The first time NWA got chased offstage
NWA have never had anything to prove, long hailed as legends of gangsta rap, but they do have a few stories to remind us that they were causing chaos before it was cool.
For one, in the early days of the group’s tours, they would be chased offstage by the police, and while it was the first time NWA was shut down by the police, it definitely wouldn’t be the last.
On this particular occasion, their show in Detroit had been restricted by promoters, who knew that NWA’s music and lyrics were provocative. The group rapped about police brutality, life in Compton, and being Black in the United States. It was so controversial at the time, they’d been given strict instructions to refrain from playing ‘Fuck tha Police’, one of their biggest songs, because it was deemed ‘too dangerous’ by the venue, and could garner them a fine of $25,000 if they refused to follow guidelines.
However, before the gig got underway, tensions had already been rising in NWA as the members felt frustrated with the promoters’ decisions and the band often coming second on lineups, despite being more popular and selling more albums than many of the headliners. The collective believed the positioning was an extension of the shackles on the proliferation of their art, which they continuously faced as Black artists.
The resentments only grew as NWA became more mature and confident in their artistic capabilities, desiring a more autonomous setup and a life practising what they were preaching in their verses. So, in the summer of 1989, Dr Dre, MC Ren, and Ice Cube purposefully decided to go against the promoters’ rules, unbeknownst to Eazy-E, and played ‘Fuck tha Police’ live, descending the venue into chaos.
As the record scratched and Ice Cube launched into “Fuck tha police, coming straight from the underground”, the crowd went wild, and the police immediately clocked what was happening. The track played for only 30 seconds before officers stormed onto the stage, trying to stop the performance, and in response, people in the audience threw cherry bombs, adding to the anarchy.
Hoping to escape harm and arrest, NWA rushed off the stage and out of the building, removing their hats and reversing their jackets so as not to be recognised, but authorities detained them and took them into custody from their hotel. Bizarrely, Ice Cube reported that once they arrived at the police station, officers asked for autographs from the rappers; it turns out that the same people who had ended their concert were also big fans of their music.
The hypocrisy of the police cemented NWA’s artistry even further, where being rushed at the concert only showed the truth of their music’s message that the police were a form of censorship of Black voices. It also showed that they were taken seriously by the police, were a threat to systems of power and corrupt practices and, most importantly, a really good rap group.