N.W.A’s original manager, Jerry Heller, was buried at Eden Memorial in Mission Hills, California on September 7, and the funeral just happened to fall on Eric “Eazy-E” Wright’s birthday. The eerie timing of the burial seemed to be the perfect send-off for a man who took Wright under his wing after meeting the aspiring Compton rapper in the early ‘80s. N.W.A’s first publicist, Phyllis Pollack, attended the funeral and was blown away by the services.
“It was the most different type of funeral I’ve ever been to,” Pollack tells HipHopDX. “And at my age, I’ve been to plenty of them. Jerry’s nephew, Terry Heller, did a beautiful job with the services.”
Heller, who passed away at age 75, was buried in a traditional Jewish service and as people were throwing dirt on the casket (a Jewish tradition), attendees spontaneously began rapping Eazy-E lyrics.
“Jerry was buried on Eazy’s birthday, which was not lost on those of us who were close to Eric and Jerry,” she says, noting it was not intentional that the days coincided. “As Jerry’s body was being lowered into the ground, everybody was rapping or at least the people that knew the lyrics were.”
Pollack, who was admittedly in a state of shock, was in awe at the number of people who showed up to send their condolences. Wright’s children Eric Wright, Jr. and Erica Wright, were in attendance, as well as a member of Hoez With Attitude (H.W.A.), one of the groups Wright signed to Ruthless Records in the ‘80s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yWt8YXPun8
“I’m glad I went to the funeral because it was so cathartic,” she says. “One of Eazy’s groups, H.W.A., was way ahead of their time and the female answer to N.W.A. Kim [Baby Girl] from the group showed up to the funeral. There were people in Elton John’s camp that showed up. Jerry was the first person to bring Elton to the United States. People showed up from Capitol Records, but really it’s not how famous they are that matters, these are people that knew the truth or could face the truth about Jerry.”
Between the 2015 N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton and the often outspoken members of the group, the truth about Heller has been muddled seemingly beyond repair. The film portrayed Heller in an extremely negative light, which prompted Heller to file a $110 million lawsuit against Ice Cube and NBC Universal that was still pending when he died. When the news of his passing was announced, people took to social media to essentially spit on his grave.
Ice Cube also chimed in during a radio interview with Detroit’s 107.5 saying, “I didn’t have no emotions…I ain’t going to pop no champagne, but I ain’t going to shed no tears either…I ain’t losing no sleep over that one.” His cold reaction only added fuel to the fire and seemed to be a green light for people to disrespect Heller even more. Pollack, however, is disappointed Cube was so dismissive of what Heller did for the group.
“First off, I was there,” she says of the group’s work with Heller. “I was working publicity for Straight Outta Compton. I was always in contact with Jerry throughout everything until he died. Ice Cube was very jealous of Eric. Eric ran the label, he was more charismatic—the whole thing. Eric and I had our conversations about it when they were in their feud and afterwards. A lot of people idolize Ice Cube—he’s famous, he has money, and he has written some great lyrics. The fact Cube is still bitter against Jerry is sad.”
Cube, of course, has his own side to the story. In an interview with Thrasher, he explained why he decided to leave N.W.A and pursue a solo career.
“We had all talked about solo projects,” Cube said. “Eazy had his solo project and then it was going to be the N.W.A album, then eventually I would do a solo project, then MC Ren. It was in the mix. I don’t think it would have happened as fast if I wouldn’t have left the group. And yeah, I was nervous about leaving the group, but I did what I had to do. I had no other option. It was either stay and know you getting fucked out some money, or leave and try to start a career from there. To be honest, I’d rather be broke than be in a major group and not be getting paid right.”
Fuck jerry heller.
Fucking pendejo.
If there ever is a time to let bygones be bygones, it is death. As a long time Cube fan I’m very disappointed in his reaction. So he didn’t get the contract he desired from Ruthless. In the long Cube made out okay. O’shea respect the dead before karma gets you back.
100% agree with you, This is why my stance on SOC being extremely flawed movie. I still think till this day Cube is Jealous of Eazy sounds crazy but I really believe he is. This is why I felt that downplayed Eazy extremely bad in that movie, they treated him bad, like when dre left it was over for Eazy, They could have showed some of his success with Bone, or him going to the White house or Him getting that 50 million dollar deal from Relativity. Cube had the perfect opportunity to glorify Eazy in the biggest way, but he choose to drag him. Cube was always Jealous of Eazy because Cube wanted to be the certified ganster he wasnt Eazy went from his homeboy to his boss. Now I know for a fact he was jealous of Eazy he can’t even show respect to a guy that help change his life. Plus I’ve heard that cube got the same contract at priority that ruthless offered him
Difference between jealousy nd not being paid something you created… Cube and Dre both gave eazy his lyrics and beats fuck a friendship its just good business to not try to starve out the two most pivotal people in your career… Fact of the matter is Jerry and e starved those boys out and paid them when they felt like cube said in the movie Jerry nd , were ruthless and they were just nwa… If you wrote a gold album and produced an album and then turned and did the group’s album you’d love to be paid the same as the nugga you MADE famous. say you wouldn’t. I know if I make it I won’t starve my boys
Nigga Eazy was the BOSS the CEO he was the one that put the money up to start Ruthless, Dre and Cube didn’t put up shit, so when a album goes Gold you really think they going to make the same amount of money as Eazy? You go start a company spend 6 figures when it takes off pay your employees the same amount you make that sounds dumb as hell. They didn’t get starve out they got just as much as the would have got at any other label, Dre and Cube did their jobs produce and write lyrics, but you don’t come in with leverage if you don’t have a name, most people that are new to anything have to gain leverage before renegotiating. Stop believing everything Ice Cube says but I’ve seen one interview were he said he didn’t get paid for touring and then years later another were he says he did get paid. Ice Cube didn’t sign that contract because he knew it would have obligated him to the group he wanted to be a solo artist, Ruthless was going to give him a solo album too, but he knew he had some leverage in terms of fame his name was out there. There was a book written by a former executive from priority records like 12 years ago in that book he stated that the same contract Cube sign at Priority was the same exact contract that Ruthless offered him.
Yall would let Ice Cube sell yall land on Mars, stop believing everything cube said Jerry didn’t take that boy money he was offered
75k he didn’t want it because he felt like he deserve more. Jerry and E put the money the money up so it’s crazy to think you were going to get the same amount as them
At the end of the day there is no respect for someone taking food you earned off of your table to feed there’s
*theirs
First off I hear you when you say let bygones be bygones but Jerry didn’t. He talked about IceCube like a dog still, in TV interviews, and different radio shows across the board and you think Cube should forgive that Ah Nooo, I definitely wouldn’t.
Any person wants to be paid their worth and he wasn’t. He was writing some of biggest records at that time why shouldn’t he get paid, same goes for Dr. Dre he was producing tracks he to should’ve been paid accordingly..
We all love Eazy in his grave but he shouldn’t have let Jerry divide the group up and yes I believe there was probably a couple things that shouldn’t have been in the movie like Easy downsizing cribs but we don’t know what happened for sure maybe he did. Also remember seeing a interview with MC Ren saying he wasn’t happy with Easy years ago so if Easy was doing right at the time he wouldn’t have wanted to leave either.
Really Jerry dissed Cube? When where? Go ahead and paste the link on here for me.
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Fuck all ya’ll…Heller was a demon…he fucked up a good group now everyone must feel sorry for him because his dead…Bone and all them fuckers who are still with ruthless can make their own movie…Cube is very successful and Dre…why would they be jeloius…leaving N.W.A was the best decision they took…
Bone been off Ruthless for like 15 years bro, shouldn’t speak on something if you don’t have the facts. Cube was always Jealous of Eazy many people have stated this a lot of people that were around at that time, Cube still lived at home with his mom, cube wanted to be a street guy but he wasn’t, he was famous and not good at pulling women, he was upset that Eazy was his boss, he was upset because he knew Jerry before Eazy so when he wanted to leave he expected Jerry to side with him, but Jerry was invested in Ruthless
These are all things I’ve seen from interviews of people that were around N.W.A.
EAZY E WAS FAMOUS OF WHAT CUBE WROTE FOR HIM, LAST TIME I CHECK GHOST WRITERS GET PAID CUBE DIDNT
I’m sorry but what exactly did Ice Cube say that was so bad? All he said was he had no emotions about his passing, nothing bad nothing good. I think that’s a perfectly fine way to act.
How old is Ice Cube now? Forgiveness is the answer, just let it go and you’ll have much more peace. Bitterness and resentment are like drinking poison and hoping it kills the other person.
Rest in Piss, Jerry. Snake A.s.s J–_—E–_—W
Nah, Cube don’t have to respect nothing that has to do with Heller. NONE of us were there and to think just because you saw a movie you actually know what was going on with the business back then? Cube has his reasons why he didn’t like Heller, he felt like he wasn’t being treated fairly and guess what, he did something about it. Same with Dre. Heller had more than enough opportunity to make things right and he didn’t. I don’t think Cube said anything disrespectful, he just said he ain’t losing sleep, and he shouldn’t. Heller took his money!
Yall would let Ice Cube sell yall land on Mars, stop believing everything cube said Jerry didn’t take that boy money he was offered
75k he didn’t want it because he felt like he deserve more. Jerry and E put the money the money up so it’s crazy to think you were going to get the same amount as them
By the time the contracts even came up, NWA and Ruthless were already making MILLIONS. You think it’s fair that Heller and Eazy, who’s net worthop combined were in the tens of millions, get paid while everyone else was getting less that 100k? Fuck out of here with that. 75k might be a lot to you, but when you do a lot of work for something, you should be adequately compensated for that work. 75k wasn’t even a quarter of what they owed Cube, Dre, Ren and Yella.
j.ews enslaved us. are you miserable in life? blame j.ews. who run the world? j.ews!!! j.ews!!!
Cube a fake ganster rapper one of the fakest, He tried to come off heartless, but he looks bitter still which says a lot about
him now. Jerry must have fucked his wife too or something get over it cube.
Cubes a Gee..period.Nobody talks about it because he moves silent. Say what you want about him but do some research.Fuck N.W.A check his solo career from THEN on. Timeless. Not to mention his movie game…. Could you imagine life without the Friday series? He seems to be a good father. His kids respect him… Wtf is realer than that?? what about that is fake? is it because he didn’t end up in jail, shot etc. #Thiserahasnorespect
Nope all that is respectable but what’s fake is the I’m the hardest rapper in the world attitude. He is suppose to be the good guy
the family man that’s why him not understanding in time of death you don’t try to pretend like someone is your enemy when really the guy help Cube out, not saying Cube didn’t help Jerry either but when someone dies just reflect on one good thing at least, Cube is out here acting like him and Jerry got in shootouts or Jerry tried to kill his wife or something it wasn’t no were near that serious. Also another fake thing is that movie full of lies, Cube got his ass beat by Cold 187 in the movie he act like it was a brawl. He’s fake because he is a pretend gangbanger who never gangbang a day in his life. He is with out a doubt the fakest tough rapper ever.
What Cube did was immature period you Cube fans can slice it anyway you want but if you didn’t have anything good to say could have easily ask the interviewer not to ask you about the man.
Game vs Ice Cube who’s more of a fraud??
I see it as this everybody on here against what Eazy E and Jerry Heller, put up all your money in your bank right now on something that might or might not work with no help money wise from the group you are trying to bring up. And if it succeeds then take that money and split it evenly throughout the group with out pulling your money that you put in. Does that sound fair huh……. just like I thought you or I were not there to see the transactions take place I damn sure ain’t believing a movie that was created or produced by 2 of the guys that left the group. Fact of the matter is jerry heller took a big chance on them boys and granted it worked but business is business don’t jump in the game with not knowing how it works then complain after the fact when u already in contract. Heller was a typical manager specially at that time nobody else took a shot at them and put their career and neck on he line for that group but Jerry Heller, so no matter what cube should be thanking that man till his day. A wise man once told me business is business learn to separate it from friends and family cause it will break it apart no matter how hard u try not to give in. The disrespect of some of yall kids I swear with out Jerry Heller there would be no nwa, no ice cube, no dre, no bone thugs, no eminem, no 50 cent did I get my point across cause if that don’t make sense obviously u ain’t to bright and kno how nothing works in life and it’s really something you suck at for real. Now I am a big bone thugs fan and even they talk down about him but doesn’t mean I have to let that affect how I feel what that man did for hip hop or gangsta rap in the early 80s and 90s he is a legend due to the group he got started and that they made after the fact throughout the years of rap. Think before you sign no matter how big the contract is young ones
Right on! If only people knew how messed up showbiz can be, it’s evil! Rappers nowadays sign 360 deals look that up its crazy it puts the rapper in debt before they sell a single album.
Nwa for life
That movie was fake. That wasn’t EZs first time rappin, heller managed dre’s group da wrecking cru and qube’s cia. dre’s baby momma was a rapper not some girl livin in her car bitchen at him. Dre beat the shit out of her. It’s their spin.