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Niggaz4Life
Niggaz4Life
Studio album by N.W.A

Released

28 May 1991

Recorded

September 1990 - March 1991

Genre

Hip hop, West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap, horrorcore, hardcore hip hop

Length

55:33

Label

Ruthless/Priority

Producer

DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E (exec.)

N.W.A chronology

Previous

100 Miles and Runnin' (1990)

Next

Greatest Hits (1996)

Niggaz4Life is the second studio album by American gangsta rap group N.W.A, released in 1991 by Ruthless and Priority Records. Released three years after their 1988 debut album Straight Outta Compton, the album features only four members of the original line-up, as Arabian Prince and Ice Cube had left the group in 1988 and 1989 respectively. In comparison to its predecessor, the album was heavier on misogyny, for which it became notorious. The album's final nine songs were laden with more sexist profanity and references to various sexual acts, provoking attacks from the IRC, liberal and conservative politicans, and civil rights activist C. Delores Tucker. It was the group's final album, as they disbanded later the same year after the departure of Dr. Dre and songwriter The D.O.C. for Death Row Records.

Niggaz4Life debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, but in its second week reached No. 1. In 1992, several months after the release of the album, N.W.A released a video entitled Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video, which chronicled the making of the album and its three music videos, "Alwayz into Somethin'", "Appetite for Destruction" and "Approach to Danger". In 2003, the CD was re-released in two formats. Both had the EP 100 Miles and Runnin' appended to the end of the original track listing, but one was available with a DVD copy of Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video

Release and reception[]

Critical reception[]

Accolades[]

  • Ranked #1 in The Source's Top 15 Albums of 1991 list in 1991[16]
  • Ranked #7 in MTV's Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time list in 2005[17]

Commercial performance[]

The album debuted number 2 on the US Billboard Top LPs chart.[18] The second week it climbed up to number 1, making it the first hardcore rap album ever to do so. The album has sold over 2 million copies in the US alone.

Track listing[]

All songs produced by Dr. Dre & DJ Yella.

No. Title Performer(s) Writer(s) Length
1. "Prelude" Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Above the Law Patterson, Young 2:27
2. "Real Niggaz Don't Die" Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Eazy-E Carraby, Curry, Patterson, Wright, Young 3:40
3. "Niggaz4Life" MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E Curry, Patterson, Young 4:58
4. "Protest" - - 0:53
5. "Appetite for Destruction" Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Eazy-E Curry, Long, Patterson, Young 3:22
6. "Don't Drink That Wine" - - 1:07
7. "Alwayz into Somethin'" Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Admiral D Curry, Patterson, Young 4:25
8. "Message to B.A." - - 0:48
9. "Real Niggaz" MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E Carraby, Patterson, Wright, Young 4:27
10. "To Kill a Hooker" - - 0:50
11. "One Less Bitch" MC Ren, Dr. Dre Curry, Young 4:47
12. "Findum, Fuckum & Flee" Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, CPO Carraby, Patterson, Wright, Young 3:55
13. "Automobile" Eazy-E, Dr. Dre Wright 3:15
14. "She Swallowed It" MC Ren Patterson 4:13
15. "I'd Rather Fuck You" Eazy-E Carraby, Wright, Young 3:57
16. "Approach to Danger" MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E Carraby, Curry, Patterson, Wright 2:45
17. "1-900-2-Compton" - - 1:27
18. "The Dayz of Wayback" MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Admiral D Curry, Patterson, Young 4:15

Sample credits[]

"Prelude"
  • "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" by Isaac Hayes
  • "The Breakdown (Part II)" by Rufus Thomas
"Real Niggaz Don't Die"
  • "UFO" by ESG
  • "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson
  • "Die Nigger!!!" by The Last Poets
  • "Rise Above" by Black Flag
  • "Long Red" by Mountain
  • "I Just Want to Celebrate" by Rare Earth
  • "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
  • "Hook and Sling" by Eddie Bo
  • "Big Beat" by Billy Squier
  • "Triple Threat" by Z-3 MC's
"Niggaz 4 Life"
  • "Die Nigger!!!" by The Last Poets
  • "Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention - B3M)" by Parliament
  • "Flashlight" by Parliament
  • "N.T." by Kool & the Gang
  • "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go" by Curtis Mayfield
  • "Niggers Are Scared of a Revolution" by The Last Poets
  • "Cissy Strut" by The Meters
  • "Fool Yourself" by Little Feat
"Appetite for Destruction"
  • "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins
  • "Funky Stuff" by Kool and the Gang
  • "Get Me Back on Time, Engine No. 9" by Wilson Pickett
  • "Niggers vs. the Police" by Richard Pryor
"Don't Drink That Wine"
  • "I've Been Watching You (Move Your Sexy Body)" by Parliament
  • "If It Ain't Ruff" by N.W.A
"Alwayz into Somethin'"
  • "Stone to the Bone" by James Brown
  • "Storm King" by Bob James
  • "Sneakin' in the Back" by Tom Scott and The L.A. Express
  • "Remember" by Jimi Hendrix
  • "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
  • "Just Wanna Make A Dream Come True" by Mass Production
"Message to B.A."
  • "Prelude" by N.W.A
"Real Niggaz"
  • "Give it Up" by Kool & the Gang
  • "Got to Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn
  • "Gashman" by The Last Poets
  • "The Lovomaniacs" by Boobie Knight & the Universal Lady
"To Kill a Hooker"
  • "Can't Stay Away" by Bootsy Collins
"One Less Bitch"
  • "Zimba Ku" by Black Heat
  • "Funkin' 4 Jamaica" by Tom Browne
  • "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Babe" by Barry White
"Findum, Fuckum & Flee"
  • "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang
  • "The Breakdown, Pt. 1" by Rufus Thomas
"Automobile"
  • "My Automobile" by Parliament
"She Swallowed It"
  • "Cardova" by The Meters
  • "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Babe" by Barry White
  • "That Girl is a Slut" by Just-Ice
  • "Slack Jawed Leroy" by Leroy & Skillet with LaWanda Page
"I'd Rather Fuck You"
  • "I'd Rather Be with You" by Bootsy Collins
"Approach to Danger"
  • "AJ Scratch" by Kurtis Blow
  • "Get up & Get Down" by The Dramatics
  • "Get Me Back on Time, Engine No. 9" by Wilson Pickett
  • "God Made Me Funky" by The Headhunters
  • "Scorpio" by Lalo Schifrin
  • "This Is It" by Jimmy Spicer
"1-900-2-Compton"
  • "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" by Parliament
"The Dayz of Wayback"
  • "Troglodyte" by Jimmy Castor Bunch
  • "Impreach the President" by The Honey Drippers
  • "Players Balling (Players Doin' Their Own Thing)" by Ohio Players
  • "On the Ill Tip" by LL Cool J
  • "Surprises" by The Last Poets

Appearances[]

Artist Notes MC Ren performs on 11 tracks
Dr. Dre performs on 9 tracks
Eazy-E performs on 9 tracks
DJ Yella performs on 1 track

Charts[]

Album[]

Charts (1991) Peak position
U.S. Billboard 200 1
U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 1

Singles[]

Year Single Peak chart positions
1991 "Alwayz into Somethin'" U.S. Hot 100

U.S. R&B

U.S. Rap

--

37

1

1991 "Appetite for Destruction" U.S. Hot 100

U.S. R&B

U.S. Rap

--

45

2

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA) 2x Platinum 2,500,000
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