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N.W.A, the FBI Threat Warning Letter, and the 1989 Detroit Concert Riot

N.W.A

In 1989, following the release of N.W.A's revolutionary album 'Straight Outta Compton,' the FBI's assistant director Milt Ahlerich sent an unprecedented formal warning letter to Priority Records, accusing the group of advocating violence against law enforcement with 'Fuck tha Police.' Police unions across the country organized protests and refused backstage security. At a sold-out concert at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena in August 1989, local police strictly ordered N.W.A not to perform the song. Mid-set, the group defied the ban; plainclothes police stormed the stage, tear gas canisters were thrown, and the venue erupted into a full-scale riot.