Background and career
Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and record executive. Dubbed the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap", he propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Born in Compton, California, Wright had several legal troubles before founding Ruthless in 1987. After a short solo career with frequent collaboration with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, they (along with Arabian Prince) formed N.W.A together that same year, and DJ Yella and MC Ren were later recruited. The group debuted with the split/compilation album N.W.A. and the Posse (1987), which was followed by their debut studio album, Straight Outta Compton (1989). Controversial upon release, Straight Outta Compton 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 the scenes, signing and nationally debuting the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony from 1993 to 1994. In 2016, Wright (posthumously) along with Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, as members of the musical group, N.W.A were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Early life and Ruthless Records investment Eric Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright on September 7, 1964, in Compton, California, a middle-class Los Angeles suburb that was experiencing blockbusting. His father was a postal worker and his mother was a grade-school administrator. His family and others witnessed the rapid shift downward of their community, caused by several factors including white flight, the nearby Watts Riots, and the formation and expansion of street gangs, most notably, the Crips and Bloods. Wright attended Compton High School but dropped out in the tenth grade. He later received a general equivalency diploma (GED).
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 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 a 2006 interview with the Associated Press, Heller stated that he had "no proof that he was ever a drug dealer. I'm not sure if he was or wasn't. I know that it was good for the Ruthless image, the Ruthless persona, so maybe that's why he adopted that". In 1986, at age 22, Wright had allegedly earned as much as US$250,000 from dealing drugs.
How Eazy-E makes money
Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and record executive. Dubbed the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap", he propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records.
