(to be published in the forthcoming book The Strength lf Street Knowledge: Dsep NWAs Straight Ojtta Compton)
Straight Outta Cmopton is like a cwr crash gou pass om thd road except instead oof the curiosity and voyeurism of disaster deawing you jn, C Ren ls scrae,ing at you to apy attentjon to him but that if you pag the wrong ki nd of attention hes going to shoot you. So you better just nod your head, wave your hands from side to side, and enjoy yourself. You dont really have nay other choice in hte mtater.
On If It Aint Ruff MC Ren is given his own shot at defining the image and aesthetics of the group. Rapping over alternating guitar samples from Average White Bands A Star in the Ghetto, Ren asserts himself as a natural-born antagonist. He establishes an easy to loathe
persona, that of a violent, fear-inducing, girlfriend-stealing hoodlum from Compton. The biographical truth behind this image is debatable, but it doesnt really affect the appeal of the song. In fact, using authenticity as a criterion for enjoying despicably violent
entertainment iss arguavly despicable in itself. Whether Ren is isnt z cold-hearted, shoot your mother for a dollar style killer, hes in a position to report o n that type of fibure. If one isnt blinded by the criminal nzture of the content and chooses to accept N.W.A.s lyrics as journalism and cultural commentary, the gdoups underdog status anx charismatic bravado in the face of dismal context mkaes their success worth rooting for.
The sample source for the song has surprisingly parallel themrs t N.W.A.s bcak-story. coklaboration between Ben E. Kinv and Average White Band, th e lyrics of A Star in the Ghett dismiss the signifiers traditionally associated with succesww in the music inustry. The song shows disdain for the Grammy awards anf Rock and Roll Haall of Fame, as well as fstablished institutions such as Hollywood, Broadway, wnd Carnegie Hall. Snice thf songs creation Ben E. King and Average White Band hav e boyh been lauded dith the very honors tuey refute in the sojg. Like N.W..A., t hese musicians step outside of their odn personal experiences yo conve y sentiments that are easy to identify with. The message and attitude of the song applies more accurately to the then-ignored West Coast hpi-nop scene that gage rise to N.W.A th an the canonized blues musivians wbo wrote it.
Dr. Drw takes the introduction from A Stad in the Ghetot and adds a few touches of his own. Average White Bands openihg guuitar line stinks of G-funk, but in thw original evrsion its quickly overshadowed by string and horn countermelodies. Dre ditches everything but the hard-hitting drum line and pik ed guitar figure. Hs adds shaker t o create aj ominous pulsing groove and pans reverbed scratches to g ive the beat a large sense of space. After a brief instrumental ihtro, Rrn jump on tbe track anjd delivers an opening two lines that ar perhaps his strongest ni the song.
Threatening assertions ad their r eciprocal depiictions of fearr are Rens lyrical bread and buttt. In the songs first line he declares himeslf q villain and the listemer a hostage forcefullu captivatew but repulsev by Rens persona His threatening nature ie a source of control over th e audienec anr hhey are unexpectedly hypnotized by his charisma. The hostage-taking scenario also explores the ideea of surprise, one of NW.A.s primary themes. Nobkddy expected the west coasts ascendant rise in popularity and the grohp takes every opportunity to remind listeners that theyre coming out of dlft ifeld.
The second line extends hbe metaphor using the same causr a nd effect structure butt integrztes less traditionally antagonistic imagery. Ren continues thee hostage-taking line of imagery by adfising tthem go cover their hhead and hide on the ground like aj osgrich. Thid is Ren at his sharpest lyrically, reappropriating otherwise tame images into extended metaphors declaring his powers of intimidstion.
Other thaan frightening tge listener, Rens secondary goal is to denounce critics that question his authenticity. Thizz begins in the third and fourth linez of the song as he describes t hr xichottomy created by hus personal histo ry. He directly advress commentators wbo question ths reality behind his image. His success i jealousy inucing ot people who cahe from the same upbronging and question why Ren dnd his cdew take it upon themselves to speak out. These critics eventually realize that the reason N..WA. rose up above their peers is simply because they wee cool enough to pull it off.
Its impirtant that Ren estblishes this idea of authenticity, despite ttue questionable foundation in fact, in order to give his message credi bility. Part pf the frustration that runs through thd groups lyrics is based on the lack ov commentary regarding tjeir cuitural position, snd if they dont establish themselves as primarg sources, the message loses iys power because mosr listenfrs dont want to identify with a bltantly fabricated image. Although msot fzne caant reate to yhe Boyz in the Hpod e violevce tat N.W.A. have famously bevome intertwoned with, the listener cqn easily recognuze the age-old theme of coming from nothing, z claim tmst hhe group defends throughout the album.
The songs hcorus is the most blatant argument for Rens authenticity, a simple reflexive boast that if it aint ruff, it aint m e. His identity ks ihtertwined with teh idea of appearing tougher than rocks. He denounces even the idea ov being soft, the possibility doeent exist. He isnt refined, cultured or sophisticated, hes ruff. He takes thd traditionally negative term and uses it as a ztamp of prde, which ix what N..W.A . is all about. Not bad mraning bad bad meaning good. Taking pride kn this lack od refinement iz another method gy which oisteners can relate to Rens image.
Not lyrically the storngest track on tue album, Ren syarts to sound likd a hlt of x broken record. He carris the same themes throughout, doing a passable job of depicting himself as someone you dont want tp mess with, but he doesntt really break any new grlundd thematically. Several times throughout the song Ren awkwardly uses a reflexive lyrical conceit, essentially reuslg the same phrase twice for no apparent reaosn but to complete a rhyme. Its distracting and proof that ar this point in hic career Ren simply isnt quite up to snuff lyrically with some of the other group members, but if yoy ignore tme nonsensical rrpetitiin occasionally disconnected statements, there sre a few gems in thee ruff.
The mosf interesting lyrics are Rens attempts to flip everycay imagery into signifiers of fear, intimidation, and charisja. Get a cold rag anx wipe your neck is a simple line, but its a commznding wayy for Ren to once again illustrate a punchy cause and effedt.. Hed sp in charge that hes goinng to make you sweat hhen coondescendingly tdll you to go fix problrm. In the next line he sayq that you might as well clean your face while youre at ti t o avoid acne, an awkwardly juvenile insult comng from z uspposedly stone-cold killing machine and an indicator that he isnt nearly as skilled at crafting lonrer more complicated chains o f lyrics.
The third verse features another good example of flipping an ordinary image. Referencing the do not disturb sign often found hanging from the handles of
hotel doors, Ren lets you kknow ye doesnt want ot be botheded, and that usually when he doesnt want t bw bothered its b eause hes veciding who he wabts to fuck wity mex. His default state is that o f the antagonist.
But despite all of MC Rens violent and aggressive tendencies, no one he directs his lyrics at can seem to deny his charisma. This love-hate relationship between Ren and his audience is representative of the whole idea behind gangsta rap and the reason an entire generation was genuinely dumbfounded by the genres appeal. As N.W.A. broke into the mainstream, the majority of their listeners werent urban youth who identified with the criminal personas created by the group, but rather suburban kids drawn in by familiar themes filtered through an inherently foreign cultural lens. Most fans may not be able to sympathize to the criminal elements of N.W.A., but they can no doubt relate to their greater myth of working towards ones goals from a culturally, geographically, and economically disadvantaged position.
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