Niggaz4Life | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 28, 1991 | |||
Studio | Audio Achievements (Torrance, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 55:35 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
N.W.A chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Niggaz4Life | ||||
|
Niggaz4Life (also known as Efil4zaggin as per album cover art, stylized in all caps and horizontally mirrored) is the second and final studio album by gangsta rap group N.W.A, released on May 28, 1991. It was their final album, as the group disbanded later the same year after the departure of Dr. Dre and songwriter and unofficial member of the group The D.O.C. who both left to form Death Row Records; the album features only four members of the original line-up, as Arabian Prince and Ice Cube had already left the group in 1988 and 1989 respectively. Niggaz4Life debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, but in its second week peaked at number 1. [2]
In 1992, several months after the release of the album, N.W.A released a video named Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video , which chronicled the making of the album and its three music videos, "Alwayz into Somethin'", "Appetite for Destruction" and "Approach to Danger".
In 2002, the CD was re-released in two formats. Both had the EP 100 Miles and Runnin' appended to the end of the original track listing, but one was available with a DVD copy of Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video.
In comparison to its predecessor, the album was also heavier on misogyny, for which it became notorious. The songs on the album's second half featured more profanity, sexist themes, and references to various sexual acts, provoking the ire of the PMRC, [3] liberal and conservative politicians, and civil rights activist C. Delores Tucker. [4]
Upon release, Niggaz4Life generally polarized music critics, as many were divided over its lyrics especially in the 2nd half of the album. The Source declared it one of their albums of the year but more mainstream publications like Rolling Stone condemned the album. In a two star review (out of five), Rolling Stone critic Arion Berger attacked Niggaz4Life as "so hateful toward women, and in such a pathetic and sleazy manner, that it's simply tiresome." [5] Mark Blackwell, of Spin magazine, similarly opined in his interview of N.W.A. that Niggaz4Life "wears thin pretty fast. The main problem is that the old 'niggas' and 'bitches' thing – whether offensive or not – is getting a little tired" before conceding that "Dre and Yella's production is peerless." [6]
In a negative review, Newsweek deemed the album "by N.W.A standards, is a mediocre work, a retreat from cinematic storytelling into simple punk bluster." [7] Time wrote, "N.W.A. raps nasty and righteous, with real ghetto heat, and doesn't give an inch," calling the album "incendiary" and "grotesque." [2]
Later DJ Yella said: “I do like the second album better than the first. The first one had more hits, but production-wise I like this one better. It would have been great if Cube would have got on that album. But it sounds better, we put more into it.” MC Ren also looks back positively to the album: “The people in the streets loved it. That was basically the best review we could get anyway.” [8]
The album received more positive reviews since then, especially for the production. Tom Doggett from Rap Reviews said: "Niggaz4life is a frightening album, jammed with explosive beats, visceral skits, and inciting rhymes. There is an overwhelming sense of sensual stimulation that overcomes the room when this album is playing. The eighteen tracks move by effortlessly, jumping from shootout skits to Ice Cube disses to revolting accounts of sexual acts. Even if you are turned off, it is impossible to deny the kinetic force that exudes from this album." [9]
Jesse Ducker from Albumism also praised the production and said: "Efil4zaggin stands as a very dope, albeit flawed, piece of work." [10]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Blender | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Robert Christgau | C− [13] |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 8.8/10 [15] |
RapReviews | 9/10 [16] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 5/10 [18] |
The Washington Post | (favorable) [19] |
"It seemed like the craziest shit in existence to me. When I heard Eazy-E do a country and western song [Automobile], I couldn't believe the audacity and creative genius. Then, when I looked at the album cover and they were all dead, with their spirits flying out of their bodies, and the title was printed backwards so you had to put it up to the mirror to read it the right way, I said, 'These motherfuckers are crazy!'" – Busta Rhymes [22]
The album debuted at number 2 on the US Billboard Top LPs chart. [23] It went on to top the Billboard 200, gaining 954,000 sales in its first week becoming the first album by a rap group to top the chart, [24] and the first independently distributed album to top the chart.
Songwriting credits are adapted from the CD liner notes. [25] All songs produced by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella. [25]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s)s | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Prelude" | MC Ren | MC Ren, Above The Law | 2:27 |
2. | "Real Niggaz Don't Die" | MC Ren, The D.O.C. | MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E | 3:40 |
3. | "Niggaz 4 Life" | MC Ren, The D.O.C. | MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E | 4:58 |
4. | "Protest" (Interlude) | 0:53 | ||
5. | "Appetite for Destruction" | MC Ren, The D.O.C., Kokane | MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E | 3:22 |
6. | "Don't Drink That Wine" (Interlude) | 1:07 | ||
7. | "Alwayz into Somethin'" | MC Ren, The D.O.C. | MC Ren, Dr. Dre | 4:24 |
8. | "Message to B.A." (Interlude) | 0:48 | ||
9. | "Real Niggaz" | MC Ren, The D.O.C. | MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E | 4:27 |
10. | "To Kill a Hooker" (Interlude) | 0:50 | ||
11. | "One Less Bitch" | MC Ren, The D.O.C. | MC Ren, Dr. Dre | 4:47 |
12. | "Findum, Fuckum & Flee" | MC Ren, The D.O.C., CPO | MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E | 3:55 |
13. | "Automobile" | Eazy-E | Dr. Dre, Eazy-E | 3:15 |
14. | "She Swallowed It" | MC Ren | MC Ren | 4:13 |
15. | "I'd Rather Fuck You" | Eazy-E | Eazy-E | 3:57 |
16. | "Approach to Danger" | MC Ren, Eazy-E | MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E | 2:45 |
17. | "1-900-2-Compton" (Interlude) | Warren G | 1:27 | |
18. | "The Dayz of Wayback" | MC Ren, The D.O.C. | MC Ren, Dr. Dre | 4:15 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
19. | "100 Miles and Runnin'" | MC Ren, The D.O.C., Cold 187um | MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E | 4:32 |
20. | "Just Don't Bite It" | MC Ren, The D.O.C | MC Ren | 5:28 |
21. | "Sa Prize (Part 2)" | MC Ren, The D.O.C | MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E | 5:59 |
22. | "Kamurshol" | The D.O.C | MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E | 1:56 |
|
|
Artist | Notes |
---|---|
MC Ren | performs on 11 tracks |
Dr. Dre | performs on 9 tracks |
Eazy-E | performs on 9 tracks |
DJ Yella | performs on 1 track |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [31] sales since 2002 | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [32] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Andre Romell Young, known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of Death Row Records. Dre began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru in 1984, and later found fame with the gangsta rap group N.W.A. The group popularized explicit lyrics in hip hop to detail the violence of street life. During the early 1990s, Dre was credited as a key figure in the crafting and popularization of West Coast G-funk, a subgenre of hip hop characterized by a synthesizer foundation and slow, heavy production.
N.W.A was an American hip hop group formed in Compton, California. They were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music.
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson, known professionally as MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Compton, California. He is the founder and owner of the independent record label Villain Entertainment.
Eric Lynn Wright, known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap".
The Chronic is the debut studio album by American record producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records along with Interscope Records and distributed by Priority Records. The recording sessions took place at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood.
Straight Outta Compton is the debut studio album by American gangsta rap group N.W.A, which, led by Eazy-E, formed in Los Angeles County's City of Compton in early 1987. Released by his label, Ruthless Records, on August 8, 1988, the album was produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince, with lyrics written by N.W.A members Ice Cube and MC Ren along with Ruthless rapper and unofficial member The D.O.C. Not merely depicting Compton's street violence, the lyrics repeatedly threaten to lead it by attacking peers and even police. The track "Fuck tha Police" drew an FBI agent's warning letter, which aided N.W.A's notoriety, with N.W.A calling itself "the world's most dangerous group."
Antoine Carraby, known professionally as DJ Yella, is an American DJ, record producer, and film director from Compton, California.
100 Miles and Runnin' is an EP from the American gangsta rap group N.W.A. Released on August 14, 1990, this EP of five tracks reflects an evolution of N.W.A's sound and centers on the single "100 Miles and Runnin'." Two tracks, "100 Miles" and "Real Niggaz," incidentally incited N.W.A's feud with Ice Cube, who had left to start a solo rap career. The porno rap track "Just Don't Bite It," also drew notice. Pushing lyrical boundaries in its day, the EP went gold in November 1990 and platinum in September 1992.
Eazy-Duz-It is the debut studio album by American rapper Eazy-E. It was released on November 22, 1988, by Ruthless Records and Priority Records. The album charted on two different charts and went 2× Platinum in the United States despite very little promotion by radio and television. Three singles were released from the album, each charting in the US. The remastered version contains tracks from the extended play (EP), 5150: Home 4 tha Sick (1992). The 25th anniversary (2013) contains two bonus tracks which are 12" remixes of "We Want Eazy" and "Still Talkin.'"
No One Can Do It Better is the debut studio album by The D.O.C., released on July 13, 1989, by Ruthless Records and Atlantic Records. It reached no. 1 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks, while peaking in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA three months after it was released, and Platinum on April 21, 1994. This was the only solo album The D.O.C. was able to record before a car accident resulted in crushing his larynx and permanently changing his voice. In recent years, however, he has been undergoing vocal surgery. He would not release another album until 7 years later, with Helter Skelter (1996), also released by Warner Music Group, but on Giant Records rather than Atlantic. "The Formula" has been seen as the song that invented G-funk.
"Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')", or as a single titled "Dre Day", is a song by American rapper and record producer Dr. Dre featuring fellow American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg and uncredited vocals from Jewell released in May 1993 as the second single from Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic (1992). "Dre Day" was a diss track targeting mainly Dre's former groupmate Eazy-E, who led their onetime rap group N.W.A and who, along with N.W.A's manager Jerry Heller, owned N.W.A's record label, Ruthless Records. In "Dre Day" and in its music video, which accuse Eazy of cheating N.W.A's artists, Dre and Snoop degrade and menace him. Also included are disses retorting earlier disses on songs by Miami rapper Luke Campbell, by New York rapper Tim Dog, and by onetime N.W.A. member Ice Cube, although Dre, while still an N.W.A member, had helped diss Cube first. After "Dre Day," a number of further diss records were exchanged.
"Hello" is a song written and performed by American rappers and former N.W.A members Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and MC Ren. It was released in 2000 via Priority Records as the third and final single from Ice Cube's sixth solo studio album War & Peace Vol. 2 . Produced by Dr. Dre, with Mel-Man serving as co-producer, it features backing vocals from Traci Nelson.
Gerald Elliot Heller was an American music manager and businessman. He was best known for his management of West Coast rap and gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A and Eazy-E. He rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s representing Journey, Marvin Gaye, Van Morrison, War, Eric Burdon, Crosby Stills & Nash, Ike & Tina Turner, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Otis Redding, the Who, REO Speedwagon, Black Sabbath, Humble Pie, Styx, the Grass Roots, and the Standells, among many others.
Ruthless Records was an American Independent record label founded by Eric "Eazy-E" Wright and Jerry Heller in Compton, California in 1987. All of the Ruthless trademarks have been owned by Comptown Records, Inc. since 1987. Several artists and groups on the label such as N.W.A, Eazy-E, MC Ren, The D.O.C., Michel'le, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony have released RIAA certified albums.
Eternal E is the first greatest hits album by American rapper Eazy-E. It was released posthumously on November 28, 1995, through Ruthless/Priority Records, eight months after his death. Production was handled by DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, DJ Bobcat, Cold 187um, Naughty by Nature, and Eazy-E himself, who also served as executive producer. The album peaked at number 84 on the Billboard 200 and number 19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 21, 2003 for selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S.
"Boyz-n-the-Hood" is the debut single by Eazy-E, then leader of a new rap group, N.W.A. Released in March 1987, the single was a local hit, reissued, by year's end on the unauthorized compilation album N.W.A. and the Posse.
"Straight Outta Compton" is a song by American hip hop group N.W.A. It was released on July 10, 1988 as the lead single from their debut album of the same name. It also appears on N.W.A's Greatest Hits with an extended mix and The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge. The song samples "You'll Like It Too" by Funkadelic, "West Coast Poplock" by Ronnie Hudson and the Street People, "Get Me Back on Time, Engine No. 9" by Wilson Pickett, and most famously, "Amen, Brother" by The Winstons. It was voted number 19 on About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs, and is ranked number 6 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is the debut studio album by American rapper Ice Cube, released on May 18, 1990, by Priority Records. It was his first solo album, after an acrimonious split from his former group N.W.A. Primarily produced by Public Enemy's production team the Bomb Squad, the album was a critical and commercial success, being certified platinum in the United States for selling over one million copies.
The discography of American hip hop group N.W.A, consists of two studio albums, six compilation albums, one extended play (EP), eight singles, one video album and five music videos. N.W.A was formed in Compton, California in 1986 by Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, Arabian Prince and Ice Cube, with The D.O.C. and MC Ren joining later. The group's first release was the compilation album N.W.A. and the Posse in 1987, which also featured songs by The Fila Fresh Crew, Rappinstine and Ron-De-Vu. Their debut album Straight Outta Compton followed the next year, which initially reached number 37 on the US Billboard 200; it has since reached number four, and has sold over 1.5 million copies in the US alone. "Straight Outta Compton", "Gangsta Gangsta" and "Express Yourself" were released as singles from the album, all of which registered on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)