N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton" (Press Kit, 1988-1989)

The mere mention of Los Angeles, California conjures up images of sun, surf and sandy beaches -- but not to the five Compton homeboys who comprise rap crew N.W.A.: Eric "Eazy-E" Wright, M.C. Ren, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and D.J. Yella. N.W.A. hail from a part of town you won't find depicted in any postcards. "Straight Outta Compton," N.W.A.'s debut album, due for release in February, 1989, promises to put the tough South Central L.A. ghetto firmly on the musical/social map, and further reenforce the West Coast's contribution to a genre previously dominated by the East. "The problem with East Coast rappers is they think L.A. doesn't have any ghettos," Ren says. "They think it's all palm trees and beaches. Tell 'em to come to Compton. I'll show 'em somethin'." N.W.A. know from experience how mean the streets of inner-city L.A. can be. Ren, in fact, is lucky to still be alive. "A lot of people know you can get shot if you're not in a gang. I got shot in the leg 'cause I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. In Compton, you can get shot just goin' to work in the mornin'." Yes...

Eazy-E, reformed drug dealer turned hip-hop entrepreneur, adds, "I've seen killings, robberies, dope dealin' -- everything. I was standing next to a brother who got shot in the head. I've seen brothers get stabbed. I used to steal cars, break into houses, sell drugs and rob people... then my cousin got killed, and my homie Dre said, 'let's start a record company.' And I was like, 'yo man, this shit ain't gonna work.' Dre said, 'Go ahead and see.' Then we put out 'Boyz-N-The-Hood," ... and that shit took off! Dre keeps sayin', "I told you, I told you.' The label, Ruthless Records, is distributed by Priority Records. "Boyz," a hard-hitting account of life in Compton, was released as a 12" single in April 1986. About a year later, N.W.A. was officially formed, and the crew's 12" single and underground hit, "Dope Man" hit the streets in September 1987. Though N.W.A.'s self-produced debut album contains its share of party jams, N.W.A.'s forte is incisive social commentary. Songs like "Gangsta Gangsta," which has been released as a 12" single, "___ Tha Police" and a remix of "Dope Man," paint a brutally realistic picture of urban madness. "We're talking about the things we grew up around in Compton," Ice Cube asserts. "We focus on reality... the things that are going on in our neighborhood but don't get exposed. We tell it the way we see it, and we don't hold back. If people don't like it, f#ck 'em." Still not convinced that inner-city L.A. is as much of a jungle as Harlem or North Philly? "Straight Outta Compton" will annihilate that misconception. N.W.A. posses's in full effect, letting the world know what time it is and refusing to sugarcoat the truth. Word. - Press Kit, 1988. R.I.P. Eric Wright.

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo "Road to the Riches" (March 14, 1989)

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's Road to the Riches had been a long time coming when Cold Chillin' released it in 1989. It didn't disappoint. After some successful singles and G Rap's contributions to Marley Marl's Juice Crew, the duo arrived almost fully formed on its debut. Whether boasting (his greatest strength at this point) or spinning tales (which would become his greatest strength), G Rap's knife-edged rhymes--delivered with the hardest sounding lisp in hip-hop--tear through Marley Marl's productions and DJ Polo's scratching with all the ferocity of a pit bull devouring a piece of meat. Though tracks like "Poison," "It's A Demo," and the title track won this record a lot of respect, there are several other moments that help make this a remarkable debut. On "Men At Work," lines like, "I drop rhymes on paper and then build a skyscraper/When I die scientists will preserve my brain/Donate it to science to answer the unexplained" whip by so fast that it's easy to overlook Marl and Polo's perfectly snarling, densely percussive backdrop. Marl's imaginative sampling gleans from all sorts of unexpected sources, like the harmonica from Area Code 615's "Stone Fox Chase," the odd phasings of Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express" (no one used it like this), and the burbling synths from Gary Numan's "Cars" (remember, this was the late '80s). G Rap's occasional homophobic and woman-hating lyrics, along with some production nuances that haven't aged well, are the only hindrances. Aside from that, Road to the Riches showed promise while providing a jolt in its own right. - Old School Rap and Hip-Hop, 2008. I could not have said it any better. Revisit the LP below...

Take it back to 1989 with some early promo and more...

N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton" (The Rap Year Book)

N.W.A. was a gangsta rap group from Compton, California. They had a few different line-ups, but the strongest version was the too-brief period when it was Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren, DJ Yella, and Dr. Dre. That's the core group behind Straight Outta Compton, which has become the most impactful album within the gangsta rap genre. N.W.A. was substantial for a handful of reasons, but they all wiggle back to the same premise: They were the first rap group that America actively tried to ignore, and then eventually tried to stop. They were railed on by politicians and members of the media. They were blocked from the radio and TV and banned from performing in certain cities. They were just too crude, too aggressive, too mean; these were the main complaints, at least. Even the cover of Straight Outta Compton, which was a photo of the group's members gathered around looking down directly into the camera very much in a manner that seemed to represent that they were either going to shoot you (Eazy-E is aiming a revolver) or had already shot you, was scary. And so they were bottlenecked.... Straight Outta Compton was a rough-cut job - recording took six weeks and it was done on a budget of approximately $8,000 - but that only seemed to confirm the rawness of the group. In less than two months, the album sold more than five hundred thousand copies, later topping the three-million-copies-sold mark following the buzz of media talking about how nobody should be talking about the group. It was the first time in history an album had gone platinum without being played on the radio... Straight Outta Compton was not the first gangsta rap record. But it was the one that fully bent the trajectory toward reporting the dejection and desolation of the inner cities of the country. And that meant it was no longer just for those populations anymore. Straight Outta Compton popularized gangsta rap in America.... - Rap Year Book. Hmm... I am not 100% sure of the album's official release date (late '88?/early '89?) but I do know a letter from the FBI was written on August 1, 1989 and the album reached the charts also in 1989. Here's some more content for the TL, which has been discussing the album the last couple of days.

Taken from Shea Serrano's The Rap Year Book. Read below...

EPMD "Unfinished Business" (1989)

"I was working a lot for a label called Sleeping Bag Records and I had photographed EPMD on a few occasions. They were already a legendary duo, Erick 'E-Double' Sermon and Parrish 'PMD' Smith, or 'Erick and Parrish Making Dollars' as they are commonly known. They told me to meet them at a specific spot near where they lived in Babylon, Long Island: 'Go down this road, you're going to hit the water, and we will be there at noon.' "So, I got there at noon with my assistant, and they didn't turn up. It was winter, probably November, so the sun was setting pretty early. I was used to rappers being late, but the guys were really late. At 3:00pm the light started to go down, and we had been waiting for several hours, so we finally went to find a phone box to call their manager. He told me they were getting their rims polished up in the Bronx and I'm like 'The Bronx! That's hours away and the sun is going down!' "Just as I was finishing the call, I heard the V-8 engine roar and they came roaring down the road. I got them to form a V-shape with their cars, which I thought would showcase them well for the shoot. They they got out and they were wearing these outfits that looked like pajamas. That look ushered in this new style of casual sweatsuits and a whole new look for hip-hop. We didn't have stylists or hair and makeup people back then, so it was purely their own unique style. The whole session took about half an hour and turned out to be a really important shoot, especially since the cars, a Mercedes 300SL & a Chevy IROC-Z, were considered a status symbol in car culture. The rims matter, they're a culture of their own, and that's why they were up in the Bronx for so long getting theirs rims polished. I'm glad I waited..." - Janette Beckman

I've read conflicting research on the official release date for EPMD's Unfinished Business. Some say August 1, 1989 and others have it at July 25, 1989. I've even seen April 1, 1989. I'd read an article in Spin that promoted the release date to be "mid-July," but it could have been pushed back, so to this day, I am not 100% certain if it's August or July, 1989. What I do know, however, is that "So Wat Cha Sayin'", "Get The Bozack," "Please Listen To My Demo," "Knick Knack Patty Wack" and especially "The Big Payback" got a ton of burn from a younger Sav in Queens, NY. Their style was extremely influential, and their singles on cassette and vinyl, as well as their LPs were a guaranteed purchase! As an aspiring DJ at 10-11 years old, you can picture me in the basement practicing DJ Scratch's cuts to "The Big Payback" like my life depended on it. I'm thankful I had opportunities to meet and build with E-Double and PMD over the years, show them love and appreciation, and humbly receive their support in return. Revisit Unfinished Business below and pick up a copy of Contact High, which has incredible images and stories from the photographers who've helped document the culture.

R.I.P. Stezo + "The Untold Story of Stezo" + HHC, 1989

Stezo, pronounced 'Steezo', coined the nickname through a language he invented with his childhood friends in their Brooklyn schooldays. Hence Steve became 'Stezo' and his friends became 'Dezo' or 'Wezo'.... Stezo became part of the 'hardcore posse' ... but after getting robbed himself, Stezo thought it wise to 'cut the crap' and go for gold the 'real way'. Moving to Connecticut with his family, Stezo realized "if I wanted to get to the top I'd have to earn it and not just take it!" Stezo had always been part of the hip-hop scene, from breaking to popping, deejaying to rapping. It was when he was imitating EPMD's dancers at a show, only doing it better, that Stezo hooked up with them and wrote "The Steve Martin" song for EPMD's "Strictly Business" album. "When everybody was into the wild style of yelling into the mic, I would be doing the slow rap. I could have been the first one to be smooth rapping but everybody told me not to do it.... After hanging out with EPMD for a year, Stezo realized it was time to make a break and go for his own success. "I figured that I had enough talent to go on the stage myself," he says, "but EPMD are still my boys!" Going solo also meant a slight change of style.... "I decided to put a little more liveliness into my rap to distinguish myself... it's a bit like New Edition and Bobby Brown." Getting signed to Sleeping Bag with a little help from EPMD, Stezo has proven his talent with his first 12-inch, 'To The Max' ("I'm really going for mine, that's what it means!"), and a debut LP called 'Crazy Noise'.... Now in New Haven, Connecticut, Stezo is even more ambitious to make it against the New York competition. "There's still that New York spirit in me," he says. "It's just something I have to do and I'm gonna do it right!" - HHC, 1989.

The documentary below, "The Untold Story of Stezo," chronicles his full career and impact on hip-hop culture. It is written, directed and produced by James "Kraze" Billings for King of Content Productions. Update 1/29: Tragically, I've received news that Stezo passed away tonight! The news was shared via Chuck Chillout's Instagram, along with his personal message: "Damn this one hurts big time. RIP to my dude the rapper STEZO. I’ve know this brother since 1986, this 2020 year sucks big time rest well my friend u will be miss." I'm reposting this to the front of my blog for those of you who may not have read this full post prior to today's news. Rest In Peace, Stezo. 2020 sucks!

The full article in Hip Hop Connection is available below...

Biz Markie "Just A Friend" + Happy Born Day

Happy Born Day to the human beatbox legend, Biz Markie! He turned 56 today and to celebrate another cycle, a look at the video and lyrics to his hit, 'Just a Friend.' The melody for 'Just A Friend' came to Biz Markie while he was asleep, can you believe that? Biz has also said that he composes most of his songs in the bathroom & off the top of his head. If you can write songs between the bed and toilet, you've got yourself a pretty good system, lol. These days, however, I see Biz Markie mostly behind the turntables. I moved to a smaller city a couple years ago and in year one, he visited twice for DJ gigs. A real humble dude, it was an honor to meet him and I think the industry misses artists like Biz in the limelight, whose character was only exceeded by his talent. It's also impressive, as a DJ, that Biz Markie has custom Technics SL-700s for 7" records and they are allegedly the only ones in the world. OG status! Now, let's go back to 1989 for 'Just a Friend,' which he wrote (lyrics above) and produced (video below) ... "I asked her name, she said Bla Bla Bla" lol.

N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton" (Letter From Dept. of Justice)

"A song recorded by the rap group N.W.A. on their album entitled "Straight Outta Compton" encourages violence against and disrespect for the law enforcement officer and has been brought to my attention. I understand your company recorded and distributed this album, and I am writing to share my thoughts and concerns with you. Advocating violence and assault is wrong, and we in the law enforcement community take exception to such action. Violent crime, a major problem in our country, reached an unprecedented high in 1988. Seventy-eight law enforcement officers were feloniously slain in the line of duty during 1988, four more than in 1987. Law enforcement officers dedicate their lives to the protection of our citizens, and recordings such as the one from N.W.A. are both discouraging and degrading to these brave, dedicated officers. Music plays a significant role in society, and I wanted you to be aware of the FBI's position relative to this song and its message. I believe my views reflect the opinion of the entire law enforcement community." The letter was signed by Milt Ahlerich (Office of Public Affairs) to Gui Manganiello (Priority Records). N.W.A.'s album "Straight Outta Compton" was released in late 1988 or more likely early 1989, and the letter above was dated August 1, 1989. The World's Most Dangerous Crew ... this was the only release with Ice Cube, who departed the group in 1989. The production was handled by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella. The album has since gone Triple platinum, without receiving any radio play! Straight Outta Compton is a historic album and a very important piece of Hip-Hop history. It's being discussed today, but an official release date is unclear, so my apologies for any misinformation. Updated.

Follow-up on October 5, 1989 in the L.A. Times, FBI vs. Rap...

Revisit N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton album below...

Gang Starr "No More Mr. Nice Guy" (1989)

'No More Mr. Nice Guy' is the debut album from Gang Starr. It was released on this day in 1989 on Wild Pitch Records. All songs on the album are produced by DJ Premier & Guru, except for 'Gusto' and 'Knowledge,' which were produced by the 45 King. There were also earlier singles like 'The Lesson' that was not included on the album, but were added as bonus cuts for a later re-issue. As far as Gang Starr releases, this is less-often mentioned because DJ Premier and Guru were still finding themselves as a duo and they hadn't quite found that signature sound they'd later be known for. However, there were glimpses of the greatness that would come with Premo on the cuts/beats and Guru's message-driven lyrics. In 1989, I was 11 and only had 1 song from 'Step In The Arena' on cassette single. It wasn't really until 'Just To Get A Rep' that I fully got into Gang Starr, although I credit 'Daily Operation' as being the one that had the most impact on me. That's a slow build, I was raised on their music! For fans that went back in their catalog after hearing 'Step In The Arena' or 'Daily Operation,' it must have been a confusing experience to hear 'No More Mr. Nice Guy,' but it's an album that Premo considers his 'resume album.' Him and Guru paid their dues, found their lane and mastered their sound in the coming years. 'Words I Manifest' was the single I first owned and to this day, that intro immediately brings me right back to those early days. Peep the LP below...

Special Ed 'Youngest In Charge' (May 16, 1989)

'Youngest In Charge' is the debut album from Special Ed. The Brooklyn MC was just 17-years old when he released the album on this day in 1989. Featuring the classic singles 'I Got It Made' and 'I'm The Magnificent,' plus 'Think About It' and 'Club Scene,' the album was produced by Howie Tee with DJ Akshun on the cuts. The more popular version ('The Magnificent Remix') for 'I'm The Magnificent' was not the version they used for the video, nor was it included on 'Youngest In Charge,' but they did officially release it the following year on his sophomore album, 'Legal.' Either way, these early songs were go-to records in the crates for parties and are still anthems today. The album was originally released on Profile Records, but a Deluxe version was re-issued in 2015 by Get On Down. Unfortunately, I didn't cop the LP, but I did grab the 7" reissue of 'I Got It Made.' Also, today is Special Ed's Born Day, so big shout-out to him. Bonus: True Hip-Hop Stories by D-Nice is below.

Big Daddy Kane "The Mack Is Back" (The Source, 9/89)

September 11, 1989: Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. is set to drop a bomb - the new Big Daddy Kane LP "It's A Big Daddy Thing." The album is everything you'd expect from this superstar MC, and much more. It is chock full of 17 smokin' cuts that streamline, redefine, and expand on the inimitable Kane style. Get ready for Big Daddy days in '89, as this album will definitely put him on top of the competitive rap scene. The first single - "Smooth Operator" b/w "Warm It Up Kane" - is already a hit on urban commercial and rap radio. And these cuts only scratch the surface of the dopeness found on this LP. The styles range from mellow, bass-heavy grooves to uptempo dance jams, to fun, sing-along type raps. There's even a "live at the Apollo" version of previously-released "Wrath of Kane." Standouts include the title cut, the socially-conscious "Another Victory," the hard and heavy "Young, Gifted, and Black," guest vocalist Red ALert on "Calling Mr. Welfare," and the disco remake "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now." In terms of lyrics, Kane continues to expand his patented rhyme style, though he attacks more pertinent social issues than on his previous album." The Source continues with an interview that you can read below! Salute to Kane, one of the greatest to ever do it!

NWA "The Strength Of Street Knowledge" (The Source, 5/89)

"If there's one phrase that describe NWA's approach to music, it's "don't hold back." Anywhere you drop the needle on their new album "Straight Outta Compton" (Ruthless/Priority), clear, hard, and funky sounds blow you away. The MC's of the group confront issues head on, painting a very real picture of the violent urban setting of Compton, a part of Los Angeles known for gang activity. The members of NWA are the rebels of rap, overlooking the political rebellion of PE or the poetic rebellion of BDP for straight-up, gun-in-your-face rebellion.... The MC's of the group - Eazy E, MC Ren, and Ice Cube - are each talented lyricists with distinct styles. Eric "Eazy E" Wright mixes comedy with hardness, going to all lengths to brag of his sexual prowess. He is also the executive producer of all Ruthless releases, and a solo artist with a recent gold album of his own, "Eazy Does It" (Ruthless/Priority).  Ren is the most skillful rhymer, using quick reversals and complex rhymes to create a great style, especially on "If It Ain't Ruff". Ice Cube is the power source of the group, giving off incredible energy and street-wise knowledge, at its best in "Gangsta Gangsta" (the first single) and "I Ain't The One." Dre even gets into the MC side of things on a few of the cuts, and he's no joke! Ren, Ice Cube, and Eazy team up and kick it on the most striking cut, the searing, revolutionary "F#ck Tha Police." The hard-edged music, the rhymes, and the voices sound great, but it's difficult to digest the subject matter.... In fact, NWA is widely criticized for the excessive profanity and violence found on their records. All in an effort, the group claims, to "reflect reality." - The Source, 5/89. Continue reading for a lot more on one of the best groups in Hip-Hop history!

Kid Capri "10-9-89" (Mixtape, 1989)

Kid Capri was the man for this mix tape in '89. Regarded as one of the greatest mix tapes ever, because of the intro which set it off with Stephanie Mills' "Something In The Way You Make Me Feel" with The Honey Drippers' "Impeach The President" underneath. It's safe to consider that single track influenced Ron G to create a whole tape of similar blends and impacted the culture the way it did. These were creative times and the DJ was the backbone of the whole shit. You'll also hear joints from Heavy D, Eazy-E, EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, Kurtis Blow, Public Enemy, and more. Turn it up LOUD...

De La Soul "3 Feet High and Rising" (Spin Magazine, 2005)

"Hip-Hop never had a lawn. Despite a multitude of late-80s voices - from the gangland range of N.W.A. to the political theory of Public Enemy to the mystical modernism of Rakim to the booty mania of 2 Live Crew - it was a given that almost every MC was grounded in the tough-nut rituals of street life. "It's just a ghetto thang," echoed the enigmatic chorus on De La Soul's debut album, "3 Feet High and Rising." But not only did De La talk about having a lawn - the group's three teenage members grew up in the Long Island suburb of Amityville after their parents moved from the Bronx and Brooklyn - they were concerned about the potholes in it, which, in fact, was a metaphor for rival MCs stealing their rhyme style, which was the basis for a song ("Potholes In My Lawn") that featured a Jew's harp and a guy yodeling." Watch the visuals to the track, cont'd below...

"With its flowery Day-Glo graphics, game-show skits, lyrical anagrams, and oddball samples (Steely Dan, Hall and Oates), 3 Feet High and Rising was a vision of the unhinged fun that hip-hop could have if it got the fuck out of the city.... "It was more relaxed (on Long Island)," says Prince Paul, an Amityville DJ who had gained some local fame as a member of Brooklyn vets Stetsasonic but had never produced a record before 3 Feet High. "You had tensions, but it was more average, universal things. Rather than being focused on what was going down in the 'hood or with whatever gang, our thing was more like, 'Hey, we don't like popcorn.' De La Soul's MCs, Posdnous and David "Trugoy" Jolicoeur (along with DJ Vincent "Mase" Mason), didn't boast to boost their self-image; they teased and tweaked. Messages were delivered in twisty syntax (as on the anti drug song "Say No Go")."

"On "The Magic Number," Mercer rapped: "Difficult preaching is Posdnous' pleasure." Recalls Jolicoeur: "We wanted to have people desperate to figure things out, and listen over and over to try and understand." That in mind, he borrowed a Johnny Cash record ("Five Feet High and Rising") from his father, inspiring the album's cryptic title. Aided by the single "Me Myself and I" - with a brightly lit sample of P-Funk's "Knee Deep" - the album was an instant hit, crossing over to college and European audiences. Digs that the group were "hip-hop hippies" (occasioned by their playful "D.A.I.S.Y. Age" ethos) hurt, but now they look back fondly on those days of childlike abandon. "The beauty of that record was that we were so naive," says Prince Paul. "Unfortunately, you can't go back to being stupid, unless you take some bad mind-altering drugs." - Spin Magazine, 7/05 // 5/10. Today is not the anniversary of 3 Feet High and Rising's release, but revisit it nonetheless! A classic!

Chris Read "Classic Material: 1989" (Mix, 2011)

In January '11, Chris Read continued his monthly Classic Material series paying tribute to the hip hop of 1989, another year in which the genre's dominant sounds changed drastically. As the James Brown influenced sound that had dominated the late 80s played out its final days, producers from all corners of the genre turned their attentions to sampling the bass heavy West Coast sound of Parliament, Funkadelic and Zapp. Acts such as De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers burst on to the scene injecting a light hearted honesty into their lyrical content which paved the way for the emerging 'new school' sound of the early 90s. Early releases from the likes of X Clan hinted at the 'afrocentric' sound that would come to prominence in the following years. As with previous editions, the mix places classic cuts alongside the lesser heard. Hit the archives for more, listen below...

Gang Starr "No More Mr. Nice Guy" (HHC, 1989)

"Every once in a while an album comes my way that dares to be different. While the rhymers aren't especially incredible, the music is first rate and the grooves are massive. The most outstanding song here is "Jazz Music" and is exactly what the title suggests: a slow easy jazz rhythm gives the MCs, Premier and the Guru, a lush bed to do their business over. Other outstanding tracks are the latino inspired, "Manifesto," a hardcore hip-hop "Gotch U" and the DJ Mark The 45 King produced, "Knowledge." This album is a fair representation of the extent of hip-hop's incredible growth in the Americas during the past few years. Months ago Gang Starr were virtual unknowns, now they've got an album out and rave reviews..." - Hip Hop Connection, 7/89 (Updated, photo added by @Illvia)

"...Tape playing loudly, inside my headphones

MC's that crowd me, turn into headstones

Because I don't have time for, powerless minds or

Suckers who suck, because I find more

Interesting topics, you can not stop it

I drop it and rock it I shock it, that's how I'm livin' B

I like to live my life with positivity..."