iSound

Though not the first rappers to incorporate unabashedly violent themes into their work (Los Angeles ' Ice-T and Philly 's Schoolly D were already established), N.W.A. paved the way for countless other groups with their 1988 classic, Straight Outta Compton. Backed by Dr. Dre 's layered, cinematic, but funky production, Niggas With Attitude practically invented the term "Gangsta Rap, " leading to extensive controversy, angry cops, shocked parents, and multiplatinum status. Their deadly serious subject matter came straight from the streets of South Central Los Angeles, where rampant gang banging and crack slinging had turned the neighborhood into a virtual war zone. Financially backed by profits from Eazy-E 's days as a real life dopeman, the group 's no-holds-barred rhymes struck a chord with both ghetto kids who lived it and bored suburbanites who longed to be hardcore. With the classic joints including the title track (which was banned from MTV), "Gangsta, Gangsta, ...