Back in 1987, NWA released this killer 12" - a mix of LA electro and gangster rap. It was their first release, ;less than a year after they formed, before Arabian Prince got bounced from the group and before MC Ren joined up. It's a great moment in the changing world of hip-hop in 1987 - right before the explosion of gangster rap and right after the LA electro sound ruled the underground.
"Panic Zone" is quintessential LA electro - computerized vocal effects, Roland 808 and 909 beats, borrowing heavily from early hip-hop circa 1980. Arabian Prince gets the first verse and if they didn't mention right off the bat that they were NWA, you wouldn't believe it. It's vintage Arabian Prince - one of two huge LA DJ's at the time dropping awesome electro stuff - the other being Egyptian Lover.
Both 'Dope Man' and '8-Ball' should be pretty familiar to NWA fans. Both are great tracks, pretty funny and direct, dropping lots of knowledge about the streets of Compton - a trend that would explode into gangster rap, most notably on NWA's next release, the seminal Straight Out Of Compton.
The identity of the group was obviously still gelling, hence the inclusion of the electro influences and crazy mix of outfits on the cover of the 12" - Flavor Flav style giant clocks as pendants and OE, Jheri curl, Fila and Adidas track suits. It's an interesting look at a group that would later define a genre, at a time when they were still defining themselves.
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