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When We Wuz Bangin

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CMW - Compton's Most Wanted

 
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When We Wuz Bangin
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Compilation of rugged-yet-smooth tracks from these laidback West Coast rappers

  • We Say...

    N.W.A. introduced the world to Compton and, in so doing, imagined a life beyond it. Their LA-area peers — overlooked acts like King Tee, the D.O.C. and Above the Law — weren’t quite as fortunate. Among the most charismatic of these groups was Compton’s Most Wanted, who sounded like they didn’t get out of town nearly enough. Hypnotically laidback MC Eiht and DJ Slip — with occasional contributions from MC Chill and DJ Mike T — were known for describing their native Compton streets in obsessive detail, and When We Wuz Bangin’ is an excellent distillation of their rugged yet smooth sound. It draws mostly from their three best albums — It’s a Compton Thang! (1990), Straight Checkn ‘Em(1991) and Music to Driveby (1992) — as well as long out-of-print singles and remixes (check out DJ Premier’s hazy “Def Wish II” remix). With the exception of some late-'90s missteps, much of Bangin’ anticipates the lazy, casual lope of G-Funk, from the quirky “Duck Sick” (swap the vowels) and the velvety “All for the Money” to the stunning “Late Night Hype,” a West Coast classic that sounds as though it was engineered specifically for aimless, late night drives.

  • They Say...

    The 1989-1999 time span cited in the subtitle of When We Wuz Bangin' is a little misleading. Compton's Most Wanted did in fact span a decade, forming in 1989 and debuting a year later, but the group spend most of the ensuing decade inactive, releasing only three albums during a three-year span (1990-1992). Throughout most of the '90s, group leader MC Eiht trudged on with his up-and-down solo career and took producer DJ Slip along for part of the ride. The remaining members of CMW meanwhile remained mostly confined to old-school obscurity. As short-lived as the talented group had been, though, they did release a wealth of blueprint West Coast gangsta rap during their three-album span, each album -- It's a Compton Thang (1990), Music to Driveby (1991), and Straight Checkn 'Em (1992) -- offering a few standout singles. Many of those singles are compiled here ("One Time Gaffled 'Em Up," "Late Night Hype," "Growin' Up in the Hood") as are several of Eiht's bigger solo hits ("All for the Money," "Streiht Up Menace," "Days of '89") and even some rare recordings (DJ Premier's remix of "Def Wish II"). The inclusion of Eiht's solo work is key, since he did have a few great gangsta ballads, but you could argue that those songs had little to do with Compton's Most Wanted and occupy precious disc space that could have instead featured gang-bangin' songs like "Hood Took Me Under" or "Straight Checkn' Em."

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