Former N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller's death has inspired mixed reactions within the hip-hop community. Some people have praised him for his work in putting N.W.A. into the mainstream, while others have criticized him for long-standing allegations that he fleeced the group out of money. One person who surprisingly doesn't have strong feelings about the situation is Ice Cube.
The rapper sat down for a radio interview with Detroit's Hot 107.5 on Tuesday, where he was asked about Heller's death. Despite their long history of conflict—and the scorched earth attacks Cube launched against Heller on "No Vaseline"—Cube didn't seem to have much of an opinion about his death. "I didn't have no emotions," he said. "I'm glad I'm with DJ Yella, I'm glad I'm with MC Rehn today, it's only right." Cube went on to explain that he's moved beyond being upset with his former manager. "I ain't gonna pop no champagne but I ain't gonna shed no tears either. It is what it is... He's outta here. I'm not losing no sleep over Heller," he said.
Heller died on Sept. 3. Since his death, Heller's attorney has come out and blamed the 2015 N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton for his death. Heller was not happy about his portrayal in the film, which depicted him as a shady manager who appropriated the group's royalty money. Although this is consistent with what Ice Cube and Dr. Dre have said about Heller for years, it runs counter to Heller's continued claims that he never did anything wrong with regards to the group.
Heller had recently brought a $110 million defamation lawsuit against Dre, Cube, the estate of Eazy E, and the Straight Outta Compton filmmakers for portraying him as an "exploitative record label manager."
