Dr. Dre and the N.W.A Revolutionizing Hip-Hop
Dr. Dre and fellow artists, including Ice Cube, Dj Yella, and Eazy E, are widely recognized as pioneers of Gansta Rap. Dr. Dre, alongside these artists, created the group N.W.A in 1986 (Kennedy, 2017). DR. Dre and other members of the group came from the same hometown of Compton in California. The group’s rap style involved presenting the poverty and violence occurring in their hometown in their lyrics in a vicious manner. One of Dr. Dre’s most iconic Gansta rap songs released under the N.W.A era is titled “Fuck the police,” which features N.W.A member Ice Cube. The song was released at a time when conflicts often arose between black communities and police in Compton. The song is a protest against the harassment by police on black persons and neighborhoods such as Compton. The lyrics to the song are, however, perverse and mention vulgar tales of a violent life that the artists experience living in Compton’s inner city.
At the time, such music had never been heard before, and popular radio stations and channels such as MTV declined to include the song’s title to their playlists. Others criticized the song for its raunchy language and declined to acknowledge it as music. Politicians even condemned the music together with the artists that made it. Other Hip-hop tracks had already redefined rap at the time by introducing aggressive pro-Black rap but in a politically and socially charged manner. While other rappers settled for an intelligent approach, Dr. Dre and his group went for an angrier approach (Kennedy, 2017). After the release of the song alongside other Gansta rap projects, Dr. Dre and the N.W.A redefined hip-hop to be recognized as a platform to voice out the frustrations of young and black youth growing up in underprivileged neighborhoods.
References
Kennedy, G. (2017, December 09). The moment N.W.A changed the music world. Retrieved from Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-nwa-parental-discretion-20171205-htmlstory.html