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"Express Yourself"
Single by N.W.A
from the album Straight Outta Compton
Released	March 27, 1989 (1989-03-27)
Recorded	1988
Studio	Audio Achievements (Torrance, California)
Genre	Political hip hop
Length	4:26
Label	Ruthless Priority
Songwriter(s)	O'Shea Jackson
Producer(s)	DJ Yella Dr. Dre
N.W.A singles chronology
"Gangsta Gangsta" (1988) "Express Yourself" (1989) "100 Miles and Runnin'" (1990)
Audio sample
file help
Music video
"Express Yourself" on YouTube

"Express Yourself" is a song recorded by American hip hop group N.W.A, performed solo by Dr. Dre. The song, off their 1988 album Straight Outta Compton, samples Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band's song of the same name. Unlike most songs on the album and by N.W.A, the song is devoid of profanity and violence. "Express Yourself" was released in 1989 as the album's last single, the album version of the track features rap vocals from Dr. Dre only whereas the extended single version features small verses from MC Ren and Ice Cube, the writer of the song. The song reached number 50 in the UK in September 1989, before reaching number 26 on reissue in June 1990.

History

The song's vocals are primarily handled by Dr. Dre though an extended version features interludes from Ice Cube and MC Ren. The song samples Charles Wright & the Watts 103 Street Rhythm Band's hit, also titled "Express Yourself" (1971).

The song's lyrics focus on the concept of free expression and the constraints placed on rappers by radio censorship, and disses other rappers for producing radio-friendly songs for mass appeal. The song, ironically, is based on a pop music sample with a clearly 'radio friendly' tone, and contains no profanity itself.

Music video

The music video starts with a black and white video of slaves working on a plantation. As they escape, the video transitions to the ghetto, as the band members walk through it and dance with the local residents. A "No Rapping" sign is shown. A mounted officer (played by Skeeter Rader) enforces the law on the crowd. Occasionally band members are depicted rapping in a prison environment. Later on Dr. Dre plays the role of the US president. At one point he is talking on the phone with Mikhail Gorbachev, and a photo of Martin Luther King Jr. can be seen in the background. One of King's quotes, the famous "I Have a Dream", also appears on a large sign that the band members walk through as the song properly begins. A parody of the assassination of John F. Kennedy follows. The video ends with Dr. Dre being executed in an electric chair. In the version appearing on the EMI YouTube channel and on N.W.A's official VEVO channel on YouTube, numerous parts are blurred out including logos and faces. Despite this, the complete uncensored video can still be found online. The music video features cameos by Sir Jinx, TK Kirkland, and a then-unknown Warren G.

Cover versions and samples

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

German metal band Rammstein sampled the intro in their song "Klavier" for the 1997 album Sehnsucht.

Silkk the Shocker recorded a version of the song for the 1998 N.W.A tribute album, Straight Outta Compton: N.W.A 10th Anniversary Tribute. The recording was also released as a single with a promotional music video.

Between the Rancid releases of ...And Out Come the Wolves and Life Won't Wait from 1995 to 1998, Tim Armstrong recorded a version of "Express Yourself" with the band The Silencers on the Life Won't Wait demos. The first half of the demo consists of Rancid demos and the second half consists of The Silencers demos.

Stretch Arm Strong recorded a version of "Express Yourself" for the 2003 album Engage.

Labrinth heavily interpolated the song for his song of the same name for his 2012 album Electronic Earth: the song was released as a single and reached the UK top 20.

The Basque band Negu Gorriak featured a Basque language version, titled "Adieraz zaitez", on their 1996 covers album Salam, agur.

In May 1990, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's music radio station Triple J played the song on a loop while its employees went on strike over the suspension of its news director, Nick Franklin. He had played a portion of fellow N.W.A. song "Fuck tha Police" in a segment discussing the song's subject matter; the station had, notably, been playing the song without incident for several months, but ABC's radio head had requested that the song be given a "rest". "Express Yourself" was played 82 times in a row until the employee was reinstated. Triple J paid tribute to the event in April 2014, when the launch of its new digital radio station Double J was preceded by a stunt loop of "Express Yourself", including the original recording and covers performed by Australian musicians such as The Audreys and Darren Hanlon.

In media

"Express Yourself" is featured in the video games Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, EA's Skate, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the in-game station Radio Los Santos. It was used in Episode 3 of Season 3 of the Amazon Prime TV show The Boys.

Track listing

1. "Express Yourself" (Extended Mix) – 4:42
2. "Bonus Beats" – 3:03
3. "Straight Outta Compton" (Extended Mix) – 4:54
4. "A Bitch Iz a Bitch" – 3:10

Charts

Certifications

References

1. "N.W.A* - Express Yourself". Discogs. 1989.
2. "The D.O.C. on Ice Cube Leaving NWA: Cube Was the Spirit". YouTube. 2015-11-13. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
3. "N.W.A's 'Express Yourself' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled.
4. "N.W.A - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
5. ^ Casimir, Paul Chamberlin and Jon (2015-09-02). "Express yourself: The day Triple J played the same N.W.A. song 82 times in a row". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
6. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3vmzt The complete uncensored music video on Dailymotion.
7. "Rammstein's 'Klavier' - Discover the Sample Source". www.whosampled.com. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
8. "Salam, agur". Negu Gorriak (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 October 2020.
9. "Express Yourself: Why Is Dig Music Playing The Same Song Over And Over? - Double J". 28 April 2014.
10. Vincent, Peter (2014-04-28). "Double J pays homage to past with Express Yourself stunt". The Age. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
11. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 206.
12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
13. "N.W.A Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
14. "N.W.A Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
15. "British single certifications – Nwa – Express Yourself". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 13, 2023.

External links

• Music video on YouTube

• 1989 singles
• N.W.A songs
• Song recordings produced by Dr. Dre
• 1988 songs
• Ruthless Records singles
• Songs written by Ice Cube
• Songs written by MC Ren
• Political rap songs