N.W.A.

N.W.A. were an American hip-hop group from Compton, California, active between 1987 to 1991, specialising in the emergence of Gangsta rap. Their line-up consisted of Arabian Prince (born Kim Renard Nazel on June 17, 1965), Dr. Dre (born Andre Romelle Young on February 18, 1965), Eazy-E (born Eric Lynn Wright on September 7, 1963; died March 26, 1995), and Ice Cube (born O'Shea Jackson on June 15, 1969), DJ Yella (born Antoine Carraby on December 11, 1967) and MC Ren (born Lorenzo Jerald Patterson on June 16, 1969). N.W.A. were quite controversial due to anti-authority views, a fondness for firearms, and misogyny, and were banned everywhere due to songs such as F**k Tha Police, Express Yourself and the influential album Straight Outta Compton first released in 1988. N.W.A. split in 1991, with each member going off to focus on solo careers. Member Eazy E died of AIDS-induced pneumonia in 1995. N.W.A. entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Image: Greg Alle/Invision/AP/Shutterstock