Photo credits: Mike Miller for Ruthless Records
A major television network owned by the American Movie Channel (AMC) has confirmed the release date for a documentary series, which will profile the untimely death of one of rap music’s first major moguls.
According to Billboard Magazine, reps for WE tv announced that on August 12, the lifestyle/entertainment outlet will air a multi-part docuseries titled “The Mysterious Death of Eazy-E.” This television series will chronicle the life, legacy, and passing of legendary Ruthless Records co-founder Eric “Eazy-E” Wright (pictured). The famed rap performer, N.W.A. front man, and executive producer died after being diagnosed with full-blown AIDS on March 26, 1995.
Wright was pronounced dead at Los Angeles, California’s Cedar Sinai Medical Center. He was only 31 years old at the time of his death. Ebie Wright, one of Eazy-E’s daughters, will appear frequently in the upcoming WE tv docuseries, which investigates her powerful father’s AIDS-related death. Tracy Jernagin, Ebie’s mother and former manager, will also provide commentary about the sketchy details surrounding Eazy’s final month alive.
The month before his passing, Eazy-E checked himself into the hospital for a bronchitis flare-up. However, national news reports came subsequently, which claimed doctors also found him to be HIV positive. It takes years for the HIV virus to regress into the full-blown AIDS disease. However, in Eazy’s case, his illness went from being medically classified as HIV to AIDS very quickly. None of his several children or their mothers have contracted HIV/AIDS.
Hip-hop journalist Jasmine Simpkins is a key part of the docuseries and will be its star interviewer. Simpkins will raise questions surrounding shadowy theories of foul play and other inconsistencies with the national media’s initial narrative. Ebie, 30, and her mother are among several Eazy-E’s family representatives who still seek answers. Ebie was only four years old at the time of her father’s death.
She is one of the executive producers of WE tv’s forthcoming docuseries. Additionally, Ebie’s mother, DJ Skee, Thao Dippolito, John Halterman, Tom Forman, Jon Beyer, Jeff Dawson, Lauren P. Gellert, David Stefanou, and Lauren Lazin are also members of the executive production team. The late Jerry Heller was Eazy-E’s business manager and partner who co-founded Ruthless Records with him. Heller was a well-known Jewish music executive prior to that.
However, Eazy solely owned Comptown Records, the Ruthless music label’s parent company. Former artists who were signed to Ruthless Records (such as Bone Thugz-N-Harmony and Kid Frost) have publicly said in interviews that they believe that Eazy-E’s death explanation did not add up. Bone Thugz members Layzie and Krayzie Bone spoke their minds in an interview with radio personality Angela Yee.
“[Eazy] had full-blown AIDS and looked regular. He still had his weight…still [had a] cocky build. Still looking like a regular, [healthy] dude. It just came about suddenly [after he supposedly had HIV],” Krayzie told Yee.
“He was really built like a little tank,” Layzie added.
Kid Frost (the first Latino artist signed to Ruthless Records) said in a documentary titled “For the Record” that he also believes that something did not seem right about Eazy-E’s official death narrative.
“No [former girlfriend or any woman] has ever came forward and said that they got the AIDS virus from Eazy-E,” Kid Frost said.
“How can somebody get diagnosed with HIV and then die that fast from AIDS?” he added.
Frost went on to explain his belief that the late former music label boss was injected with “tainted needles.”
