There are things in life we are always going to remember. Things like your first day of school, your first kiss, and your first child’s birth. These are moments that will flash in your head from time to time, and that you have a permanent mental picture saved in your memory bank. One such moment like that for me was the first time I heard N.W.A.’s album “Straight Outta Compton”. 

As a kid, I was always into music. I obviously had Michael Jackson’s Thriller, but I had a fairly large cassette collection as a child. It was overwhelmingly rock music — like Van Halen, U2, and I am man enough to admit — Duran Duran. But in 1986 I got Run DMC Raising Hell and Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill for Christmas, and I soon became a fan of rap. However, like some burnt-out old hippie at one of my past jobs always told me, “music is a journey,” and in my early adolescence I grew into listening to some punk like Dead Milkmen, and I am again man enough to admit — INXS.

But nothing got me ready for what was going to happen to me in eighth grade, when I would discover the music of N.W.A. I can remember it clear as day — the kid sitting next to me was named Dino and he was rapping a verse from N.W.A.’s song “Gangsta, Gangsta.”  I couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth and asked what song that was from. He told me he would make me a copy of their tape so I could hear it. He was from Washington Township, an almost mythical and mysterious place for me because it was about 20 minutes away from the Catholic school we attended. I felt like Christopher Columbus — but instead of getting spices from the new world, I was getting a cassette tape laced with obscenities.

The day he gave it to me, I couldn’t wait to get home — it was like the same anxiety I had waiting for my Sea Monkeys to hatch. Once home, I ran upstairs to the safe confines of my room and popped the cassette into my walkman. In the first thirty seconds, I think I heard the F-word about 78 times, Ice Cube had already talked about killing 18 people, MC Ren had fired off about a million bullets, and Eazy-E descriptively explained sexual encounters he had with about 194 young women. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! I knew the F-word of course because I learned every way shape and form to use the F-word a few years prior after watching Eddie Murphy Raw. But this was totally new to me — there were no hazards for me walking down my suburban street other than stepping in gum or getting pooped on by a bird. But the gentlemen in N.W.A. had to worry about drive-bys, overzealous police officers, and the ever-present bullets that seemed to fly through the Compton air like graceful birds. Not to mention all the bitches and hos that were always wanting to initiate sex in exchange for money, drugs, or illegal contraband. These guys were telling a pimply faced blond boy who grew up in a safe and loving home all about the dangerous streets they came from. And I loved it!

From time to time, I still listen to it. Obscenities, murders, and naughtiness aside, it is a landmark album for not only hip-hop, but music in general. It created an entire sub-genre of music and influenced countless musicians. A few months ago, I was listening to it on my way to work, and in the irony of all ironies I got pulled over while “F—K the Police” was on. Wisely, I turned my ipod off when talking to the officer.   

Lately though, as I get older and more jaded and cynical, I have a lot of questions and concerns. First off, I am pretty sure Dr. Dre does not have his doctorate, or an advanced degree of any kind. And he is the king of hypocrisy — on the song “Express Yourself” he says he doesn’t smoke weed because it’s “known to give a brother brain damage, and brain damage on the mic don’t manage.” But his solo album was called “The Chronic” and he says he smokes “a pound of bud everyday.” Dr. Dre — my diagnosis is that you are a hypocrite! Second — how much of a bad-ass was or is Ice Cube really? The guy is starring in Disney movies now for Christ’s sake. The same man who said “when I’m called off, I got a sawed off, squeeze a trigger and bodies are hauled off” is now starring in kids’ movies!   

Player hate as I might, I was changed forever after hearing “Straight Outta Compton” and now as a father of a two-year-old boy, I shudder to think what could possibly be in store for my son to hear. Maybe one of Ice Cube or Dr Dre’s kids will make a record — or maybe one of Eazy E’s 37 kids will. No one knows what the future has in store!

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