Former N.W.A. manager talks gangsta rap

AP: How do you feel today, looking at what gangsta rap has become?

Heller: Imagine me walking into Joe Smith’s office, he’s chairman of Capitol Records, I play him the record. ... He said, “You’re trying to tell me somebody’s gonna listen to this, or play it, or buy it? The day that happens I’ll retire.” Joe Smith remains one of the giants of the music business and I love him dearly. I said, “Joe, I remember when radio wouldn’t play the Rolling Stones singing ‘Let’s Spend the Night Together.’ Times change. This is the music of the future.” He says, “I love the name Ruthless. I’ll give you a million dollars for the name. But as far as this other stuff, you better stop getting high.”

AP: What did you think that day you first met Eazy and he played you his song “Boyz-n-the-Hood”?

Heller: It just totally blew me away. It was a combination of The Last Poets, Black Panthers, Gil Scott Heron and the Rolling Stones. If I wasn’t so old I wouldn’t have been able to relate to it. I thought: This is the most important music I’ve heard since the beginning of rock ’n’ roll.

AP: You were right, although some people would still argue with you.

Heller: This was the first time that the voices of our inner city were heard. The only question in my mind was how could we water it down so white people would buy it.

AP: It turns out white folks took it straight up.

Heller: We did one thing. Who were the biggest acts in the world in 1987? Guns N’ Roses and Metallica. I shamelessly pandered to surfers and skateboarders, and in pictures from then you’ll see Slash and those guys wearing N.W.A. stuff. If they thought it was cool, people in Kansas and Wyoming would buy it. That’s how we broached the subject. Because no question this was the most important music of the second half of the 20th century.

AP: What’s next for you?

Heller: We’re putting together the movie version of the book. To play Eazy, I hope we get Larenz Tate. When I look in his eyes, I see Eazy inside there. I have talked to Game about playing Suge Knight. And these are just talks right now, but I’ve talked to Bruce Willis about playing me.

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