When N.W.A.’s debut album, “Straight Outta Compton,” came out in 1988, it struck a nerve within the rap community and with young people of all stripes.
Though many parents worried that the music glorified violence, drugs and misogyny, the album was a major success, kickstarting the careers of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E.
Eazy-E wasn’t just a member of N.W.A.; it was his label, Ruthless Records, that launched the group and would later discover acts such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
For his style and business sense, Eazy-E is known as the Godfather of Gangsta Rap. Twenty years after his death at age 30, we’re looking back on his life, career, and continuing influence.
