Early Life
Eric Lynn Wright, famously known as Eazy-E, is an American rapper. Born on Sept. 7, 1964, in Compton, CA, Eazy-E spent his childhood years in a city riddled with robberies and ongoing gang violence. Not only did he have to grow up in a tough area, but he also had to deal with death at a young age when his cousin, Horace Butler, was murdered. In his teenage years, Eazy-E went to three different high schools: Compton High School, Manuel Dominguez High School, and Taft High School, but ultimately ended up dropping out in the 10th grade. Realizing higher education wasn’t the path for him, he focused on his passion for music.
Adult Life/Career
Eazy-E started his music career by making music in his parents’ garage, with his first official song being “Boyz-n-the-Hood.” He later formed a group with other famous rappers like Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. called N.W.A. With this group, they released huge hits such as “Panic Zone” and “Straight Outta Compton.” The group released their album “Straight Outta Compton” in 1987 and Easy-E released his solo album “Eazy-Duz-It” shortly after, both garnering a lot of success in the hip-hop genre. However, despite the success, feuding caused the group to break up. Later on in his life, Eazy-E dealt with many health concerns including severe lung problems and AIDS. Unfortunately, the rapper died from AIDS-induced pneumonia at the young age of 30. Today, many still remember Eazy-E as the Godfather of Gangsta Rap who transformed the music industry.