Eric Wright ( September 7, 1963 – March 26, 1995), better known as Eazy-E, was a American rapper, hip hop producer, and record executive who initially rose to fame as a member of the group N.W.A. He is considered to be one of the founding fathers of Gangsta rap. Eazy-E's style as a lyricist and rapper was instantly recognizable by his high-pitched voice and his lyrics focusing on guns, drugs, the police, violent acts against those who disrespect him, and abundant sexual activity. Eazy-E was one of the pioneers of Gangsta Rap and still remains as one of the most distinctive and influential icons in hip hop.
Eazy-E was born in Compton, California. He attended Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California (being bussed from South Central). During those years he began selling drugs, and used the profits to form a record label, Ruthless Records with his business partner, Jerry Heller. He soon recruited Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince. The group's first album, released as N.W.A and the Posse, sold well for an underground release. However, after Dr. Dre and DJ Yella consolidated the sound of the group to slower and heavier beats, and after Ice Cube emerged as the group's foremost song writer, their upcoming productions in 1988 and 1989 are now considered hip hop Masterpieces. The 1989 album Straight Outta Compton became a platinum-certified underground hit, and sold 2 million copies after it was re-released in 1989.
Eazy-E quickly released his debut solo LP, Eazy-Duz-It, which went double-platinum, selling 2.7 Million copies. Ice Cube left N.W.A. in 1989, convinced that Eazy-E and Heller were reaping an undue share of the group's profits at the expense of the group's other members.
