In 1987, Eazy used the profits from his drug sales to co-found Ruthless Records with Jerry Heller. When Ruthless signees Dr. Dre and Ice Cube wrote “Boyz-n-the-Hood”, Eazy-E formed the group N.W.A. with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. (DJ Yella, MC Ren, and Arabian Prince were later added). 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. The album featured N.W.A collaborating with the Fila Fresh Crew, a West Coast rap group originally based in Dallas, Texas. N.W.A’s debut album, Straight Outta Compton was released in 1988. Eazy-E’s only solo recording was a remix of the song “8 Ball”, which originally appeared on N.W.A and the Posse. The album featured Eazy-E’s writing and performing, where he performed on eight of the songs, and helped write four songs. N.W.A released the EP 100 Miles and Runnin’, and released Niggaz4Life in 1991. Niggaz4Life featured seven out of eighteen songs where Eazy-E performed.

(For Eazy-E Bio: http://ruthlessrecords.net/eazy-es-bio/)

Eazy-E’s debut album, Eazy-Duz-It, was released on September 16, 1988, and featured twelve tracks. It featured the musical genres West Coast hip hop, Gangsta rap, and 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. The album was produced by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella and largely written by Ice Cube, with contributions from MC Ren and The D.O.C..  After the release of Straight Outta Compton, Ice Cube left due to internal disputes, and the group had since continued as a four-piece. In March 1991, Eazy-E accepted an invitation to a lunch benefiting the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle, hosted by then-President George H. W. Bush. A spokesman for the rapper claimed that Eazy-E supported Bush for overseeing Operation Desert Storm.

Musical influences and style

Allmusic cites that Eazy-E’s influences include Ice-T, Redd Foxx, King Tee, Bootsy Collins, Run-D.M.C., Richard Pryor, The Egyptian Lover, Schoolly D, Too $hort, Prince, The Sugarhill Gang, and George Clinton. In the documentary The Life and Timez of Eric Wright, Eazy-E mentions on collaborating with many of his influences.

When reviewing for Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton, Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted “…Eazy-E sounds revitalized, but the music simply isn’t imaginative. Instead of pushing forward and creating a distinctive style, it treads over familiar gangsta territory, complete with bottomless bass, whining synthesizers, and meaningless boasts.” 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 also described Eazy’s style as “dense, unique, and funky,” and claimed that it sounded “absolutely revolutionary in 1988.” Steve Huey of Allmusic said “while his technical skills as a rapper were never the greatest, his distinctive delivery (invariably described as a high-pitched whine), over-the-top lyrics, and undeniable charisma made him a star.”

Eazy-Duz-It featured many members of N.W.A writing lyrics for the album: Ice Cube, The D.O.C., and MC Ren. In 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. It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187^um Killa features several guest vocalists, including Gangsta Dresta, B.G. Knocc Out. Kokane, Cold 187um, Rhythum D, and Dirty Red.  Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton also 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.

Legacy

Graffiti of Eazy-E in the Netherlands.

Eazy-E has been credited as the godfather of gangsta rap. MTV’s Reid Shaheem said that Eazy was a “rap-pioneer,”and is sometimes cited by critics as a legend. Since his 1995 death, many book and video biographies were produced, including 2002′s The Day Eazy-E Died and Dead and Gone .Jerry Heller and Gil Reavill wrote the book Ruthless: A Memoir, which was released August 28, 2007. It included information on his death, his signing off of Dr. Dre, his debut Eazy-Duz-It, and many of Heller’s experiences with Eazy. When Eazy was diagnosed with AIDS, many magazines like Jet,Vibe,Billboard, The Crisis, and Newsweek covered and released information on the topic. Although Eazy-E was never certified any awards and was never featured in a film cast, all of his studio albums and extended plays charted on the Billboard 200, 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 US.On March 30, 1995, four days after Eazy-E’s death, Tom Elerwine, a Daily Arts editor for The Michigan Daily covered Eazy’s career in The Michigan Daily newspaper.

Discography

Solo

With N.W.A

N.W.A

The original lineup consisted of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, Arabian Prince, Ice Cube, and MC Ren. Arabian Prince embarked on a solo career in 1989 and Ice Cube left in 1990 over royalty disputes.

Active from 1986 to 1991, the group endured controversy due to the explicit nature of their lyrics. They were subsequently banned from many mainstream US radio stations and even at times prevented from touring. In spite of this, the group has sold over 9 million units in the US alone.

Their debut album Straight Outta Compton marked the beginning of the new gangsta rap era as the production and the social commentary in their lyrics were revolutionary within the genre. Rolling Stone ranked N.W.A 83rd on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Although largely unknown at the group’s inception, members Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and MC Ren would all become platinum-selling stars as solo artist

History

 Formation and “Pansic Zone” (1986–1988)

The group was assembled by Compton-based former drug dealer Eazy-E, who co-founded Ruthless Records with Jerry Heller.Ruthless released “Panic Zone” in 1987 with Macola Records, which was later included on the compilation N.W.A. and the Posse. N.W.A was still in its developing stages, and only credited on four of the eleven tracks, notably the uncharacteristic electro hop record “Panic Zone,” “8-Ball,” and “Dopeman,” which marked the first collaboration of Arabian Prince, DJ Yella, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. Hispanic rapper Krazy-Dee also wrote and helped produce Panic Zone which was original titled “Hispanic Zone” but was later changed when Dr. Dre advised Krazy-Dee that the word hispanic would hinder sales. Also included was Eazy’s solo track “Boyz-n-the Hood.” In 1988, rapper MC Ren joined the group.

Straight Outta Compton (1988–1989)

N.W.A released Straight Outta Compton in 1988. With its famous opening salvo of three tracks, the group reflected the rising anger of the urban youth. The opening song “Straight Outta Compton” introduced the group; “Fuck tha Police” protested police brutality and racial profiling, and “Gangsta Gangsta” painted the worldview of the inner-city youth. While the group was later credited with pioneering the burgeoning sub genre of gangsta rap, N.W.A referred to their music as “reality rap.”

Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, as HighPowered Productions, composed the beats for each song, with Dre making occasional rapping appearances. Ice Cube and MC Ren wrote most of the group’s lyrics, including “Fuck tha Police,” perhaps the group’s most notorious song, which brought them into conflict with various law enforcement agencies.

Under pressure from Focus on the Family,Milt Ahlerich, an assistant director of the FBI, sent a letter to Ruthless and its distributing company Priority Records, advising the rappers that “advocating violence and assault is wrong and we in the law enforcement community take exception to such action.” This letter can still be seen at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Policemen refused to provide security for the group’s concerts, hurting their plans to tour. Nonetheless, the FBI’s letter only served to draw more publicity to the group.

Straight Outta Compton was also one of the first albums to adhere to the new Parental Advisory label scheme, then still in its early stages: the label at the time consisted of “WARNING: Moderate impact coarse language and/or themes” only. However, the taboo nature of N.W.A’s music was the most important factor of its mass appeal. Media coverage compensated for N.W.A’s lack of airplay and their album eventually went double platinum.

One month after Straight Outta Compton, Eazy-E’s solo debut Eazy-Duz-It was released. The album was dominated by Eazy’s persona—MC Ren, appearing on two songs, was the only guest rapper—but behind the scenes it was a group effort. Music was handled by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella; the lyrics were largely written by MC Ren, with contributions from Ice Cube and The D.O.C. The album was another platinum success for Ruthless (in addition to girl group J.J. Fad in 1988 and singer Michel’le in 1989), also going double.

1989 saw the re-issue of N.W.A. and the Posse (which was released on CD for the first time) and Straight Outta Compton on CD, and the release of The D.O.C.’s No One Can Do It Better. His album was essentially a collaboration with Dr. Dre and notably free of “gangsta rap” content, however including the N.W.A posse cut “The Grand Finalé.” It would become another #1 album for the record label.

Post-Ice Cube (1990–1991)

Ice Cube left in January 1990 over royalty disputes; having written almost half of the lyrics on Straight Outta Compton himself, he felt he was not getting a fair share of the money and profits.He wasted little time putting together his solo debut, 1990′s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, but he avoided mentioning his former label mates.

N.W.A’s title track from their EP 100 Miles And Runnin’, however, included a diss of Ice Cube:

“We started with five, but yo / One couldn’t take it—So now it’s four / Cuz the fifth couldn’t make it.”

The video for the song depicted the remaining members of N.W.A. together in a jail cell, while an Ice Cube look-alike is released. Also heard on the EP (which found its way on the Efil4zaggin CD re-issue) was “Real Niggaz,” a full-blown diss on Ice Cube where the remaining members accuse him of cowardice, and question his authenticity, longevity and originality: “How the fuck you think a rapper lasts / With your ass sayin’ shit, that was said in the past / Yo, be original, your shit is sloppy / Get off the dick, you motherfuckin’ carbon-copy,” and “We started out with too much cargo / So I’m glad we got rid of Benedict Arnold, yo.”

The song “100 Miles and Runnin’” was Dr. Dre’s final uptempo recording, which had been a common feature of late-’80s hip hop. After this, he focused on a midtempo, synthesizer based sound which would become known as G-funk, starting with “Alwayz Into Somethin’” from Efil4zaggin in 1991. The G-funk style dominated both the West and East Coast hip hop music scene for several years.

N.W.A is referenced on Ice Cube’s 1990 EP, Kill at Will, where he name-checks his former group (likely in a mocking manner) on the song “Jackin’ For Beats.” On “I Gotta Say What Up!!!,” Ice Cube gives shout-outs to his rap peers at the time, among them Public Enemy, the Geto Boys, and Sir Jinx. At the end of the track, in what appears to be an on-the-phone interview, Ice Cube is asked, “Since you went solo, whatever happened to the rest of your crew?” and the phone is abruptly hung up on the interviewer.

The group’s second full-length release, 1991′s Efil4zaggin (“Niggaz4Life” spelled backwards), re-established the band in the face of Ice Cube’s continued solo success. The album is considered by many Dr. Dre’s finest production work, and it heralded the beginning of the G-Funk era. It also showed a clear animosity towards their former member, and derogatory references to Ice Cube are found in several songs. The interlude “A Message to B.A.” echoes the beginning of his song “Turn Off the Radio” from AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted: in it, Ice Cube is first addressed by the name Benedict Arnold (after the infamous traitor of the American Revolution) but then named outright in a torrent of abuse from both the group and its fans: When we see yo’ ass, we gon’ cut yo’ hair off and fuck you with a broomstick. Think about it, punk muthafucka,” spoken by MC Ren.

The N.W.A–Ice Cube feud eventually escalated, both on record and in real life. AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted had avoided direct attacks on N.W.A, but on Death Certificate, Ice Cube’s second full-length release, he retaliated. He sampled and mocked the “Message to B.A.” skit before embarking on a full-blown tirade, the infamous “No Vaseline”.

In a series of verses, Ice Cube verbally assaulted the group: You lookin’ like straight bozos / I saw it comin’ that’s why I went solo / You got jealous when I got my own company / But I’m a man, and ain’t nobody humpin’ me.” He also responded to “100 Miles and Runnin’,” claiming “I started off with too much cargo, dropped four niggaz now / And now I’m makin’ all the dough,” and members MC Ren, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E individually, using homophobic metaphors to describe their unequal business relationship with Jerry Heller, who became the target of harsh insults: “Get rid of that devil real simple / Put a bullet to his temple / Cuz you can’t be the ‘Niggaz 4 Life’ crew / With a white Jew tellin’ you what to do.” The song attracted controversy for its antisemitism (the beginning of such accusations against Ice Cube during his affiliation with the Nation of Islam), based on the bashing of Heller’s religion;^[16] the track was omitted from the UK release, and later pressings included a censored version of the song.

In September 1990, members of hip hop act Above the Law clashed with Ice Cube and his posse Da Lench Mob during the annual New Music Seminar conference, forcing the latter to flee the premises of Times Square’s Marriott Marquis, the venue of the event.

On January 27, 1991, Dr. Dre assaulted Dee Barnes, host of the hip hop show Pump It Up, after its coverage of the N.W.A/Ice Cube beef.

According to Rolling Stone reporter Alan Light:

In response, Dre commented: “People talk all this shit, but you know, somebody fuck with me, I’m gonna fuck with them. I just did it, you know. Ain’t nothing you can do now by talking about it. Besides, it ain’t no big thing—I just threw her through a door.”

The end of N.W.A (1991–1998)

1991′s Niggaz4Life would be the group’s final album. After Dr. Dre, The D.O.C. and Michel’le departed from Ruthless to join Death Row Records, and allegations over Eazy-E being coerced into signing away their contracts (while however retaining a portion of their publishing rights), a bitter rivalry ensued. Dr. Dre began the exchange with Death Row’s first release, 1992′s Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’), and its accompanying video featured a character named “Sleazy-E” who ran around desperately trying to get money. The insults continued on “The Chronic” with “Bitches Ain’t Shit”. Eazy-E responded in 1993 with the EP It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa and the tracks “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s” and “It’s On.” Eazy-E accused Dr. Dre of being a homosexual, calling him a “she thang,” and the music video for “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s” showed promotional still of Dre wearing make-up and a sequined jumpsuit. The photos dated back to Dr. Dre’s World Class Wreckin’ Cru days, when such fashion was common among West Coast electro hop artists, prior to N.W.A’s popularization of gangsta rap.

After Eazy-E’s AIDS-related death on March 26, 1995, all bad blood between the group ceased. Dr. Dre and Ice Cube would later express their re-evaluated feelings to their old friend on 1999′s “What’s The Difference” and “Chin Check,” 2000′s “Hello,” and 2006′s “Growin’ Up.”

Reunions and legacy (1999— )

Having both parted with Ruthless Records on bad terms, tensions between Ice Cube and Dr. Dre eased on the other hand. Ice Cube made a cameo appearance in Dr. Dre’s “Let Me Ride” video in 1993. The two recorded the hit song “Natural Born Killaz” for Snoop Doggy Dogg’s 1994 short film and soundtrack Murder Was the Case. MC Ren appeared on Dre’s 1999 album The Chronic 2001, and the three remaining N.W.A emcees would reunite for “Hello” on Ice Cube’s 2000 album War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc), featuring the hook “I started this gangsta shit / And this the motherfuckin’ thanks I get?”.

The West Coast and “gangsta” music scene had however fallen out of the spotlight since the death of Tupac Shakur in 1996, and it was only after Dr. Dre’s successful patronage of Eminem and Dre’s ensuing comeback album The Chronic 2001 that the genre and its artists would regain the national spotlight. 2000′s all-star Up In Smoke Tour would reunite much of the N.W.A and Death Row families, and during time spent on the road, Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and honorary member Snoop Dogg began recording in a mobile studio. A comeback album entitled Not These Niggaz Again was planned (and would include DJ Yella, who had not been present on the tour). However, due to busy and conflicting schedules as well as the obstacles of coordinating three different record labels (Priority, No Limit and Interscope), obtaining the rights to the name N.W.A and endorsing the whole project to gain exclusive rights, the album never materialized. Only two tracks from these sessions would be released: “Chin Check” (with Snoop Dogg as a member of N.W.A) from 1999′s Next Friday soundtrack and Hello from Ice Cube’s 2000 album War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc). Both songs would appear on N.W.A’s remastered and re-released Greatest Hits.

There would also be partial reunions on “Set It Off,” from Snoop Dogg’s Tha Last Meal (2000), which featured MC Ren and Ice Cube as well as former Death Row “inmates,” and The D.O.C.’s “The Shit,” from his 2003 album Deuce, which featured MC Ren, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and Six-Two. Dr. Dre and DJ Yella were present in the studio for the latter song.

In addition to the Greatest Hits originally released by Priority in 1996, Capitol and Ruthless Records jointly released The N.W.A Legacy, Vol. 1: 1988-1998 in 1998, an album that contained only three songs from the actual group but various solo tracks from the five members. The success of the album prompted a second volume, The N.W.A Legacy, Vol. 2, two years later. It emulated the format of its predecessor, containing only three genuine N.W.A tracks and many solo efforts by the crew members. In 2007, a new greatest hits package was released, entitled The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge.

Future biopic

New Line Cinema representatives announced to Entertainment Weekly‘s “Hollywood Insider Blog” that N.W.A’s story is in development to become a feature film in 2012. According to the Internet Movie Database, the script was researched and written by filmmaker S. Leigh Savidge and radio veteran Alan Wenkus, who worked closely with Eazy E’s widow Tomica Wright. Wright, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre will act as producers of the film. As of October 2010, a director has not yet been chosen; however, the producers are reportedly seeking someone on par with 8 Mile director Curtis Hanson. The cast has yet to be disclosed. To date, MC Ren and DJ Yella have not commented on whether or not they will be involved in the production.

Casting calls began in the summer of 2010. There have been rumors of Lil Eazy-E playing his father Eazy-E, and Ice Cube’s son and fellow rapper O’Shea Jackson II (a.k.a. Shea) playing his father as well.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Straight Outta Compton (1988)
• Niggaz4life (1991)

Turf Stories 

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Tracklist

Hoez With Attitude (H.W.A.)

Although Ruthless Records is synonomous with “rap” music, the label does explore releasing acts within other musical genres. Jimmy Z is a shining example. Jimmy Z teamed up with Dr. Dre to produce funky jazz tracks. “Funky Flute” (the album’s most notable track) was a jazzy dance track that featured Dr. Dre. Jimmy Z also played saxophone as he was featured on several of Ruthless’ other artists releases.

Above The Law

In 1988, a group of hip-hop dancers from downtown Los Angeles called themselves Tribal Nation. Still in high school, a few of the members, inspired by the East Coast rap movement of A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One and Public Enemy, began writing their own raps in addition to dancing to other people’s. They eventually broke off from Tribal Nation to form their own rap crew, A Tribe Beyond A Nation, or the ATBAN Klann. According to group member Will OneX, “A Tribe Beyond A Nation is a state of mind.” Simplified the concept is: A Tribe is about staying true to your roots–knowing yourself and Beyond A Nation means to go out and be successful without getting caught up and trapped by it.