Bone Thugs-n-Harmony -- AIDS Is Crippling Eazy-E's Legacy

Eazy-E doesn’t get the hip-hop cred he's due because he died of AIDS -- so say members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

“Some people seem like they are afraid to commemorate him due to how he died,” Bizzy Bone tells TMZ. “But Bone never once has -- nor will stop -- commemorating him.”

Eazy -- a founding member of N.W.A who discovered and mentored Bone Thugs -- died in 1995 at age 31. He left behind 7 kids with 6 different women.

But the guys from BT&H don't believe Eazy is getting the posthumous respect he deserves because of various stigmas attached to people who contract AIDS.

This sounds like a throwback to the dark ages ... the 1980s -- when people scoffed at the poor souls who died of AIDS because it was considered a "gay disease" ... and the guys from Bone Thugs are implying that Eazy is being unfairly painted with that brush.

In fact, Krayzie Bone tells us he thinks some people in the hip-hop community believe an AIDS death is an inferior, or less-manly way to die than say ... a shooting death -- like Biggie Smalls and Tupac.

"They died being known as gangsta heroes," Krayzie says ... "Eazy died from a disease ... so many look at that differently."

Flesh-n-Bone tells TMZ … the group plans to honor Eazy by performing “Foe Tha Love of $” with Eazy's hologram at the “Rock the Bells” festival in September and October.

“The success Eazy left to the rap game is enormous and can't be topped by anyone," Layzie Bone told TMZ. "We are going to make sure we have the stage full of Eazy love."