Ruthless Records

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This article is about the hip hop record label. For the punk rock record label, see Ruthless Records (Chicago).
Ruthless Records
Ruthless Records logo
Parent company Sony BMG
Founded March 3, 1987
Founder Eric Wright (Eazy-E)
Jerry Heller
Distributing label Priority Records
Relativity Records
Epic Records (U.S.)
Genre Gangsta Rap
Country of origin USA
Location Los Angeles, California
Official website http://www.ruthlessrecords.com/

Ruthless Records is an imprint record label formed by Gangsta rapper Eazy-E with partner Jerry Heller in Eazy-E's home town of Compton, California in 1987. The label is credited with pioneering the gangsta rap genre of West Coast hip hop, and later, G-funk. They even began the career of will.i.am[1], in a group called Atban Klann.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Eazy-E's Foundation

With Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, Eazy-E formed the rap group N.W.A..

Other artists on the label included Above the Law, Penthouse Players Clique, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, The D.O.C., Blood of Abraham, Steffon, Young E, Kokane, Brownside, Tairrie B, Frost, A.L.T., Shaki aka Dirty Red, Slow Pain, N.W.A., Laylaw, Mister D & Sleepy Malo, Leicy Loc, Menajahtwa, Black Eyed Peas formely known back then as Atban Klann (although no album dropped,) Daddy X and J.J. Fad.

In 1995, Eazy-E was diagnosed with AIDS and died shortly thereafter. After his death, the label was taken over by his wife, Tomica Wright. Ruthless Records is now a division of Epic Records.

[edit] Following Eazy-E's Passing

The label has had several distributors simultaneously. Early Ruthless releases were distributed by Macola Records, but that deal was short lived and the rights reverted to Ruthless. All of N.W.A's releases and Eazy-E's first two solo releases on Ruthless were distributed by Priority Records, and the rights to these releases are now held by Priority's new owner, Capitol Records. Releases by The D.O.C., Michel'le, and JJ Fad were marketed through Atlantic Records or its subsidiary Atco Records. These master rights are still held by Atlantic's parent company, Warner Music Group, while Above The Law's releases were marketed through Epic Records. In the early 1990s, Ruthless found more exclusive distribution through Relativity Records, formerly a heavy metal label. Relativity was later folded into its parent company, Sony Music.

[edit] Discography

1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2004
2005
2006
2007
  • Bone Thugs N Harmony - T.H.U.G.S.
  • Eazy E - Featuring... Eazy E

[edit] References

  1. ^ Features / DJs Producers : Will. I. Am: The Professor of Production; From Eazy-E and Black Eyed Peas, to Nas, and The Game

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Eazy-E
Albums
Other albums
Singles
Related articles
Discography · N.W.A · Ruthless Records