Express Yourself

"Express Yourself" is a song recorded by American hip hop group N.W.A. 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 almost devoid of profanity and violent content. The song's vocals are primarily handled by Dr. Dre though an extended version features interludes from Ice Cube and MC Ren. The song's lyrics center around ideas of free expression and the constraints placed on rappers by radio censorship. They also speak of the fact that other "rappers" are afraid to express themselves for fear of what other people might think and that they try to be like everyone else. This song is featured in the video games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4, EA's Skate and in the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith. However, the version featured in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 is slightly different. In 1990 the Australian government youth radio station Triple J played the song on continuous loop for 24 hours (360 times in a row) whilst the station went on a protest strike against censorship. After playing NWA's "Fuck tha Police" for six months, government action had forced the station to stop playing the song. At that time Triple J had been the only station in the world playing the controversial song. Continuously playing the band's other popular song during this strike was deemed an appropriate response to show solidarity with the band and dissatisfaction with the decision. 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. Tim Armstrong also recorded a version of "Express Yourself" for "Engage."

[Intro: Dr. Dre & Ice Cube] Yo, man, it's a lot of brothers out there flakin' and perpetratin' But scared to kick reality Man, you've been doin' all this dope producin' You ain't had a chance to show 'em what time it is So what you want me to do? (Express yourself) [Verse 1: Dr. Dre] I'm expressin' with my full capabilities And now I'm livin' in correctional facilities 'Cause some don't agree with how I do this I get straight, meditate like a Buddhist I'm droppin' flavor, my behavior is hereditary But my technique is very necessary Blame it on Ice Cube, because he says it gets funky When you got a subject and a predicate Add it on a dope beat, and that'll make you think Some suckas just tickle me pink to my stomach 'Cause they don't flow like this one You know what? I won't hesitate to diss one or two before I'm through So don't try to sing this Some drop science, well, I'm droppin' English Even if Yella makes it a cappella I still express, yo, I don't smoke weed or sess 'Cause it's known to give a brother brain damage And brain damage on the mic don't manage nothin' But makin' a sucka and you equal, don't be another sequel [Chorus] Express yourself (Ah, ah, ah yeah, ah yeah, ah yeah, ah yeah) Express yourself (Smoke, smoke) Come on and do it (Yeah, kick it over here) Express yourself (Do it, do it, [?]) Express yourself Come on and do it [Verse 2: Dr. Dre] Now, gettin' back to the PG That's program, and it's easy Dre is back, new jacks are made hollow Expressin' ain't their subject because they like to follow The words, the style, the trend, the records I spin Again and again and again — yo, you on the other end Watch a brother sayin' dope rhymes with no help There's no fessin' and guessin' while I'm expressin' myself It's crazy to see people be What society wants 'em to be, but not me Ruthless is the way to go, they know Others say rhymes that fail to be original Or they kill where the hip-hop starts Forget about the ghetto and rap for the pop charts Some musicians cuss at home But scared to use profanity when up on the microphone Yeah, they want reality, but you won't hear none They'd rather exaggerate a little fiction Some say no to drugs and take a stand But after the show, they go lookin' for the dopeman Or they ban my group from the radio Hear N.W.A and say "Hell no!" But you know, it ain't all about wealth As long as you make a note to.. [Chorus] Express yourself (Yeah, yeah, yeah, [?]) Express yourself Come on and do it (Yeah, yeah, do it) Express yourself (Dr. Dre, Dr. Dre in full effect and N.W.A) Express yourself Come on and do it Express yourself [Verse 3: Dr. Dre] From the heart 'cause if you wanna start to move up the chart Then expression is a big part of it You ain't efficient when you flow You ain't swift, movin' like a tortoise, full of rigor mortis There's a little bit more to show I got rhymes in my mind, embedded like an embryo Or a lesson, all of 'em expression And if you start fessin', I got a Smith & Wesson for you I might ignore your record because it has no bottom I get loose in the summer, winter, spring and autumn It's Dre on the mic, gettin' physical Doin' the job, N.W.A is the lynch mob Yes, I'm macabre but you know you need this And the knowledge is growin', just like a fetus Or a tumor, but here's the rumor Dre is in the neighborhood, and he's up to no good When I start expressin' myself — Yella, slam it! 'Cause If I stay funky like this, I'm doin' damage Or I'mma be too hyped and need a straitjacket I got knowledge and other suckas lack it So when you see Dre, a DJ on the mic Ask what it's like — it's like we gettin' hype tonight 'Cause if I strike, it ain't for your good health But I won't strike if you just.. [Outro] Express yourself (Yeah, yeah, this record's almost over, almost over, gotta get hyped up) Express yourself (Do it, do it) Come on and do it (Do it, do it, do it) Express yourself (Compton's full of fakes, Compton's full of fakes, yeah) Express yourself Come on and do it (Do it, do it, do it) Express yourself Come on and do it (That's what she said, what she said) Come on and do it Come on and do it