N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
I was never really into rap at all growing up. While I was in high school I knew about the whole Run–D.M.C./Aerosmith thing and how that happened, but N.W.A was something different. I had it on cassette and I just couldn't not like it. I remember picking Brant Bjork up from some drum seminar up in the mountains of Southern California and saying to him: "Look, I know you're maybe not into this, but I want you to listen to this record and tell me what you think." Then I popped it in and he did not say one word until it was over and he finally said: "What… the fuck… was that?" N.W.A was just so raw and so vulgar. These guys were singing about what they were living… in Compton. These were some heavy-duty, real deal motherfuckers and they were not dicking around. A solid, mean record that broadened the type of music I was listening to. It was a new level of danger and I was definitely in the mood for that at the time.