[N.W.A.]; [Eazy-E ]; [Too Short]; Frank Kozik

From the personal collection of Fab 5 Freddy

ORIGINAL POSTER FROM N.W.A.'s 1989STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON TOUR, DESIGNED BY FRANK KOZIK

Self-labeled as “The World’s Most Dangerous Group,” N.W.A.’s explosive album Straight Outta Compton brought “reality rap” to the forefront of the American conscious, lyrically documenting the stark truths of day-to-day life for black adolescents in working class Southern California over heavily produced beats. Taking over the mainstream despite being banned from radio play and panned by critics, N.W.A.’s meteoric rise to infamy endures as an unparalleled example of the collective power of unfiltered, self-expression.

The group's 1989 Straight Outta Compton tour—with group member turned solo artist Eazy-E and fellow Bay Area rapper Too $hort featured as headliners—was explosive, with their August 6 date in Detroit ending in an notorious confrontation between the rappers and their security, the riotous crowd, and the local police force. Dated a few weeks before that date, the present lot is a poster for N.W.A.'s July 14 date in Hillsboro, Texas designed by Austin-local and then up-and-coming artist, Frank Kozik.

Frank Kozik was an American graphic artist credited with establishing the standards of the modern art print market. Self-trained following his departure from the U.S. Air Force, Kozik's first works to garner attention were flyers and posters created for local Austin punk bands. In 1991, Kozik would receive funds from California-based art patrons to purchase a silkscreen press, and his practice took off from there. Eventually moving to San Francisco two years later, Kozik would become the designer behind some of American pop culture's most recognizable graphics—from silkscreen posters for bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The White Stripes and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to the limited edition premiere poster for Richard Linklater's 1993 film Dazed and Confused. Produced in 1989—two years before the purchase of the silkscreen press that would revolutionize his work forever—the present lot is an early product from one of American graphic design's most celebrated figures.