Song of the day for March 26, 2024

Real Muthaphuckkin G’s by Eazy-E is today’s featured song.

On this day in 1995, 31-year-old rapper Eazy-E, who rose to fame as a member of the genre-defining West Coast group N.W.A., died of complications from AIDS in Los Angeles. Born Eric Wright in Compton, E established the iconic hip-hop label Ruthless Records in 1986 and a year later co-founded N.W.A., a highly influential group whose debut album, 1988’s Straight Outta Compton, established the blueprint for gangster rap. He released two solo albums, including the posthumous Str8 Off Tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton.

Born and raised 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 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 the scenes, signing and nationally debuting the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony from 1993 to 1994.