Longstanding independent music label Ruthless Records will hit the ground running this year with a string of new albums, as it celebrates 20 years of existence.

Despite Ruthless Records’ unprecedented success with rappers like NWA, The D.O.C., Above The Law, JJ Fad, Michele, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and others, the company suffered a major setback when founder Eric "Eazy-E" Wright succumbed to AIDS in 1995.

After a legal battle over Eazy-E’s estate and a public dispute with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony which eventually saw the group leave the label, Eazy’s wife Tomica Woods-Wright has relaunched Ruthless Records.

As President and CEO, Woods-Wright recently renegotiated its distribution deal with Sony and is gearing up to unveil a diverse line up of artists, including rapper/songwriter/producer Hopsin and bilingual pop song bird Agina.

"It's about one thing right now, the artists -- what their contributions will be and the next layers they will add to the legacy of the label," Woods-Wright stated.

The new artists are the latest entertainers to be associated with Ruthless, which was founded in 1987 by the late Eric "Eazy-E" Wright.

The rapper started the label with $7,000 of his own money as well as 5,000 twelve-inches of his single, "Boyz N The Hood."

In addition to Hopsin and Agina, the label will release albums this year from R&B singer Nashay, rapper Stevie Stone and rhyme collective Street Runnaz Click.