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Ruthless Records
Parent company	Sony BMG
Founded	March 3, 1987
Founder	Eazy-E (Eric Wright) Jerry Heller
Distributing label	Priority Records Relativity Records Epic Records (U.S.)
Genre	Gangsta Rap
Country of origin	USA
Location	Los Angeles, California
Official website	http://www.ruthlessrecords.com/

Ruthless Records is an imprint record label formed by Gangsta rapper Eazy-E with partner Jerry Heller in Eazy-E's home town of Compton, California in 1987. The label is credited with pioneering the gangsta rap genre of West Coast hip hop, and later, G-funk.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Eazy-E's Foundation 1.2 Death Row Records and the Jewish Defense League 1.3 Following Eazy-E's Passing 2 Studio Albums 3 See also 4 External links

With Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, Eazy-E formed the rap group N.W.A..

Other artists on the label included: Above the Law, Penthouse Players Clique, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, The D.O.C., Blood of Abraham, Steffon, Young E, Kokane, Brownside, Tairrie B, Kid Frost, A.L.T., Shaki aka Dirty Red, Slow Pain, N.W.A., Laylaw, Mister D & Sleepy Malo, Leicy Loc, Menajahtwa, Pistol, Black Eyed Peas formely known back then as Atban Klann (although no album dropped) and J.J. Fad.

In 1995, Eazy-E was diagnosed with AIDS and died shortly thereafter. After his death, the label was taken over by his wife, Tomica Wright. Ruthless Records is now a division of Epic Records.

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During Dr.Dre’s defection from Ruthless Records there was a fear of further violence. Ruthless Records executives, Mike Klein and Jerry Heller sought assistance from the Jewish Defense League (JDL).[1] Mike Klein, former Ruthless Records director of business affairs said "The League offered to provide bodyguards to Eazy-E when Knight allegedly threatened him in the early 1990s." This provided Ruthless Records with muscle to enter into negotiations with Death Row Records over Dr.Dre’s departure. While Suge Knight violently sought an outright release from Ruthless Records for Dr.Dre, the JDL and Ruthless records management were able to sit down with Death Row and negotiate a release in which the record label would continue to receive money and publishing rights from future Dr.Dre projects. It was under these terms Dr.Dre left Ruthless Records and formed Death Row Records with Suge Knight. The DEA launched a money laundering investigation, assuming that the JDL was extorting money from Ruthless Records to fight their extremist causes. This led to JDL spokesperson Irv Rubin to issue a press release stating "There was nothing but a close, tight relationship" between Eazy-E and the League.

Jerry Heller has stated that Eazy E received death threats, and it was discovered that he was on hit list by some neo-Nazi skinheads. The FBI never bothered to inform Eazy that his life was in danger. Heller has also speculated that it may have been because of the Fuck Tha Police song. He also said "It was no secret that in the aftermath of the Suge Knight shake down incident where Eazy was forced to sign over Dr Dre, Michele and DOC, that Ruthless was protected by Israeli-trained, -connected security forces."[2] Jerry Heller maintains that Eazy E admired the group for their slogan Never Again, and that he had plans to do a movie about the group.

The label has had several distributors simultaneously. Early Ruthless releases were distributed by Macola Records, but that deal was short lived and the rights reverted to Ruthless. All of N.W.A's releases and Eazy-E's first two solo releases on Ruthless were distributed by Priority Records, and the rights to these releases are now held by Priority's new owner, Capitol Records. Releases by The D.O.C., Michel'le, and JJ Fad were marketed through Atlantic Records or its subsidiary Atco Records. These master rights are still held by Atlantic's parent company, Warner Music Group, while Above The Law's releases were marketed through Epic Records. In the early 1990s, Ruthless found more exclusive distribution through Relativity Records, formerly a heavy metal label. Relativity was later folded into its parent company, Sony Music.

1987

• N.W.A. – N.W.A. and the Posse Gold

1988

• Eazy-E – Eazy-Duz-It 2x Platinum
• J. J. Fad – Supersonic
• N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton 3x Platinum

1989

• The D.O.C. – No One Can Do It Better 2x Platinum
• Michel'le – Michel'le Platinum

1990

• N.W.A. – 100 Miles and Runnin' Gold
• Above the Law – Livin' Like Hustlers Platinum
• Tairrie B – Power of a Woman

1991

• N.W.A. – Efil4zaggin 2x Platinum
• Above the Law – Vocally Pimpin' Gold
• J. J. Fad – Not Just a Fad
• Jimmy Z – Musical Madness
• Who Am I? – Addictive Hip Hop Muzick
• Yomo & Maulkie – Are You Xperienced?

1992

• Eazy E – 5150: Home 4 tha Sick Gold
• MC Ren – Kizz My Black Azz Platinum
• Penthouse Players Clique – Paid the Cost

1993

• Eazy-E – It's on (Dr. Dre) 187^um Killa 3x Platinum
• MC Ren – Shock of the Hour Platinum
• Above the Law – Black Mafia Life platinum
• A.L.T. – Stone Cold World
• Blood of Abraham – Future Profits

1994

• Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – Creepin On Ah Come Up 4x Platinum
• Above the Law – Uncle Sam's Curse Gold
• Kokane – Funk Upon A Rhyme
• Steffon – Trippin' Wit No Luggage
• H.W.A. – Az Much Azz U Want
• Menajahtwa – Cha-Licious
• Atban Klan – Puddles of H20
• Pistol – Hittin Like a Bullet

1995

• Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – E. 1999 Eternal 6x Platinum
• Eazy-E – Eternal E Gold
• Frost – Smile Now, Die Later
• Tab & Da Villon – Do or Die

1996

• Eazy-E – Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton 2x Platinum
• N.W.A. – Greatest Hits Gold
• MC Ren – The Villain in Black Gold

1997

• Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – The Art of War (album) 4x Platinum
• Frost – When Hell .A. Freezes Over

1998

• Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – The Collection Volume One Platinum
• M.C. Ren – Ruthless For Life Gold
• Various Artists – Ruthless Records Tenth Anniversary Compilation
• Bizzy Bone – Heaven'z Movie Platinum

1999

• Krayzie Bone – Thug Mentality 1999 Platinum
• Various Artists – Turf Stories Soundtrack

2000

• Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – BTNHResurrection 2x Platinum
• Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – The Collection: Volume Two

2001

• L Burna aka Layzie Bone – Thug By Nature
• Krayzie Bone – Thug On Da Line

2002

• Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – Thug World Order Platinum
• Eazy-E – Impact of a Legend Gold
• Baby S – Street Fractions

2005

• Eazy-E – Eternal E - Gangsta Memorial Edition Gold
• Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – Greatest Hits 2x Platinum

2006

• N.W.A - "The Strength Of Street Knowledge" gold

2007

• Bone Thugs N Harmony - "T.H.U.G.S."
• Eazy-E - "Featuring... Eazy-E"

• Category:Ruthless Records albums

v • d • e Eazy-E
Albums	Eazy-Duz-It · 5150: Home 4 tha Sick · It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa · Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton · Impact of a Legend
Other albums	N.W.A. and the Posse · Straight Outta Compton · 100 Miles and Runnin' · Efil4zaggin · Eternal E · N.W.A.'s Greatest Hits
Singles	"Boyz-n-the-Hood" · "Eazy-Er Said Than Dunn" · "We Want Eazy" · "Neighborhood Sniper" · "Any Last Words" · "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" · "Muthaphuckkin Real" · "Just tah Let U Know"
Related articles	Discography · N.W.A. · Ruthless Records

J.J. Fad -Supersonic album Gold

                    -Supersonic single Gold

• Official website
• Eazy-E Timeline (broken link) and Biography of Eazy-E have some information on the founding of Ruthless Records.