] N.W.A   ALTHOUGH NOT THE CREATORS OF GANGSTA RAP, N.W.A WAS ITS MOST PROLIFIC PIONEER, PUTTING IT ON THE MAP OF AMERICAN MUSIC WITHOUT THE HELP OF RADIO OR MTV. THE GROUP WAS FORMED IN COMPTON, CALIFORNIA IN 1986 BY EAZY-E, DR. DRE, AND ICE CUBE. SHORTLY AFTER COMPOSING "BOYS N THE HOOD," THEY ADDED DJ YELLA, THE D.O.C. AND ARABIAN PRINCE TO THE LINEUP. N.W.A'S FIRST ALBUM, N.W.A AND THE POSSE, WAS RELEASED IN 1987. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THE GROUP ADDED THE EDGY VOCALS OF MC REN. ALL OF THE PIECES WERE IN PLACE TO DELIVER THE NOW CLASSIC STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON IN 1988. INTERNAL TENSION RESULTED IN ICE CUBE'S DEPARTURE FROM THE GROUP IN 1989. THE GROUP THEN RELEASED THE 100 MILES AND RUNNIN' EP IN 1990 BEFORE FOLLOWING IT UP WITH EFIL4ZAGGIN. DR. DRE LEFT TO BEGIN HIS SOLO CAREER IN 1992, ESSENTIALLY MARKING THE END OF N.W.A. IN ADDITION TO THE SOLO PRESENCE OF ICE CUBE, SOON DR. DRE, EAZY-E, MC REN, AND YELLA WOULD ALL RELEASE SOLO ALBUMS. THE TRAGIC AIDS-RELATED DEATH OF EAZY-E IN 1995 WAS SOMEWHAT OF A CATALYST FOR RECONCILIATION WITHIN THE GROUP; INDEED DR. DRE AND ICE CUBE HAD BOTH MADE AMENDS WITH EAZY BEFORE HE PASSED ON. THESE DAYS, THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF N.W.A ARE FOR THE MOST PART STILL PURSUING SOLO CAREERS, ALTHOUGH AT TIMES THEY HAVE REGROUPED TO PERFORM LIVE WITH THE HELP OF NEXT-GENERATION ACTS SNOOP DOGG AND EMINEM. THEIR GROUNDBREAKING WORK IN THE FIELD OF HIP-HOP IS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED. THEIR INFLUENCE ON OTHER ARTISTS IS REMARKABLE. N.W.A AND ITS MEMBERS HAVE LEFT US A SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF WORK, A TIMELESS LEGACY TO BE ENJOYED THROUGH THE GENERATIONS.