N.W.A.

N.W.A was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California, in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential acts in hip-hop. Active from 1987 to 1991, N.W.A endured controversy owing to their music's explicit lyrics, which some viewed as misogynistic or homophobic, as well as to its glorification of drugs and crime. The group was subsequently banned from many mainstream American radio stations. In spite of this, they have sold over ten million units in the United States alone. Drawing on its members' own stories of racism and excessive policing, N.W.A made inherently political music. N.W.A's consistent accusations of institutional racism within the American police significantly contributed to the political awareness and involvement of American youth against racism. The original lineup, formed in early 1987, consisted of Arabian Prince, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube, with DJ Yella joining shortly thereafter and MC Ren recruited as the sixth member of the group in mid-1988.

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