Kendrick Lamar Interviews N.W.A

Even as West coast rap lagged in the mainstream after the turn of the century, Compton had an undeniable cultural import. Then there was The Game, then artists like Nipsey Hussle and YG blew up locally, the latter scoring a deal with Def Jam before the decade was up. But what made Kendrick Lamar's rise in the early 2010s so fascinating is that he was putting a new face on the famous section of L.A.--one that was less an in-the-now cry of protest, and more the slow burn of an environment that molded him. His good kid, m.A.A.d. city might be the first time rap fans West of the Rockies have reconsidered their image of Compton. So with the N.W.A biopic coming out this Friday (Aug. 14), who better to interview the four surviving members of the world's most dangerous group?

Billboard tapped Lamar to do just that, and his sit-down with Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren and DJ Yella recounted what it was like to record their seminal debut album, how business red tape got in the way of the creative process and what's missing from today's rap game. Excerpted below are some of the most compelling moments:

Kendrick Lamar: Now I’m wondering, is there anything my generation should build on and bring back to the game?

Ice Cube: That’s tricky, man. An artist has to do it like he feels it -- not because he should, or someone else says he should. Hip-hop got too focused on results and record sales. Sales have nothing to do with the art you create in the studio.

Dr. Dre: When we started out, it wasn’t for money. It was for the love of music. You treat her right, and she’ll treat you right. If your only aim is money, your time will be limited.

DJ Yella: We just went in there and did what we wanted.

Kendrick Lamar: What was the hardest part when you were young and first coming to grips with the game?

DJ Yella: Publishing! We didn’t know anything about publishing. The first go-around we didn’t make a nickel.

Dr. Dre: We were just a bunch of creative guys who got together and did something amazing but were clueless about business.

Ice Cube: Business is the most f—ed-up part. It’s always awkward. It’s fun to make records, fun to be in the studio with your homies, fun to get up onstage. But the business part sucks. It’s always some shit you ready to get rid of so you can go back to being creative.

Dr. Dre: It’s all about getting back in that studio.

Kendrick Lamar: Boiling it all down, what do you see as N.W.A’s legacy?

Ice Cube: World’s most dangerous group -- a group that made it all right for artists to be totally themselves.

Dr. Dre: A legacy of inspiration, because we came from nothing.

DJ Yella: Dirt nothing.

Ice Cube: A legacy that says that although we were living in a destructive neighborhood, we were able to do something constructive.

For the interview in full, check it out over at Billboard.