Jerry Heller, who once managed N.W.A. and was a co-founder of Eazy E’s Ruthless Records died in Los Angeles yesterday at the age of 75 after suffering a heart attack. Heller’s stature in the West Coast rap world was controversial because N.W.A. eventually questioned his business ethics and accused him of financial mismanagement. These allegations were mentioned in the movie Straight Outta Compton and Heller filed a lawsuit against N.W.A. and NBC Universal because he said the allegations were false and harmed his reputation. Whether he was a friend or foe to N.W.A. he was pivotal in the West Coast rap scene having worked with N.W.A., The D.O.C., Michel’le and The Egyptian Lover. In the ’60’s and ’70’s he worked on the tours of a plethora of rock and R&B acts including Elton John, Marvin Gaye and Pink Floyd among many others. Heller’s book, Ruthless: A Memoir was published in 2006 and he addressed many of the conflicts surrounding his time with N.W.A.Â
