You could say the group N.W.A. (Niggaz Wit Attitudes) created gangster rap.

In 1988 N.W.A. released their debut studio album, Straight Outta Compton which included the now infamous song, “Fuck tha Police.”

The album was one of the first to include a new parental advisory. But deeper than the “coarse language” was a worthy political message.

These rappers drew attention to how the government treated the inner cities. They documented what life was like in the ghetto amid the crack epidemic. And they called out cops who profiled poor inner-city blacks for aggressive and excessive policing.

Radio stations and MTV refused to play N.W.A.’s music. Family groups protested, politicians complained.

Law enforcement refused to work security for the group in a coordinated effort to shut down their concerts.