N.W.A

Released: May 28, 1991

Songwriter: The D.O.C. MC Ren

Producer: DJ Yella Dr. Dre

[Intro]
Die nigga! We are born to die nigga
You've been dyin for 400 years
Niggas know how to die
Niggas don't know nothin else, but dying
Niggas dream about dying

[Bridge: MC Ren]
I'm a motherfuckin nigga (with an attitude)
I'm a motherfuckin nigga (with an attitude)
I'm a motherfuckin nigga (with an attitude)
I'm a motherfuckin nigga (with an attitude)

[Verse 1: Dr. Dre]
I got a case, of spittin in a motherfucker's face
So me and my ace, we got a taste
Of a motherfucker's billy club, he took his gun and
Put it to my head and said, "Nigga start runnin"
So tell me what's the next episode?
Is he crazy, does he want to chase me or waste me?
I thought, "Run nigga run", but I caught myself
Because my secondary thought was death
I've got head and heart real, but still a motherfucker said
"I want another black motherfucker dead
Niggas ain't good for shit to me"
Cause it's a race for second class, so get your ass
Up against the wall bitch, and then he tried
To jump me but the punk became a victim of a walkby
Fuckin with Dre, you get a foot up in your asshole
It's just another way to let you know
Nigga send them, nigga send them, nigga send them
Punk can't fuck with me - Real motherfucking G
Straight from the streets of the CPT
Telling you why, real niggas don't die

[Hook]
"I-iiiiiii, just want to celebrate!"

[Verse 2: MC Ren]
Real niggas don't die cause they eventually multiply
The niggas I'm with, they take an eye for an eye
Because the times are so wrong, gotta stay so strong
Niggas gotta keep it goin on and on
And don't let no paleface throw your ass in a snail race
Have your residence occupyin a jail space
That's what they want to do cause the system is fucked around
I try to let you know with the records that's underground
They don't give a fuck about a nigga, they would rather pull the trigger
And have you in front of a barrel smilin sayin "Cheese!"
So nigga get smart and rebel back
I'm not with that black shit so I'm not gonna yell that
All I see is niggas getting harassed
And can't do nothin about it but get a foot in they ass, yo
But if every nigga grabbed a nine
And started shootin motherfuckers it would put 'em in line
And that's how it's supposed to be
When a pussy-ass nigga try to fuck with me
Yo, because it's useless to try
To kill a nigga cause nigga a motherfuckin real nigga don't die!

[Hook]
"I-iiiiiii, just want to celebrate!"

[Interlude]
Die nigga, everywhere you go
Niggas dying, niggas been dyin for 400 years

[Bridge: MC Ren]
I'm a motherfuckin nigga (with an attitude)

[Verse 3: Eazy-E]
Only the good die young, so that makes me young and bad
Puttin ass-kickings on the niggas that never had
So I guess that makes me tough shit
Straight up gangsta, wrong nigga to fuck with
So how can a nigga die, when he's causin the bloodshed
By shoot motherfuckers in the head
Tryin to make a nigga extinct because they fear me
But never wanna hear me
So I'mma let 'em know how a nigga's livin
Takin from motherfuckers cause nobody ain't givin
A damn thang! To a nigga, a real nigga
So I'm living by the motherfuckin trigger
Cause a nigga ain't afraid of bein locked up
I'm out of luck, so why should I give a fuck?
But they still want to try
To kill a nigga like me but motherfuckin real niggas don't die!

[Hook]
"I-iiiiiii, just want to celebrate!"

[Outro: MC Ren]
Yeah, a real nigga don't die!
Yeah motherfuckers!
("Die, nigga!")

Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince initially formed the collective known as “the world’s most dangerous group,” N.W.A.—Niggaz With Attitudes.

Following Ice Cube’s stint in C.I.A. and Dre and Yella’s departure from the World Class Wreckin Cru, they got together with Compton hustler Eric “Eazy-E” Wright, who formed Ruthless Records and released Eazy’s single “Boyz n the Hood,” written by Cube and produced by Dre. A compilation entitled N.W.A. and the Posse was released in 1987 but the group’s seminal debut, Straight Outta Compton, was released on August 8, 1988. It led to the rise of gangsta rap and West Coast hip-hop in general with their tales of “reality rap” from the streets of Compton and South Central Los Angeles. Their song “Fuck tha Police” even put the group on the hit list of the FBI.

Arabian Prince was the first to leave the group in 1988 over a financial dispute. Ice Cube left N.W.A. in 1989 after his own financial dispute, leading to the other members to diss him on their subsequent the 1990 EP 100 Miles and Runnin' and EFIL4ZAGGIN, which was released in 1991 and peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The D.O.C., who contributed to Straight Outta Compton and was still recovering from a car accident that severly altered his strong voice, wrote more rhymes for Dr. Dre and Eazy-E on the EFIL4ZAGGIN album in attempt to fill the void left by Cube.

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