Eric Lynn Wright (* Born 7. September 1964 in Compton, California; He died from HIV/AIDS-related illness 26. March 1995 Los Angeles, California ). He is often referred to as the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap".

In 1986, at age 22, Wright had allegedly earned as much as US $250,000 from dealing drugs. However, after his cousin was shot and killed, he decided that he could make a better living in the Los Angeles hip hop scene, which was growing rapidly in popularity. He started recording songs during the mid-1980s in his parents' garage, thus starting Ruthless Records.