A was assembled by comptonbased eazye, who cofounded ruthless records with jerry heller. Were told jerrys nephew, terry, raced to the hospital friday when he got word his uncle had been in a. Whether people want to admit it or not jerry heller changed hiphop forever. Ruthless tells the explosive story of jerry hellers alliance with eric wright, aka eazye, one of the legends of rap music and a founding member of n. The unlikely duo of jerry heller, the middleaged, jewish manager and easye, the drugdealer from the streets of compton, helped create nwa. Straight outta compton is defamatory, but if it gets an oscar nod it will bring his rage to a new level. Nwa manager jerry heller has died the trending report. Jerry heller spent his final moments listening to his crowning achievement in life n. She is credited as a producer of the film, alongside dre and cube and others. Ice cube says he isnt losing sleep over jerry hellers. Rhythm d interview talks about eazye, ruthless, deathrow. In the work, heller addressed many events that he had previously remained silent on. Though the ragstoriches story detailed the rise of dr.
A, singer michelle recently came to hellers defense in a newlypublished interview with. Sometime early in 2008 my cousin jerry heller asked me if i wanted a job as a tour managerproduction managersound man for an artist he was working with called erika jayne. The big difference is that pe formed naturally while nwa was created by jerry heller, who was a famous producer in the 70s. Generally speaking, wikipedia articles on people in the performing arts tend to be fairly hagiographic, insofar as theyre usually written by their fans, if not actually by their publicists. Over the next few years, dre and eazy engaged in a highly publicized feud, which included both of the rappers attacking each other on their respective solo albums.
Eazye eazye in 1993 born eric lynn wright 19630907 september 7, 1963 compton, california, u. A to the masses and promoted gangsta rap to a mainstream audience, died on friday in thousand oaks, calif. Gerald elliot jerry heller october 6, 1940 september 2, 2016 was an american music manager and businessman. Both ice cube and dre accused heller of breaking up n. The quietus features anniversary is above the laws. Jerry heller is an easy target for indignation, says dan charnas, author of n. Manager jerry heller tells his version of straight. I think he taught dre many of the things dre utilised on nwa records. He began his career at coast artists, associated booking and chartwell. Jerry heller if straight outta compton gets oscar nom. When i heard last month that a movie was being made about the formation of n.
Compton writer is straight outta seattle the seattle times. Nwas manager jerry heller why straight outta compton is. Straight outta compton blew my mind when i first heard it in 1988, aged. Aug 26, 2015 alonzo claims jerry heller who he still speaks with to this day managed the wreckin cru before n. Jerry heller, a veteran music manager who helped introduce n. Along the way there were raucous nationwide tours, outof. Heller was the cofounder and producer of ruthless records n. Jerry heller, music executive who launched gangsta rappers. Eazy then brings the reunion idea to dre, who is 100% on board. The manager facilitates a deal for the group with priority records, and they begin work on their seminal debut album, straight outta compton. As nwa begins to break apart, the group finds going on their own might even be more difficult than finding fame.
A, the unapologetically violent and sexist pioneers of gangsta rap, are in many ways the most notorious group in the history of rap. Jun 29, 2015 when i heard last month that a movie was being made about the formation of n. Producers for the film, which included ice cube and dr. Jerry heller, the white, jewish manager of nwa as they rose to worldwide fame, has offered a racially different version of their story from the movie, saying dr. Id like to read a jerry heller book not entirely focused on nwa as well.
Ice cube laughs at jerry hellers claims of unfair portrayal. Nwa wasnt gangsters, they were just teenagers playing up a contrived and intentionally controversial image that people took seriously. Jerry heller, the original manager of the 80s rap group n. Straight outta compton lawsuit survives because of one. All that aside, jerry heller writes very well, and his account of n. A biographer, ben westhoff in a teaser for reelzs new docuseries, breaking. Looking back, it did mark the beginning of commercialized gangster rap, before it was the huge phenomenon it is now. As a longtime music industry superagent, heller had the skill and insight necessary to guide n. Jerry heller is best known for managing west coast rap supergroup and gangster rap pioneers nwa and eazy e and was a cofounder and ceo of ruthless records. Quite interesting about the meeting of a depressed producer in his middle life. While digging through court records reporting my book, however, i noticed. Why doesnt wikipedias entry on jerry heller the music. Dre left the group to form death row records with suge knight and the d.
Ice cube, american rapper and actor who achieved musical success both as a member of the seminal gangsta rap group n. Actually, the ones written by publicists are usually le. Jerry heller is an easy target for indignation, says dan charnas, author of heller gives a firsthand account of what it was like to work with eazy e and nwa, a group of people who were totally different than him, but somehow he made it work. There is more on heller at the end of the book that i found just as interesting as the stuff about ruthless records and n. A capitalized on pes sonic breakthroughs while ignoring their message. Sep 05, 2016 jerry heller, a veteran music manager who helped introduce n. Jerry heller can be counted as one of the select few in the music industry who has had a significant role. This definitely seems true in the case of jerry heller, n.
Eazye, and former manager jerry heller were making a fortune from ruthless records at the height of their fame, but for the other n. Sep 03, 2016 rip jerry heller you definitely played a major part in hiphop history even though you was portrayed as the bad guy in straight outta compton without you they would not have been no nwa, no dre. But, according to his lawyer, hellers lawsuit against former n. Dre, ice cube and eazye, it also depicted jerry heller, the groups first manager and longtime nemesis, as the villain, extending a. As former manager, jerry heller, who died at the age of 75 on sept. Gerald elliot jerry heller 6 oktober 1940 2 september 2016 was een. Erika is a singersongwriter and currently on the tv show the real housewives of beverly.
Cube says hes down if jerry heller isnt involved, and eazy fires the manager shortly after. For nearly a decade the cia spread crack cocaine in. Jerry heller, the former manager of rap group nwa, is going after the filmmakers of the biopic, straight outta compton, after he says they defamed him in the film. Elisa okeefesmith is a producer and director, known for diva docs 2015, dive docs. I think that 187 was a trendsetting producer, jerry heller told me in a 2006 interview. Heller was born on october 6, 1940 in cleveland, ohio. Dre was the producer behind hit after hit after hit on ruthless records, but he was getting paid like a very lowlevel employee, says n. Aug, 2015 the urban crisis of 1980s compton was so integral in the formation of n. Eazy and heller soon forge a business deal, establishing a partnership that would last for years and lead to nearly all of the disputes between members of the n. This is the assessment of nwas former manager, jerry heller who also thinks the groups debut straight outta compton is the most important album ever made. Jerry heller talks compton lawsuit, very hurtful movie. Sep 12, 2016 jerry heller was born in shaker heights, ohio in 1940. A and the posse does not look like something released by one of the most important rap groups of all time. A and its label, ruthless records, pushing the boundaries of lyrical content.
The legal fight began in 2015 when heller sued universal for defamation and infringement, among other claims. Aug 18, 2015 one of the writers behind the film straight outta compton, about the rise of the l. I think above the law would have been an incredibly important group, except for two things. A an abbreviation for niggaz wit attitudes was an american hip hop group from compton, california. Eric lynn wright september 7, 1963 march 26, 1995, known professionally as eazye, was an american rapper and rap mogul who propelled west coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group n. Nwas manager jerry heller why straight outta compton is all. Ice cube is known by hiphop critics and fans as one of the most influential rappers ever. A, is able to move to the next round in a defamation lawsuit over universals straight outta compton, the celebrated biopic of the iconic rap act. Although former music manager jerry heller has received some negative criticism for his work with n. What exactly did jerry heller do that was so sleazy and. A, died friday at age 75, according to media reports. Sep 03, 2016 jerry heller, the original manager of the 80s rap group n. Jerry heller was born in shaker heights, ohio in october 1940.
Veteran mogul says recordbreaking rap biopic paints him unfairly as a shady business. Forget straight outta compton this is the real story. As manager jerry heller if he refused to let dre out of his contract. Actually, just looking at the photo, who would believe. Jerry bafflingly derails into talking about his time as a manager in the 60s and. A2a jerry heller simply inserted himself into a situation where ambitious and occasionally confused young men were generating a great deal of money. Jerry heller pictured right, the former manager of the 1980s rap super group n. The music world had a wide range of reactions when it came to the passing of n. Aug 25, 2015 jerry heller, the white, jewish manager of nwa as they rose to worldwide fame, has offered a racially different version of their story from the movie, saying dr. A memoir kindle edition by heller, jerry, reavill, gil.
Dre, ice cube, snoop dogg, eminem, 50 cent, thegame etc are not household names. They were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and are widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music. Jerry bafflingly derails into talking about his time as a manager in the 60s and 70s, the bulk. Sep, 2016 following the album dre left nwa and its label ruthless records, owing to a money dispute with eazye, who owned the label, and nwas manager, jerry heller. Jerry heller can be counted as one of the select few in the music industry who has had a significant role in shaping trends and musical movements for five decades. Late nwa manager jerry heller s lawsuit against universal over the 2015 film straight outta compton has been dismissed by a california federal judge.
Emerging in the late 80s, when public enemy had rewritten the rules of hardcore rap by proving that it could be intelligent, revolutionary, and socially aware, n. The world woke up this morning to the news that jerry heller, the former manager of the iconic rap group n. Nwa manager sues straight outta compton filmmakers. Aug 17, 2018 eazye, and former manager jerry heller were making a fortune from ruthless records at the height of their fame, but for the other n. The music industry veteran who was memorably played by paul giamatti in. Gerald elliot jerry heller october 6, 1940 september 2, 2016 was an american music. Nwas former manager jerry hellers death merited mixed emotions from fans of the beloved rap group. Together with fellow producer arabian prince, ice cube was added to the roster after he had. Finding support from longtime producer jerry heller paul giamatti, success begins for nwa, but the feuds also start. Oct 31, 2006 ruthless tells the explosive story of jerry hellers alliance with eric wright, aka eazye, one of the legends of rap music and a founding member of n. Although initially rebuffed, yano was impressed by eazyes persistence and arranged a meeting with dr. He was best known for his controversial management of west coast rap and gangsta rap pioneers n. The music industry reacts to the death of jerry heller, the successful yet controversial former manager of n.
161 31 64 168 1265 735 1057 645 186 730 779 939 746 806 1261 1252 805 1344 245 1055 572 137 605 878 1543 670 357 230 493 1024 1230 798 1319 164 348 373 932 83 228 1405 112 891 159 527 11 110