N.W.A-Express Yourself
If you’re not living under a rock during the 90s or you’re a kid of this generation, then you know how huge N.W.A was for Hip Hop. Aside from the gangster appeal, controversies, and the disbandment of the group; Straight Outta Compton is a Hip Hop staple and constantly recognized for its success in commercial music as well. When not talking about G’d up shit and smacking bitches, N.W.A did spread a socio-political message through lessons of the Black Panther Party and race relations in the U.S. You can beg the question if they were true gangsters or not, their impact lives on and defines the West Coast gangsta rap scene.
“Express Yourself” was the last single from the debut album and shows a different side of their music. The song took on the group’s opponents (such as Dan Quayle and the FBI) and censorship of gangsta rap in the 1990s. Not to make a Hip Hop pun, but during the peak of their careers, N.W.A were Public Enemy #1 in the eyes of conservative America. While the song didn’t necessarily help their case, it did top charts and became an instant anthem.
-Michi (Written for YDC)
