Parental Discretion Is Advised, Gerrick D. Kennedy
Parental Discretion Is Advised, Gerrick D. Kennedy
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Parental Discretion Is Advised
The Rise of N.W.A and the Dawn of Gangsta Rap

Author: Gerrick D. Kennedy

Narrator: Guy Lockard

Unabridged: 7 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/05/2017


Synopsis

Experience the stunning rise, fall, and legacy of N.W.A. and how they put their stamp on pop culture, black culture, and hip-hop music forever in this “incredibly vivid look at one of music’s most iconic groups” (Associated Press).

In 1986, a group was formed that would establish the foundation of gangsta rap and push the genre forward, electrifying fans with their visceral and profane lyrics that glorified the dark ways of street life and brazenly challenged the police system.

Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella caused a seismic shift in hip-hop when they decided to form N.W.A in 1986. With their hard-core image, bombastic sound, and lyrics that were equal parts poetic, lascivious, conscious, and downright in-your-face, N.W.A spoke the truth about life on the streets of Compton, California—then a hotbed of poverty, drugs, gangs, and unemployment.

Going beyond the story portrayed in the 2015 blockbuster movie Straight Outta Compton, through firsthand interviews, extensive research, and top-notch storytelling, Los Angeles Times music reporter Gerrick Kennedy transports you back in time and offers a front-row seat to N.W.A’s early days and the drama and controversy that followed the incendiary group as they rose to become multiplatinum artists.

Kennedy leaves nothing off the table in his pursuit of the full story behind the group’s most pivotal moments, such as Ice Cube’s decision to go solo after their debut studio album became a smash hit; their battle with the FBI over inflammatory lyrics; incidents of physical assault; Dr. Dre’s departure from the group to form Death Row Records with Suge Knight; their impact on the 1992 L.A. riots; Eazy-E’s battle with AIDS; and much more.

A bold, riveting, “non-stop, can’t-put-it-down ride” (Library Journal), Parental Discretion Is Advised unveils the true and astonishing history of one of the most transcendent and controversial musical groups of the 1980s and 1990s.

About Gerrick D. Kennedy

Gerrick D. Kennedy is a music writer for the Los Angeles Times covering pop, R&B/soul and hip-hop. An Ohio native, he came to the Los Angeles Times as an intern in 2009. On the pop music team, he’s found his favorite stories while smoking cigars with Nas, being trapped on a Kid Rock-themed music cruise, rediscovering boy bands, and perfecting the craft of the snarky tweet. In 2012, Kennedy was named Emerging Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Steve H. on March 05, 2018

This book was very interesting, because it talked about many informational things relating to, and leading up to the explosion of racial tensions(I.E The L.A Riots) and how many people used their music as a way of escaping the harsh realities of the hood.And how they used it to tell people about the......more

Goodreads review by Kimberley on December 05, 2017

I received an ARC of Parental Discretion Is Advised: The Rise of N.W.A and the Dawn of Gangsta Rap, from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. If you're unfamiliar with the intricacies of the L.A. Rap Scene (in the late 70's and early 80's), have little-to-no understanding of the 1992 L.A. Ri......more

Goodreads review by Scott on July 03, 2018

Full disclosure: I am not generally a rap fan, nor do I have any rap albums on my devices, but as of late, I find myself reading a bit more about the history of a relatively new form of music, especially since rap/hip-hop has become such an integral part of modern music/pop culture. Thus, I came acr......more

Goodreads review by Torrie on November 28, 2023

Thoughts After reading Didn't We Almost Have it All I saw the same author wrote this book about NWA and I bought it right away. I watched Straight Outta Compton but this gives a lot more details about not only NWA but how the genre came to be. I was really young so I didn't listen to NWA but my olde......more

Goodreads review by Scott on May 31, 2020

Really pretty interesting, while at the same time disappointedly disillusioning about many members of the group. It's funny, because I used to live near Compton in Long Beach, have driven through and stopped in Compton numerous times, gone through Watts, Inglewood, Carson, most of South Central freq......more