Unbeknownst to the world at the time, March 26, 1995 would mark the turning point for Hip-Hop heartbreak, as it marked the day Eric “Eazy-E” Wright passed away from AIDS-related complications at the young age of 31.
His legacy was instantly cemented; he’s renown as the “Godfather of Gangsta Rap” for his instrumental hand in creating the N.W.A. Although his relationship with the group’s members (mainly Ice Cube and Dr. Dre) had soured, his Ruthless Records imprint went on to blossom well past his death with the rise of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and the Black Eye Peas, among others.
This coming August, one side of the infamous N.W.A. star as both Cube and Dre will executive produce F. Gary Gray’s direction for the highly anticipated Straight Outta Compton biopic.
Only time will tell if it does the memory of Eazy-E justice, but the Hip-Hop community sure does miss him and they let be known.