A year after the release of the highly successful N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A’s original manager Jerry Heller has passed away at the age of 75. According to multiple reports, the cause of death was a heart attack. On Friday, September 2, he was rushed to Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California, where he was pronounced dead.
Heller’s cousin Gary Ballen confirmed the news to Billboard. TMZ reports Heller was involved in a car accident on Friday morning and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries shortly before his death.
Heller was best known for kicking off N.W.A.’s lucrative career in the ’80s after teaming up with the late Eazy-E to launch Ruthless Records. The record label also jumpstarted the careers of several R&B and Hip Hop stars such as J. J. Fad, Michel’le and the D.O.C.
