Parental Discretion Is Advised: The Rise of N.W.A and the Dawn of Gangsta Rap
Written by Gerrick D. Kennedy
Narrated by Guy Lockard
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
In 1986, a group was formed that would establish the foundation of gangsta rap and push the genre forward, electrifying fans with their visceral and profane lyrics that glorified the dark ways of street life and brazenly challenged the police system.
Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella caused a seismic shift in hip-hop when they decided to form N.W.A in 1986. With their hard-core image, bombastic sound, and lyrics that were equal parts poetic, lascivious, conscious, and downright in-your-face, N.W.A spoke the truth about life on the streets of Compton, California—then a hotbed of poverty, drugs, gangs, and unemployment.
Going beyond the story portrayed in the 2015 blockbuster movie Straight Outta Compton, through firsthand interviews, extensive research, and top-notch storytelling, Los Angeles Times music reporter Gerrick Kennedy transports you back in time and offers a front-row seat to N.W.A’s early days and the drama and controversy that followed the incendiary group as they rose to become multiplatinum artists.
Kennedy leaves nothing off the table in his pursuit of the full story behind the group’s most pivotal moments, such as Ice Cube’s decision to go solo after their debut studio album became a smash hit; their battle with the FBI over inflammatory lyrics; incidents of physical assault; Dr. Dre’s departure from the group to form Death Row Records with Suge Knight; their impact on the 1992 L.A. riots; Eazy-E’s battle with AIDS; and much more.
A bold, riveting, “non-stop, can’t-put-it-down ride” (Library Journal), Parental Discretion Is Advised unveils the true and astonishing history of one of the most transcendent and controversial musical groups of the 1980s and 1990s.
Gerrick D. Kennedy
Gerrick D. Kennedy is a music writer for the Los Angeles Times covering pop, R&B/soul and hip-hop. An Ohio native, he came to the Los Angeles Times as an intern in 2009. On the pop music team, he’s found his favorite stories while smoking cigars with Nas, being trapped on a Kid Rock-themed music cruise, rediscovering boy bands, and perfecting the craft of the snarky tweet. In 2012, Kennedy was named Emerging Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists.
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Reviews for Parental Discretion Is Advised
37 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Essential reading for anyone interested in hip-hop or gangsta rap music and it’s place in the music industry. The author goes deep into detail of social issues that effected each member of N.W.A.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved their music in the 80sand saw them perform at Golden Hall with MC Hammer. After listening to this it can be said that Easy E was a drug deaker looking to go legit. It seems that he was remembered as generous and he had great character. He is also a good example of why promiscuity leads to AIDS without protection. There is definitely a shadow over his death. He was a very controvertial individual. DR Dre while having at least admitted to being a woman beater doesnt get my forgiveness.He is a brilliant producer and the pfunk combination with Snoop Dogg was a winning combo. Hands down Ice Cube was the most provacative writer of the group and his solo career highlighted that talent. Yella and Ren played 2cd to Easy and Cube, but they added to the groups success. NWA was the voice of the oppressed west coast youth.