What record label did Eazy-E co-found in 1986?

Eazy-E co-founded Ruthless Records in 1986.

The label was established in Compton, California, by Eric “Eazy-E” Wright and music manager Jerry Heller. It became a crucial independent platform for West Coast rap, allowing artists associated with the emerging gangsta rap movement to release music outside the traditional major-label system.

Ruthless Records helped launch N.W.A, whose 1988 album Straight Outta Compton brought national attention to the group and its uncompromising depiction of life in South Central Los Angeles. The label also worked with acts including J.J. Fad, The D.O.C., and Above the Law.

A common mix-up is confusing Ruthless Records with Death Row Records. Death Row was founded later, in 1991, by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, The D.O.C., and Dick Griffey. Ruthless was an earlier enterprise tied closely to Eazy-E and Jerry Heller, and its catalog became central to the history of West Coast hip hop.