How Did Eazy-E Die? The Conspiracy Lives On

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Hip-hop legend Eazy-E was no stranger to controversy. Rising to fame as a member of the N.W.A. alongside such greats as Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Ice Cube, and D.J. Yella, he firmly placed “gangsta rap” on the world stage as a music genre to be reckoned with.

Then, at the height of his solo career, all of that ended suddenly. On March 26, 1995, the music world was rocked by news of the death of this influential rap star. Eazy-E, whose real name was Eric Wright, would rap no more.

How did Eazy-E die? Let’s look at the unusual series of events leading up to Eazy-E’s death and the conspiracy theory surrounding it.

When Did Eazy-E Get Diagnosed?

On February 24, 1995, the rapper was admitted to the intensive care unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, suffering from a terrible cough. He had not been well in the weeks before this, and he presumed he had asthma as it ran in the family.

It was at the Medical Center that he was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. He announced his illness to the world nearly three weeks later, on March 16, via his friend and attorney, Ron Sweeney, at a press conference in Hollywood.

Ron Sweeney read a statement from Eazy-E, which said, “I’m not saying this because I’m looking for a soft cushion wherever I’m heading; I just feel that I’ve got thousands and thousands of young fans that have to learn about what’s real when it comes to AIDS.

Like the others before me, I want to turn my problem into something good that will reach out to all my homeboys and their kin. Because I want to save their asses before it’s too late.”

How Did Eazy-E Die?

Only two weeks after he made his condition public, Eazy-E died from AIDS-induced pneumonia. His parents and new wife were at his hospital bedside at the time.

He has never revealed how he contracted the disease but was known to have lived a promiscuous lifestyle and produced seven children with six partners.

As the music world mourned his untimely death, it nevertheless highlighted the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS and raised awareness of the disease amongst celebrities and fans alike.

How Old Was Eazy-E When He Died?

Eazy-E was 30 years old when he died. Many reports at that time quoted his age as 31; however, this was due to his birth certificate giving a false date of birth.

How old would Eazy-E have been if he was still alive?

He would be 58 years old, turning 59 in September 2023.

What Were Eazy-E’s Last Words?

“I’m not looking to blame anyone except myself. I have learned in the last week that this thing is real and doesn’t discriminate. It affects everyone,” said the rapper a couple of weeks before his death. In those last days, he spoke openly about his illness, hoping to alert people of its dangers.

Dr. Dre commented, after visiting his friend in the hospital, that he had been unconscious and they had been unable to speak. Seeing Eazy-E lying unresponsive in the hospital affected him deeply.

easy e life — With Eazy-E as an LAPD Explorer in 1993. Image by Edward Reyes.

Did N.W.A Show Up to Eazy-E Funeral?

Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and MC Ren all visited their ex-band member in the hospital. But did Dr. Dre go to Eazy-E’s funeral? No, the only N.W.A member that attended the funeral was D.J. Yella. This surprised their fans, and it received much media coverage.

Related: Who Killed TuPac Shakur?

Who Is Easy-E’s Wife?

The rapper married Tomica Woods twelve days before his death. They had met at a nightclub in Los Angeles in 1991 and had a son and a daughter together. She is now the C.E.O. of Ruthless Records, inheriting it from her husband after his death.

She is a successful businesswoman who, against the odds, turned the record company around by signing up various artists, not necessarily rappers.

Who Is Easy-E’s Son?

The rap star had six sons, but the most well-known is his firstborn, Eric Darnell Wright, also known as Lil Eazy-E. Like his famous dad, he is also a rapper and president of Rich and Ruthless Records and Rich and Ruthless Cannabis.

What Is the Controversy Surrounding Eazy-E’s Death?

About twenty years after his father’s death, Yung Eazy accused Suge Knight, the former C.E.O. of Death Row Records, of killing his father by injecting him with H.I.V.

He shared a social media post of the time Knight appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he appeared to admit to the crime.

Speaking to Kimmel, he said, “Kids, you don’t want to go to jail forever, right? So, they got this new thing out; people sell ’em all the time. They get this stuff they call — they get blood from somebody with AIDS — and then they shoot you with it. That’s the slow death.”

Was this a man admitting guilt or trying to boost his image in the rap world?

How Much Was Eazy-E Worth When He Died?

At the peak of his career, it is claimed that Eazy-E was worth a massive $35 million. Unfortunately, due to his extravagant spending and bad business sense, his fortune was reduced to $8 million by the time he passed away.

Although his widow inherited a mansion in California worth $1.1 million, she lost the property to foreclosure a few months after his death.

On the twentieth anniversary of Eazie-E’s death, Ice Cube remembered their friendship and the tremendous talent his friend possessed. He admitted that there may have been an N.W.A. reunion if Eazy-E hadn’t passed away.

He commented, “We can do special things on our own or get together and do something world-shaking.” Isn’t that how Eazy-E should be remembered? A world-shaker.