Today in Hip-Hop: N.W.A Drops ‘Niggaz4Life’

On this day, May 28, in hip-hop history…

1991: On May 28, 1991, the world heard the last of Compton rap collective N.W.A when the crew dropped their second and final album, Niggaz4Life.

With Ice Cube already having left N.W.A, Niggaz4Life features four of the original six-man lineup in the 18-track offering. This album also marked the departure of the clique’s patriarch figure, Dr. Dre, as he and writer The D.O.C left the group shortly after the album dropped to form Deathrow Records. Though the underlying theme of the album was that of camaraderie, N.W.A was coming apart at the seams. With Ice Cube having left the group for a solo career before the album, the group found ways to diss him in the LP however they could.

With no guest features, Niggaz4Life debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and reached No. 1 in it’s second week of sales. This was the first hardcore rap album to reach number one on the Billboard charts. The album birthed two major singles, “Alwayz into Somethin” and “Appetite for Destruction.” With stellar production from Dr. Dre, the album as a whole is considered a landmark in in the history of G-funk and West Coast hip-hop.

Related: Today In Hip-Hop: N.W.A Releases ‘Straight Outta Compton’
Today In Hip-Hop: Ice Cube Releases ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’
REVIEW: DJ Lil Bee AKA The Blend Specialist presents The Best Of Death Row
The 1990s in Hip-Hop: By The Numbers