N.W.A., one of the most historic Hip-Hop groups from the ’90s, have been honored by the National Recording Registry. Their debut album, Straight Outta Compton, will be added to the registry by the Library of Congress alongside classic records from David Bowie, Sister Sledge, Eagles, Judy Garland and more (you can see the full list of new additions here).

Two years ago, the group — led by members Dr. Dre and Ice Cube — created a film about their story as artists. In 2016, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

In their heyday, the Compton-based collective represented cultural and historical relations in America’s society. The group will forever be known for standing up for what they believe in when it comes to racial injustice and police brutality.

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N.W.A will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The “World’s Most Dangerous Group” lands the fifth slot as a rap act inducted into the Hall. The Hall of Fame celebrates its 31st year.

N.W.A’s fellow predecessors include Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy. N.W.A finally receives recognition into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after three previous nominations.

N.W.A’s core members– Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, DJ Yella, and Eazy E–became immortalized in last year’s box office hit Straight Outta Compton, which highlighted the group’s roots in political gangster rap. “The movie was able to remind them of the impact of the group on pop culture and that the music is just as much rock ’n’ roll as anything,” Ice Cube explained in a recent interview with The New York Times.

According to Ice Cube, the group will be in attendance for the induction; however they will not be performing. He feels the group didn’t receive the greatest amount of support from the Hall’s organizers to put on the best show N.W.A could perform. “We wanted to do it on a whole other level, and that just couldn’t happen.”

In Cube’s interview with The New York Times, he discusses his thoughts on finally being inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Academy Awards snub, what this year’s inductees mean to him, and more. This year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place Friday in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. It will be aired on HBO on April 30.

To read the full New York Times interview with Ice Cube

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Kendrick Lamar will be inducting hip-hop super group, N.W.A, into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame on April 8th at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York. Other inductees for the April 8th ceremony include Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple, Bert Berns and Steve Miller.

With hits such as “Boyz In The Hood”, “F*ck The Police” and “Straight Outta Compton”, N.W.A. has served as a major influence in rap since the 80’s with their abrasive and controversial lyrics highlighting police brutality, racial injustice and everyday life in the streets of Compton, LA. Though their music has been primarily based off their own experiences in Compton, the themes present are some that blacks all across America can relate to, even 25 years later.

N.W.A being inducted into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame has come on the tails of their biopic Straight Outta Compton, which grossed over $201 Million worldwide, and in the midst of  the Black Lives Matter movement. Kendrick Lamar, one of the few rap artists with songs full of themes of black consciousness, is the perfect candidate to do the honors of inducting N.W.A. into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. Many feel like the Compton native’s music in 2016 is a revival of the message that N.W.A.’s music helped to resonate decades ago.

In a exclusive sit down for PAPER Mag, Kendrick Lamar expresses how influential N.W.A. has been in his career and in the careers of other artists that followed.

“…before then, everything was pop. People were scared to talk about these kinds of tough situations, but because he and the group took it upon themselves to talk about [these things], every artist is able to and they owe it to him. [Easy-E] is not only the birth of gangsta rap, but he’s the birth of a whole legacy of being able to say what you want to say on a record and not being in fear of what others may think and not offending your own art and your own reflection.”

The induction ceremony is set to air on HBO some time in the Spring of 2016 after the April 8th ceremony.

Related Article: Express Yourself: N.W.A is still at the forefront of the  fight against police brutality

Related Article: Here are Some of Dr. Dre’s Best Underrated Hits

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Spitting rhymes that precursor the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, N.W.A. was not afraid to unleash the ugly truth on police brutality. Their music was the voice of the people, giving fans a glimpse of America’s worst nightmare.

With the events in Ferguson and Baltimore acting as mirror images to L.A.’s tumultuous past, artists like Janelle Monae and Kendrick Lamar have stepped up to the plate and used their artistry to voice the pain of individuals that have been burdened by injustice.

Although the amount activism in hip-hop has unified both fans and artists, the culture has not seen a “keep it real” group since N.W.A.

While the shadow that the Compton-based group cast is prominent, people need that voice more than ever – a martyr who isn’t afraid to keep it real and unfiltered while maintaining mainstream success.

Coining their music as “reality rap,” N.W.A. invited hip-hop heads to see life beyond New York City’s five boroughs. Their willingness to share their encounters with police brutality made it easier for the group to connect with those who experienced the struggles of growing up in an area that was feared by most and respected by few. Songs like “Straight Outta Compton,” “F**k Tha Police,” “100 Miles,” and “Runnin’” allowed N.W.A. to encourage entire community remain strong while educating those unaware of the abuse.

The honesty and power behind the group’s lyrics marks the group as one-of-a-kind. Their contribution to music continues to be the voice against police brutality, and an inspiration for those who are speaking out against it.

With conscious hip-hop on the rise, the quest to fill the void left by N.W.A. has encouraged the culture to find someone voice the reality of the current generation, and solidified their spot as the originators of “reality rap.”

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As if the release of the N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton wasn’t enough to make it an epic weekend, the BX’s Chris Rivers teams up with his right hand, Whispers to pay homage to the group with, “Straight ‘G’ Check”. Borrowing beats from N.W.A.’s “Chin Check” and Dr. Dre‘s “Nuthin But A ‘G’ Thang”, Chris and Whispers do both tracks justice with nimble lyricism and ultra G vocals that would make Dr. Dre proud. Get into the groove below.

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It looks like hip-hop fans will be in for a treat this year with the Dr. Dre and Ice Cube produced N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton. The official trailer which just released focuses on their transition from street life to rap icon status. The film also touches on the controversy that surrounded the “world’s most dangerous group,” specifically their apparent glamorization of drugs and gangs, which they denied, but rather saw as a reflection of their reality.

There is also a poignant scene in which a black police officer states, “rap is not an art,” which, as a reader of RESPECT. Magazine, you’re sure to disagree with. Catch the trailer below and get ready to mark off a spot on your calendar to learn the untold story of N.W.A. this summer.

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A few weeks ago during a tour stop in Australia, West Coast rapper, Ice Cube, decided to surprise those in attendance by playing the first trailer for N.W.A.‘s upcoming biopic, Straight Outta Compton. Luckily for Hip-Hop heads, a fan who was at the show used his cellphone to record the preview and uploaded it onto YouTube shortly thereafter. The motion picture documents the road to the stardom for the highly-controversial rap group, N.W.A., during the late 80’s to the early 90’s.

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The film was directed by F. Gary Gray (who has also directed other hit movies such as Friday and The Italian Job) and stars Corey Hawkins (as Dr. Dre,) Jason Mitchell (as Eazy-E,) and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (as his father, Ice Cube.) Jackson Jr. was casted after his father was able to convince Universal executives that despite his son’s lack of acting experience, he would be able to rise up to the challenge. Fans will be able to determine for themselves if Jackson Jr. and the rest of the cast were able to successfully channel the legendary emcees when the movie hits theaters on August 14, 2015.

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