Every rapper who dies gets blown up bigger then they should. I question that if BIG and PAC didn't die, would they really be considered as some of the "Best Rappers"?
N.W.A as a whole pioneered it. EZ was a part of that, so you can't take that away from him, but to me he just lacked...something. That to me is like saying the GZA stood out from Wu Tang. Which i guess he did, but in his own way.