Label: Priority / Ruthless
Reissued 2016, originally released 1988
A lone voice sneers "You are about to witness the strength of street knowledge," and with that warning the greatest-ever gangsta album begins. Then these Niggas with Attitude-wicked rhymes by Ice Cube, Easy E, and MC Ren; soulful production courtesy Dr. Dre; beats provided by DJ Yella-come barreling into your face, just daring you to ignore the streets of Compton (or any American city) even one day longer. From the anti-police brutality anthem "F*k Tha Police" to the angry, unflinching realism of "Gangsta Gangsta," to the pro-free speech "Express Yourself," this is slammin' and ruthless.