Eazy-E

Lifespan:: September 7, 1963 - March 26, 1995, he died aged 31 and was American.
Birthname:: Eric Lynn Wright.
Snapshot:: An Artist with 14 releases, a member of 2 groups, and credited 3 times on others' music. 1 collaboration and 1 musical relative.

Rapper, producer, actor and businessman Eazy-E was born Eric Lynn Wright in Compton in 1963. He is best known for his membership of rap group N.W.A. and the legacy he left to gangsta rap.

Eazy-E and Jerry Heller set up the Ruthless Records label, signing Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. Together they formed N.W.A. who became one of the most influential rap groups ever, particularly for the gangsta rap blueprint Straight Outta Compton. The hard-edged lyrics reflected the dark side of life for young black men in urban America, dealing with guns, drugs, violence and police harassment. So powerful was the work that the track "Fuck Tha Police" elicited a letter from the FBI asking them to cease and desist from cop-knocking. Despite many major networks refusing to play their music, N.W.A. would go on to sell almost ten million records in the US.

Eazy's first solo album, Easy-Duz-It, sold 2 million copies, promoted by the singles "We Want Eazy" and "Eazy-Er Said Than Dunn". But Eazy-E and Dr Dre soon fell out, causing N.W.A. to split amid accusations that Eazy and manager Jerry Heller were stealing money from the group. Eazy and Dre's fallout went public as both rappers dissed each other on their solo records.

Eazy was working on fifth album Str8 off tha Streetz of Mutthaphukkin Compton in 1995, when he was diagnosed with AIDS. Less than two weeks after being admitted to hospital, Easy-E died of an AIDS related illness; he was 31.