Eazy-E was approached to be a part of Death Row Records before Dr. Dre, according to Keefe D.
Keefe, a childhood friend of Eazy and the uncle of 2Pac’s alleged killer, Orlando Anderson, made the revelation during an interview with VladTV.
The Compton native and former gang member explained that he had a friend who was in prison with Death Row co-founder Michael “Harry-O” Harris, who one day asked him to set up a phone call with Eazy.
“They called and asked me to hook them up on a conference call with Eazy-E. So I called, they talked to Eazy and they asked him, do he want to run their record company?” Keefe said, confirming they were referring to Death Row. “They offered it to him first.”
According to Keefe, however, Eazy expressed concerns about doing business with people behind bars and ultimately turned down the offer. The next day, Harry-O got in touch with Dr. Dre, who accepted the proposition.
“Once the phone call went dead, Eazy showed up to my house 30 minutes later. He like, ‘Dude, them dudes in jail and I’m already established,'” he recalled. “So the next day, my partner that was in the feds with Harry-O, he like, ‘Let’s call Dr. Dre.’ And he called Dr. Dre and Dr. Dre took the deal.”
Keefe D said that the phone call took place when Dre was still signed to Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records as a member of N.W.A. It has long been believed that Dre got out of his contract after Suge Knight strong-armed Eazy into granting the producer’s release — a move that extricated Dre from what he felt was an unfair deal while handing Death Row a certified hitmaker.
According to Keefe, though, the negotiations weren’t quite as eventful as Death Row simply paid Eazy $200,000 to secure Dr. Dre’s release from Ruthless.
With additional backing from fellow West Coast rap legend The D.O.C. and veteran L.A. music executive/promoter Dick Griffey, Death Row Records launched in 1991 and would go on to become one of Hip Hop’s most storied and successful labels.
Responsible for releasing landmark albums like Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle and 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me, Death Row played a pivotal role in making gangsta rap one of the most popular and lucrative forms of music, let alone Hip Hop, in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, Dre and Eazy’s fued continued to play out on wax, with the former N.W.A groupmates trading shots on songs like “Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” and “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s.” The pair managed to patch things up before Eazy died of AIDS at the age of 30 in 1995.
Although Death Row’s momentum fizzled out following 2Pac’s demise in 1996 and the departures of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, things came full circle for the iconic label last year when Snoop became its new owner.
His most recent move as Death Row’s top dog saw him rerelease the label’s catalog on streaming services as part of a “long-term partnership” with gamma, the music company founded by former Apple executive Larry Jackson.
Telling some more ducktales for the gulliable.
Shouldn’t you be out stalking Rihanna? Weirdo. You’re a guaranteed simp.
this makes no sense. Eazy already fully owned his own label, why would he need another one but with a silent partner?
Jerry screwed him he aintbown that label i think it would been historic if eazye e ran death row records think about it quo bone thugs50 cent d12 g unit would been huge
Eazy definitely owned Ruthless Records. Jerry was stealing money that was coming in taking more than he’s share of salary. He was most likely writing checks to himself taking 4-5k here and there. Jerry knew Eazy E trusted him. He even hired his family members Jerry didn’t think Eazy E would ever take a look into what he was doing Eazy E did take a look at things seen Jerry was taking what he wasn’t suppose to be taking.
Daniel jones what are you even talking about 50 cent, d12, and g unit being on death row? That literally makes no sense. I’m dead right now. Hahaha the mind of idiots.
Again, another trash article from this site and Vlad.
This story has been told before by people who were involved. Harry O did contact Eazy, Harry knew Eazy before he went in. He like how Eazy went completely legit and was always interested in doing the same through music and entertainment. Not sure Harry was hitting Eazy about running Death Row, it was probably more about putting him in contact with some people, doing a deal or just offering up some advice. Eazy did receive 200k plus a percentage of Death Row publishing and 0.50 cents per unit sold from the Chronic. The Chronic sells 4 mill Eazy makes about 2 mill off it, Equaling Dre Day only meant Eazy’s pay day. People keep forgetting Jerry Heller had been around since like the 50’s or 60’s he knew every trick in the book. He knew the more money Eazy made the more he made. I do think Jerry got caught skimming when he didn’t have to.
This fat guy is not an industry insider, he is an overrated getaway driver at best. Anyone with common sense knows this is NOT true.
In other news: NWA disbands, Elvis dies at age 42, hiphopdx writes bs.
Yeah we keep hearing about Harry-O but rarely do i seen a certain character involved in Death Row Records mentioned. That character is a jewish man called David Kenner. A small hat. Just like Ruthless Records had Jerry Heller, another jewish man. It was indeed the jews who started pushing gangsta rap. You can blame them for the drill etc all the crap that came out since. Lyor Cohen another jewish small hat too.
It’s possible that he was contacted for it yes east had ruthless but everyone knew it was drama there with cube leaving then the disses and Dre wanting out too so in easys head he’s already got a label but this is before he found out what Jerry heller was really doing so it’s possible he was contacted with a deal trying to take advantage of the drama and get east an already established artist and label owner to co run his