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In this short subject non-dialogue documentary, photographer Ithaka Darin Pappas reexamines 1989 images he made of N.W.A. "Backstage In Phoenix". It was this same night that Ice Cube left the group. These are the last photographs of N.W.A..—Kolbie Maddox

In this short subject non-dialogue documentary, photographer Ithaka Darin Pappas reexamines 1989 images he made of N.W.A. "Backstage In Phoenix" receiving their RIAA Platinum Records in a private ceremony. Ironically, it was this very same night (during the height of their fame), that lyricist/rapper Ice Cube decided to leave the group. These are the last photographs of N.W.A. with all five primary members.

This is the third in a series of mini-documentaries based on the historical photographs by Ithaka Darin Pappas, who was N.W.A.s primary photographer from 1988 until 1990. The images (all from a single roll of film) were taken early evening in Phoenix, Arizona about an hour before Eazy-E and N.W.A would perform one of the most powerful concerts on their 1989 U.S. tour.

At the time, Ithaka was a regular freelance photographer for Priority Records and was flown out from Los Angeles that afternoon to document a private backstage ceremony. DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube and MC Ren were to be presented RIAA certified Platinum Records for their albums N.W.A."Straight Outta Compton" and Eazy-E "Eazy-Duz-It" which had been released almost simultaneously in August and September of 1988.Ironically, it was there in Phoenix later on this very same night, that Ice Cube essentially quit the project, ending The World's Most Dangerous Group as we knew it. These are the last photographs of N.W.A. together as a quintet.

At the height of the group's popularity in 1989 when the tour hit Phoenix, Cube stopped the show.Pat Charbonet, then publicist for Priority Records and Cube's future manager had been asking Cube some questions about his financing...How much money had Cube been making off the songs he had written for Straight Outta Compton? Where was the money...and when would Cube get it in his pockets? Cube didn't have any answers - so he stopped the group dead in its tracks.

At Eazy's request, N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller flew to Phoenix with new contracts in hand and $75,000 for those who signed. According to Rolling Stone magazine, N.W.A. grossed $650,000 for their 1989 U.S. tour, but Cube only received $23,000. By the end of the year, Straight Outta Compton and Eazy-Duz-It had sold a combined three-million copies. Although Cube had written or co-written about half the songs on both albums, he earned a total of $32,000.

"I refused to take my check, because I felt I would be admitting that I agreed with what I was being paid," Cube said in 2006.