Various Artists - NWA Legacy 1 198898 (26 tracks) +Album Reviews

Random censoring and some glaring omissions

Jason Harland | 10/31/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"At first glance this is a good CD set, though what you won't find out until you buy the CD and listen to it is that some tracks are "radio freindly" edits while other songs remain true to the "Explicit Lyric" stickers designed back in the day especially for artists like NWA.

To me it's an injustice to NWA to put censored versions of their songs on a compilation CD labeled as their legacy. If you're going to come, come correct and put the real versions of EVERY NWA song on the CD, don't mix and match Radio Edits and Explicit content, NWA was not, and is not a radio friendly band. If you want to put out an all clean version of the CD that's fine, but then put out an all explicit version of the CD as well to truely show those too young to remember exactly what the legacy of NWA is. It was groups like NWA and 2 Live Crew that prompted the record industry to create explicit lyric stickers as the profanity spewed on albums such as "Straight out of Compton" was unheard of at the time. To make a long story short you can't do the legacy of the first gangsta rap band justice by censoring the raw emotions invoked by the profanity in their lyrics.

There were also a lot of tracks I'd have liked to see on this two disc set that didn't make it. "Automobile" and "100 Miles & Runnin'" form the CD with the aforementioned name would have been welcome additions. Would have been nice too to throw on "Panic Zone" or anything from "NWA and the Posse" which featured The Arabian Prince when he was still a member of NWA.

This 2 CD set left me with a sour taste in my mouth, mostly due to the censorship of some of the songs included. Case in point: the remix of "It was a good day", I loved the disco beat in the background but it was completely ruined the second I heard Ice Cube swerve off to the clean version of the song.

Avoid this set, and buy NWAs released CDs, then you can relive their legacy as it was meant to be remembered."

A Must-Have for Fans of Gangsta Rap

B. Foster | Olathe, KS USA | 12/05/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In the historical context of hip-hop, N.W.A. should be as celebrated as Run-DMC, the Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5. Where the latter's "The Message" was the first cut to speak to its unintended audience (suburban white kids) about what they didn't see on television regarding urban life, N.W.A. pioneered a prideful disdain of the establishment, and of urban dwellers to simply "accept" the caste system in which they lived. The most significant track, "(...)Tha Police", was never as honored as "The Message", but was just as poignant. I only wish they had included more bona-fide hits, but otherwise a good buy. "California Love" is a good add, as is "Steady Mobbin", but where's "EZ Duz It"? The exclusions are what forces me to rate this as less than a '5', but I still highly recommend this 2-CD package."

Off Da Hook. This is a great collection of old tracks.

B. Foster | 04/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"N.W.A is the best when it comes to gangsta rap. No one has made an impact with this genre of rap than N.W.A. This Cd brought back a lot of memories."

Great Compilation of songs, but why put edited versions on a

Mancusi | 07/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The N.W.A. Legacy volume 1 has absolutely amazing songs such as Dr. Dre's Keep Their Heads Ringin', The D.O.C's No One Can Do it Better, Daz's In California, and many more. But the disapointing part of this compilation was the It was a Good Day remix and the Westsyde Radio Megamix, for one reason because it was edited.

The legacy includes MC's from the Westside Connection, Snoop Doggy Dog, members from N.W.A (official and unofficial), and a couple more. The songs on this compilation are worth the time listening to except a couple. The best songs on the first disc include Eazy's Boyz-N-Tha-Hood remix, the Westside Connection's Bow Down, and N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton. The best songs on the second disc include Dre's Keep Their Heads Ringin, Daz's In California, and N.W.A.'s F*** the Police. The songs that are not good at all that would've been good are the Westsyde Radio Megamix, and the It Was a Good Day remix. These aren't good songs because they are edited versions (I am going to talk about the random edited tracks on the explicit cd).

The songs are absolutely amazing, but they edit Ice Cube's It Was a Good Day remix and the Westsyde Radio Megamix on an explicit cd. It is ok to have an edited version of explicit lyrics but it is ridiculous if you put edited tracks on an explicit version of a cd. And how do you edit a friggen Eazy-E song when he is one of the most violent and vulger rappers ever (it's not a bad thing). The It Was a Good Day remix had potential to be great due to the change of the beat (the original beat was a lot better), but they again randomly edited it. Basically what I'm saying the producers shouldn't have edited random tracks on this compilation.

The legacy is still worth buying because it has some rare and great tracks.

Top 5 Songs (Disc 1):

1. Boyz-N-Tha-Hood (Remix.)

2. Straight Outta Compton.

3. Bow Down.

4. Westside Slaughterhouse.

5. Steady Mobbin.

Top 5 Songs (Disc 2).

1. Keep Their Heads Ringin.

2. In California.

3. No One Can Do it Better.

4. F*** Tha Police.

5. The Last Song.

Top 5 Songs (The whole compilation):

1. Keep Their Heads Ringin.

2. In California.

3. Boyz-N-Tha-Hood (Remix).

4. Straight Outta Compton.

5. No One Can Do it Better."

Great compilation of the n.w.a. family

j.d. | Pella, IA USA | 06/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"awesome compilation my faviorites are straight outta cpt,boyznthahood{remix},bow down,only in california,color blind,final frontier,we want eazy, f tha police,alwayz into somethin',& the last song. my advice is you should buy it"

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