Hello again! Back with another one yall. Let’s get right into it.

I’ve decided to get somewhat on the serious tip with this post, so please follow me. 15 years ago this year, a true pioneer and legend in the game of hip hop was taken from this earth. That legend, that pioneer, that groundbreaking businessman and innovator is Eazy-E, founding member of possibly the greatest group in hip hop of all time, N.W.A. , as well as the founder and owner of Ruthless Records.
It seems that there are a few anniversaries we’ll be commemorating this year with groundbreaking artists; two that immediately come to mind are the recently-passed 13th anniversary of the murder of The Notorious B.I.G., as well as what will be the one-year anniversary of the passing of the irreplaceable King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in June.

But things with Eazy-E are just a little bit different. I’m sure many of you reading this were alive when Eazy passed, but then again, some of you reading this may be a bit too young to remember, so I’ll keep it brief, yet informative. The importance of the passing of Eazy-E is not only in the fact that he was such a towering figure in all of hip hop and music, but also because, for the first time, the hip hop community was really and truly waken up to the real threat of HIV and AIDS. Until Eazys’ passing, and yes, even in 1995, HIV and AIDS was still something that was seen as taboo in many circles in the hip hop community. I can personally say that at the age of 13 (the age I was when he passed away) I was still pretty in the dark about the effects of AIDS and how it was contracted.

To me, Eazy-E was still the whole mastermind behind N.W.A., and seemed pretty invincible in my young eyes. Think about it! From videos like “Straight Outta Compton”, “100 Miles and Runnin” and so many more ( a lot of which are my favorites), many of us got the impression that Eazy and N.W.A. pretty much ruled the world, and by their own rules. From the sold out shows, to the legions of fans, to the platinum albums, to him mentoring and starting the career of Bone Thugs -N-Harmony,  and everything in between, and even a letter of warning from F.B.I. that they received for the song “F#@$ The Police”, I was thinking that Eazy pretty much couldn’t be touched by anything or anybody!

And then came the news that he had died AIDS-related complications. Like everyone that was a young hip hop head, I was shocked, speechless, and just didn’t know what to think. The truth of the matter is, Eazy’s death helped on some respect to wake us up as a community to the way AIDS would subsequently ravage communities and families all over the world. True, in many respects, we as the general public are still in the dark with the truth about HIV and AIDS.

But with someone of such caliber as Eazy-E in the eyes of a young hip hop fan succumbing to AIDS, there’s nothing like someone that a person either knows, knows of, or is a fan of to snap you out of your lull and make your realize that NO ONE is invincible. We only get a set amount of time on this earth, and we have to be careful and wise in how we use it and how we spend it. And with that said, we as a community of hip hop and music fans, and as people in general, MUST continue to educate ourselves, our friends, families and communities about the REAL and EXISTING THREAT that is the AIDS virus. It’s still alive and kicking people, and if recent events are any indication, it’s not going anywhere any time soon. So… PROTECT YOURSELF AND THOSE YOU LOVE! I don’t know how much more plainly I can say it.

In closing, I want to say that I continue to pray for the soul of Eazy-E, as well as his family, and I hope that he is in a better place right now. Thanks again for following and reading this entry. I really hope that you gained something from it and that you’ll use the Eazy-E as a chance to go out and do your own research, whoever you are. It’s not a game and it’s not a joke.

Until next time, take care.