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Eazy-E, gangster rap pioneer, dies from complications with contracting AIDS.
1995 (Mar 26)
Within two weeks after his revelation that he had contracted AIDS, rapper Eric "Eazy-E" Wright died from complications of the disease at the age of thirty-one. Considered the founder of the first "gangsta" rap group, N.W.A. (Niggaz With Attitude), Wright drew upon his experiences as a former L.A. drug dealer in his music. N.W.A.'s first album, Straight Outta Compton, sold more than two million copies and was followed up by Niggaz4Life, which became the first hardcore rap album to reach No.1 on the charts. Following the breakup of N.W.A., Wright launched a solo career and his own record label, Ruthless Records, responsible for such acts as Blood of Abraham, Above the Law, MC Ren, Things in Harmony, and Hoes with Attitude.
References:
- • Hornsby, Alton. Chronology of African-American History: Significant Events and People from 1619 to the Present. Detroit: Gale Research, 1995.