On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we represent the West Side and talk about the life, beefs, death, and notorious reputation of the Grandfather of Gangsta Rap—Easy-E. Though he seems like the clown of NWA based on his raps, he was actually the face of gang life, from its fashion to its criminal background. From murderous beefs with Suge Knight to conspiracies of AIDS as a means of assassination, the story of Eazy-E is pretty epic. Born Eric Wright in Compton, California, he was raised by typical parents but in a rather atypical neighborhood. Compton, of course, was the gang capitol of Southern California, and there were a lot of illegal ways to make money.

Young Eric Wright fell into one such way and started to deal drugs, following in his cousin’s footsteps. He made a lot of money, and after his cousin was shot, he got out of the game and decided to use his money to build a music label. He fell in with his partner Jerry Heller, and they created Ruthless Records. In no time, he was working with the up and coming Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Yella and MC Ren, and he ended up creating a hit record, Eazy Duz It, and joined up with the newly formed NWA. He was not a natural rapper, and it took some convincing to get him to the mic, but once there, he was a natural. He became an iconic figure of Gangsta Rap and led the charge on such hits as F*ck the Police.

In fact, most insiders realize that it was his true street life that gave NWA its credibility. They rose quickly and like most bands, hit rough spots and had people leave. Unlike most bands, the break up included death threats, assaults, and any number of West Side street justice. After years of success (and sex with lots of fans), Eazy-E eventually got sick, and when he went to get it checked out, found out he had AIDS. Within a few weeks, he was dead at the age of 30.

But that’s not the end of the story. Why does his family think the AIDS story was strange? Why do they think there was a cover up of how he caught it? Why do they think it may not have been AIDS in the first place? What part does Suge Knight play in all this, and what did he say in an interview that seems to indicate he may have gotten Eazy-E infected intentionally to kill him? What did his diagnosis do to change the national conversation about this disease? Listen, laugh, learn.

Thorough Vibe Eazy-E Story: https://www.vibe.com/featured/vibe-eazy-e-cover-story/

Conspiracy AIDS Article: https://www.highsnobiety.com/2015/08/13/eazy-e-death-conspiracy/