September 7, 1963 – March 26, 1995
Eazy-E, DJ Yella, Arabian Prince, Dr. Dre and MC Ren
N.W.A: Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, MC Ren
Arabian Prince, Ren, Ice Cube, Eazy, Yella, Dre
Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Arabian Prince
Eazy with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Eazy-E and Above the Law
KMG, Cold 187um, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E
DJ Speed, DJ Yella, Sir Jinx, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and Laylaw
Eazy-E, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, BG Knocc Out and Dresta
Dirty Red and Eazy-E
Eazy, Ruthless artists JJ Fad, Dr. Dre and Laylaw
Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and J. J. Fad in Hawaii
Eazy-E, J.J. Fad and DJ Train
Eazy-E and H.W.A (Hoez With Attitudes)
Eazy and former Ruthless Records artist Tairrie B
Eazy-E and Ruthless Records artists Blood of Abraham
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| Dr. Dre, DJ Pooh and Eazy-E |
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| MC Ren, Eazy-E, King Tee and Dr. Dre |
Eazy with Treach and Tupac
Too Short and Eazy in '89
Dr. Dre, DJ Pooh (rear, center) and Eazy-E
Tone Loc, Fab 5 Freddy, Shock G and Eazy
Chuck D., DJ Yella, Eazy-E and MC Ren
DJ Premier and Eazy-E
Smooth B. and Eazy-E
MC Serch and Eazy
Pete Nice, Eazy, MF Doom and Dr. Dre in 1989
Eazy-E with Jerry Heller
Arabian Prince, Jerry Heller, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella
Michel'le, Jerry Heller, Dr. Dre and Eazy
Jerry Heller, Tomica Woods and Eazy-E
Slash of Guns 'n Roses, Eazy-E and DJ Yella
Dr. Dre, Janet Jackson, Eazy-E and Michel'le
Eazy-E and Tomica Woods
Eazy and Jada Pinkett
Eazy-E and DJ Yella at "The Ruthless Radio Show"
Lil' Eazy
Eazy's daughter Erin Bria Wright
Tomica Woods-Wright, Eazy's widow
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N.W.A. and the Posse - 1987
N.W.A. and the Posse - 1987
Straight Outta Compton - 1988
Eazy-Duz-It - 1988
100 Miles and Runnin' - 1990
Niggaz4Life - 1991
5150: Home 4 tha Sick - 1992
It's On (
Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton - 1995
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Impact of a Legend - 2002
Eazy-E - We Want Eazy
Eazy-E - Only If You Want It
Eazy-E - Eazy-er Said Than Dunn
Eazy-E - Real Muthaphuckkin G's
Eazy-E - Any Last Werdz
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony feat. Eazy-E
- Foe tha Love of $
Eazy-E - Eazy Duz It
Eazy-E - Boyz N The Hood (Remix)
Eazy-E - 8Ball
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A - Fuck tha Police
Eazy-E - Still Talkin' Shit
Eazy-E - No More ?'s
Eazy-E feat. MC Ren - Nobody Move
The D.O.C. - It's Funky Enough
(featuring cameos by Eazy-E and the rest of N.W.A)
The D.O.C. - The D.O.C. and the Doctor
(featuring cameos by Eazy-E, Dre and Ren)
The D.O.C. feat. Dr. Dre - The Formula
(featuring cameos by Eazy-E and Dre)
Jim Jones feat. Cam'ron and Game
- Certified Gangstas
Above the Law - Murder Rap
(featuring cameos by Eazy-E, The D.O.C. and Dr. Dre)
Above the Law - Untouchable
(featuring cameos by Eazy-E, MC Ren, Dr. Dre and Tone Loc)
Above the Law - 4 the Funk of It
(featuring cameos by Eazy-E and MC Ren)
Above the Law feat. Tupac and Money B. - Call It What You Want
(featuring cameos by Eazy-E and MC Ren)
Michel'le feat. Dr. Dre - No More Lies
(featuring a cameo by Eazy-E)
EPMD - The Big Payback
(featuring cameos by Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and Dr. Dre)
Michel'le - Keep Watchin'
(featuring cameos by Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and The D.O.C.)
Eazy-E - Just Tah Let U Know
Compton rapper Problem dressed like
Eazy-E during his Cypher appearance
at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards
Eric Lynn Wright was born on September 7, 1963, in southeast Compton, California. His father, Richard, was a postal worker and his mother, Katie, was a school administrator. Eric was one of three siblings, including his brother, Kenneth, and sister, Patricia. The five-foot, five-inch Wright, who dropped out of high school in the 10th grade, was an independent crack dealer and member of the Kelly Park Compton Crips street gang. He got the idea to delve into the music business following the shooting death of a cousin, who was a small-time drug dealer as well.
Wright enlisted long-time friend Andre "Dr. Dre" Young, who was a member of local electro-funk group the World Class Wreckin' Cru and the house DJ at the Eve After Dark nightclub at the time, to produce rap songs for him in exchange for bailing him out of jail -- Young had been jailed for unpaid parking tickets. Through Young, he met 17-year-old O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson, who was a member of the teenage rap group C.I.A. (Cru' In Action) and a ghostwriter for the World Class Wreckin' Cru. Initially, the three rehearsed and recorded in Wright's parents' garage.
Wright intended to use his drug profits to back the Queens, New York rap group H.B.O. (Home Boys Only). However, H.B.O. refused to record the song, "Boyz-N-the-Hood", which was written by Jackson and inspired by South Central Los Angeles-based rapper Tracy "Ice-T" Marrow's 1986 cult hit "6 in the Mornin'", which in turn was inspired by Philadelphia-based rapper Jesse "Schoolly D" Weaver's 1985 cult hit "P.S.K. What Does it Mean?" Young, who produced the song, eventually convinced the reluctant Wright, who had no experience as a rapper, to record the song himself because he felt that his nasal, high-pitched voice would sound great on record. After recording the song in the home studio of World Class Wreckin' Cru leader Alonzo Williams, Wright and company left one copy at each local record store along with business cards containing Young's cousin's telephone number. Before long, the record store owners began calling to place orders for more copies to satisfy customer demand. Young's cousin, in turn, would page Wright's beeper and subsequently pass along the orders when he called back. Wright had 5,000 copies of "Boyz" pressed and used this practice for eight months to promote and sell the record. Wright, whose street name was "Rat" up to that point, created the stage name "Eazy-E" (which is never mentioned in "Boyz-N-the-Hood") in order to promote the song. Wright also promoted himself by hosting mixtapes produced by DJ Steve Yano, who sold them at the Roadium swap meet in Gardena, California. Wright eventually gave a clean version of "Boyz-N-the-Hood" to DJ Greg Mack of radio station KDAY, Los Angeles' first hip hop station, and it became the most-requested song 24 hours after its premier on the station. "Boyz-N-the-Hood" went on to sell 500,000 copies throughout Los Angeles.
On March 3, 1987, at Young's urging, Wright was introduced to Williams' manager, Jerry Heller. Williams arranged the introduction with the middle-aged, Jewish pop music industry veteran after Wright paid him an additional $250 on top of the $500 he owed Williams in studio fees. Wright, accompanied by 17-year-old fellow Kelly Park Compton Crip member Lorenzo "MC Ren" Patterson, arrived for the meet in his customized Suzuki Samurai and played Heller a copy of "Boyz-N-the-Hood". Heller, who managed the musical acts the L.A. Dream Team, Egyptian Lover and the World Class Wreckin' Cru, took on Wright as his only client after the aforementioned acts (not wanting to be associated with the profane content of Wright's music) ended their business relationship with him. After agreeing to work for Wright as a manager, Heller helped him to establish his own independent music label, Ruthless Records, of which Wright was the sole owner.
Wright soon established the rap group, N.W.A. (Niggaz Wit' Attitude), which he named at original member Mik "Arabian Prince" Lezan's house. Besides Lezan and Wright, the original lineup was also comprised of Young and Jackson. Eventually, Wright would recruit Patterson and Young's fellow World Class Wreckin' Cru member Antoine "DJ Yella" Carraby. N.W.A. secured an opening slot for Salt-N-Pepa, alongside Heavy D. and the Boyz and MC Hammer, in late 1987 for the California portion of the female rapper's nationwide tour. Wright initially invited LaMont "DJ Scratch" Burnett to serve as his DJ. Burnett, however, declined in order to continue DJing for South Central, Los Angeles-based rapper Candell "Candyman" Manson, who would go on to release the Top 10 song "Knockin' Boots" in 1990.
While Wright and company routinely sold records and cassettes at the Roadium swap meet, local record stores and directly from the trunks of their cars, the new group's former distributor, Macola Records, release the compilation album, N.W.A. and the Posse, which included "Boyz-N-the-Hood", on November 6, 1987. Posse also features the rap groups Rappinstine and the Dallas, Texas-based Fila Fresh Crew, which featured Tracy "Doc-T" Curry. Wright sued Macola over the album release and reached an out-of-court settlement. Wright then promptly re-released the album on Ruthless Records and it eventually sold 500,000 copies.
Ruthless Records scored a hit in early 1988 with the debut release by girl-rap group J.J. Fad, whose single, "Supersonic", produced by N.W.A member Lezan, had sold 500,000 copies from car trunks and swap meets the year before. Like "Boyz-N-the-Hood", "Supersonic received heavy airplay by Los Angeles radio station KDAY. Wright bought the rights to the song from the group's previous label, Dream Team, and quickly oversaw the creation and release of the album Supersonic, produced by Lezan, Young and Carraby went on to sell 500,000 copies as well. J.J. Fad were among the first rappers to be eligible for a Grammy when "Supersonic" was nominated for Best Rap Performance for the 31st annual Grammy Awards held in1989.
Heller secured a new distribution deal for Ruthless Records with Priority Records, whose biggest act up to that time was the California Raisins, an animated group of raisins who sang classic Motown hits in television commercials. Heller was an old acquaintance of the company's co-founder, Bryan Turner, who'd started the label in 1985 with his partners Steve Drath and Mark Cerami.
Wright's debut solo album, Eazy-Duz-It, featuring a remixed version of "Boyz-N-the-Hood", was released on September 13, 1988, and sold 650,000 copies within the first six months. N.W.A's debut, Straight Outta Compton, recorded on a budget of $12,000 in a mere six weeks (and only on weekdays), was released a month earlier, on August 9, 1988, and sold half a million copies in the first six weeks. The success of both albums is attributed to word-of-mouth. The bulk of the songwriting for both albums was contributed by Jackson, Patterson and Curry. The majority of the production duties were handled by Young and Carraby. Lezan, who quit the group in the weeks prior to the release of Straight Outta Compton, citing financial discrepancies, contributed production for Straight Outta Compton as well and performs on one song on the album. Both albums were recorded at the Audio Achievements, recording studio in Torrance, CA, to which the group had relocated their recording operations, for a more professional sound. Straight Outta Compton and Eazy-Duz-It have sold 3 million and 2.5 million copies, respectively, with almost no radio airplay.
Wright assaulted a doorman the World nightclub in Beverly Hills when he and the other members of N.W.A were prevented from entering in order to attend the album release party for the group's debut, Straight Outta Compton, given by Priority Records. The doorman hadn't realized that Wright and company were the guests of honor.
Wright and N.W.A opened for South Central, Los Angeles-based rapper Tracy "Ice-T" Marrow at Anaheim's 2,500-seat Celebrity Theatre on March 23, 1989. The sold-out concert, which also included rappers Tracy "The D.O.C." Curry, Erik "Everlast" Schrody and fellow Compton-native Roger "King Tee" McBride, was the group's first show in southern California since the releases of Straight Outta Compton and Eazy-Duz-It. The group had been denied permission to perform in nearby Long Beach.
Though N.W.A's profanity-free music video for the song "Straight Outta Compton" was initially banned by MTV in the Spring of 1989 for "excessive violence", the network eventually relented due to public demand and began to air the video alongside clips for Wright's songs, "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn" and "We Want Eazy" and N.W.A's "Express Yourself". The increased exposure served to popularize the Los Angeles Raiders football team and Los Angeles Kings hockey team attire and generally black clothing that Wright and N.W.A favored. The silver and black clothing served to render the group neutral in regards to L.A.'s sometimes-violent Crip/Blood conflicts. This signature look became a cultural phenomenon that markedly increased sales for the sports teams' apparel. Wright, in particular, was also known for his signature "locs" sunglasses, which he frequently wore.
In August of 1989, assistant director of the FBI Milt Ahlerich sent a letter to Ruthless Records' distributor, Priority Records, criticizing the group and specifically citing the song "Fuck tha Police" as provocative and promoting violence towards law enforcement officers. The letter read, in part: "Advocating violence and assault is wrong, and we in the law enforcement community take exception to such action..." Priority Records subsequently released Ahlerich's letter to the press. Several police departments across the country responded to the song by refusing to provide security to N.W.A at concerts. Jerry Heller has publicly stated that Wright and Ruthless Records staff members have received numerous death threats, especially from neo-Nazi groups and that the FBI, though aware of these threats, neglected to investigate. Heller hypothesized that the bureau's failure to investigate was due to the FBI's animosity toward the label stemming from the release of "Fuck tha Police".
Ruthless continued the successful momentum in 1989 with back-to-back hit albums, beginning with the release of The D.O.C.'s (Curry's new stage name) critically-acclaimed debut album, No One Can Do It Better, on August 1, 1989. The album, executive-produced by Wright, sold 500,000 copies within three months of its release and has since gone on to sell 1 million copies. Wright also performed on the track "The Grand Finale" and appeared in the music video for the classic track, "It's Funky Enough" alongside the rest of N.W.A. He also appeared along with Young in the music videos for "The Formula" and "The D.O.C. and the Doctor".
That same month, N.W.A clashed with Detroit police while performing at the Joe Louis Arena as part of their nation-wide tour. Members of the Detroit Police Department rushed the stage to interrupt the group's performance of "Fuck tha Police", which effectively ended the show. The group members were later confronted by police back at their hotel and they subsequently flew back to Los Angeles.
On October 23, 1989, R&B singer Michel'le Toussaint's self-titled debut album, Michel'le, also executive-produced by Wright, was released and sold 500,000 copies within the first five weeks. Wright appeared with Toussaint (alongside Young) in the music videos for the songs "Something in My Heart", "Nicety", "No More Lies" and "Keep Watchin'".
Founding N.W.A member, Jackson, broke ties with the group, Wright and Ruthless Records at the end of 1989 having never signed a contract with the label, after the group completed their 40-city, nation-wide tour. Jackson cited unpaid royalties as the reason for his departure.
Following Ruthless Records' rapid successes, Wright established offices for the company in California's affluent Woodland Hills neighborhood.Wright himself migrated from Compton to the more upscale Calabasas, located 44 miles away. He became a fixture in Los Angeles, often driving alone in his favorite vehicle -- his white 850i BMW coupe.
On February 22, 1990, Ruthless released the critically-acclaimed debut album, Livin' Like Hustlers, by the Pomona, CA-based rap group Above the Law -- the first of four hit albums the group recorded for the label. Wright served as executive producer and performed on the track, "The Last Song", with the rest of N.W.A.
May saw the release of the anti-gang song, "We're All in the Same Gang", featuring several California artists including: Wright, along with fellow Ruthless Records artists Above the Law; fellow N.W.A members Young and Patterson; J.J. Fad; and Toussaint. The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards the following year.
N.W.A's 1990 EP, "100 Miles and Runnin'" sold 500,000 copies within three months of its release. The EP contains numerous personal attacks against former member Jackson and to date has sole 1 million copies. Their second and final full-length album (and only one without Jackson), 1991's Efil4zaggin (the album's actual title Niggaz4life, spelled backwards), sold 954,000 copies in its first week of release and became the first "gangsta rap" album to top the Billboard chart.
On March 4, 1991, Bronx rapper and Ultramagnetic MCs-affiliate Timothy "Tim Dog" Blair released his cult hit, "Fuck Compton", from his debut album Penicillin on Wax, which further fueled the tensions between New York City rappers and those not based in the Big Apple. While Blair didn't initiate the war of words between the New York and California rap scenes (contrary to popular belief), his "Fuck Compton was the first song devoted entirely to voicing the backlash against the success of, and attention devoted to, Los Angeles gangsta rap within the hip hop community. Blair specifically targeted Wright, N.W.A and Toussaint, purposely excluding Tracy "Ice-T" Marrow from his attacks.
Wright made headlines after attending a March 18, exclusive fund-raising dinner for the Republican Senatorial Committee Inner Circle at which then-President George H.W. Bush spoke in front of 1400 guests. Wright was invited to the dinner by the office of then-Republican Senate leader Bob Dole after being selected from a list of donors who contributed over $25,000 to the charities Athletes and Entertainers for Kids and the Make a Wish Foundation. Wright paid a $2,490 fee to attend, after which he said he paid a small price for $1 million worth of press.
1991 also saw the departure of longtime friend and Ruthless Records house producer, Andre "Dr. Dre" Young, which resulted in the breakup of N.W.A. According to various accounts, Young, feeling dissatisfied with his financial compensation for production work on all of Ruthless Records' hit albums and Heller's involvement with the label, was advised by label-mate Tracy "The D.O.C." Curry and his bodyguard Marion "Suge" Knight, to sever ties with Ruthless. On April 23, Young lured Wright via telephone to SOLAR's (Sound of Los Angeles Records) Galaxy Studios under the pretense of meeting to discuss business. Wright arrived unaccompanied and unarmed to find Knight and his associates armed with baseball bats, but Young was absent. Wright was then pressured into signing documents releasing Young, Curry and Toussaint from their Ruthless contracts under (untrue) threat of the supposedly kidnapped Heller's murder and the revelation that Knight knew Wright's parents' address.
In response, Wright filed lawsuits for breach of contract against Young and for racketeering against Futureshock Records (Young and Knight's new label) and Sony (Futureshock's distributor), contending that the releases for Young, Curry and Toussaint were signed under duress and should be nullified. Heller and Ruthless Records' director of business affairs Mike Klein obtained security protection for Ruthless employees and artists from Israeli-trained JDL (Jewish Defense League) members in anticipation of attacks by Knight and his associates. Reportedly, the JDL also helped Wright in further negotiations with Young and Knight as well. Though Wright's racketeering lawsuit was dismissed, Jimmy Iovine, the head of Interscope Records, the newly renamed Death Row Records' (formerly Futureshock) parent company, agreed to give Wright 25% percent of Young's sales as an artist and producer for the following six years as part of a settlement.
While Young had invited Patterson, Carraby and the members of Above the Law to defect as well, none accepted the offer. Patterson, in fact, was present during much of the recording of Young's debut solo album, The Chronic, and while remaining with Ruthless Records, became estranged from Wright after refusing to particpate in a post-Young N.W.A reunion album. The Chronic's introduction even includes a positive reference to Patterson by Young's protege, rapper Calvin "Snoop Doggy Dogg" Broadus.
On July 12, the critically-acclaimed and Oscar-nominated film Boyz N the Hood was released to rave reviews. Having been directly inspired by Wright and N.W.A's music, director John Singleton had initially written the film with the intention of showcasing the rappers in feature roles. Boyz nevertheless features O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson in his first film role and examines the themes and conditions of life in Compton and Los Angeles explored by Wright and N.W.A throughout Eazy-Duz-It and Straight Outta Compton.
In October, Jackson released his second full-length solo album, Death Certificate, featuring the songs "True to the Game" and "No Vaseline" which contained heated responses to the attacks against him by N.W.A on their previous two releases.
Later that month, Wright revealed plans to offer Rodney King -- the unarmed African-American motorist who was infamously beaten by LAPD officers on vidotape -- to participate in a new version of the N.W.A song, "Fuck tha Police".
In 1992, Wright severed Ruthless' relationship with Priority Records because he felt that the company had driven wedges between himself, Jackson and Young and urged the two to leave N.W.A to pursue solo careers. Wright secured a new distribution deal with Relativity Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music.
Wright also founded the film production company, Broken Chair Flickz, in 1992 with the intention of producing an urban crime movie titled, Smilin' Facez, co-written by him and featuring him in the starring role.
Lorenzo "MC Ren" Patterson released his debut solo release, Kizz My Black Azz, in June of 1992. The Wright executive-produced EP sold one million copies after a mere two months in stores.
December of 1992 marked the release of Young's debut solo album, The Chronic, which featured numerous attacks against Wright, most notably on the songs "Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')" and "Bitches Ain't Shit", as well as the album's introduction.
Wright released back-to-back platinum-selling EPs in 1992 and 1993. 5150 Home 4 tha Sick sold 500,00 copies and It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa was even more popular, selling 2 million copies. It's On featured responses to Young's Chronic verbal jabs on all but three tracks, most notably on the hit song "Real Muthaphuckkin G's", on which Wright introduced the term "studio gangster" -- his characterization of Young's street credibility. Wright paid Alonzo Williams for the rights to use a picture of his former bandmate Young from his World Class Wreckin' Cru days -- dressed in a white jumpsuit and wearing make-up -- on the photo inserts for It's On, part of his rivalry with Young.
In 1993, Wright stirred controversy among the African-American community when he publicly defended Theodore J. Briseno, one of the four LAPD officers tried in state and federal court for the March 13, 1991, beating of Rodney King, which was captured on video. Wright, who attended the trial several times, maintained that the Mexican-American Briseno attempted to stop the three other officers, who were Caucasian, from assaulting the unarmed King. Wright's public show of support for Briseno spurred a backlash against him from members of the rap community as well, including fellow-rapper Willie D., of the Houston trio the Geto Boys. Detractors were also suspicious of the fact that Wright was a client of Briseno's defense attorney, Harland W. Braun.
In July of the same year, Wright was ordered to pay $58,000 in annual child support for a two-year-old daughter he fathered with a Nebraska woman.
In October, Wright was denied permission to film a music video for "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" in his hometown by Compton Mayor Omar Bradley and the Compton City Council. Police Chief Hourie Taylor initially refused to allow Wright a filming permit and he subsequently appealed to Bradley and the council to override Taylor. Wright and one of his label's artists, rapper Andre "Dresta da' Gangsta" Wicker, both spoke at a council meeting to no avail. Bradley accused Wright of demeaning the city, glorifying criminals and promoting negative stereotypes of African-Americans during his denial of the request to shoot the video.
That same year, during an appearance on "Yo! MTV Raps", Wright, alongside Patterson, announced a planned N.W.A reunion album featuring himself, Patterson, Carraby and Jackson.
Wright's next discovery was the Cleveland-based rap group B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e, after hearing member Anthony "Krayzie Bone" Henderson rap over the telephone. The Ohio natives had traveled to Los Angeles via one-way bus tickets four months earlier. Ironically, Wright had a tour date in Cleveland scheduled for two weeks later. The group bought more one-way bus tickets back to Cleveland for the November show and auditioned for Wright backstage. Two days later, the rappers traveled back to Los Angeles by bus (with tickets paid for by Wright) where he signed them to Ruthless Records and rechristened them Bone Thugs-n-Harmony -- which was a compromise between the name Wright wanted to give the group and part of their old moniker. Wright oversaw the entire process of creating the group's first Ruthless project, including conducting photo shoots and personally chauffeuring the rappers to and from recording studios in his Mercedes. Bone's Ruthless debut, the EP Creepin on ah Come Up, was released in June of 1994 and went on to sell four million copies. Wright contributed a guest verse on the EP's track, "Foe tha Love of $". He was also featured in the accompanying video clip, which marked one of his last music video appearances.
Creepin on ah Come Up was only one of many projects Ruthless premiered in 1994. The label released several albums for groups on its roster that year, including: the Chicano counterpart to N.W.A, Brownside; the female counterpart to Wright's group, H.W.A (Hoes With Attitudes); and the Atban Klann, which featured rappers will.i.am and apl.de.ap -- both of whom would go on to form The Black Eyed Peas. The following year, Latin rap pioneer Kid Frost released the first of two albums under the Ruthless banner.
Wright hosted his own three-hour radio show, "The Ruthless Radio Show", on Los Angeles' KKBT-FM, 92.3 The Beat until April of 1995.
Wright reconciled with former group-mate O'Shea Jackson in New York City in late November of 1994. While Wright was attending a party at the now-defunct famed Manhattan nightclub The Tunnel, accompanied by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, he crossed paths with Jackson, who was accompanied by rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs. After a lengthy discussion during which the two settled their differences, Jackson urged Wright to reconcile with Young in the hopes of re-forming N.W.A.
In February of 1995, Wright fired long-time manager Jerry Heller.
On February 24, Wright was hospitalized under the alias Eric Lollis, for what he assumed was bronchitis. On March 16, he released a statement to the public revealing that he had been diagnosed with full-blown AIDS. The statement, read by Wright's attorney, Ron Sweeney, at a press conference in Hollywood, reads:
"I may not seem like a guy that you'd pick to preach a sermon, but I feel it's now time to 'testify' because I do have folks that care about me hearing all kinds of stories about what's up.
Yeah, I was a brother on the streets of Compton doing a lot of things most people look down on, but it did pay off. Then, we started rapping about real stuff that shook up the LAPD and the F.B.I., but we got our message across big-time and everyone in America started paying attention to the boys in the hood. Soon, our anger and hopes got everyone riled up.
There were great rewards for me personally like fancy cars, gorgeous women and good livin'. Like real non-stop excitement. I'm not religious but wrong or right, that's me. I'm not saying this because I'm looking for a soft cushion wherever I'm heading, I just feel that I've got thousands of young fans that have to learn about what's real when it comes to AIDS. Like something good that will reach out to all my homeboys and their kin because I want to save their asses before it's too late. I'm not looking to blame anyone except myself. I've learned in the last week that this thing is real and it doesn't discriminate. It affects everyone.
My girl, Tomica, and I have been together for four years, and we recently got married. She's good, she's kind and a wonderful mother. We have a little boy who's a year old. Before Tomica, I had other women. I have seven children by six different mothers. Maybe success was too good for me. I love all my kids. And I always took care of them.
Now, I'm in the biggest fight of my life and it ain't easy. But I want to say much love to those who have been down with me and thanks for all your support."
Just three years prior, during an interview on shock jock Howard Stern's radio show, Wright revealed that despite his promiscuity, he did not practice the use of condoms.
Three of the other former N.W.A members including Carraby and Patterson (who hadn't spoken to Wright since refusing to participate in another planned N.W.A album without Young two years earlier) visited the comatose Wright in his hospital room. Bandmate-turned-bitter rival Andre "Dr. Dre" Young visited on March 17. Jackson visited the hospital that same day but refrained from visiting Wright's room upon learning that the rapper was unconscious. Jackson checked into a nearby hotel with his wife in the hopes of making a return visit upon Wright's regaining consciousness. However, Wright died from AIDS-related pneumonia at 6:35 p.m. on March 26, in the intensive care unit of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, after suffering a collapsed lung. He was survived by his wife Tomica Woods-Wright, whom he married during his hospitalization, and his seven children.
Compton Mayor Omar Bradley declared April 7, 1995, the day Wright's funeral was held, "Eazy-E Day" and called Wright "Compton's favorite son."
In 1995, Wright's net worth was estimated at $35 million and Ruthless Records generated more than $10 million monthly. Ruthless has sold more than 110 million records to date.
On July 25 ,1995, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's second Ruthless Records album, E. 1999 Eternal, was released and went on to top the Billboard 200 chart for two consecutive weeks, eventually achieving diamond status (selling ten million copies worldwide). The album title, in part an homage to Wright's album, Eternal E., was dedicated to Wright and featured the #1 song "Tha Crossroads", which was also dedicated to Wright. In 1996, "Tha Crossroads" won Bone the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a duo or group.
At the time of Wright's death, he had begun production on a double-album of new material. Upon completion and release, the project would have preceded Tupac Shakur's All Eyez on Me as the first hip hop double album.
Wright continued to receive accolades in death. In 1996, Billboard magazine named Ruthless Records the number one independent music label.
In 2000, following a Freedom of Information Act request, documents were made public revealing that the FBI launched an investigation in October of 1996 into possible extortion attempts against both Wright and Tupac Shakur by the JDL, which the FBI has categorized as a domestic terrorist organization. The investigation was closed in May of 1999. An FBI document on the matter reads, in part:
"The scheme involves...subjects making telephonic death threats to the rap star. Subjects then intercede by contacting the victim and offering protection for a fee. The victim and their family are taken to a "safe haven", usually a private estate, and are protected by gun-toting body guards associated with the JEWISH DEFENSE LEAGUE (JDL). The subjects convince the victim they have worked a "deal" out with the person(s) making the death threats and the threats cease. The victim then pays the subjects for the protection services rendered and resume their normal lifestyle with no fear of further death threats."
Wright's long-time manager, Jerry Heller, has always maintained that Ruthless hired the JDL for security and that Wright had planned to produce a film about the organization.
In 2003, Marion "Suge" Knight referenced Wright's death eight years earlier during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" In a nod to the music mogul's violent reputation, the irreverent talk-show host donned a bulletproof vest for the interview and said as much when Knight questioned his need for the attire. Knight responded: "It's a new thing, right. See, if somebody gonna do something, right. See, technology is so high, right. So, if you shoot somebody you go to jail forever. So, the kids you don't wanna go to jail forever, right? So, they got this new thing out and people sell 'em all the time. They got this stuff they call...they get blood from somebody with AIDS -- and they shoot you with it. See, that's the slow death. The Eazy-E thing, you know what I mean?
While Knight's comments elicited groans from the live audience present at the show, they also served to reignite long-running theories that various parties had conspired to murder Wright.
Former Ruthless Records artist Al Hassan "B.G. Knocc Out" Naqiyy, who appeared with Wright on his hit song, "Real Muthaphuckkin G's", explained in a 2011 interview with HipHopDX: "I believe in my heart somebody did something to Eric. Whether it was Jerry [Heller], whether it was [his widow] Tomica [Woods-Wright], I have yet to really know the truth about it. But, for a person to have full-blown AIDS [that quickly is suspicious]. My little brother, his father died from full-blown AIDS...from sharing a needle ['cause] he was [an addict]. Now, I seen this man go through these stages, from HIV to full-blown AIDS. And, when you get a cold, any little thing like that, your whole immune system shut down. So you have to go into the hospital just to recover. Now, to be around Eric for the last three years of his life and he never had an episode like this -- never ever -- something is strange, something is real odd. And then you gon' come out and tell me when the man go in there for bronchitis, you gon' come out and tell me this man had full-blown AIDS. And we done been to New York, we done been to Chicago in below zero weather [and] he never got sick. He never had an episode. Like, c'mon bruh. Who are you kidding?"
Wright's former manager, Jerry Heller, stated in a 2015 interview with 1st Fam West Radio: "Do I think something fishy happened to Eazy? Absolutely. I don't believe for a second that someone with as much money as we did -- and could afford whatever like Magic Johnson could -- who doesn't even test positive anymore. I don't believe that he could have possibly died that quickly from full-blown AIDS. I don't believe that. I think that something went on there. And like I say, I have my own ideas who I think was involved. But all I'm willing to say is this: I'm the only one who didn't profit from him passing away."
Rappers Charles "Wish Bone" Scruggs, Anthony "Krayzie Bone" Henderson and Steven "Layzie Bone" Howse of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony have all publicly expressed the belief that Wright was a victim of foul play. Howse stated: "I have my own theory...He went in for the common cough, or pneumonia, which was January. Then in February, diagnosed as HIV-positive. Then March, full-blown AIDS [and] dead. I was kinda thinking, [what] kind of doctors did he go to? Even the children that were born after he died, weren't positive. Even their mothers weren't positive. Nobody was positive."
Former Ruthless Records signee, Arturo "Frost" Molina (formerly Kid Frost) stated in a September 2015 interview for the documentary, For the Record: The Story of Latinos in Hip Hop, that Wright contracted AIDS from infected needles he was given while undergoing acupuncture treatment. Frost explained that Wright turned to acupuncture in order to treat injuries he sustained in an ATV crash.
Frost asserted: "What happened was is that someone, I won't say the name, but people know the name. I don't wanna say that name 'cause it's the devil's name, but another person in rap -- if you know your history of rap -- calls him the devil. If you know the history of rap, West Coast rap, you know who I'm saying. I was told even in my last conversation from Eazy not to even talk to that man. Not only that, but I think that they really had a stronghold of giving him tainted needles with the AIDS virus in him with acupuncture. How else could somebody die that fast to AIDS? Have you even heard of somebody dying in two weeks of AIDS? It's unheard of. It's like, I'm in the hospital. I contracted the AIDS virus. Two weeks later, March 26 or whatever, I fall out and I die."
The biographical film Straight Outta Compton, depicting the rise and fall of N.W.A, premiered in Los Angeles on August 11, 2015 and became the highest-grossing August release in cinematic history for an R-rated movie. Following the film's release, the album that inspired it re-entered the Billboard 200 album chart and rose to #4. The song "Straight Outta Compton" rose to #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Wright's solo debut, Eazy-Duz-It, re-entered the Billboard 200 at #32.
On December 17, 2015, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that N.W.A. will be an official 2016 inductee, making them one of only five rap acts (alongside Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five; Public Enemy; Run-D.M.C.; and the Beastie Boys) to be included.
Ruthless Records scored a hit in early 1988 with the debut release by girl-rap group J.J. Fad, whose single, "Supersonic", produced by N.W.A member Lezan, had sold 500,000 copies from car trunks and swap meets the year before. Like "Boyz-N-the-Hood", "Supersonic received heavy airplay by Los Angeles radio station KDAY. Wright bought the rights to the song from the group's previous label, Dream Team, and quickly oversaw the creation and release of the album Supersonic, produced by Lezan, Young and Carraby went on to sell 500,000 copies as well. J.J. Fad were among the first rappers to be eligible for a Grammy when "Supersonic" was nominated for Best Rap Performance for the 31st annual Grammy Awards held in1989.
Heller secured a new distribution deal for Ruthless Records with Priority Records, whose biggest act up to that time was the California Raisins, an animated group of raisins who sang classic Motown hits in television commercials. Heller was an old acquaintance of the company's co-founder, Bryan Turner, who'd started the label in 1985 with his partners Steve Drath and Mark Cerami.
Wright's debut solo album, Eazy-Duz-It, featuring a remixed version of "Boyz-N-the-Hood", was released on September 13, 1988, and sold 650,000 copies within the first six months. N.W.A's debut, Straight Outta Compton, recorded on a budget of $12,000 in a mere six weeks (and only on weekdays), was released a month earlier, on August 9, 1988, and sold half a million copies in the first six weeks. The success of both albums is attributed to word-of-mouth. The bulk of the songwriting for both albums was contributed by Jackson, Patterson and Curry. The majority of the production duties were handled by Young and Carraby. Lezan, who quit the group in the weeks prior to the release of Straight Outta Compton, citing financial discrepancies, contributed production for Straight Outta Compton as well and performs on one song on the album. Both albums were recorded at the Audio Achievements, recording studio in Torrance, CA, to which the group had relocated their recording operations, for a more professional sound. Straight Outta Compton and Eazy-Duz-It have sold 3 million and 2.5 million copies, respectively, with almost no radio airplay.
Wright assaulted a doorman the World nightclub in Beverly Hills when he and the other members of N.W.A were prevented from entering in order to attend the album release party for the group's debut, Straight Outta Compton, given by Priority Records. The doorman hadn't realized that Wright and company were the guests of honor.
Wright and N.W.A opened for South Central, Los Angeles-based rapper Tracy "Ice-T" Marrow at Anaheim's 2,500-seat Celebrity Theatre on March 23, 1989. The sold-out concert, which also included rappers Tracy "The D.O.C." Curry, Erik "Everlast" Schrody and fellow Compton-native Roger "King Tee" McBride, was the group's first show in southern California since the releases of Straight Outta Compton and Eazy-Duz-It. The group had been denied permission to perform in nearby Long Beach.
Though N.W.A's profanity-free music video for the song "Straight Outta Compton" was initially banned by MTV in the Spring of 1989 for "excessive violence", the network eventually relented due to public demand and began to air the video alongside clips for Wright's songs, "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn" and "We Want Eazy" and N.W.A's "Express Yourself". The increased exposure served to popularize the Los Angeles Raiders football team and Los Angeles Kings hockey team attire and generally black clothing that Wright and N.W.A favored. The silver and black clothing served to render the group neutral in regards to L.A.'s sometimes-violent Crip/Blood conflicts. This signature look became a cultural phenomenon that markedly increased sales for the sports teams' apparel. Wright, in particular, was also known for his signature "locs" sunglasses, which he frequently wore.
In August of 1989, assistant director of the FBI Milt Ahlerich sent a letter to Ruthless Records' distributor, Priority Records, criticizing the group and specifically citing the song "Fuck tha Police" as provocative and promoting violence towards law enforcement officers. The letter read, in part: "Advocating violence and assault is wrong, and we in the law enforcement community take exception to such action..." Priority Records subsequently released Ahlerich's letter to the press. Several police departments across the country responded to the song by refusing to provide security to N.W.A at concerts. Jerry Heller has publicly stated that Wright and Ruthless Records staff members have received numerous death threats, especially from neo-Nazi groups and that the FBI, though aware of these threats, neglected to investigate. Heller hypothesized that the bureau's failure to investigate was due to the FBI's animosity toward the label stemming from the release of "Fuck tha Police".
Ruthless continued the successful momentum in 1989 with back-to-back hit albums, beginning with the release of The D.O.C.'s (Curry's new stage name) critically-acclaimed debut album, No One Can Do It Better, on August 1, 1989. The album, executive-produced by Wright, sold 500,000 copies within three months of its release and has since gone on to sell 1 million copies. Wright also performed on the track "The Grand Finale" and appeared in the music video for the classic track, "It's Funky Enough" alongside the rest of N.W.A. He also appeared along with Young in the music videos for "The Formula" and "The D.O.C. and the Doctor".
That same month, N.W.A clashed with Detroit police while performing at the Joe Louis Arena as part of their nation-wide tour. Members of the Detroit Police Department rushed the stage to interrupt the group's performance of "Fuck tha Police", which effectively ended the show. The group members were later confronted by police back at their hotel and they subsequently flew back to Los Angeles.
On October 23, 1989, R&B singer Michel'le Toussaint's self-titled debut album, Michel'le, also executive-produced by Wright, was released and sold 500,000 copies within the first five weeks. Wright appeared with Toussaint (alongside Young) in the music videos for the songs "Something in My Heart", "Nicety", "No More Lies" and "Keep Watchin'".
Founding N.W.A member, Jackson, broke ties with the group, Wright and Ruthless Records at the end of 1989 having never signed a contract with the label, after the group completed their 40-city, nation-wide tour. Jackson cited unpaid royalties as the reason for his departure.
Following Ruthless Records' rapid successes, Wright established offices for the company in California's affluent Woodland Hills neighborhood.Wright himself migrated from Compton to the more upscale Calabasas, located 44 miles away. He became a fixture in Los Angeles, often driving alone in his favorite vehicle -- his white 850i BMW coupe.
On February 22, 1990, Ruthless released the critically-acclaimed debut album, Livin' Like Hustlers, by the Pomona, CA-based rap group Above the Law -- the first of four hit albums the group recorded for the label. Wright served as executive producer and performed on the track, "The Last Song", with the rest of N.W.A.
May saw the release of the anti-gang song, "We're All in the Same Gang", featuring several California artists including: Wright, along with fellow Ruthless Records artists Above the Law; fellow N.W.A members Young and Patterson; J.J. Fad; and Toussaint. The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards the following year.
N.W.A's 1990 EP, "100 Miles and Runnin'" sold 500,000 copies within three months of its release. The EP contains numerous personal attacks against former member Jackson and to date has sole 1 million copies. Their second and final full-length album (and only one without Jackson), 1991's Efil4zaggin (the album's actual title Niggaz4life, spelled backwards), sold 954,000 copies in its first week of release and became the first "gangsta rap" album to top the Billboard chart.
On March 4, 1991, Bronx rapper and Ultramagnetic MCs-affiliate Timothy "Tim Dog" Blair released his cult hit, "Fuck Compton", from his debut album Penicillin on Wax, which further fueled the tensions between New York City rappers and those not based in the Big Apple. While Blair didn't initiate the war of words between the New York and California rap scenes (contrary to popular belief), his "Fuck Compton was the first song devoted entirely to voicing the backlash against the success of, and attention devoted to, Los Angeles gangsta rap within the hip hop community. Blair specifically targeted Wright, N.W.A and Toussaint, purposely excluding Tracy "Ice-T" Marrow from his attacks.
Wright made headlines after attending a March 18, exclusive fund-raising dinner for the Republican Senatorial Committee Inner Circle at which then-President George H.W. Bush spoke in front of 1400 guests. Wright was invited to the dinner by the office of then-Republican Senate leader Bob Dole after being selected from a list of donors who contributed over $25,000 to the charities Athletes and Entertainers for Kids and the Make a Wish Foundation. Wright paid a $2,490 fee to attend, after which he said he paid a small price for $1 million worth of press.
1991 also saw the departure of longtime friend and Ruthless Records house producer, Andre "Dr. Dre" Young, which resulted in the breakup of N.W.A. According to various accounts, Young, feeling dissatisfied with his financial compensation for production work on all of Ruthless Records' hit albums and Heller's involvement with the label, was advised by label-mate Tracy "The D.O.C." Curry and his bodyguard Marion "Suge" Knight, to sever ties with Ruthless. On April 23, Young lured Wright via telephone to SOLAR's (Sound of Los Angeles Records) Galaxy Studios under the pretense of meeting to discuss business. Wright arrived unaccompanied and unarmed to find Knight and his associates armed with baseball bats, but Young was absent. Wright was then pressured into signing documents releasing Young, Curry and Toussaint from their Ruthless contracts under (untrue) threat of the supposedly kidnapped Heller's murder and the revelation that Knight knew Wright's parents' address.
In response, Wright filed lawsuits for breach of contract against Young and for racketeering against Futureshock Records (Young and Knight's new label) and Sony (Futureshock's distributor), contending that the releases for Young, Curry and Toussaint were signed under duress and should be nullified. Heller and Ruthless Records' director of business affairs Mike Klein obtained security protection for Ruthless employees and artists from Israeli-trained JDL (Jewish Defense League) members in anticipation of attacks by Knight and his associates. Reportedly, the JDL also helped Wright in further negotiations with Young and Knight as well. Though Wright's racketeering lawsuit was dismissed, Jimmy Iovine, the head of Interscope Records, the newly renamed Death Row Records' (formerly Futureshock) parent company, agreed to give Wright 25% percent of Young's sales as an artist and producer for the following six years as part of a settlement.
While Young had invited Patterson, Carraby and the members of Above the Law to defect as well, none accepted the offer. Patterson, in fact, was present during much of the recording of Young's debut solo album, The Chronic, and while remaining with Ruthless Records, became estranged from Wright after refusing to particpate in a post-Young N.W.A reunion album. The Chronic's introduction even includes a positive reference to Patterson by Young's protege, rapper Calvin "Snoop Doggy Dogg" Broadus.
On July 12, the critically-acclaimed and Oscar-nominated film Boyz N the Hood was released to rave reviews. Having been directly inspired by Wright and N.W.A's music, director John Singleton had initially written the film with the intention of showcasing the rappers in feature roles. Boyz nevertheless features O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson in his first film role and examines the themes and conditions of life in Compton and Los Angeles explored by Wright and N.W.A throughout Eazy-Duz-It and Straight Outta Compton.
In October, Jackson released his second full-length solo album, Death Certificate, featuring the songs "True to the Game" and "No Vaseline" which contained heated responses to the attacks against him by N.W.A on their previous two releases.
Later that month, Wright revealed plans to offer Rodney King -- the unarmed African-American motorist who was infamously beaten by LAPD officers on vidotape -- to participate in a new version of the N.W.A song, "Fuck tha Police".
In 1992, Wright severed Ruthless' relationship with Priority Records because he felt that the company had driven wedges between himself, Jackson and Young and urged the two to leave N.W.A to pursue solo careers. Wright secured a new distribution deal with Relativity Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music.
Wright also founded the film production company, Broken Chair Flickz, in 1992 with the intention of producing an urban crime movie titled, Smilin' Facez, co-written by him and featuring him in the starring role.
Lorenzo "MC Ren" Patterson released his debut solo release, Kizz My Black Azz, in June of 1992. The Wright executive-produced EP sold one million copies after a mere two months in stores.
December of 1992 marked the release of Young's debut solo album, The Chronic, which featured numerous attacks against Wright, most notably on the songs "Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')" and "Bitches Ain't Shit", as well as the album's introduction.
Wright released back-to-back platinum-selling EPs in 1992 and 1993. 5150 Home 4 tha Sick sold 500,00 copies and It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa was even more popular, selling 2 million copies. It's On featured responses to Young's Chronic verbal jabs on all but three tracks, most notably on the hit song "Real Muthaphuckkin G's", on which Wright introduced the term "studio gangster" -- his characterization of Young's street credibility. Wright paid Alonzo Williams for the rights to use a picture of his former bandmate Young from his World Class Wreckin' Cru days -- dressed in a white jumpsuit and wearing make-up -- on the photo inserts for It's On, part of his rivalry with Young.
In 1993, Wright stirred controversy among the African-American community when he publicly defended Theodore J. Briseno, one of the four LAPD officers tried in state and federal court for the March 13, 1991, beating of Rodney King, which was captured on video. Wright, who attended the trial several times, maintained that the Mexican-American Briseno attempted to stop the three other officers, who were Caucasian, from assaulting the unarmed King. Wright's public show of support for Briseno spurred a backlash against him from members of the rap community as well, including fellow-rapper Willie D., of the Houston trio the Geto Boys. Detractors were also suspicious of the fact that Wright was a client of Briseno's defense attorney, Harland W. Braun.
In July of the same year, Wright was ordered to pay $58,000 in annual child support for a two-year-old daughter he fathered with a Nebraska woman.
In October, Wright was denied permission to film a music video for "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" in his hometown by Compton Mayor Omar Bradley and the Compton City Council. Police Chief Hourie Taylor initially refused to allow Wright a filming permit and he subsequently appealed to Bradley and the council to override Taylor. Wright and one of his label's artists, rapper Andre "Dresta da' Gangsta" Wicker, both spoke at a council meeting to no avail. Bradley accused Wright of demeaning the city, glorifying criminals and promoting negative stereotypes of African-Americans during his denial of the request to shoot the video.
That same year, during an appearance on "Yo! MTV Raps", Wright, alongside Patterson, announced a planned N.W.A reunion album featuring himself, Patterson, Carraby and Jackson.
Wright's next discovery was the Cleveland-based rap group B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e, after hearing member Anthony "Krayzie Bone" Henderson rap over the telephone. The Ohio natives had traveled to Los Angeles via one-way bus tickets four months earlier. Ironically, Wright had a tour date in Cleveland scheduled for two weeks later. The group bought more one-way bus tickets back to Cleveland for the November show and auditioned for Wright backstage. Two days later, the rappers traveled back to Los Angeles by bus (with tickets paid for by Wright) where he signed them to Ruthless Records and rechristened them Bone Thugs-n-Harmony -- which was a compromise between the name Wright wanted to give the group and part of their old moniker. Wright oversaw the entire process of creating the group's first Ruthless project, including conducting photo shoots and personally chauffeuring the rappers to and from recording studios in his Mercedes. Bone's Ruthless debut, the EP Creepin on ah Come Up, was released in June of 1994 and went on to sell four million copies. Wright contributed a guest verse on the EP's track, "Foe tha Love of $". He was also featured in the accompanying video clip, which marked one of his last music video appearances.
Creepin on ah Come Up was only one of many projects Ruthless premiered in 1994. The label released several albums for groups on its roster that year, including: the Chicano counterpart to N.W.A, Brownside; the female counterpart to Wright's group, H.W.A (Hoes With Attitudes); and the Atban Klann, which featured rappers will.i.am and apl.de.ap -- both of whom would go on to form The Black Eyed Peas. The following year, Latin rap pioneer Kid Frost released the first of two albums under the Ruthless banner.
Wright hosted his own three-hour radio show, "The Ruthless Radio Show", on Los Angeles' KKBT-FM, 92.3 The Beat until April of 1995.
Wright reconciled with former group-mate O'Shea Jackson in New York City in late November of 1994. While Wright was attending a party at the now-defunct famed Manhattan nightclub The Tunnel, accompanied by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, he crossed paths with Jackson, who was accompanied by rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs. After a lengthy discussion during which the two settled their differences, Jackson urged Wright to reconcile with Young in the hopes of re-forming N.W.A.
In February of 1995, Wright fired long-time manager Jerry Heller.
On February 24, Wright was hospitalized under the alias Eric Lollis, for what he assumed was bronchitis. On March 16, he released a statement to the public revealing that he had been diagnosed with full-blown AIDS. The statement, read by Wright's attorney, Ron Sweeney, at a press conference in Hollywood, reads:
"I may not seem like a guy that you'd pick to preach a sermon, but I feel it's now time to 'testify' because I do have folks that care about me hearing all kinds of stories about what's up.
Yeah, I was a brother on the streets of Compton doing a lot of things most people look down on, but it did pay off. Then, we started rapping about real stuff that shook up the LAPD and the F.B.I., but we got our message across big-time and everyone in America started paying attention to the boys in the hood. Soon, our anger and hopes got everyone riled up.
There were great rewards for me personally like fancy cars, gorgeous women and good livin'. Like real non-stop excitement. I'm not religious but wrong or right, that's me. I'm not saying this because I'm looking for a soft cushion wherever I'm heading, I just feel that I've got thousands of young fans that have to learn about what's real when it comes to AIDS. Like something good that will reach out to all my homeboys and their kin because I want to save their asses before it's too late. I'm not looking to blame anyone except myself. I've learned in the last week that this thing is real and it doesn't discriminate. It affects everyone.
My girl, Tomica, and I have been together for four years, and we recently got married. She's good, she's kind and a wonderful mother. We have a little boy who's a year old. Before Tomica, I had other women. I have seven children by six different mothers. Maybe success was too good for me. I love all my kids. And I always took care of them.
Now, I'm in the biggest fight of my life and it ain't easy. But I want to say much love to those who have been down with me and thanks for all your support."
Just three years prior, during an interview on shock jock Howard Stern's radio show, Wright revealed that despite his promiscuity, he did not practice the use of condoms.
Three of the other former N.W.A members including Carraby and Patterson (who hadn't spoken to Wright since refusing to participate in another planned N.W.A album without Young two years earlier) visited the comatose Wright in his hospital room. Bandmate-turned-bitter rival Andre "Dr. Dre" Young visited on March 17. Jackson visited the hospital that same day but refrained from visiting Wright's room upon learning that the rapper was unconscious. Jackson checked into a nearby hotel with his wife in the hopes of making a return visit upon Wright's regaining consciousness. However, Wright died from AIDS-related pneumonia at 6:35 p.m. on March 26, in the intensive care unit of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, after suffering a collapsed lung. He was survived by his wife Tomica Woods-Wright, whom he married during his hospitalization, and his seven children.
Compton Mayor Omar Bradley declared April 7, 1995, the day Wright's funeral was held, "Eazy-E Day" and called Wright "Compton's favorite son."
In 1995, Wright's net worth was estimated at $35 million and Ruthless Records generated more than $10 million monthly. Ruthless has sold more than 110 million records to date.
On July 25 ,1995, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's second Ruthless Records album, E. 1999 Eternal, was released and went on to top the Billboard 200 chart for two consecutive weeks, eventually achieving diamond status (selling ten million copies worldwide). The album title, in part an homage to Wright's album, Eternal E., was dedicated to Wright and featured the #1 song "Tha Crossroads", which was also dedicated to Wright. In 1996, "Tha Crossroads" won Bone the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a duo or group.
At the time of Wright's death, he had begun production on a double-album of new material. Upon completion and release, the project would have preceded Tupac Shakur's All Eyez on Me as the first hip hop double album.
Wright continued to receive accolades in death. In 1996, Billboard magazine named Ruthless Records the number one independent music label.
In 2000, following a Freedom of Information Act request, documents were made public revealing that the FBI launched an investigation in October of 1996 into possible extortion attempts against both Wright and Tupac Shakur by the JDL, which the FBI has categorized as a domestic terrorist organization. The investigation was closed in May of 1999. An FBI document on the matter reads, in part:
"The scheme involves...subjects making telephonic death threats to the rap star. Subjects then intercede by contacting the victim and offering protection for a fee. The victim and their family are taken to a "safe haven", usually a private estate, and are protected by gun-toting body guards associated with the JEWISH DEFENSE LEAGUE (JDL). The subjects convince the victim they have worked a "deal" out with the person(s) making the death threats and the threats cease. The victim then pays the subjects for the protection services rendered and resume their normal lifestyle with no fear of further death threats."
Wright's long-time manager, Jerry Heller, has always maintained that Ruthless hired the JDL for security and that Wright had planned to produce a film about the organization.
In 2003, Marion "Suge" Knight referenced Wright's death eight years earlier during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" In a nod to the music mogul's violent reputation, the irreverent talk-show host donned a bulletproof vest for the interview and said as much when Knight questioned his need for the attire. Knight responded: "It's a new thing, right. See, if somebody gonna do something, right. See, technology is so high, right. So, if you shoot somebody you go to jail forever. So, the kids you don't wanna go to jail forever, right? So, they got this new thing out and people sell 'em all the time. They got this stuff they call...they get blood from somebody with AIDS -- and they shoot you with it. See, that's the slow death. The Eazy-E thing, you know what I mean?
While Knight's comments elicited groans from the live audience present at the show, they also served to reignite long-running theories that various parties had conspired to murder Wright.
Former Ruthless Records artist Al Hassan "B.G. Knocc Out" Naqiyy, who appeared with Wright on his hit song, "Real Muthaphuckkin G's", explained in a 2011 interview with HipHopDX: "I believe in my heart somebody did something to Eric. Whether it was Jerry [Heller], whether it was [his widow] Tomica [Woods-Wright], I have yet to really know the truth about it. But, for a person to have full-blown AIDS [that quickly is suspicious]. My little brother, his father died from full-blown AIDS...from sharing a needle ['cause] he was [an addict]. Now, I seen this man go through these stages, from HIV to full-blown AIDS. And, when you get a cold, any little thing like that, your whole immune system shut down. So you have to go into the hospital just to recover. Now, to be around Eric for the last three years of his life and he never had an episode like this -- never ever -- something is strange, something is real odd. And then you gon' come out and tell me when the man go in there for bronchitis, you gon' come out and tell me this man had full-blown AIDS. And we done been to New York, we done been to Chicago in below zero weather [and] he never got sick. He never had an episode. Like, c'mon bruh. Who are you kidding?"
Wright's former manager, Jerry Heller, stated in a 2015 interview with 1st Fam West Radio: "Do I think something fishy happened to Eazy? Absolutely. I don't believe for a second that someone with as much money as we did -- and could afford whatever like Magic Johnson could -- who doesn't even test positive anymore. I don't believe that he could have possibly died that quickly from full-blown AIDS. I don't believe that. I think that something went on there. And like I say, I have my own ideas who I think was involved. But all I'm willing to say is this: I'm the only one who didn't profit from him passing away."
Rappers Charles "Wish Bone" Scruggs, Anthony "Krayzie Bone" Henderson and Steven "Layzie Bone" Howse of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony have all publicly expressed the belief that Wright was a victim of foul play. Howse stated: "I have my own theory...He went in for the common cough, or pneumonia, which was January. Then in February, diagnosed as HIV-positive. Then March, full-blown AIDS [and] dead. I was kinda thinking, [what] kind of doctors did he go to? Even the children that were born after he died, weren't positive. Even their mothers weren't positive. Nobody was positive."
Former Ruthless Records signee, Arturo "Frost" Molina (formerly Kid Frost) stated in a September 2015 interview for the documentary, For the Record: The Story of Latinos in Hip Hop, that Wright contracted AIDS from infected needles he was given while undergoing acupuncture treatment. Frost explained that Wright turned to acupuncture in order to treat injuries he sustained in an ATV crash.
Frost asserted: "What happened was is that someone, I won't say the name, but people know the name. I don't wanna say that name 'cause it's the devil's name, but another person in rap -- if you know your history of rap -- calls him the devil. If you know the history of rap, West Coast rap, you know who I'm saying. I was told even in my last conversation from Eazy not to even talk to that man. Not only that, but I think that they really had a stronghold of giving him tainted needles with the AIDS virus in him with acupuncture. How else could somebody die that fast to AIDS? Have you even heard of somebody dying in two weeks of AIDS? It's unheard of. It's like, I'm in the hospital. I contracted the AIDS virus. Two weeks later, March 26 or whatever, I fall out and I die."
The biographical film Straight Outta Compton, depicting the rise and fall of N.W.A, premiered in Los Angeles on August 11, 2015 and became the highest-grossing August release in cinematic history for an R-rated movie. Following the film's release, the album that inspired it re-entered the Billboard 200 album chart and rose to #4. The song "Straight Outta Compton" rose to #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Wright's solo debut, Eazy-Duz-It, re-entered the Billboard 200 at #32.
On December 17, 2015, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that N.W.A. will be an official 2016 inductee, making them one of only five rap acts (alongside Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five; Public Enemy; Run-D.M.C.; and the Beastie Boys) to be included.
Updated Sunday December 20, 2015 10:07 AM EST
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