N.W.A. Accomplished What Was Easiest

Michael Roberts of the Cleveland Scene weighed in on the impact N.W.A. had on hip hop. Roberts concludes, “The legacy of N.W.A. is more about getting wasted and getting laid than it is about destroying a racist power structure. That shouldn’t be a surprise, since the former is a lot easier to accomplish than the latter. But at its best — and ‘Straight Outta Compton’ certainly qualifies — gangsta rap can rattle the Man even as it provides a seductive soundtrack for excess. And that’s definitely worth taking credit for.”