![]() ![]() In Eazy's case, his most memorable performances involve making light of disturbing subjects, something which is common to a number of different genres. What "Boyz-n-the-Hood" represents is the ability to communicate the realities of the hood, and to have absolute control over the presentation to the audience. Diddy, and Jay-Z.Įazy's calling card is inseparably fused to N.W.A.'s legacy of bringing urban realities to a mainstream audience through pure, raw storytelling and a wry sense of humor. In many ways, this feud was a precursor to the later West Coast/East Coast rap rivalry that would end with the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls.Īt the time of his death, Eazy was CEO of the largest independent Black-owned record label in the U.S., which was valued at $20 million, paving the way for media mogul rappers like Master P, P. The artists on Death Row continually responded to Eazy and other Ruthless artists on Dre and Snoop's solo albums, soundtracks, and any opportunity in the press. The rivalry between Eazy and Dre would later become incredibly heated, as Eazy released an EP dedicated entirely to dissing Dre, Snoop Dogg, and all of Death Row Records. in 1991 and Eazy's AIDS diagnosis in 1995, Eazy, Dre, and Ice Cube were at each other's throats on their respective albums. member DJ Yella, the cause was simple: too much success and money, too fast. For a while, that vision was achieved, along with an environment that allowed Black artists to make some groundbreaking music, but it collapsed with Ice Cube's departure from N.W.A.Īccording to Heller and former N.W.A. According to Heller, Eazy was a visionary who wanted to capture the gangster life on record as a way to make it out of the hood. Jerry Heller, Eazy's Ruthless co-founder, is the only person who has openly talked about Eric Wright, the real man behind Eazy-E. Eazy proved he still had it as a talent scout, having discovered the supersonic speed rappers Bone Thugs-N-Harmony while on a trip to Cleveland.Īnd while it seemed like Eazy was on the verge of bringing Ruthless Records back to its former glory, that chance abruptly ended when Eazy died of AIDS in 1995. The end of his career saw the consequences of Eazy's success: Dre and Ice Cube, the two musical anchors Eazy brought into N.W.A., were enjoying wildly successful careers, but their relationship with Eazy was one of animosity. As a music artist, he was less a rapper than a stand-up comedian and provocateur. As the founder of Ruthless Records, he was a former street hustler turned record executive. ![]() It's hard to narrow down Eazy's calling card to just one thing. It's completely devoid of seriousness, and while the group is certainly doing a bit of bragging, it's also just having fun.Īs such, the song is a fitting foundation for "Boyz-n-the-Hood." The irony and absurdity of the lyrical content is never lost on Eazy, and Dre ensures that the musical tone stays consistent. Perhaps the most notable aspect of the music is the contrast of the lyrics with the keyboard melody, a sample from Whodini's "I'm a Ho." The original song is about a musician who takes advantage of the perks of having female fans. Big Stuff," Original Concept's "Pump That Bass" and "Knowledge Me," LL Cool J's "El Shabazz," and a dialogue clip from an Eddie Murphy concert film.įrom the mixing, scratching, and musical transitions present on "Boyz-n-the-Hood," it's clear that Dre's vision of the song came together in a musical collage through a vast knowledge of music history and the music that his peers were producing. Just as modern artists use multimedia and objects that someone else created in their art (think Andy Warhol), Dre uses Whodini's "I'm a Ho," the Beastie Boys' "Hold It Now, Hit It," Jean Knight's "Mr. Dre shows his production skills by mixing a hard thumping bass beat with a number of samples. The cacophony of sounds and samples in "Boyz-n-the-Hood" is really the essence of the West Coast gangster rap sound.ĭr. ![]()
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