“Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics”

“Louder Than Words: Rock, Power & Politics”

This guitar was Joe Strummer’s principal instrument. He played it in the studio while with the Clash and throughout his solo career. After he acquired the guitar in the early 1970s, Strummer took the guitar to an auto-body shop, where he had it spray painted with gray primer. (Collection of Lucinda Strummer)

N.W.A was a Compton, California-based hip-hop group widely considered one of the seminal acts of gangsta rap. Rappers Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and MC Ren would all go on to be stars in their own right. N.W.A. released the groundbreaking album, Straight Outta Compton, in 1988. The album reflected the rising anger of urban youth and addressed themes such as police brutality and racial profiling, especially on the tracks “Straight Outta Compton” and “Fuck tha Police.” The explicit and anti-establishment nature of their lyrics banned them from many mainstream U.S. radio stations and drew the attention of high-level law enforcement. (Collection of Priority Records)

Melissa Etheridge’s Maxfield-designed blazer worn at the 2005 Grammys. (Gift of Melissa Etheridge)