Stop the press and take a minute of silence, today embodies the birth of the late-but-forever-great Eric Lynn Wright—but y’all know him as the one and only Eazy-E.
Dishing out hits and records in the Hip-hop world, Eazy-E became an iconic figure both as a solo artist and member of the controversial N.W.A. Born and raised straight outta Compton, Wright played no stranger to rap, and even in this day-and-age, he still rightfully deserves the title “The Godfather of Gangsta Rap”.
Who could forget Wright, teaming up with Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Arabian Prince, to form the infamous rap group, “Niggas With Attitude”, and their most controversial album, Straight Outta Compton—an album so cohesive Hollywood simply had to make a movie out of it.
To allude Eazy-E solely to Gangsta-rap and the N.W.A., however, would be an understatement to his career. His music itself fashions a blend of 1970’s funk, contemporary rap, and comedy. Aside from this, several critics attest to his unique style towards the chosen genre, while a specific individual by the name of Steve Huey (All Music Guide) shared his critique on the Godfather.
“While his technical skills as a rapper were never the greatest”—God forgive him—“His distinctive delivery… over-the-top lyrics, and undeniable charisma made him a star”. Well, he’s on-point on a couple, but hey—that’s just my opinion.
All varying viewpoints aside, the facts remain: Godfather Wright is one hell of an individual, both onstage and off. Onstage, Eazy-E’s been there since the beginning of Hip-hop, shooting straight through the Golden Age. Offstage, he narrates a very intriguing life story—the type you’d find on bestsellers. Heck, they don’t call him Godfather for no reason.
Birthday Greetings go out to the Godfather of Gangsta-rap, Eazy-E!
By Jods Arboleda for RAPStation.com
