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Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964Template:Sfn – March 26, 1995), known professionally by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Eazy-E is often referred to as the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap".<ref name=":0" />
Born and raised in Compton, California, Wright had several legal troubles before founding Ruthless in 1987.<ref>Vladislav Lyubovny, interview with Lonzo Williams, "Dre & Eazy were supposed to co-own Ruthless Records", DJVlad @ YouTube, August 26, 2015.</ref> After a short solo career with frequent collaboration with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, they joined, forming N.W.A, later that year. N.W.A's debut studio album, Straight Outta Compton, was released in 1989. Controversial upon release, it is now ranked among the greatest and most influential albums ever. The group released its second and final studio album, Niggaz4Life, in 1991, and soon after disbanded.
During N.W.A's splintering, largely by disputes over money, Eazy-E became embroiled in bitter rivalries with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, who had departed for solo careers in 1989 and 1991, respectively. Resuming his solo career Eazy-E released two EPs,<ref name="amg">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> yet he remained more significant behind the scenes, signing and nationally debuting the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony from 1993 to 1994.
Early life and Ruthless Records investmentEdit
Eric Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright on September 7, 1964, in Compton, California, a Los Angeles suburb once noted for high crime rates and gang culture.<ref>Hochman, Steve (March 28, 1995). "Rap Star, Record Company Founder Eazy-E Dies of AIDS". Los Angeles Times.</ref><ref>"Hip-Hop News: Remembering Eric 'Eazy-E' Wright" Template:Webarchive. Rap News Network. March 26, 2006</ref> His father was a postal worker and his mother was a grade-school administrator.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Wright dropped out of high school in the tenth grade,<ref name="dallas"/> but later received a general equivalency diploma (GED).<ref name="Put Gangsta Rap on Charts">Pareles, Jon (March 28, 1995). "Eazy-E, 31, Performer Who Put Gangster Rap on the Charts". The New York Times.</ref>
Wright supported himself mainly by selling drugs, and introduced his cousin to the illicit occupation.<ref name="dallas">Template:Cite news</ref> Wright's music manager Jerry Heller recalls seeing Wright selling marijuana, but not cocaine. Heller would claim that Wright's "dope dealer" label was part of his "self-forged armor".<ref name="Ruthless"/> Wright was also labeled as a "thug". Heller explains: "The hood where he grew up was a dangerous place. He was a small guy. 'Thug' was a role that was widely understood on the street; it gave you a certain level of protection in the sense that people hesitated to fuck with you. Likewise, 'dope dealer' was a role that accorded you certain privileges and respect."<ref name="Ruthless">Template:Cite book</ref>
In 1986, at age 22, Wright had allegedly earned as much as US$250,000 from dealing drugs. However, after his cousin was shot and killed, he decided that he could make a better living in the Los Angeles hip hop scene, which was growing rapidly in popularity.<ref name="Chang">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He started recording songs during the mid-1980s in his parents' garage, thus starting Ruthless Records.<ref name="Put Gangsta Rap on Charts"/><ref name="allrapnews.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The original idea for Ruthless Records came when Wright asked Heller to go into business with him. Wright suggested a half-ownership company, but it was later decided that Wright would get eighty percent of the company's income and Heller would only get twenty percent. According to Heller, he told Wright, "Every dollar comes into Ruthless, I take twenty cents. That's industry standard for a manager of my caliber. I take twenty, you take eighty percent. I am responsible for my expenses and you're responsible for yours. You own the company. I work for you."<ref name="Ruthless"/> Along with Heller, Wright invested much of his money into Ruthless Records.<ref>Hunt, Dennis (October 22, 1989). "Dr. Dre Joins an Illustrious Pack In the last year, producer has hit with albums for N.W.A, Eazy-E, J. J. Fad and the D.O.C." Template:Webarchive. Los Angeles Times.</ref> Heller claims that he invested the first $250,000 and would eventually put up to $1,000,000 into the company.<ref name="Ruthless"/>
Musical careerEdit
N.W.A and Eazy-Duz-It (1986–1991)Edit
N.W.A's (also named as "the world's most dangerous group"<ref name="allrapnews.com"/>) original lineup consisted of Arabian Prince, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> DJ Yella and MC Ren joined later.<ref name="amgnwa">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The compilation album N.W.A. and the Posse was released on November 6, 1987, and would go on to be certified Gold in the United States.<ref>Koroma, Salima (September 29, 2008) "Vh1 Airs Documentary On N.W.A." Template:Webarchive. Hiphopdx.com.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album featured material previously released as singles on the Macola Records label, which was responsible for distributing the releases by N.W.A and other artists like the Fila Fresh Crew, a West Coast rap group originally based in Dallas, Texas.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
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Eazy-E's debut album, Eazy-Duz-It, was released in 1988, and featured twelve tracks. It was labeled as West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap and, later, as golden age hip hop. It has sold over 2.5 million copies in the United States and reached number forty-one on the Billboard 200.<ref name="Put Gangsta Rap on Charts"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album was produced by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella and largely written by MC Ren, Ice Cube, and The D.O.C.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Both Glen Boyd from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and MTV's Jon Wiederhorn claimed that Eazy-Duz-It "paved the way" for N.W.A's most controversial debut album, Straight Outta Compton,<ref name="Seattle Post-Intelligencer">Boyd, Glen (March 20, 2010). "Music Review: Eazy E - Eazy Duz It (Uncut Snoop Dogg Approved Edition/Remastered)". Seattle Post-Intelligencer</ref><ref>Wiederhorn, Jon. (July 31, 2002). "N.W.A Classics To Be Reissued With Bonus Tracks". MTV.</ref> which was released in January 1989.<ref>Template:Multiref</ref> Wright's only solo in the album was a remix of the song "8 Ball", which originally appeared on N.W.A. and the Posse. Straight Outta Compton featured Wright's writing and performing; he performed on seven songs and helped write four songs.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
Ice Cube left N.W.A in 1989 because of internal disputes and the group continued as a four-piece ensemble.<ref name="amgnwa"/> N.W.A released 100 Miles and Runnin' in 1990 and Niggaz4Life in 1991. A diss war started between N.W.A and Ice Cube when "100 Miles and Runnin'" and "Real Niggaz" were released. Ice Cube responded with "No Vaseline" on Death Certificate.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Wright performed on seven of the eighteen songs on Niggaz4Life.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
End of N.W.A and feud with Dr. Dre (1991–1994)Edit
N.W.A began to split up after Jerry Heller became the band's manager. Dr. Dre recalls, "The split came when Jerry Heller got involved. He played the divide and conquer game. Instead of taking care of everybody, he picked one nigga to take care of and that was Eazy. And Eazy was like, 'I'm taken care of, so fuck it'." Dr. Dre and The D.O.C. sent Suge Knight to look into Eazy-E's financial situation as they began to grow suspicious of Eazy-E and Jerry Heller. Dr. Dre and The D.O.C. asked Eazy-E to release them from Ruthless, but Eazy-E refused. The impasse led to what reportedly transpired between Suge Knight and Eazy-E at the recording studio where Niggaz4life was recorded. After he refused to release Dr. Dre and The D.O.C., Suge Knight told Eazy-E that he had kidnapped Jerry Heller and was holding him prisoner in a van. This did not convince Eazy-E to release Dr. Dre and The D.O.C. from Ruthless, and Suge Knight threatened Eazy-E's family: Suge Knight gave Eazy-E a piece of paper that contained Eazy's mother's address, telling him, "I know where your mama stays." Eazy-E finally signed Dr. Dre and The D.O.C.'s releases, officially ending N.W.A.<ref name="Dre bio">Template:Cite book</ref>
The December 1992 EP 5150: Home 4 tha Sick features a song written by Naughty by Nature. The track "Merry Muthaphuckkin' Xmas" features Menajahtwa, Buckwheat, and Atban Klann as guest vocalists, and "Neighborhood Sniper" features Kokane as a guest vocalist.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
The feud with Dr. Dre continued after a track on Dre's debut album The Chronic, "Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')", contained lyrics that insulted Eazy-E. Eazy responded with the October 1993 EP, It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa, featuring the tracks "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" and "It's On". The album, which was released on October 25, 1993, contains pictures of Dre wearing "lacy outfits and makeup" when he was a member of the Electro-hop World Class Wreckin' Cru.<ref name="Dre bio"/> It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa features several guest vocalists, including Gangsta Dresta, B.G. Knocc Out. Kokane, Cold 187um, Rhythum D, and Dirty Red.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
His final album, Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton, was released ten months after his death, on January 30, 1996. Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton featured several guest vocalists, including B.G. Knocc Out, Gangsta Dresta, Sylk-E. Fyne, Dirty Red, Menajahtwa, Roger Troutman, and ex-N.W.A members MC Ren and DJ Yella.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
Personal lifeEdit
Wright had a son, Eric Darnell Wright (known as Lil Eazy-E), in 1984. He also had a daughter named Erin,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> who changed her name to Ebie.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In October 2016, Ebie launched a crowd-funding campaign to produce a film called Ruthless Scandal: No More Lies to investigate her father's death.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It ended unsuccessfully in December 2016.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In March 1991, Wright accepted an invitation to a lunch benefiting the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle, hosted by then-U.S. President George H. W. Bush.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A spokesman for the rapper said that Wright supported Bush because of his performance in the Gulf War.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 1993, Wright regularly attended court in the prosecution of the officers involved in the beating of Rodney King, often standing alongside Theodore J. Briseno, whom he had met through sharing the same lawyer. Wright said, "The difference is that most people look at the video and say four white officers were responsible for the beating of this helpless, innocent black man. I say, 'Wrong.' Three white officers were responsible for beating Rodney King. The other officer (Theodore J. Briseno) happens to be Mexican-American, and he tried to stop them." This caused controversy in the hip-hop community, with Willie D calling Wright a "sellout".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Wright met Tomica Woods at a Los Angeles nightclub in 1991 and they married on March 14, 1995, twelve days before his death.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> They had a son named Dominick and a daughter named Daijah (born six months after Wright's death).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After Wright's death, Ruthless was taken over by his wife. According to Jerry Heller, Wright had eleven children with eight women.<ref name="Soraya"/>
Illness and deathEdit
Template:Quote box On February 24, 1995, Wright was admitted to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with a violent cough.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He announced his illness in a public statement on March 16. It is believed Wright contracted the infection from a sexual partner.<ref name="Chang" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> During the week of March 20, having already made amends with Ice Cube, he drafted a final message to his fans.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On March 26, Eazy-E died from HIV/AIDS, one month after his diagnosis.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref><ref name="Soraya">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was 30 years old (most reports at the time said he was 31 due to the falsification of his date of birth by one year).<ref name="Put Gangsta Rap on Charts" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was buried on April 7, at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California. Over 3,000 people attended his funeral, including Jerry Heller and DJ Yella.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was buried in a gold casket, and was dressed in a flannel shirt, jeans, and his Compton hat.
Musical influences and styleEdit
Allmusic cites Eazy-E's influences as Ice-T, Redd Foxx, King Tee, Bootsy Collins, Run–D.M.C., Richard Pryor, Egyptian Lover, Schoolly D, Too $hort, Prince, the Sugarhill Gang, and George Clinton.<ref name="allmusic main"/> In the documentary The Life and Timez of Eric Wright, Eazy-E mentions collaborating with many of his influences.<ref>Template:Cite video</ref>
When reviewing Eazy-Duz-It, Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic said, "In terms of production, Dr. Dre and Yella meld together P-Funk, Def Jam-style hip-hop and the leftover electro sounds of mid-'80s Los Angeles, creating a dense, funky, and thoroughly unique style of their own." Birchmeier said that it sounded "absolutely revolutionary in 1988".<ref name="allmusic main">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
LegacyEdit
Eazy-E has been called the "godfather of gangsta rap".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="MTV lil">Shaheem, Reid (March 26, 2010). "Lil Eazy-E Remembers His Dad, 15 Years Later". MTV.</ref> MTV's Reid Shaheem said that Eazy-E was a "rap-pioneer",<ref name="MTV lil"/> and he is sometimes cited by critics as a legend.<ref>Davis, Todd. "Lil Eazy-E: Son of a Legend" Template:Webarchive. Hiphopdx.com. December 9, 2005.</ref><ref>"About the Official Hip Hop Hall Of Fame and Producer JT Thompson" Template:Webarchive. Live-PR.com. November 16, 2010.</ref> Steve Huey of AllMusic said that he was "one of the most controversial figures in gangsta rap".<ref name="amg"/> Since his 1995 death, many book and video biographies have been produced, including 2002's The Day Eazy-E Died and Dead and Gone.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
When Eazy-E was diagnosed with AIDS, many magazines like Jet,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Vibe,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Billboard,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Crisis,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and Newsweek covered the story and released information on the topic.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> All of his studio albums and EPs charted on the Billboard 200,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="allmusic singles & EPs">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and many of his singles—"Eazy-Duz-It", "We Want Eazy", "Real Muthaphuckkin G's", and "Just tah Let U Know"—also charted in the U.S.<ref name="allmusic singles & EPs"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
He is one of many commemorated as part of the AIDS Quilt.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Shortly after his death, in 1996, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, a group mentored by Eazy-E and signed to Ruthless Records, dedicated the single "Tha Crossroads" to his memory, which went on to reach #1 on the Billboard charts and earn the group a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2012 an Eazy-E documentary was released by Ruthless Propaganda, called Ruthless Memories. The documentary featured interviews with Heller, MC Ren, and B.G. Knocc Out.<ref name="www.hiphopdx.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton, Eazy-E is played by Jason Mitchell and the film is dedicated in his memory.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Eazy-E was portrayed by Omari Wallace in the 2016 film Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le. The film portrays Eazy-E sympathetically as having been a friend to Michel'le, in one scene warning her to get out of the house because he fears that a drunken Dr. Dre is returning home to beat her.
In 2024, Eazy-E was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously as a member of N.W.A.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DiscographyEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}Template:See also Studio albums
- Eazy-Duz-It (1988)
- Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton (1996)
Extended plays
- 5150: Home 4 tha Sick (1992)
- It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa (1993)
- Impact of a Legend (2002)
Collaborative albums
- N.W.A. and the Posse (with N.W.A) (1987)
- Straight Outta Compton (with N.W.A) (1989)
- 100 Miles and Runnin' (with N.W.A) (1990)
- Niggaz4Life (with N.W.A) (1991)
ReferencesEdit
LiteratureEdit
External linksEdit
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