With the 2008 Priority Records release N.W.A. and their Family Tree, the legacy is explored….again.
N.W.A. already has a solid greatest hits record and the N.W.A. Legacy set (released in 1999) mines this territory in greater detail, offering more than a perfunctory glance at where the roots of the N.W.A. family tree managed to head. It would seem that there is little more use to this particular compilation than to serve as a companion piece to the upcoming VH1 documentary N.W.A.: The World’s Most Dangerous Group.
Of course, some interesting content comes when the compilation explores those who have been influenced by rap’s most hazardous faction. Warren G and Nate Dogg’s “Regulate” is included, for instance, as is a trio of Snoop Dogg tracks (“Bitch Please” with Xzibit, “Lay Low,” and “We Be Puttin’ It Down” with Bad Azz). Ice Cube’s Westside Connection makes a pair of appearances as well, with “Bow Down” and “Gangstas Make the World Go Round.”
In that respect, it is interesting to see how the N.W.A. influence has played out. As far as the bad boys themselves, a good number of the hits are included on the record. "Straight Outta Compton," "Boyz N The Hood,” “Express Yourself,” and “Fuck tha Police” make appearances. A solo cut from Eazy (“We Want Eazy”) and Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” help round out the collection.
Overall, N.W.A. and their Family Tree does relatively well in setting the tone of the streets. It briefly explores where the influences ran after the group’s split in 1991 and watches the path of gangsta rap spread through the music industry. Indeed, the N.W.A. family tree contains some immense talent on its many branches, but this collection offers only a cursory glance at a genre of hip hop that truly deserves better treatment.
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