N.W.A - 100 Miles and Runnin'

100 Miles and Runnin' is N.W.A's only EP and the group's first statement after Ice Cube walked out, a lean 1990 release that made clear they were not slowing down.

Cube had left at the start of the year in a dispute over money, and the remaining members, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, MC Ren and DJ Yella, had something to prove. Produced by Dre and Yella, with Eazy-E as executive producer, the EP bridged Straight Outta Compton and the full-length album that followed, and it went on to be certified platinum.

The title track "100 Miles and Runnin'" is a breathless fugitive tale built on a frantic tempo, with lines aimed squarely at their former bandmate. "Just Don't Bite It" swaps menace for raunchy humour, while "Sa Prize (Part 2)" returns to the themes of their most notorious protest anthem, with police harassment once again firmly in the crosshairs.

The production is denser and more layered than on the debut, packed with samples and shifting beats. You can hear Dre sharpening the craft that would soon make him one of the most important producers in hip-hop.

At five tracks, it is short, sharp and essential for anyone tracing the West Coast story from Compton onward.