Eazy-E was supposed to play O-Dog in 1993’s Menace II Society, director Allen Hughes has revealed, but his attempts to “control” the movie resulted in him being dropped.
AL PEREIRA/GETTY IMAGES/MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES I YOUTUBE/BREAKFAST CLUB POWER 105.1
Hughes stopped by The Breakfast Club on Thursday (April 13), where he spoke about his admiration for Eazy-E and how the role was originally written for the late N.W.A legend.
Due to Eazy and his manager/business partner Jerry Heller’s insatiable desire to dictate the script, however, Hughes was forced to cut ties with the rapper, ultimately casting Larenz Tate as the hell-raising O-Dog.
The director said that the experience opened his eyes to what it was like working with Eazy and Heller and made him understand why Dr. Dre and Ice Cube left N.W.A.
“We wrote that role for Eazy-E,” Hughes said of O-Dog’s character. “Eazy-E was my first real O.G. mentor in the business, right [around] the summer when Dre left [N.W.A] in ’91. That’s a long story.
“I learned everything from Eazy, but one of the things with him and Jerry [Heller] is they always try to keep you in a box and control you. And they were trying to control us in the script and I just had to move on, and it was for peanuts.”
He continued: “I adore Eazy. He was so giving and so down-to-earth. By the way, great with his fans, too. Very patient with his fans. But I see why Cube left, I see why Dre left. There was a whole thing there.”
Ice Cube previously revealed that he was also offered the role of O-Dog before Larenz Tate, but turned it down because he didn’t want to be “type cast” as an actor — a decision he has later come to regret.
“I would say Menace II Society,” Cube said On The Guest List podcast last year when asked if there were any scripts he regrets passing on. “I had a shot to do O-Dog, even though I think Larenz Tate killed it. I just didn’t wanna be type cast, you know what I mean?
“I was like, ‘I just did Boys N The Hood and they just gonna have me be the L.A. gangbanger every damn movie?’ [Menace] was like the second movie I got offered, so I was like, ‘Nah, I don’t wanna play that.’ That was one movie that when I saw it I was like, ‘Oooh, that role is cold.’”
N.W.A was formed by Eazy-E alongside Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Arabian Prince in 1987, with DJ Yella and MC Ren joining shortly after.
Cube was the first to leave the polarizing West Coast group in December 1989 over royalty disputes between him and N.W.A’s business manager Jerry Heller.
Dre followed suit in 1991 after the release of the group’s final album N-ggaz4Life, which despite Cube’s absence was a huge commercial success, becoming the first album by a rap group to top the Billboard 200.
The legendary hitmaker jumped ship for Death Row Records after he was informed by co-founder Suge Knight that he was being shorted for his contributions as N.W.A’s primary producer and became upset with his contract with Ruthless Records.
“The split came when Jerry Heller got involved,” Dre told VIBE in a 1996 interview. “He played the divide-and-conquer game. He picked one n-gga to take care of, instead of taking care of everybody, and that was Eazy. And Eazy was just, like, ‘Well, shit, I’m taken care of, so fuck it.’”
News
Inside LeBron and Savannah James’ luxury billionaire lifestyle: the NBA star and his 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥hood sweetheart enjoy tropical holidays, wearing Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Rolex, and own several mansions
LeBron and Savannah James met in their teens and have been together ever since – and don’t shy away from PDA, with LeBron showing his ‘queen’ Instagram love for her recent 37th 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day From hanging with pals Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle…
Caitlin Clark’s Rookie Season: A New Era for WNBA Viewership
Caitlin Clark’s Rookie Season: A New Era for WNBA Viewership Caitlin Clark has taken the basketball world by storm in her rookie season, capturing the attention of fans and media alike with viewership numbers that are nothing short of remarkable….
John Stockton on the Greatness of Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: A Timeless Debate
John Stockton on the Greatness of Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James: A Timeless Debate In the ever-evolving landscape of basketball, the comparison between two of its greatest icons, Michael Jordan and LeBron James, continues to spark passionate discussions among fans…
Angel Reese Expresses Discontent with Shaquille O’Neal Over Comments at Wild’n Out Event
Angel Reese Expresses Discontent with Shaquille O’Neal Over Comments at Wild’n Out Event In a recent episode of the popular comedy show “Wild’n Out,” basketball star Angel Reese found herself at the center of a social media storm after expressing…
Russell Wilson showers his stepson Future Jr. with affectionate praise as he secures a job with the Steelers
Russell Wilson showers his stepson Future Jr. with affectionate praise as he secures a job with the Steelers . .
BREAKING! EuroLeague $100 Million Caitlin Clark Deal OBLITERATED WNBA Records!
Caitlyn Clark is contemplating a groundbreaking $100 million offer from the EuroLeague, a move that could reshape the landscape of women’s basketball and pose significant challenges for the WNBΑ. Αs one of the league’s brightest stars, her departure could devastate…
End of content
No more pages to load