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1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave

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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Richie Brave hosts the biggest group chat of the week.

BBC Radio 1Xtra's Stories: Gone Too Soon: Series 3

1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave: Gone Too Soon: Series 3: Episode 4: Eazy-E

Eazy-E

Episode 4

Episode 4: Eazy-E

Gone Too Soon: Series 3

BBC Radio 1Xtra - 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave, Gone Too Soon: Series 3, Eazy-E

NWA superfan Charlie Sloth looks at the life of 'The Godfather of Gangsta Rap' - Eazy-E.

25 years on from the release of NWA's Straight Outta Compton, diehard fan Charlie Sloth looks at the life of 'The Godfather of Gangsta Rap' - Eazy-E.

In the final part of 1Xtra's Gone Too Soon season, N.W.A superfan Charlie Sloth takes a look at the life of the man many consider to be 'The Godfather of Gangsta Rap' - Eazy-E.

N.W.A's classic album Straight Outta Compton was released in 1988 and changed Charlie's life. He explores the impact Eazy's music made on British hip hop, hearing from UK legends such as Foreign Beggars and Mystro about how Eazy and N.W.A inspired them to rap. He also talks to people who helped make the album happen, as well as the likes of Dead Prez, Wu-Tang Clan, Tony Touch and respected hip hop journalists. 

In the 80s, Eazy-E founded his own record label, Ruthless Records and formed N.W.A - to this day still one of the most exciting and controversial acts in rap history. The group helped propel Dr. Dre and Ice Cube to super-stardom and created such timeless cuts as Straight Outta Compton, F the Police and Express Yourself. None of this would have happened without Eazy-E. 

But just who was Eazy-E and how did the former drug dealer help change hip hop forever? Charlie hears from those who knew him best, including N.W.A's Ice Cube, Arabian Prince and DJ Yella, as well as Eazy's son, Lil Eazy, covering everything from the beginnings of N.W.A, to Eazy's fallout with Dr. Dre, through to his death from AIDS in 1995, which sent shockwaves through the hip hop community.

1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave: Gone Too Soon: Series 3

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Episode 4: Eazy-E

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