Thug Life Army

On September 6, Capitol/Priority Records will commemorate the 41st anniversary of late west coast rap icon Eazy-E's September 7, 1964 birth and the tenth anniversary of the rap icon's 1995 death by releasing Eazy-E - ''Eternal E: Gangsta Memorial Edition'', a deluxe CD/DVD package.  The expanded set includes 16 Eazy-E songs, seven music videos starring Eazy-E and the previously unreleased song "A Lil'' Eazier Said" from Eazy-E's son, the 21 year old emerging rap artist, LIL'' E. The DVD also includes three HIV/AIDS Public Service Announcements. At the age of 31, Eazy-E died on March 26, 1995 due to AIDS-related causes.

Eazy-E was born Eric Wright on September 7, 1964. He rocketed 'straight Outta Compton'' to rap gangsta superstardom with Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and Yella in N.W.A

Eazy-E became one of rap's most important figures by paving the way for the rap businessman.  The Compton rapper-executive took the then-revolutionary step of launching his own Ruthless Records in the mid-1980s and helped to popularize gangster rap with his solo recordings and as a member of N.W.A, the controversial rap super group.

"He started the whole gangster rap era," says LIL'' E, Eazy-E's son.  LIL'' E's "A Lil'' Eazier Said," a previously unreleased update of Eazy-E's classic "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn" single, is included on Eazy-E - ''Eternal E: Gangsta Memorial Edition''.  "There wouldn''t be nothing - not 2Pac, not Biggie, not 50 Cent, not Dr. Dre, not Eminem - if it wasn''t for my father," LIL'' E continues.  "He started it. He's the Godfather of gangster rap."

In addition to LIL'' E's new track on the new ''Eternal E'' package, the set's DVD includes three Rap-It-Up Public Service Announcements, produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation and BET. The PSAs are designed to foster HIV/AIDS awareness through celebrating Eazy-E, a rap legend who fell victim to the epidemic.

In a March 2005 article paying tribute to Eazy-E and his musical legacy, the Los Angeles Times called Eazy-E's ''Eazy-Duz-It'' and N.W.A's 'straight Outta Compton'' "landmark albums" and continued, "These albums established Eazy-E, from the then-little known suburb of Compton, as a major player in the rap industry."  'straight Outta Compton'' also earned the ranking of #144 on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" and was ranked #10 in Spin magazine's July 2005 tally of the "100 Greatest Albums 1985-2005."

Eazy-E - ''Eternal E: Gangsta Memorial Edition'' is the most complete tribute available for one of rap's most significant figures.

"This album keeps his legacy pushing and keeps his name out there," LIL'' E says.

Tracklist for ''Eternal E: Gangsta Memorial Edition'':

CD                                      DVD

1.      Boyz-N-The Hood (remix)         1.  We Want Eazy

2.      8 Ball (remix)                  2.  Only If You Want It

3.      Eazy-Duz-It                     3.  Eazy-er Said Than Dunn

4.      Eazy-er Said Than Dunn          4.  100 Miles & Runnin''

5.      No More ?'s                     5.  Neighborhood Sniper

6.      We Want Eazy                    6.  Straight Outta Compton

7.      Nobody Move                     7.  Appetite For Destruction

8.      Radio                           *** + 3 Rap-It-Up HIV/AIDS Public Service Announcements

9.      Only if You Want it

10.     Neighborhood Sniper

11.     I''d Rather F*** You

12.     Automobile

13.     Niggaz My Height Don''t Fight

14.     Eazy Street

15.     Real Muthaphukkin G's

16.     Ole School S***

17.     A LIL'' Eazier Said, featuring LIL'' E (previously unreleased)

OTHER EAZY-E TITLES:

N.W.A.:

''N.W.A. and The Posse'' (1987)

'straight Outta Compton'' (1988)

''Niggaz4life'' (1991)

''100 Miles and Runnin'' (1990)

''EFIL4ZAGGIN''  (DVD, 1992)

Eazy-E:

''Eazy-Duz-It'' (1988)

''Eternal E'' (posthumous, 1995)

'str8 Off Tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton'' (posthumous, 1998)

''The Impact of a Legend'' (posthumous EP/DVD, 2002)

Eternal E: ''Gangsta Memorial Edition'' (to be released September 6, 2005)