COMPTONS MOST WANTED - UP IN THE HOOD

<b>Compton's Most Wanted</b> are a gangsta rap group still performing today on independent labels. Their first three albums (It's a Compton Thang, Straight Checkn 'Em and Music to Drive-By) were produced by DJ Slip and The Unknown DJ, who produced both electro funk tracks as well as Ice T's classic gangster rap "6 N The Morning". Despite producing many tracks, Unknown DJ was never an official member of Compton's Most Wanted.

MC Chill was an original member of C.M.W at the time of their first album It's a Compton Thang, but was sentenced to prison in 1991 (Before Straight Checkn 'Em was released) and released in 1994. During his time in prison he missed C.M.W's two most popular albums, Straight Checkn 'Em and Music To Driveby, which included popular songs Hood Took Me Under, Def Wish and Straight Up Menace.

After 3 years behind bars MC Chill didn't have chance to return to C.M.W as the group had broken up following the Music To Driveby album, so Chill started featuring in MC Ren and MC Eiht solo albums. In 2000, the group joined forces again and released "Represent". C.M.W are known especially for their slow, often melancholic raps, using samples from seventies soul and funk records such as "Joy" by Isaac Hayes. Such hit songs as "It Was a Good Day" (Ice Cube), "Warning" (The Notorious B.I.G.), and "Sugar Hill" (AZ) make use of samples first used by C.M.W. Currently, MC Eiht is pursuing his solo career, while DJ Slip is mainly working for the new west coast rap label IV Life Records. Additionally, C.M.W. are set for a reunion which will feature on DJ Slip's next album "The Minority Report".