When N.W.A. released "F*** tha Police," no one knew it would "put Compton on the map" or strike a nerve as big as it did. In Noisey's latest documentary, DJ Yella, Ice Cube, ex-gangbangers and former police officers reflect on the city of Compton's warzone-like past, as well as speak on why the intense track is still relevant today. "We did what a lot of people wanted to do, but nobody had the balls," says DJ Yella.
In Compton's heyday, the majority of people had a "hate-hate relationship" with the cops. Ice Cube says they would continuously abuse their authority, sparking outrage throughout neighboring cities. "They would just overstep they're boundaries every time we had an encounter with them," he recalls. Back then the early hip-hop acts weren't using foul language and instead were on some "happy go-lucky s***," so N.W.A.'s appeal and lyrical content created an entirely new voice in the hip-hop community. "When it was our turn i wanted us to have something to say," recalls Cube. "I just realized we need to say something about this - we need to fight back..At the very least we need to just insult they a** like they do us."
Watch on for more "F*** tha Police" commentary above.
