For NWA, and there second album "STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON," both of these metrics emphatically apply here. Released 25 Years Ago today, S.O.C. was one of the first Hip Hop Albums to reach Platinum Sales status. Most notably, THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH ALMOST NO MAINSTREAM RADIO OR VIDEO PLAY. The Crew just simply toured, and relied on underground radio, to build a buzz. And that buzz grew so strong, that MTV had to come looking for them. I really don't recall BET ever really showing NWA much love; but of course BET's STANDARDS WERE FAR DIFFERENT BACK THEN.
(Writers Note: My favorite song on the album was definitely "FUCK THE POLICE," with "I AIN'T THA 1" playing a really close second.