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Eazy-Duz-It

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Untitled

Eazy-Duz-It is the debut album of rapper Eazy-E, released on September 16, 1988, through both Ruthless and Priority Records. The production by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella was deemed dense and funky by critic Jason Birchmeier.[1] The pieces were written primarily by Eazy-E, MC Ren, Ice Cube, and The D.O.C.. The album's title track features Eazy rapping about himself and things that he does. "Boyz n the Hood" and "No More ?'s" are about life in Compton, California and the gangster lifestyle.

The album charted on two different charts and went double platinum (2,000,000 sales) in the United States despite minimal promotion by radio and television. Three singles were released from the album, each charting in the US. Critical reception on Eazy-Duz-It was generally positive, with Jason Birchmeier rewarding the album four out of five stars, and Robert Christgau giving it a C+.

Recording and production

Eazy-Duz-It was recorded at Audio Achievements in Torrance, California from 1987 to 1988.[2] The album's writing was a three-pronged effort involving Eazy-E, MC Ren, Ice Cube, and The D.O.C.. MC Ren's writing style was described by Marcus Reeves, author of Somebody Scream!: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power (2009), as "elaborate storytelling and acrobatic verbiage", while the D.O.C.'s included "syllabically punchy boasts" and Ice Cube wrote, "masterfully insightful first-person narratives." Ice Cube's writing was often inspired by comedians like Richard Pryor and Rudy Ray Moore.[3]

The album's production, almost solely done by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, was praised by several critics. Jason Birchmeier from Allmusic gave a considerable amount of attention to the album's production, saying that "Dr. Dre and Yella meld together P-Funk, Def Jam-style hip hop, and the leftover electro sounds of mid-[19]80s Los Angeles, creating a dense, funky, and thoroughly unique style of their own."[1] Birchmeier would also write that some songs—"Eazy Duz It", "We Want Eazy", "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn", and "Radio"—are all heavily produced and have "layers upon layers of samples and beats competing with Eazy-E's rhymes for attention."[1] Rapper Kanye West also touted Dr. Dre's production on the album.[4]

Composition

Glen Boyd of Blogcritics said that the album has "Deep-ass bass lines, old-school funk samples, and plenty of street smart ghetto attitude are what powers this record."[5][6] Jerry Heller wrote that Eazy raps more up front on the album then he does on Straight Outta Compton, and insists that the album's lyrics contain more sexual humor than gangsta vibe.[7]

The album's title track, "Eazy-Duz-It", opens with a little girl acclaiming Eazy-E's style. Eazy then interrupts saying "Bitch shut the fuck up, get the fuck outta here." This is followed by a bass line provided by Dr. Dre. Soon, Eazy begins to rap about himself and things that he does. The song declares that Eazy is a "hardcore villain" who collects money from his prostitutes, and feels great when his "pockets are fat."[8] The chorus, repeated three times, states that he "is a gangsta having fun". The piece is laden with the aural mainstays of gangsta rap, including gunshots, and references to several drugs.[8]

"Eazy-Duz-It"
The album's title track is a heavily produced song from the album.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Boyz n the Hood" was written by Ice Cube, with some contribution by Eazy-E. The song is about growing up in Compton, California, and describes the gangster lifestyle. It conceives the "ghetto landscape as a generalized abstract construct… [and] also introduces a localized nuance that conveys a certain proximity, effectively capturing a narrowed sence of place through which young thugs and their potential crime victims move in tandem," as put by cultural historian Murray Forman.[8]

"No More ?'s" is similar to "Boyz n the Hood" in its theme. The piece begins with an interview between Eazy and a female journalist, who asks about his childhood. Eazy explains (in verse) that he was ruthless, in a gang, "specialized in gankin," (loosely, to steal from) and had no respect for rules. He is then asked if he has ever been in an armed robbery. He responds "you mean a 211?". The following verses tell of Eazy's exploits as a thief and thug.[8]

Reception

Commercial performance

The album received little attention from radio and television stations, but got support from Los Angeles's hip-hop underground.[9] On May 20, 1989, it peaked at number 41 on the Billboard 200, and since 1989, was in various places on the chart for 90 weeks. It peaked at number 12 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart on March 11, 1989. Since the album's release, it has charted on the chart on 51 different weeks.[10] On February 15, 1989, the album was certified Gold (500,000 sales) by the Recording Industry Association of America, and on June 1, 1989, it was certified Platinum (1,000,000 sales). It received its peak certification of Double Platinum (2,000,000 sales) on September 1, 1992.[11][12] In 1989, it had sold over 650,000 copies,[13] and by early 1995, Eazy-Duz-It had sold between 2 million and 2.5 million copies.[14][15][16] On February 11, 1989, "We Want Eazy" charted on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at number 43. It stayed on the chart for 15 weeks.[17] The song also charted at number seven on the Hot Rap Songs chart.[18] "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn", the album's third single, peaked at number 84 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts on May 6, 1989, where it would maintain some lower position on the chart for six weeks.[19] "Eazy-Duz-It" charted on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart at number 39.[18]

Critical response

Allmusic's Jason Birchmeier praised the album, rewarding the album four out of five stars. Birchmeier noted that "the album plays like a humorous, self-centered twist on Straight Outta Compton with Eazy-E, the most charismatic member of N.W.A, front and center while his associates are busy behind the scenes, producing the beats and writing the songs."[1] He compared it to N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton, which Eazy also performs on, saying that Straight Outta Compton is "more revolutionary," but claimed Eazy-Duz-It to be Straight Outta Compton's "great companion" and to have showcased N.W.A's style.[1]

Music journalist Robert Christgau gave the album a C+, saying that Eazy "hides" behind his record label with such quotes as "I might be a woman beater but I'm not a pussy eater."[20] Soren Baker from the Los Angeles Times called it a "landmark albums brimming with violence, profanity, sexually explicit content and antigovernment themes," and said that it established Eazy as a "major player in the rap industry"[14] Daniel Kreps of the Los Angeles Times called it a solo "solo masterpiece," and said that it was evidence that Eazy was one of the best rappers ever.[21] Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly described the album as "an obscenity-littered depiction of violent, hollowed-out life in Compton."[22]

Shan Fowler from PopMatters said that it received "underground success."[23] Glen Boyd reviewed the album on the online newspaper Seattle Post-Intelligencer, noting that it "paved the way for all of the groundbreaking music which came later." Boyd also said that songs like "Boyz In The Hood" and "Radio" would establish "the street buzz that N.W.A would later ride to platinum selling success as the first true West Coast rap superstars."[5] Jon Wiederhorn from MTV wrote that it "demonstrated Eazy's knack for provocative lyrics," and also said that it paved the way to Straight Outta Compton.[24]

Track listing

# Title Performers[25][26] Writers[25][26] Samples[27] Length
1 (Prelude) "Still Talkin'" Eazy-E Eazy-E, Ice Cube, The D.O.C. 3:51
2 "Nobody Move" Eazy-E, The D.O.C. , Ice Cube, MC Ren Eazy-E, MC Ren
  • "Sixty Minute Man" by Rufus Thomas
  • "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" by Yellowman
 4:49
3 "Ruthless Villain" MC Ren, Eazy-E MC Ren, Eazy-E 2:59
4 "2 Hard Muthafucker's" MC Ren, Eazy-E Eazy-E, MC Ren
  • "Ruthless Villain" by Eazy-E
 4:26
5 "Boyz-n-the-Hood (Remix)" Eazy-E, Ice Cube Eazy-E, Ice Cube 6:22
6 "Eazy Duz It" Eazy-E Eazy-E, MC Ren 4:21
7 "We Want Eazy" MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren 5:01
8 "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn" Eazy-E, Dr. Dre Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren 3:41
9 "Radio" Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, MC Ren MC Ren, Eazy-E 4:58
10 "No More ?'s" Eazy-E Eazy-E, Ice Cube 3:55
11 "I'mma Break It Down" Eazy-E, MC Ren Eazy-E, MC Ren 3:29
12 "Eazy-Chapter 8 Verse 10" Eazy-E Eazy-E, Ice Cube
  • "Sing Sing" by Gaz
 2:11

Personnel

The following personnel can be verified by both Allmusic and the album's notes.[25][26]

  • Big Bass Brian - Mastering
  • Dr. Dre - Producer and performer
  • The D.O.C. - Writer and performer
  • Eazy-E - Executive Producer and writer and performer
  • Eric Poppleton - Photography
  • Donovan Sound - Engineer
  • Yella - Producer
  • Ice Cube - Writer and performer
  • MC Ren - Writer and performer

Release history

Year Type Edition Label Catalog Ref
1988 CD — Ruthless 57100 [28]
1988 CD Clean Ruthless 57111
1988 CS Clean Ruthless 571114
1988 LP — Priority 571001
1990 CS — Priority 57100
1991 CD — Universal Music Distribution ? [29]
1993 CD — BCM Records 555612 [30]
2002 CD — EMI 5410412 [28]
2002 CS Bonus Priority Records 41041 [31]
2002 CS Priority Records 41041
2002 LP Priority Records 41041
2002 DI Bonus Clean Priority Records 42067 [32]
2003 DI — EMI Digital 0049925710052 [33]
2003 DI — EMI Digital 0049925711158 [34]
2010 DI "Uncut Snoop Dogg Approved" Priority Records 26868 [35]
"—" denotes that it was a standard release.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Birchmeier, Jason. "Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy-E". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
  2. ^ "100 Greatest Artists: Dr. Dre | Rolling Stone Music | Lists". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  3. ^ McDermott, Terry (2002-04-14). "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ West, Kanye. "100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Dr. Dre". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
  5. ^ a b Boyd, Glen (2010-03-20). "Music Review: Eazy E - Eazy Duz It (Uncut Snoop Dogg Approved Edition/Remastered)". Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  6. ^ "Glen Boyd Writer Profile". Blogcritics. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  7. ^ Heller, Jerry (2007). Ruthless: A Memoir. Gallery. p. 121. ISBN 9781416917946. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b c d Woldu, Gail Hilson (2010-10-30). "Eazy Duz It—Again and Again". The Words and Music of Ice Cube (1 ed.). Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 20–21. ISBN 9780275990435. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ Reeves, Marcus (2009). "Niggas Selling Attitude". Somebody Scream!: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power (1 ed.). 18 West 18th Street, New York 10011: Faber and Faber. p. 101. ISBN 9780865479975. Eazy-Duz-It went gold with much support from L.A.'s hip-hop underground but little radio of video promotion. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help)CS1 maint: location (link)
  10. ^ "Eazy-Duz-It" - Eazy-E". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  11. ^ "RIAA Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  12. ^ "Gold & Platinum - February 05, 2011". RIAA. 1999-03-16. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  13. ^ Hilburn, Robert (1989-04-19). "Yo, Rap!". Orlando Sentinel.
  14. ^ a b Baker, Soren (2005-03-27). "He Made It Look Too Eazy". Los Angeles Times.
  15. ^ "Early Mourning | News | EW.com". Entertainment Weekly. 1995-03-31.
  16. ^ Pareles, Jon (1995-03-25). "Eazy-E, 31, Performer Who Put Gangster Rap on the Charts". The New York Times.
  17. ^ "We Want Eazy - Eazy-E". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  18. ^ a b "Eazy-E". Rovi Corporation. allmusic. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
  19. ^ "Eazy-Er Said Than Dunn - Eazy-E". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  20. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: Album:Eazy-E: Easy-Duz-It". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
  21. ^ Kreps, Daniel (2010-03-26). "Flashback: Remembering Eazy-E". Los Angeles Times.
  22. ^ Snierson, Dan (1995-12-29). "Bowing Out | News | EW.com". Entertainment Weekly.
  23. ^ Fowler, Shan. "N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton - PopMatters Music Review". PopMatters. Retrieved 2011-01-31.
  24. ^ Wiederhorn, Jon. (2002-07-31). "N.W.A Classics To Be Reissued With Bonus Tracks". MTV.
  25. ^ a b c "Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy-E". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  26. ^ a b c Eazy-Duz-It (Media notes). Ruthless Records. 1988. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ Search results for 'eazy-e'.". The-Breaks.com. Received 2010-12-04
  28. ^ a b Birchmeier, Jason. "Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy-E". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  29. ^ "Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy-E". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  30. ^ "Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy-E". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  31. ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Eazy-Duz-It [Bonus EP] - Eazy-E". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  32. ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Eazy-Duz-It [Clean] [Bonus EP] - Eazy-E". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  33. ^ "Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy-E". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  34. ^ "Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy-E". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  35. ^ "Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy-E". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
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