Released: March 27, 1988

Songwriter: Ice Cube MC Ren

Producer: Dr. Dre DJ Yella

[Intro]
Dr. Dre: Yo man there's alot of brothers out there flakin and perpatratin who scared to kick reality
Ice Cube: Yo Dre you've been doin all this dope producin', you ain't had a chance to show 'em what time it is
Dr. Dre: So watch do you want me to do

[Entrence]
All you got to do now, express yourself

[Verse 1: Dr. Dre]
I'm expressin' with my full capabilities
Now I'm livin' in correctional facilities
'Cause some don't agree with how I do this
I get straight, meditate, like a Buddhist
I'm droppin' flavor, my behavior is hereditary
But my technique is very necessary
Blame it on Ice Cube, because he said it gets funky
When you got a subject and a predicate
Add it on a dope beat, and it'll make ya think
Some suckers just tickle me pink, to my stomach
'Cause they don't flow like this one
You know what, I won't hesitate to dis one or two before I'm through
So don't try to sing this
Some drop science, well I'm droppin' English
Even if Yella, makes it a-capella
I still express, yo I don't smoke weed or sess
'Cause it's known to give a brother brain damage
And brain damage on the mic don't manage nothin'
But makin' a sucker and you equal
Don't be another sequel

[Hook]
Express yourself
Do it good
Express yourself
Oh do it

[Verse 2: Dr. Dre + Ice Cube]
Ice Cube, is not for the pop charts
So where should a brother like you start expressin' yourself
My boy'll show you how
Yo Dre - What up? - Drop English right about...
....Now, gettin' back to the PG
That's program, and it's easy
Dre is back - New jacks are made hollow
Expressin' ain't their subject because they like to follow the words
The style, the trend, the records I spin
Again and again and again
Yo ya on the other end
Watch a brother playin' dope rhymes, with no help
There's no fessin' and guessin' while I'm expressin myself
It's crazy to see people be what society wants 'em to be
But not me
Ruthless, is the way to go, they know
Others say rhymes that fail to be original
Or they kill where the hip-hop starts
Forget about the ghetto, and rap for the pop charts
And those musicians, curse at home
But scared to use profanity, when up on the microphone
Yeah they want reality, but you won't hear none
They rather exaggerate a little fiction
Some say no to drugs, and take a stand
But after the show they go lookin for the dope man
Oh they ban my group from the radio
Hear N.W.A. and say ''Hell no!''
But you know it ain't all about wealth
As long as you make a note to
(express yourself)

[Hook]
Express yourself
Do it do...
Express yourself
Oh do it!

[Verse 3: Dr. Dre + MC Ren]
A lyricist, yo Dre is the name for it
To make somethin' dope on a record that's what he came for
Kickin' reality yo but staying hisself
But it's important to keep it in mind to (Express yourself)
From the heart if you wanna start to move up the chart then
Expression is big part of it
You ain't efficient when you flow, you ain't swift
Movin' like a tortoise, full of rigor mortis
There's a little bit more to show
I got rhymes in my mind, embedded like an embryo
Or a lesson, all of them expression
And if you start fessin', I got a Smith&Wesson for ya
I might ignore your record, because it has no bottom
I get loose in the Summer, Winter, Spring and Autumn
It's Dre on the mic gettin physical
Doin' the job, NWA is the lynch mob
Yes I'm macabre, but you know you need this
And the knowledge is growin' just like a fetus
Or a tumor, but here's the rumour, Dre's in the neighborhood and he's up to no good
When I start expressin myself, Yella slam it
'Cause if I stay funky like this, I'm doin' damage
Or I'mma be too hyped, I need a straight jacket
I got knowledge, and other suckers lack it
So when you see Dre, a DJ on the mic
Ask what it's like, it's like we gettin' hype tonight
'Cause if I strike, It ain't for your good health
But I won't strike if you just
(express yourself)

[Hook]
Express Yourself
Do it good...
Express Yourself
Oh do it

N.W.A

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.