Decades after the ’90s cult classic film, “Boyz N’ The Hood,” hit theaters, late director legend, John Singleton, was still getting a kick outta the sweet revenge he got on N.W.A. rapper/Ruthless Records founder, Eazy-E at that time. However, before we get into what transpired between those two legends, can y’all believe it’s been 30 years since “Tre” yelled “RICKYYYYYY!!!” in that alley? Good googly moogly, where’d the time go?!! Anywho, peep what Singleton said about Eazy-E below…
Eazy E’s Rejection & Singleton’s Payback
John Singleton was only 23-years-old and fresh outta college, when he directed the film…but he had a HUGE vision for it. In a 2016 interview with Vice, he revealed that when he’d written the “Boyz N’ The Hood” script, he wrote it specifically with the hopes that N.W.A.’s members would fill all of the significant roles.
Well, as y’all can see, Singleton only ended up with one former N.W.A. rapper in the film– Ice Cube. The rest of them declined, including the member John most wanted in it…Eazy-E. According to Singleton, Eazy dissed him…and this is what happened next:
Vice: Is it true you wanted the rest of NWA to be in the film as well?
John Singleton: They were supposed to be in it – that was my plan. The first time I met Eazy-E I said that I had this movie, but he wasn’t concerned about it.V: Is that why you had the guy wearing the “We Want Eazy” shirt getting beat up in the film?
JS: Yeah. That was Ice Cube’s first day of production. I called him up and told him to bring all his NWA paraphernalia to the set. And then all of a sudden the crackhead walks out and his shirt says says, “We Want Eazy.” Cube laughs, and I say, “Y’all gonna whoop his a$$!” I did that – that was me!
Gotta love the smell of a lil’ comical revenge. Even though Eazy-E rejected Singleton, there may have been a good reason why he declined…
Why Eazy Probably Declined Singleton’s Offer
The year was 1991, when “Boyz N’ The Hood” film released — but by that time as most of us, Old Schoolers, recall — Eazy had other issues to deal with. In 1989, Ice Cube left N.W.A., so once ’91 rolled around, Cube was in a full fledged rap war with his former group members, MC Ren, Eazy E., Dr. Dre, and DJ Yella.
In 1990, NWA released their infamous Ice Cube diss track on their “100 Miles and Running” EP, in which they rapped: “We started with five, but yo / One couldn’t take it—So now it’s four / Cuz the fifth couldn’t make it.” They also called Cube “Benedict Arnold” on that EP.
By 1991, Ice Cube hit back at his the group on the diss track, “No Vaseline,” with these bars: “You lookin’ like straight bozos / I saw it comin’ that’s why I went solo / Kept on stompin’ / When y’all Muthafuc*as moved Straight outta Compton / You got jealous when I got my own company / But I’m a man, and ain’t nobody helpin’ me.”
In 1991, there were further issues for Eazy-E. That same year, the man responsible for NWA’s signature sound, Dr. Dre, left the group too, and launched Death Row Records with Suge Knight. Other N.W.A. members eventually left also, due to reported money conflicts with Eazy-E.
So…yeah, the early ’90s was NOT a good time for John Singleton to get a N.W.A. collabo’ for “Boyz N The Hood.” The idea was great though.
