Eazy-E - Eazy-Duz-It (25th Anniversary)

Compton's most notorious entrepreneur made his solo statement with Eazy-Duz-It, the 1988 debut reissued here as a 25th anniversary edition on a single LP.

Released on Ruthless and Priority the same year as N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton, the album helped define the sound and swagger of West Coast gangsta rap. Dr. Dre and DJ Yella handled production, building thick, funk-heavy beats around Eazy's high, sneering delivery, while MC Ren, Ice Cube and The D.O.C. supplied much of the writing. The result is raunchy, cartoonish and confrontational, often all at once, with more mischievous humour than its reputation suggests.

The title track opens with a twisted take on a children's TV jingle before Eazy barges in, and We Want Eazy turns his name into a crowd chant over a booming groove. Still Talkin' sets the tone with brash, rapid-fire bravado, while Radio rides a bouncing, sample-heavy beat that sums up the album's playful menace. Production throughout is lean and punchy, with plenty of space for the bass to rattle.

Rude, loud and hugely influential, Eazy-Duz-It is a cornerstone of West Coast hip-hop and a vivid portrait of a scene about to explode. Few debuts have aged with this much attitude intact, and fewer still sound this gleefully unrepentant.