This new compilation from Stones Throw collects together the work of west coast Electro pioneer Arabian Prince. An early member of NWA his track Panic Zone appears on the N.W.A and the Posse LP. However, as with most of the group he ran into issues with getting paid, and with Dre and Yella already holding key production roles, he parted ways with the group before the seminal Straight Out Of Compton album.

A contemporary of Egyption Lover and, of course, Dre, Yella and Cli-N-Tel's World Class Wreckin' Cru, La Dream Team and others, he was one of the innovaters who embraced the technology of the period and created the high-energy electro funk which dominated the LA scene in the days before the rise of the now classic west coast Gangsta sound. 

With the electro sound of the 80's influencing many modern bedroom producers as well as the likes of Flo Rida and will.i.am. (Fergie's "Fergalicious"), there's never been a better time to revisit the work of one of the original Innovaters.

Innovative Life: The Anthology is available on CD from amazon.com /.co.uk (see links below) and as a download from amazon.com, itunes etc. Personally, I try and buy music from the artist or record label's own website if they offer the chance, so I got the download from the Stones Throw store.

www.stonesthrow.com/arabianprince 

You might also want to check out the articles at The Los Angeles Times and Hip Hop Dx