Jerry Heller, the Ruthless Records co-founder and one-time manager to N.W.A, has passed away at the age of 75, according to social media posts from those who knew him.

TMZ is reporting that Heller had a medical emergency while driving in Ventura County, California on Friday morning. He reportedly collided with another vehicle and was brought to the hospital. The publication hasn’t confirmed whether Heller’s death was caused by the medical emergency or the crash.

Born in 1940 and growing up in Cleveland, Heller eventually went on to work with some of the biggest names in music in the ’60s and ’70s, including Journey, Marvin Gaye and Pink Floyd. In the ’80s, he became instrumental in bringing West Coast rap music to prominence, co-founding Ruthless Records with Eazy-E and managing N.W.A for several years.

Together they released Straight Outta Compton in 1988, a triple-platinum record that changed the course of Hip Hop and that is widely considered by critics as one of the greatest albums of all time.

The group parted ways in 1991, with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre blaming Heller for splitting them up over bad business and exploitation. Cube went on to release “No Vaseline,” a scathing diss track aimed at Heller and the rest of the group, scolding Eazy-E for having “a white Jew tellin’ you what to do.”

The film version of the group’s story was a major hit in theaters last year, grossing more than $200 million worldwide. It also led to Heller filing a $110-million lawsuit against the filmmakers over his depiction in the movie, which he said was inaccurate in places and lifted without permission from his memoir in others.

I’m still here with his Mom his Aunts nieces ODM Lil Uno Crazy Joe Jammin James and Tony I’m sitting here still tripping that My Homie won’t be able to pull through the rigors of what happened to our boy and from what I see his spirit and soul have left his body and he has begun his journey with the Lord I will say he looks real peaceful and the last time he was seen alive was on the corner of koval and flamingo he asked Crazy Joe to drop him off where 2PAC was shot they let him off on that corner with a 12 PAC of beer a pint of vodka and a pack of smokes He was smiling and said he would be OK there that was Friday night July 2nd on July 7th he was found barely breathing in a coma state they brought him in as a John Doe he suffered cardiac arrest and had severe burns from hours in coma in the hot Vegas sun on further test our little buddy was already going through kidney and liver failure the neurologist told me personally that nothing can be done he is clinically brain dead he told me they were manipulating his breathing and now we wait with tears in my eyes for his mom to give the word to take bobby off life support I can see the pain in her eyes and I know its going to be the hardest thing she has ever done in her life this is very surreal I ain’t slept in over 24 hours but I just can’t leave like this I watch ODM now sitting next to his rhyme partner people we all matter this is something that I never thought I’d witness but I’m here asking the Lord to be with my boy and his family in their time of need.