On this day in Hip-Hop history, Eazy-E released his second solo EP, It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa. Released one year after his first EP and a long five years after his debut album, Eazy-Duz-It, this album was a response to Dr. Dre’s prolific debut, The Chronic. Tensions became high between the two NWA heavyweights, and after the group’s 1991 split, the beef became public.
The West Coast was in a state of civil war. After NWA’s explosive breakup, its ex-members had no time to air their grievances on every other record they released. With Ice Cube attacking the Ruthless Records infrastructure and Dr. Dre siding with the enemy (Suge Knight and Death Row) to bring down all Eazy had built, Eazy-E had no choice but to respond as he did. He used the bulk of this album to state his opinion on Dr. Dre and his street authenticity, with each of the eight tracks on the EP attacking Dre’s image, originality, past, and current status in the rap game.
Aside from the disrespect that served as this project’s core, Eazy-E flexed his musical muscles with every track. Whether the inspiration surged from his emotional reaction to what was going on with his ex-bandmates or simply from him being a seasoned veteran of gangsta rap is uncertain. What can be seen and heard, however, is that Eazy-E ate his Wheaties before hopping on the microphone to lay down this EP. With this project, we hear Eazy more comfortable with his own flow, and who knows exactly where his lane is and how to be the fastest in it. His final completed work in life is a great depiction of his growth and maturity as an artist.
Commercially, the album was a success. Peaking at #5 on the Billboard 200 and claiming the #1 spot on the Top R&B/Hip Hop chart, It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa sold 110,600 copies in it’s first week and was certified double platinum in 1994.
