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62-457: Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as 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 . He is often referred to as the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap". Born and raised in Compton, California , Wright had several legal troubles before founding Ruthless in 1987. After

124-516: A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously as a member of N.W.A. Studio albums Extended plays Collaborative albums West Coast hip hop West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast of the United States . West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during

186-558: A general equivalency diploma (GED). No one survived on the streets without a protective mask. No one survived naked. You had to have a role. You had to be "thug," "playa," "athlete," "gangsta," or "dope man." Otherwise, there was only one role left to you: "victim." Jerry Heller on Eazy-E Wright supported himself mainly by selling drugs, and introduced his cousin to the illicit occupation. Wright's music manager Jerry Heller recalls seeing Wright selling marijuana , but not cocaine . Heller would claim that Wright's "dope dealer" label

248-709: A celebration of the West Coast. Fila Fresh Crew Dr. Rock's association with Dr. Dre during his stint as a DJ for the World Class Wreckin' Cru helped land the Fila Fresh Crew a spot on the N.W.A and the Posse compilation album in 1987 . A year later, the trio released the EP Tuffest Man Alive which was promoted with three singles. Doc-T left the group and changed his name to The D.O.C., becoming

310-536: A crowd-funding campaign to produce a film called Ruthless Scandal: No More Lies to investigate her father's death. It ended unsuccessfully in December 2016. 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 . A spokesman for the rapper said that Wright supported Bush because of his performance in

372-419: A group called the World Class Wreckin' Cru and became the house DJs at a local nightclub called Eve's After Dark while Clayton launched what would perhaps be the foremost successful mobile DJ crew in the region by the name of Uncle Jamm's Army that would host parties by top DJs for thousands of people at large venues. Other smaller DJ and party crews emerged around this time, hoping to establish themselves in

434-530: A huge seller and becoming critically acclaimed. 2Pac gained hits California Love" and "Live and Die in LA". Also in the early-to-mid 1990s, the group Cypress Hill made a big impact on the scene with their albums such as their debut studio album of the same name and Black Sunday . They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast rap and hip-hop. Other popular artists and groups from this period include The Pharcyde (known for their albums Bizarre Ride II

496-480: A mark in establishing Long Beach in the hip hop scene. Another artist who helped establish Long Beach was Warren G with his release Regulate... G Funk Era (1994). He founded his record label G-Funk Entertainment in 1995 and helped promote artists also from Long Beach such as the Twinz and The Dove Shack . As for Death Row, success kept coming throughout the 1990s with 2Pac's All Eyez on Me (1996) also becoming

558-508: A notoriously rough area which had gained a reputation for gang violence, it was released by group member Eazy-E 's record label Ruthless Records . As well as establishing a basis for the popularity of gangsta rap , the album drew much attention to West Coast hip hop, especially the Los Angeles scene. In particular, the controversial " Fuck tha Police " and the ensuing censorship attracted substantial media coverage and public attention. Following

620-521: A number of popular artists' singles, including Tyga 's " Rack City ", 2 Chainz 's " I'm Different ", Young Jeezy 's " R.I.P. ", B.o.B 's " HeadBand ", YG 's " My Nigga " and " Who Do You Love? ", Ty Dolla Sign 's " Paranoid ", Kid Ink 's " Show Me " and Trey Songz 's " Na Na ". Mustard also released his debut mixtape, Ketchup , in 2013, further solidifying his ratchet sound, which follows its G-funk and hyphy predecessors. Other more peripheral acts that achieved moderate, cult following success in

682-486: A place for them to express themselves freely; one group to emerge from the workshop was the proto-rap group Watts Prophets . In the late 1970s in Los Angeles, Alonzo Williams , a young disc jockey from Compton, California formed a partnership with another DJ named Rodger Clayton from Los Angeles, California who created a promotion company called Unique Dreams that would hire Williams to DJ at local events. The two eventually went their separate ways: Williams started

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744-582: A potential blueprint of what local artists could rap about, and showcased how the counter-hegemonic culture of hip-hop was already embedded into the roots of the Bay Area. Coming out of the Bay was a unique style of break dancing that was exhibited at local shows, and a representation of graffiti sprayed along city streets and buildings, similar to what was expressed in The Bronx on subway cars and abandoned structures. From

806-409: A public statement on March 16. It is believed Wright contracted the infection from a sexual partner. During the week of March 20, having already made amends with Ice Cube , he drafted a final message to his fans. On March 26, Eazy-E died from HIV/AIDS, one month after his diagnosis. 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). He

868-734: A record label powerhouse throughout the 1990s. In 1992, Dr. Dre released his solo debut, The Chronic ; this marked the birth of the G-funk sound that became a hallmark of the West Coast sound in the 1990s, with the album's lead single " Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang " peaking at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 . The city of Long Beach arrived to the hip-hop scene in the early 1990s with artists such as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound , both signed to Death Row, with releases such as Doggystyle (1993) and Dogg Food (1995). Both albums becoming huge sellers and being critically acclaimed and helped make

930-696: 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 1988. 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, yet he remained more significant behind

992-410: 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. 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

1054-432: A valuable contributor to Eazy-E 's debut album and newly formed gangsta rap group N.W.A . Acting as a writer to many tracks with Ruthless Records (and later Death Row Records ), the D.O.C. is most remembered for his 1989 debut album No One Can Do It Better featuring the hit single " It's Funky Enough ". Though the Fila Fresh Crew had disbanded by 1988 , Dr. Rock launched a solo album of his own in 1991 under

1116-646: Is a politically conscious response to Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" arranged by the legendary production duo of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Rich Cason. Clayton's group, Uncle Jamm's Army, released their first single, "Dial-a-Freak", and in 1984 Egyptian Lover released his On the Nile album, which includes the popular 12" single "Egypt Egypt". Members of Uncle Jamm's Army and the World Class Wreckin' Cru, including Dr. Dre , The Unknown DJ , Egyptian Lover , Ice-T and Kid Frost would later go on to help define

1178-410: Is played by Jason Mitchell and the film is dedicated in his memory. 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

1240-560: The 56th Annual Grammy Awards , marking the first time any West Coast hip hop was nominated for award. In 2014, Schoolboy Q debuted at no.1 on the Billboard 200 with 139,000 copies sold. YG's My Krazy Life debuted at #2 on the US Billboard 200 with 61,000 copies sold. On June 19, 2024, Juneteenth , Kendrick Lamar hosted the impromptu The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert following his highly publicized feud with Drake , noted as

1302-654: The Gulf War . 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

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1364-502: The "godfather of gangsta rap". MTV's Reid Shaheem said that Eazy-E was a "rap-pioneer", and he is sometimes cited by critics as a legend. Steve Huey of AllMusic said that he was "one of the most controversial figures in gangsta rap". Since his 1995 death, many book and video biographies have been produced, including 2002's The Day Eazy-E Died and Dead and Gone . When Eazy-E was diagnosed with AIDS, many magazines like Jet , Vibe , Billboard , The Crisis , and Newsweek covered

1426-480: The Hood in 1991. The early 1990s was a period in which Hip-Hop went from strength to strength. Tupac Shakur 's debut album 2Pacalypse Now was released in 1991, demonstrating a social awareness, with attacks on social injustice such as racism , police brutality , poverty , crime, drug and teenage pregnancy . This album featured 3 singles: " Brenda's Got a Baby ", " Trapped " and " If My Homie Calls ". 2Pacalypse Now

1488-457: The Los Angeles area have played a significant role in West Coast hip hop culture. The Bay Area has vastly contributed to the hip-hop genre seen in today's modern music industry. While its significance may be lesser known to the general public, since the establishment of hip-hop, the Bay solidified itself as an instrumental building block in the genre’s development. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, political and social justice movements put in place

1550-488: The Los Angeles music scene some of its earliest credibility outside the region. Further attention came to the West Coast as Uncle Jamm's Army began inviting such well-known East Coast Hip-Hop acts such as Whodini and Run-DMC to their functions. Another early landmark occurred in 1981, when Duffy Hooks launched the first West Coast rap label, Rappers Rapp Records , inspired by Sugar Hill Records in New York. Its first act

1612-580: 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. 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

1674-702: 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 . 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 . His final album, Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton ,

1736-667: The Pharcyde and Labcabincalifornia ), Souls of Mischief (known for their album 93 'til Infinity ), Ahmad (known for his song Back in the Day ), Xzibit (known for his album At the Speed of Life ) and Ras Kass (known for his album Soul on Ice ). West Coast hip hop's position in the mainstream dwindled greatly in the late 1990s and 2000s, with a few notable exceptions such as Dr. Dre's 2001 , Xzibit 's Restless , Snoop Dogg 's No Limit Top Dogg and Tha Last Meal albums. However,

1798-586: The Sugarhill Gang , and George Clinton . In the documentary The Life and Timez of Eric Wright , Eazy-E mentions collaborating with many of his influences. 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". Eazy-E has been called

1860-467: 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 MC Ren, Ice Cube, and The D.O.C. 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 album, Straight Outta Compton . Wright's only solo in the album

1922-472: The West Coast with his double platinum album, The Documentary , as did Xzibit 's platinum certified Restless album, and gold certified albums Man vs. Machine and Weapons of Mass Destruction . Artists from the 1990s such as Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube and groups such as the Tha Dogg Pound and Westside Connection continued to release albums throughout the 2000s and had success but did not garner

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1984-529: The area. Unlike their East Coast counterparts, the Hip-Hop sound emerging from Southern California was more fast-paced and influenced by electronic music . This could be largely credited to the fact that the local West Coast hip-hop scene revolved more around DJing than rapping. A localized dance sub-culture later came out of this party scene, which was highlighted on a national scale on such motion pictures as Breakin' . Breakdancing , popping and locking gave

2046-514: 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 remember: It's your real time and your real life. --Statement from Eazy-E's camp on his behalf, March 16. On February 24, 1995, Wright was admitted to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with a violent cough. He was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS . He announced his illness in

2108-463: 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." Along with Heller, Wright invested much of his money into Ruthless Records . Heller claims that he invested

2170-465: The dissolution of N.W.A due to in-fighting, the group's members Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and MC Ren would later become platinum-selling solo artists in the 1990s. Ice Cube released some of the West Coast's most critically acclaimed albums, such as 1990's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and 1991's Death Certificate , as well as making film and television appearances such as in John Singleton 's Boyz n

2232-405: The early West Coast hip hop sound throughout the 1980s. During this period, one of the most significant factors in the spread of West Coast hip-hop was the radio station 1580 KDAY AM, which was the first radio station in the world to play rap/hip-hop music 24 hours a day because of Assistant Program Director/Music Director and Radio Personality Greg "Mack Attack" Mack. Ice-T is known as one of

2294-445: The early to mid-2010s, the West Coast had also seen a resurgence with hyphy as well as a transition to an uptempo and club-oriented type of Pop Rap. Producer DJ Mustard had pioneered the "ratchet" music movement, a production style that has snowballed into the mainstream. DJ Mustard played a role in bringing West Coast hip hop back to national attention through the 2010s. He gained huge popularity throughout 2011 to 2014, producing

2356-423: The early to-mid 1990s with the birth of G-funk and the emergence of record labels such as Suge Knight and Dr. Dre 's Death Row Records , Ice Cube 's Lench Mob Records , the continued success of Eazy-E 's Ruthless Records , Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment , and others. African American communities of the Bay Area and southern California emerged as new bases of hip hop culture in the 1980s. Hispanics in

2418-669: The eighteen songs on Niggaz4Life . 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

2480-531: The emergence of West Coast rappers such as Mellow Man Ace , Too Short , Kid Frost , Ice-T and Eazy-E —or even before the emergence of rap itself. According to Syd Caesar, "a cataclysmic event helped give rise to it out West: the Watts riots of 1965." In 1967, Budd Schulberg founded a creative space in Los Angeles entitled Watts Writers Workshop , intended to help the people of the Watts neighborhood and provide

2542-461: The first $ 250,000 and would eventually put up to $ 1,000,000 into the company. N.W.A 's (also named as "the world's most dangerous group") original lineup consisted of Arabian Prince , Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube. DJ Yella and MC Ren joined later. 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 material previously released as singles on

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2604-408: The genre needed. The Bay Area isn’t often viewed as one of the prominent hip-hop hubs in the U.S., but its rich history and extensive range of diverse artists prove that many of the original characteristics of early hip-hop can be traced back to the major metropolitan areas and cities of San Francisco , Oakland , and San Jose . Several events laid the foundations for West Coast hip hop, long before

2666-440: The hip-hop community, with Willie D calling Wright a "sellout". Wright met Tomica Woods at a Los Angeles nightclub in 1991 and they married on March 14, 1995, twelve days before his death. They had a son named Dominick and a daughter named Daijah (born six months after Wright's death). After Wright's death, Ruthless was taken over by his wife. According to Jerry Heller , Wright had eleven children with eight women. Now, I'm in

2728-415: The hybridity of funk music, the Bay Area was able to gain serious traction from the 1980s to mid 90s, which saw local artists popularize Pimp rap. Artists across the region began harnessing the sound of the Bay and slowly saw their rhythmic funky beats slowed down and reused in later hits that would intersect genres. Freestyle samples of electro funky beats provided listeners with a sound that they didn’t know

2790-570: The inspiration of funk music , to the political and social movements that were energized by the Black Panther Party , Hip-Hop in the Bay was a newfound outlet, and proved to be ingrained in the region's identity. Founded in Oakland in 1966, the Black Panthers surge for change and alterations of the systemic racism entangled in society resonated with the residents of the blue collar city. Many of

2852-447: The mainstream include Lil B , who built a strong fan base via social media outlets such as Twitter , YouTube , and MySpace , and has recorded both solo and with The Pack . That same year, Black Hippy's own Kendrick Lamar 2012 release, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City , was met with rave reviews and was featured on many critics' end-of-year lists. The album was nominated Album of the Year at

2914-445: The organization’s ideologies became well represented in the area’s rap scene, and triggered an explosion of black identity and frustration with the SFPD . Despite artists like E-40 claiming that the Bay rap scene doesn’t receive the respect it deserves, this hasn’t prevented its artists and style from influencing hip-hop’s sound and dance. Laid out in the 1960s and 70s through activism and

2976-510: The pioneers of West Coast hip hop and gangsta rap, with songs such as " 6 in the Mornin ", released in 1986, demonstrating the unique style of the west coast. In 1988, Ice-T released the R&;B hit I'm Your Pusher , and Too Short released album Life is... Too Short . In 1988, N.W.A 's landmark album Straight Outta Compton was released. Focusing on life and adversities in Compton, California ,

3038-592: 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. The December 1992 EP 5150: Home 4 tha Sick features

3100-462: The same level of fame as they had experienced in the 1990s. Throughout the 2000s, a number of peripheral West Coast hip hop artists such as Ya Boy , Glasses Malone , Juice , SKG (Suge Knight Girl) Helecia Choyce, Crooked I , 40 Glocc , Slim the Mobster , Bishop Lamont and Mistah F.A.B. collaborated with big-name artists such as Dr. Dre, Kurupt , Daz Dillinger , The Game, E-40 and Snoop Dogg. In

3162-423: The scenes, signing and nationally debuting the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony from 1993 to 1994. 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. His father was a postal worker and his mother was a grade-school administrator. Wright dropped out of high school in the tenth grade, but later received

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3224-456: 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 . 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. In the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton , Eazy-E

3286-507: The song " Tell Me When to Go " in 2006, featuring Oakland rapper Keak da Sneak . Bay area rapper Too Short , already well known for his collaborations with artists such as Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G , found a new lease on life with the hyphy scene, his 16th studio album Blow the Whistle in 2006 debuting at number 14 on the Billboard 200. The Game also brought attention back to

3348-495: The story and released information on the topic. All of his studio albums and EPs 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 U.S. He is one of many commemorated as part of the AIDS Quilt . Shortly after his death, in 1996, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony , a group mentored by Eazy-E and signed to Ruthless Records, dedicated

3410-412: The trend soon changed. Although gangsta rap was still popular on the West Coast in the 2000s, the West Coast sound became more designed for nightclubs with the rise of the Bay Area's hyphy scene, featuring flamboyant raps and explicit references to sex and drugs. A key artist in the genre was E-40 , who found a substantial audience with his 1995 album In a Major Way ; he found even greater success with

3472-585: Was a remix of the song "8 Ball", which originally appeared on N.W.A. and the Posse . The album featured Wright's writing and performing; he performed on seven songs and helped write four songs. Ice Cube left N.W.A in 1989 because of internal disputes and the group continued as a four-piece ensemble. 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 . Wright performed on seven of

3534-480: 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. He was buried in a gold casket, and was dressed in a flannel shirt, jeans, and his Compton hat. 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 ,

3596-534: Was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on April 19, 1995. Shakur's music and philosophy was rooted in various philosophies and approaches, including the Black Panther Party , Black nationalism , egalitarianism and liberty. Tupac sold over 75 million records, being regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time and a pioneer of West Coast rap. Also in 1991, Suge Knight founded Death Row Records which became

3658-519: Was part of his "self-forged armor". 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." In 1986, at age 22, Wright had allegedly earned as much as US$ 250,000 from dealing drugs. However, after his cousin

3720-451: 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. Wright had a son, Eric Darnell Wright (known as Lil Eazy-E ), in 1984. He also had a daughter named Erin, who changed her name to Ebie. In October 2016, Ebie launched

3782-454: 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. He started recording songs during the mid-1980s in his parents' garage, thus starting Ruthless Records. 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

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3844-540: Was the duo of Disco Daddy and Captain Rapp , whose debut single was "The Gigolo Rapp" which was also released in 1981. The song became a minor success but failed to gain much radio play. Many other Hip-Hop songs recorded in California were released during the early 1980s, but many of them received little or no radio play. Captain Rapp created the classic West Coast song released in 1983 called, "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)", which

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