N.W.A. (which stands for N****z With Attitude -- and which says a lot about the group) are rap legends. Period. With a lineup that included Ice Cube, Easy-E and Dr. Dre, they blazed the trail for gansta rap in the late '80s and early '90s. Their contribution to rap cannot be overstated: along with Public Enemy (who were more political) and scant few others, they built the bricks and mortar of the genre for the artists we know and love today. And they did it better!

Few rap groups drew as much Establishment ire as the unashamedly aggressive N.W.A. with their violent, misogynistic lyrics. Even Body Count's notorious "Cop Killer" didn't appear until 1992 -- a year after N.W.A. disbanded. The latter's sophomore album Straight Outta Compton (1989) fired the first missile at the status quo. It's not hyperbole to say that it is a rap masterpiece and, fortunately, half of its tracks appear on this compilation album.

The disc opens with the high-energy, muscular title track from that great release. Aggressive and hubristic, it turns the social tables by shouting out with pride about coming from the much maligned city of Compton (located in Southern Los Angeles County). But it was another track from the same album, "F*** Tha Police" that really blew the doors off. Its frontal assault on police brutality in black neighborhoods was like nothing heard or said before in music. A surging, weapon-like cut, it's lyrics still carry heat today: "F*** tha police/ Comin' straight from the underground/ Young n***a got it bad cuz I'm brown/ And not the other color so police think/ They have the authority to kill a minority."

By contrast, a track like "Boyz-N-The Hood" from 1987's debut disc N.W.A. and The Posse is almost a relief with its easier groove and scratching. In fact, the album benefits from not having its tracks in chronological order. It helps to mix up the feel and flow a little.

It's impossible to mention all the highlights of this album because each of the 17 tracks IS a highlight. But the tough rapping and guitar accompaniment of the party joint "Gangsta Gangsta" is hard to pass over, as is the surging and unnerving "Appetite For Destruction."

One could argue about some of the messages sent out by N.W.A., but they certainly struck a chord with many in the black community who were dog tired of not having a voice for their frustrations. And beyond that, here was a posse with great rap instincts. A group that knew how to write, deliver and produce unforgettable numbers. You simply can't go wrong buying The Best of N.W.A.

By Adrian Zupp