NWA

NWA are often considered one of the most crucial rap music collectives of all time. They were made up of now famous singers such as Dr Dre. Their innovative sound and in “in your face” lyrics made them a hit with genre fans.

However, they also attracted a considerable amount of controversy. One of their songs condoned using violence against the police. This alienated the band from police organisations across the country. Their live performances were regularly protested against.

However, this did not deter them, and the group only split after internal infighting. The death of their member Eazy-E prevented any chance of a future reunion.

Despite only being on the rap scene for a relatively short period, NWA had a prolific output. They have fans from all over the world and are often cited as a recommendation for first-time listeners of the genre. Due to the explicit tone and nature of their lyrics, their tunes still tend to receive censorship from mainstream radio stations. In 2015 a biopic was made about the band. This helped to give them further exposure and got younger listeners to recognise their importance.