NWA-Straight Outta Compton

By:Fabien Thresher

Context• Niggaz Wit Attitudes (NWA) was an American Hip Hop/Rap group

from Compton, California • NWA is considered as one of the most significant popularizers of

gangster rap and west cost hip hop• NWA was banned from many mainstream radio stations for their

lyrics which many viewed as being disrespectful to women, as well as their glorification of drugs and crime• Active from 1986-1991• Band members: Easy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Dr Dre

Conventions • NWA’s videos differ from todays common mainstream Rap/Gangster

hip hop music video in a few was; usually we would see the artists wearing lots of gold/jewellery, having a nice car/ house as well as showing their weapons/guns and girls. NWA on the other hand do not do this, they simply show themselves in the streets of Compton where they were brought up in. This shows how the artist rises from nothing.• There are many more expleatives in the lyrics compared to a pop or

dance song.

The NWA and their gang walking in the streets of Compton

Relationship between lyrics and visuals. As the lyrics “straight outta compton” we are shown a picture of map with compton highlighted

Performance/Concept• This music video is a mixture of performance and concept. In parts of the music

video the artists are lipsyncing along to the lyrics of the song.• There is also a concept aspect of the music video which are several scenes put

together throughout the music video. And example of this would be when NWA and the gang were being chased by the police. We don’t know why they are chased but because of this scene we are given the idea that they are ‘gangster’ and are possibly wanted by the police.

NWA wearing all black, this was their choice of clothing at the time.

Ice Cube being held at gun point and arrested by the police, showing police brutality at the time

Goodwin’s Theory• Selling the artist: There are close-ups of each member of NWA as they during

their individual rap scene in the music video. • This music video is targeted more towards a male audience specifically people

who are interested in the rap and ‘gangster’ lifestyle. • 0.12 Relationship between music and visuals. Beat changes accordingly to Visuals