Yellow Brick Road (an Eazy-E Story)

THIRTY THREE

May 13th, 1993 • Eric

"I'm here kicking it with Eazy-E and MC Ren of NWA, the world's most dangerous group!" Fab 5 Freddy held the microphone close to my face for an interview. The lights above the cameras were blinding me a bit. I left my Locs in the car when I should've brought them.

"What's up, man?" I said to Freddy as he shook my hand after shaking Ren's.

"Oh! Look who is here!" Freddy pointed the microphone to Chris Rock who appeared behind him. "The man of the hour and the star of CB4, Chris Rock! What's up, man?"

Chris Rock extended his hand to me and I shook it.

"How did I do?" He asked me nervously. "You're not going to beat my ass, are you?"

"I thought it was cool." I said with a tilted head. "I might have my girls beat your ass though." I said as I pointed to my new girl group, Gangsta Bitch Mentality. CB4 was a parody of NWA, essentially. He portrayed me throughout the movie and asked me to make a cameo in the film, which I came through for.

Tonight was the premiere of it and media was covering the event. I popped a red sucker in my mouth as the interview continued on.

"So, what's up with your new album, man? Talk to the people." Freddy adjusted the frames on his face, pushing the microphone into my face.

"Well uh, we got Ren coming out soon. My album is coming soon. We just shot the video for Neighborhood Sniper, so look out for that real soon." I said with a smile as I let the sucker melt on the side of my cheek.

"Right on. Now, what about a new NWA album? Any news of a reunion?"

I looked at Ren and laughed before I turned back to Freddy, who was waiting for me to answer him.

"If Dre stops acting like ain't 'Nuthin But A G Thang' and the money is right, I'd say there's still hope for a reunion." I said with a laugh.

"Ren, what you got to say to that?" Freddy put the mic to Ren's chest. All that nigga did was smile and shrug his shoulders.

"So, you're cool with everyone else?" Freddy put the microphone back to me.

"I'm cool with Yella, Ren, and Cube. Dre? Not so much." I took the sucker out of my mouth and pointed it at the camera. "We're staying sucka-free in ninety-three!"

Compton, CA • Lauren 

I watched Eric's live interview on the television screen in front of me as Tonya kicked her feet up on the couch that she and Ren picked out. Her stomach was getting bigger each time I had visited her. 

"He called Dre a sucka. Ain't that some shit?" Tonya laughed outward from her protruding stomach as she held on to it. I couldn't help but smirk at he television set as he popped the sucker into his mouth, adjusting the brim of his snapback. 

"You know Nicole is going to call your ass tonight complaining." Tonya added as the laughter died down. "I can hear her whiny ass voice now." She said with another string of chuckles coming out of her mouth. "What E said about Dre isn't cool, L. You need to stop this!" She mocked Nicole's tone of voice. 

I let a laugh leak from my lips as I covered my mouth with the palm of my right hand. Tonya locked gazes with me, causing me to burst into complete laughter. "Why you do Nicole like that?" I asked between chuckles. "Cause you know that's exactly how she sounds!" Tonya raised her voice over the interview that was still taking place. 

"I can't lie, she does sound like that." I agreed with Tonya as she rubbed her stomach over her much-too-tight tee. The waist band of her cotton shorts were snug around her growing stomach. "You think they're ever going to make up one of these days?" Tonya looked at me for a moment.