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, Parental Discretion Is Advised 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.

“An incredibly vivid look at one of music’s most iconic groups.” - Associated Press

"Kennedy pieces together N.W.A’s downfall with an informed precision.” - Los Angeles Times

“A nonstop, can't-put-it down ride.” - Library Journal

"An apt consideration of a raunchy yet vital cultural moment." - Kirkus

“In-depth portrait of a seminal group.” - Booklist