Eternal E

by Eazy-E

Overview

Eazy-E enjoyed only a brief recording career, but the few albums and EPs he did release -- on his own as well as with his group, N.W.A -- were tremendously influential, setting the stage for the proliferation of West Coast gangsta rap in the early '90s. Showcasing some of the pioneering gangsta's most influential recordings, Eternal E serves as a summary of Eazy's solo highlights, including a couple N.W.A songs but only ones that were solo showcases. You get the standout songs from Eazy's debut album, Eazy-Duz-It (1988), as well as the bulk of his follow-up EP, 5150 Home 4 tha Sick (1992). But Eternal E stops there, unfortunately not including anything from the first-rate It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa EP or the third-rate Str8 off tha Streetz album. (Eazy's label, Ruthless, left its parent label, Priority, at this point, and Eternal E is a Priority release, meaning that post-Priority recordings such as those on It's On would have to be licensed for inclusion here -- a price the label seems unwilling to pay.) Even if Eternal E doesn't round up a full career retrospective, it does feature Eazy's key songs, namely his earliest ones, which boasted cutting-edge production work by Dr. Dre. So this best-of does serve its purpose fairly well, and might be the only Eazy album you'll need. Still, if it's one and only one Eazy album you want, you'd be better off with Priority's Eazy-Duz-It reissue from 2002, which includes that entire album plus the entire 5150 EP appended as bonus tracks -- giving you mostly everything here and much more. Either way though, you're getting a good portrait of Eazy's best solo music, with the exception of the It's On EP, which you'll definitely want to hear if you're a fan. [In 2005 Priority issued a Gangsta Memorial Edition that goes a long way toward making Eternal E definitive. Like the 2003 reissue, this edition adds a song each from It's On and Str8 (a move that is still cheap and still leaves more to be desired, but is better than nothing).] ~ Jason Birchmeier

Product Details

Release Date:	01/07/2003
Label:	Priority Records
UPC:	0724353949525

Tracks

1. Boyz-In-The Hood
2. 8 Ball
3. Eazy-Duz-It
4. Eazy-er Said Than Dunn
5. No More ?'s
6. We Want Eazy
7. Nobody Move
8. Radio
9. Only If You Want It
10. Neighborhood Sniper
11. I'd Rather F*** You
12. Automoblie
13. Niggaz My Height Don't Fight
14. Eazy Street
15. Real Muthaphuckkin G's
16. Ole School S***

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Eazy-E   Primary Artist,Vocals
Lil Eazy-E   Primary Artist
B.G. KnoccOut   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Guest Artist
N.W.A   Primary Artist
B.G. Knocc out & Dresta   Primary Artist
Lil' E   Primary Artist
Sylk   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Dresta   Guest Artist
Gangsta Dresta   Featured Artist
Ice Cube   Featured Artist
MC Ren   Featured Artist
Dr. Dre   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Peter Dokus   Photography
Vincent Brown   Composer
David Weldon   Composer
Lorenzo Patterson   Composer
Bobby Ervin   Producer
Kaygee Gist   Composer
Brian Overton   Composer
Dana Hursey   Photography
Alan Ramussen   Composer
Tracy Curry   Composer
Charlie Singleton   Composer
Lynette M. Jones   Liner Notes
Paul Turner   Composer
Rufus Thomas Jr.   Composer
Jerome "Rome" Jefferson   Composer
O'Shea Jackson   Composer
Mike Smooth   Composer
Abrim Tilmon Jr.   Composer
Khalid Keene   Composer
Andre Wicker   Composer
Arlandis Hinton   Composer
Jerry Long Jr.   Composer
Corey D. Lloyd   Composer
Gregory Frenard Hutchison   Composer
Zig Zag   Composer
Sir Mack Rice   Composer
Andre Young   Composer
Bernie Worrell   Composer
Bobcat   Composer
Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin   Composer
Ice Cube   Composer
Bootsy Collins   Composer
Cold 187um   Composer,Producer
Eazy-E   Composer,Musician,Producer,Executive Producer
Gary "Mudbone" Cooper   Composer
Charles Singleton   Composer
Eddie Floyd   Composer
Maceo Parker   Composer
Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins   Composer
Brian Gardner   Mastering
Rufus Thomas   Composer
Vernon Brown   Composer
Ted Howard   Composer
Nick Drake   Composer
Naughty by Nature   Producer
MC Ren   Composer
Threat   Composer
George Clinton   Composer
Manuel J. Donayre   Design
Yella   Producer
Anthony Criss   Composer
Antoine Carraby   Composer
Kokane   Composer
Dr. Dre   Composer,Producer
Keir Gist   Composer
Michael Bell   Composer
Jerry Long   Composer
Lamar Johnson   Composer
L. Johnson   Composer
Henrik Rasmussen   Composer
Eric Wright   Composer