Eazy-Duz-It

Eazy-Duz-It was recorded at Audio Achievements in Torrance, California, in 1988. Marcus Reeves, author of Somebody Scream!: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power (2009) {{ISBN|9780865479975}}, described MC Ren's writing style 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.McDermott, Terry (2002-04-14). [https://web.archive.org/web/20100916205810/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/apr/14/magazine/tm-37890/10 "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics"]. Los Angeles Times.

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." 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." Rapper and producer Kanye West also touted Dr. Dre's production on the album.West, Kanye. [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/dr-dre-19691231 "100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Dr. Dre"]. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-01-16.

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."{{cite web |url=http://blogcritics.org/writers/glen-boyd/ |title=Glen Boyd Writer Profile |publisher=Blogcritics |access-date=2011-02-05 |archive-date=January 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123165823/http://blogcritics.org/writers/glen-boyd/ |url-status=dead }} Jerry Heller wrote that Eazy raps more up front on the album than he does on Straight Outta Compton, and insists that the album's lyrics contain more sexual humor than gangsta vibe.{{cite book|title=Ruthless: A Memoir|year=2007|publisher=Gallery|isbn=978-1-4169-1794-6|author=Heller, Jerry|author2=Reavill, Gil|author-link2=Gil Reavill|page=[https://archive.org/details/ruthlessmemoir00hell/page/121 121]|author-link=Jerry Heller|url=https://archive.org/details/ruthlessmemoir00hell/page/121}}

The album's title track and lead single "Eazy-Duz-It", written by MC Ren, opens with a woman 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." 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.{{cite book|last=Woldu |first=Gail Hilson|title=The Words and Music of Ice Cube|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-99043-5|edition=1|pages=20–21|type=Hardcover|chapter=Eazy Duz It—Again and Again|date=2010-10-30}}

{{Listen

|filename=Eazy-E - Eazy-Duz-It.ogg

|title="Eazy-Duz-It"

|description=The album's title track is a heavily produced song from the album.}}

"Boyz n the Hood" was written by Ice Cube, with some contribution by Eazy-E. It was originally released in 1986, two years prior and this album features a remix. 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 sense of place through which young thugs and their potential crime victims move in tandem," as put by cultural historian Murray Forman.

"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.

{{Album reviews

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/eazy-duz-it-mw0000203892|title=Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy-E | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|website=AllMusic }}

| rev2 = The Austin Chronicle

| rev2Score = {{Rating|3|4}}{{Cite web |last=Coletti |first=Christopher |date=December 13, 2002 |title=N.W.A. and Eazy-E |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2002-12-13/115007/ |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=The Austin Chronicle |language=en-US}}

| rev3 = RapReviews

| rev3Score = 8/10{{Cite web|url=http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_eazyduzit.html|title = Eazy-E :: Eazy-Duz-It :: Priority Records}}

| rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev4score = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite book |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=1992 |publisher=Random House |page=220}}

| rev5 = Spin Alternative Record Guide

| rev5Score = 7/10{{cite book |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |edition=1|editor1-last=Weisbard|editor1-first=Eric|editor2-last=Marks|editor2-first=Craig|publisher=Vintage Books |page=277 |date=October 1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8|title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide}}

| rev6 = The Village Voice

| rev6score = C+

}}

Music journalist Robert Christgau gave the album a C+, criticizing the thin beats and lyrics like "I might be a woman beater but I'm not a pussy eater".{{Cite web |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |date=April 15, 1989 |title=Consumer Guide |url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv489-89.php |access-date=March 16, 2024 |website=The Village Voice |via=robertchristgau.com}} The New York Times considered it "a wild party album" and "a throwback to knuckleheaded 60's hits like the Coasters' 'Yakety-Yak'—a welcome outbreak of silliness in today's earnest pop climate."{{cite news |last1=Leland |first1=John |title=Rap as Public Forum on Matters of Life and Death |work=The New York Times |date=March 12, 1989 |page=A29}}

AllMusic's Jason 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." 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.Birchmeier, Jason. [http://www.allmusic.com/album/eazy-duz-it-r27803/review "Eazy-Duz-It - Eazy-E"]. Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-01-16. The Spin Alternative Record Guide (1995) gave the album a seven out of ten rating, referring to it as "comparatively forgotten" compared to Straight Outta Compton, while noting it was a more funny, with "scraps of dialogue and mock interviews, more thoroughly cinematic" while that the albums attempts to promote Eazy-E as a major gangster was "nonsense".

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".Baker, Soren (2005-03-27). [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-27-ca-eazy27-story.html "He Made It Look Too Eazy"]. Los Angeles Times. Daniel Kreps of the Los Angeles Times called it a "solo masterpiece," and said that it was evidence that Eazy was one of the best rappers ever.Kreps, Daniel (2010-03-26). [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/staff-blog/flashback-remembering-eazy-e-20100326 "Flashback: Remembering Eazy-E"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719150057/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/staff-blog/flashback-remembering-eazy-e-20100326 |date=2014-07-19 }}. Los Angeles Times. Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly described the album as "an obscenity-littered depiction of violent, hollowed-out life in Compton."Snierson, Dan (1995-12-29). [https://web.archive.org/web/20090425192329/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,300158,00.html "Bowing Out | News | EW.com"]. Entertainment Weekly.

Shan Fowler from PopMatters said that it received "underground success."Fowler, Shan. [http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/n/nwa-straight.shtml "N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton - PopMatters Music Review"]. PopMatters. Retrieved 2011-01-31. Glen Boyd reviewed the album for Blogcritics, noting that it "paved the way for all of the groundbreaking music which came later." Boyd also said that songs like "Boyz-n-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."Boyd, Glen (2010-03-20). [http://www.seattlepi.com/pop/417146_129893-blogcritics.org.html "Music Review: Eazy E - Eazy Duz It (Uncut Snoop Dogg Approved Edition/Remastered)"]. Seattle Post-Intelligencer 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.Wiederhorn, Jon. (2002-07-31). [https://web.archive.org/web/20110925181854/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1456383/nwa-classics-be-reissued.jhtml?headlines=true "N.W.A Classics To Be Reissued With Bonus Tracks"]. MTV.

In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked the album 153rd on their list of "The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time".{{cite magazine |author= |date=June 7, 2022 |title=The 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-hip-hop-albums-1323916/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=June 26, 2022}}

Eazy-Duz-It was released on November 23, 1988.{{cite book|title=The History of Gangster Rap|last=Baker|first=Soren|date=2 October 2018|page=61|publisher=Abrams Image|isbn=978-1-4197-2915-7}} The album received very little attention from radio and television stations, but got support from Los Angeles's hip-hop underground.{{cite book|last=Reeves|first=Marcus|title=Somebody Scream!: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power|year=2009|publisher=Faber and Faber|location=New York|isbn=978-0-86547-997-5|edition=1|page=101|type=Paperback|chapter=Niggas Selling Attitude|quote=Eazy-Duz-It went gold with much support from L.A.'s hip-hop underground but little radio of video promotion.}} On May 20, 1989, it peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200, and since 1989, was in various places on the chart for over 90 weeks. It peaked at No. 12 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart on March 11, 1989. Since the album's release, it has been on the chart during 51 different weeks.[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=eazy-e|chart=all}} "Eazy-Duz-It" - Eazy-E"]. Billboard. Retrieved 2010-12-03. 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 by the RIAA of Double Platinum (2,000,000 sales) on September 1, 1992.{{cite web|title=RIAA Searchable Database|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Eazy-E&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America|access-date=2010-11-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924151824/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Eazy-E&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25|archive-date=2015-09-24}}{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum.php |title=Gold & Platinum - February 05, 2011 |publisher=RIAA |date=1999-03-16 |access-date=2011-02-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101210073830/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum.php |archive-date=2010-12-10 }} In 1989, it had sold over 650,000 copies,Hilburn, Robert (1989-04-19). [https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1989/04/19/yo-rap/ "Yo, Rap!"]. Orlando Sentinel. and by early 1995, Eazy-Duz-It had sold 2.5 million copies.[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,296620,00.html "Early Mourning | News | EW.com"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111182621/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,296620,00.html |date=November 11, 2011 }}. Entertainment Weekly. 1995-03-31.Pareles, Jon (1995-03-25). [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60617FA345A0C7B8EDDAA0894DD494D81 "Eazy-E, 31, Performer Who Put Gangster Rap on the Charts"]. The New York Times. On February 11, 1989, "We Want Eazy" charted on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at number 43. It stayed on the chart for over 15 weeks.[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=eazy-e|chart=all}} "We Want Eazy - Eazy-E"]. Billboard. Retrieved 2011-02-05. The song also charted at number seven on the Hot Rap Songs chart.{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=eazy-e-p33/charts-awards/billboard-singles/title-asc|pure_url=yes}} |title=Eazy-E |publisher=allmusic |work=Rovi Corporation |access-date=2010-11-30}} "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn", the album's 3rd 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.[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=eazy-e|chart=all}} "Eazy-Er Said Than Dunn - Eazy-E"]. Billboard. Retrieved 2011-02-05. "Eazy-Duz-It" charted on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart at number 39. In August 2015, a couple weeks after the release of the N.W.A. biopic film, Straight Outta Compton, the album re-entered the chart at No. 32 on the Billboard 200, out-peaking its original peak position in 1989.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6677553/nwa-first-top-40-hit-hot-100|title = N.W.A Takes over Charts, Gets First Top 40 Hit on Hot 100| magazine=Billboard }}

• All songs produced by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella

{{tracklist

| total_length = 50:00

| title1 = Still Talkin{{'-}}

| note1 =

| writer1 = {{flatlist|

• The D.O.C.
• Ice Cube{{cite web|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DrilYGU4xRY&t=58s|title=The D.O.C. Explains How He Hooked Up with Dr. Dre & NWA|publisher=YouTube|date=2015-12-09|access-date=2019-11-23}}

}}

| extra1 =

| length1 = 3:51

| title2 = Nobody Move

| note2 =

| writer2 = MC Ren

| extra2 =

| length2 = 4:49

| title3 = Ruthless Villain

| note3 = featuring MC Ren

| writer3 = MC Ren

| extra3 =

| length3 = 2:59

| title4 = 2 Hard Mutha's

| note4 = featuring MC Ren

| writer4 = MC Ren

| extra4 =

| length4 = 4:26

| title5 = Boyz-n-the-Hood (Remix)

| note5 =

| writer5 = Ice Cube

| extra5 =

| length5 = 6:22

| title6 = Eazy-Duz-It

| note6 =

| writer6 = {{flatlist|

• MC Ren

}}

| extra6 =

| length6 = 4:21

| title7 = We Want Eazy

| note7 = featuring MC Ren and Dr. Dre

| writer7 = The D.O.C.

| length7 = 5:01

| title8 = Eazy-er Said Than Dunn

| note8 =

| writer8 = Dr. Dre

| extra8 =

| length8 = 3:41

| title9 = Radio

| note9 =

| writer9 = MC Ren

| extra9 =

| length9 = 4:58

| title10 = No More ?'s

| note10 =

| writer10 = Ice Cube

| extra10 =

| length10 = 3:55

| title11 = I'mma Break It Down

| note11 =

| writer11 = MC Ren

| extra11 =

| length11 = 3:29

| title12 = Eazy-Chapter 8 Verse 10

| note12 =

| writer12 = B.U.L.L.S.H.I.T. (Uncredited)

| extra12 =

| length12 = 2:11

}}

• The original cassette & LP excluded "Ruthless Villain".
• The 2002 re-release includes the 1992 EP 5150: Home 4 tha Sick.

The following personnel can be verified by the album's notes.{{cite AV media notes |title=Eazy-Duz-It |others=Eazy-E |year=1988 |type=CD |publisher=Ruthless Records }}

• Eazy-E - Executive producer and performer
• Dr. Dre - Producer and performer
• Yella - Producer
• MC Ren - Writer and performer
• The D.O.C. - Writer and performer
• Ice Cube - Writer and performer
• Stan the Guitarman - Guitar/bass
• Big Bass Brian - Mastering
• Eric Poppleton - Photography
• Donovan "The Dirt Biker" Smith - Sound engineer

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=Eazy-Duz-It|artist=Eazy-E|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1988|salesamount=2,500,000|salesref={{cite web|author=Jon Pareles|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/28/obituaries/eazy-e-31-performer-who-put-gangster-rap-on-the-charts.html|title=Eazy-E, 31, Performer Who Put Gangster Rap on the Charts|publisher=New York Times|date=March 28, 1995|accessdate=August 25, 2024}}}}

{{Table end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Eazy-E}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Ruthless Records albums

Category:Eazy-E albums

Category:1988 debut albums

Category:Albums produced by Dr. Dre

Category:Albums produced by DJ Yella