tha Police", perhaps the group's most notorious song, which brought them into conflict with various [[law enforcement agencies]]. Under pressure from [[Focus on the Family]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Nuzum |first=Eric |title=Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |location=New York City |year=2001 |page=[https://archive.org/details/parentaladvisory00nuzu/page/111 111] |isbn=0-688-16772-1}}</ref> Milt Ahlerich, an assistant director of the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] sent a letter to Ruthless and its distributing company [[Priority Records]], advising the rappers that "advocating violence and assault is wrong and we in the law enforcement community take exception to such action." This letter can still be seen at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]].<ref name="20th Anniversary">{{cite news |last=Boucher |first=Geoff |title=Rapper Ice Cube talks about the 20th anniversary of N.W.A's ''Straight Outta Compton'' |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-compton16-2008aug16,0,4400312.story |work=Los Angeles Times |date=August 16, 2008 |access-date=August 24, 2008 |archive-date=August 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819233504/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-compton16-2008aug16,0,4400312.story? |url-status=live }}</ref> Policemen refused to provide security for the group's concerts, hurting their plans to tour. Nonetheless, the FBI's letter only served to draw more publicity to the group.

''Straight Outta Compton'' was also one of the first albums to adhere to the new [[Parental Advisory]] label scheme, then still in its early stages: the label at the time consisted of "WARNING: Moderate impact coarse language and/or themes" only. However, the taboo nature of N.W.A's music was the most important factor of its mass appeal. Media coverage compensated for the group's lack of airplay, and its album eventually went double [[Platinum album|platinum]].<ref name="straight out of comptonreview">{{cite web |last=Huey |first=Steve |title=Straight Outta Compton > Overview |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r186556 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=August 17, 2007 |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726120146/http://www.allmusic.com/album/r186556 |url-status=live }}</ref> Two months before ''Straight Outta Compton'', Eazy-E's solo debut ''[[Eazy-Duz-It]]'' was released.<ref name="release date" /> The album was dominated by Eazy's persona (MC Ren was the only guest rapper) but behind the scenes it was a group effort.

Music was handled by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella; the lyrics were largely written by MC Ren, with contributions from Ice Cube and [[The D.O.C.]] The album was another double platinum success for Ruthless<ref>{{cite web |author=Nadia Vega |url=http://www.Easye.info/biography.html |title=Biography #5 &#124; Amazing Pictures and Wallpapers &#124; World Amazing Pictures and HD Wallpapers |publisher=Easye.info |date=May 17, 2015 |access-date=July 26, 2015 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127224845/http://easye.info/biography.html |archive-date=January 27, 2016 }}</ref> (in addition to girl group [[J.J. Fad]] in 1988 and singer [[Michel'le]] in 1989). 1989 saw the reissue of ''N.W.A and the Posse'' on CD, and the release of The D.O.C.'s ''[[No One Can Do It Better]]''. His album was essentially a collaboration with Dr. Dre and notably free of "gangsta rap" content, including the N.W.A [[posse cut]] "The Grand Finalé". It became another #1 album for the record label.