| MC Ren had a much less-celebrated solo career than most of his former bandmates in NWA, despite enjoying some commercial success. Born Lorenzo Patterson on June 14, 1969, Ren was recruited to join NWA in 1988 while still attending high school. He was a strong presence on the group's landmark Straight Outta Compton later that year, and also wrote several tracks for Eazy-E's solo debut, Eazy-Duz-It. Following 1991's Niggaz4Life, NWA disbanded acrimoniously, and Ren stuck with Ruthless Records, kicking off his solo career with the six-song EP Kizz My Black Azz in 1992. It sold well, making the Top Ten on the R&B chart and nearly doing the same on the pop side. Ren subsequently converted to the Nation of Islam, which helped out relations with the remainder of NWA; he patched up his differences with Ice Cube, and remained neutral in the heated feud between Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. |
