May 28, 2017

N.W.A. "Efil4zaggin" & "N!ggaz4Life: The Only Home Video"

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N.W.A. 'Efil4zaggin' Press Release

NWA's sophomore album, 'Efil4zaggin,' came out on this day in 1991 through Ruthless Records. It was the first album released without Ice Cube and featured production by Dr. Dre & Yella. The Source voted it Album of The Year in 1991 and said: 'When the average person looks back on hip-hop in 1991 they'll probably remember N.W.A.'s N!ggaz4Life as the fat tape booming out of their system, the one that got the hottest rotation. But this was no underground hit. After debuting at the number two position on Billboard's Pop Chart - the first album to do so since Michael Jackson's Bad - N!ggaz4Life rocketed to number one, selling a whopping 800,000 records the first week in stores, and coming close to double platinum. The key to NWA's success is their ability to capture fans from all backgrounds in different parts of the country, marketing the image of ruthless n!ggaz from the streets of Compton to an audience of inner-city purists and middle-America whites. Plus, NWA managed to stay in the headlines for most of the year - from Eazy E's infamous dinner with the President, to various lawsuits, to the fateful night in a Hollywood club when Dr. Dre allegedly beat up Dee Barnes, the female host of 'Pump It Up.' I remember the first time someone handed me a dub with 'Alwayz Into Somethin' on it, I thought it was one of the hardest tracks I'd ever heard - to this day, that's still true! The group disbanded later that year & in '92, they released 'N!ggaz4Life: The Only Home Video,' which documents the making of & the release of the album; check it below, and above is an overseas press release sent regarding the police seizing copies of the LP and a pending lawsuit. It was quite an interesting year to be a fan of Hip-Hop, ya dig?

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N!ggaz4Life: The Only Home Video (Updated link)