Jerry Heller was an American businessman and rap music manager, best known for managing West Coast rap artists such as ‘N.W.A.’ and Eazy-E. Born and raised in Ohio, Jerry grew up in a Jewish middle-class family. His father worked as a scrap-metal dealer. His Jewish heritage made him go through a lot of trouble in his younger years, especially due to the anti-Semitic sentiments in his locality. Following his high-school graduation, he served in the ‘U.S. Army’ and attended the ‘University of Southern California.’ In the early 1960s, he launched his agency. The business flourished over the next decade, as he ended up representing renowned artists such as the duo ‘Ike & Tina Turner,’ ‘Humble Pie,’ and ‘The Grass Roots.’ In the 1980s, he understood the potential of the rap genre and began working with hip-hop artists such as the ‘LA Dream Team’ and the ‘World Class Wreckin’ Cru.’ In the late 1980s, he was introduced to Eazy-E, and they founded ‘Ruthless Records.’ The label stood strong for a while, even after ‘N.W.A.,’ one of their most profitable clients, disbanded. He has also been known as the man responsible for discovering/managing popular artists such as ‘The Black Eyed Peas’ and Dr. Dre.