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Former Music Manager of Rap Group N.W.A. Dies in Ventura County

The music manager credited with introducing the rap group N.W.A. to the masses has died following a traffic collision in Ventura County.

Authorities said Jerry Heller may have suffered a medical condition while driving a Lincoln sedan on Triunfo Canyon Road in Thousand Oaks just before noon on Friday.

Sheriff's investigators say he was approaching Westlake Boulevard when he rear-ended a mini-van, pushing it up and over the center median and it came to rest in the eastbound lanes of the roadway. Heller’s Lincoln ended up on the center median.

The minivan driver was treated at the scene for injuries and released. Heller was transported to Los Robles Hospital where he died Friday night. He was 75 years old.

Heller started his career in the 1960s as an agent and promoter, working with big names such as Pink Floyd and Marvin Gaye. He co-founded Ruthless Records with Eazy-E, which released NWA’s seminal album “Straight Outta Compton” in 1988.

Actor Paul Giamatti played him in last year’s movie of the same name. Heller sued the film’s producers for defamation, claiming it portrayed him as a villain.