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Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1963–March 26, 1995), better known by the stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper, producer, and record executive from Compton. He was a Kelly Park Compton Crip from the early teenage years until his death. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the gangsta rap sub-genre and initially rose to fame as a member of the group N.W.A., but later achieved critical and commercial success as a solo artist. He was the one who started the gangster era and to this day has influenced many other rappers in their rap game. Eazy-E`s vocal style was marked by his youthful, high-pitched voice and his lyrics focusing on the elements of urban street life such as guns, drugs, relations between residents and the police, and deviant sexual activity.
He lived in Compton, CA his entire life
Eric Wright dropped out of high school and supported himself by selling drugs. He used the profits from his drug sales to establish the Ruthless Records rap music label. When Ruthless signees Dr. Dre and Ice Cube wrote "Boyz-n-the-Hood", Wright formed the group N.W.A., joining Dr.Dre and Ice Cube, also adding DJ Yella and Arabian Prince
The subsequent period saw Ruthless Records release the compilation N.W.A. and the Posse (1987), N.W.A`s proper debut Straight Outta Compton (1988), and one month later, Eazy-E`s solo album, Eazy-Duz-It. The album sold two million copies, certifying it as a double platinum album, and spawned the hit singles "We Want Eazy" and "Eazy-Er Said Than Dunn" (a remix of "Boyz-n-the-Hood", a previous hit, was also included). The album was again produced by N.W.A.`s Dr. Dre and DJ Yella and largely written by fellow N.W.A. rapper MC Ren, with contributions from Ice Cube and The D.O.C. (whose solo No One Can Do It Better would be released the following year).
On the final N.W.A. album, Efil4zaggin (1991), some of the lyrics provoked outrage from many critics and conservative circles. Eazy-E included even more of the elements such as the use of pistols and shotguns in videos for "Alwayz into Somethin`" and "Appetite for Destruction".
These differences of opinion led to a bumpy relationship; a break-up ensued when it was revealed that Eazy-E and Jerry Heller were stealing money from the group. Ice Cube had previously discovered this causing him to leave N.W.A., and he referenced this in his diss song, "No Vaseline". Subsequently, Eazy-E and Dr. Dre started feuding - a feud that grew to embroil most of Ruthless Records and Dr. Dre`s new label, Death Row Records.
Legal issues:
At the start of Dr. Dre’s defection from Ruthless Records , there was a fear of further violence. Ruthless Records executives, Mike Klein and Jerry Heller sought assistance from the Jewish Defense League (JDL). Mike Klein, former Ruthless Records director of business affairs said [3] This provided Ruthless Records with muscle to enter into negotiations with Deathrow Records over Dr. Dre’s departure. While Suge Knight violently sought an outright release from Ruthless Records for Dr. Dre, the JDL and Ruthless records management were able to sit down with Deathrow and negotiate a release in which the record label would continue to receive money and publishing rights from future Dr. Dre projects. It was under these terms Dr. Dre left Ruthless Records and formed Deathrow with Suge Knight. The FBI launched a money laundering investigation, assuming that the JDL was extorting money from Ruthless Recor
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