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In the hallowed halls of hip hop producers, there is no name more respected than Dr. Dre. The mad scientist from the West Coast has his fingerprints all over masterpieces that span decades.
From his breakthrough in the 1980s with N.W.A., to his mentorship of rap icons in the ensuing years, Dr. Dre has maintained an unshakable presence in the music industry throughout his career. Add his entrepreneurial greatness to his list of accolades, and you have the makings of a grand success story straight out of Compton.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date: February 18, 1965
- Birth Place: Compton, California
- Nick Name: Dre, Dr. Dre
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
- Siblings:
- Warren Griffin III (stepbrother)
- Shameka Crayon (stepsister)
- Tyree Crayon (stepbrother; deceased)
- Jerome Crayon (stepbrother; deceased)
- Children:
- Curtis Young (b. 1981)
- LaTanya Young (b. 1983)
- Andre Young Jr. (1988-2008)
- Marcel Young (b. 1991)
- Truice Young (b. 1997)
- Truly Young (b. 2001)
- Partner/Spouse: Nicole Young (m. 1996; div. 2021)
- Most Successful Songs: “
- Nuthin’ but a G Thang” (feat. Snoop Dogg)
- “Let Me Ride” “Still D.R.E.” (feat. Snoop Dogg)
- “Forgot About Dre” (feat. Eminem)
- “The Next Episode” (feat. Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg)
- Net Worth: Estimated value of $820 million (as of 2022)
- Social Media:
- twitter.com/drdre
- instagram.com/drdre
- facebook.com/DrDre
- Major Awards:
- 6x Grammy Award winner
- 2x American Music Award winner for Favorite Artist
- Rap/Hip Hop 2x Hustler of the Year
- BET Hip Hop Awards
- Last updated: June 5, 2022
Early Years
The man who would become rap’s resident Doctor was born André Romelle Young on February 18, 1965, in the city of Compton. At the time of his birth, his rather young parents—Theodore and Verna Young—were pursuing music careers. As a matter of fact, Dre’s second name was inspired by the Romells, one of the bands that his father performed with.
Meanwhile, Dre’s mother Verna decided to quit her own group (which went by the name “The Four Aces”) when she became pregnant with him at the tender age of 15. After divorcing Theodore in 1972, Verna remarried several times. Because of her marriage to a man named Warren Griffin, Dre became a stepbrother to Warren Griffin III, who would go on to be the West Coast rapper Warren G.
Dre’s school and home life was rather chaotic. Since his family frequently moved residences—with stops in Compton, Long Beach, and Watts, among other locales in California—Dre also had to attend several different schools. It became increasingly apparent, though, that academics were of little interest to him.
Music had become Dre’s passion, and when he was gifted with a music mixer on Christmas Day in 1984, he wasted no time in transforming his family’s house into a studio. As a precursor of his infamous perfectionism, young Dre would spend several hours concocting music that suited his sublime taste.
Getting Started in the Business
Seeking ways to further hone his talents in music production, Dre started frequenting a Los Angeles nightclub called Eve After Dark. There, he carefully watched rappers and DJs entertain live crowds.
The atmosphere at Eve After Dark further cultivated Dre’s love for the turntables—a passion that significantly grew after Grandmaster Flash released the iconic DJ mix “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” in 1981. It was also in this nightclub that Dre first crossed paths with Antoine Carraby (better known as DJ Yella), who would be his future cohort in the N.W.A.
Now going by the name Dr. Dre (inspired by NBA star Julius “Dr. J” Erving), the aspiring producer joined DJ Yella in the Los Angeles electro group World Class Wreckin’ Cru. In a span of two years, the group released two albums: “World Class” in 1985 and “Rapped in Romance” in 1986.
Among the group’s singles was “Surgery,” which Dr. Dre had actually begun working on prior to joining the group. Selling 50,000 copies in the Compton area, “Surgery” turned out to be a hit for the up-and-coming Cru. Other members of the group included the rapper Lonzo, as well as singers Mona Lisa and Michel’le (who was romantically linked to Dre at the time).
Taking the Mainstream by Storm
While performing for World Class Wreckin’ Cru, Dre and Yella started producing tracks for a new label called Ruthless Records. This label was co-founded by music manager Jerry Heller and Los Angeles-based rapper Eric “Eazy-E” Wright (whose initial investment came from illicit drug dealings). Along with Dre and Yella, Eazy-E recruited O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson to write songs for Ruthless Records.
In 1986, Eazy-E asked the New York group H.B.O. to record the song “Boyz-n-the-Hood,” a collaborative work of Dre and Ice Cube. When H.B.O. refused to do so, Dre convinced Eazy-E to record the song himself. The local success of “Boyz-n-the-Hood” became the catalyst for the formation of N.W.A., whose core group consisted of Eazy-E, Dre, and Ice Cube.
In 1987, N.W.A. added three more members: DJ Yella, Lorenzo “MC Ren” Patterson, and Kim “Arabian Prince” Nazel (who left the group in 1988 after royalty disputes). N.W.A also collaborated with Texas-based rapper Tracy “The D.O.C.” Curry, who co-wrote several tracks for the group. (Long after he left N.W.A., Dre would continue to partner with The D.O.C. in his own projects.)
The N.W.A. drew its power from the excellent production of Dre and Yella; and the superb writing skills of Ice Cube, MC Ren, and The D.O.C. After putting out an unremarkable compilation album (“N.W.A. and the Posse”) in 1987, the group released their seminal project “Straight Outta Compton” in 1988.
Dubbed as “reality rap” by Ice Cube, the album took an unabashed approach to social issues like police brutality, gang violence, and the drug trade. Songs like “F*** tha Police,” “Gangsta Gangsta,” and the album’s title track pulled no punches as far as aggressive lyrics go. With this wildly popular album, N.W.A. cemented their legacy as the forefathers of the gangsta rap genre.
The Dissolution of N.W.A.
However, the group that drew the ire of the FBI would soon aim their outrage at one another. Tension brewed between the group’s manager Jerry Heller and Ice Cube, who felt that his songwriting contributions weren’t netting him a fair compensation.
Ice Cube would go on to leave the group in 1989, and proceeded to exchange diss tracks with N.W.A. over the course of his solo career. In his notorious 1991 song “No Vaseline,” Ice Cube name-checks Dre and just about every other member of N.W.A.; and he all but names Jerry Heller as the source of the group’s dissension.
Though the remaining N.W.A. members released another studio album (“Efil4zaggin” or “Niggaz4Life”) in 1991, Dre also started to harbor feelings of dissatisfaction. To make matters worse, his friendship with Eazy-E started to deteriorate. As a result, Dre (along with The D.O.C.) left N.W.A. and Ruthless Records in 1992.
Soon afterwards, Dre and Eazy-E traded insults embedded in their respective songs. (They did, however, bury the hatchet shortly before Eazy-E’s untimely passing due to AIDS-induced pneumonia in 1995.)
Death Row Records
Dre’s next stop was Death Row Records, which he co-founded with Suge Knight. An intimidating strongman, Knight invested in Dre as a crown jewel of Death Row. In 1992, Dre released “The Chronic,” his first solo album and the next major step in the evolution of gangsta rap.
In “The Chronic,” Dre pioneered G-funk, a hip hop sub-genre characterized by elements of 1970s funk, multi-layered synthesizers, and deep bass. Though performers like Too $hort, E-40, and Above the Law had played a part in shaping G-Funk, it was Dre’s “The Chronic” that pushed the genre to new heights of technical brilliance, as well as critical and commercial acclaim.
“The Chronic” also featured a fresh wave of rappers who were chomping at the bit to make their mark in the industry. A year before the release of his first solo album, Snoop Dogg made waves with his “Chronic” collaborations with Dre (including “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,” “F*** wit Dre Day,” and “The Day the Niggaz Took Over”).
Aside from Snoop Dogg, “The Chronic” provided a launchpad for the careers of Kurupt, Nate Dogg, Warren G, Lady of Rage, and Jewell. The influential album went on to be certified triple platinum, while Dre himself won Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1994 Grammy Awards for the song “Let Me Ride.”
Despite this success, Dre’s relationship with Suge Knight and Death Row would unravel in the next couple of years. Dre was growing increasingly uncomfortable with Knight’s violent tendencies, as well as his alleged corruption. In March 1996—just three months after his historic collaboration with Tupac Shakur on “California Love”—Dre left Death Row to start his own record label.
Aftermath
With poetic flair, Dre called his new label Aftermath Entertainment. However, to say that Aftermath had a rough start would be a huge understatement. When Dre released the label’s initial outing (“Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath”) in November 1996, the project was met with a lukewarm response from his fanbase.
The following year, “The Album” fared even worse; despite being a collaborative effort of big names like Nas, AZ, and Foxy Brown, the plainly titled album produced by Dre was heavily criticized for leaning too heavily into pop elements.
Aftermath’s prospects looked bleak until one fateful recording session at the house of Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine in 1998. Iovine handed Dre a tape that one of his interns got from the 1997 Rap Olympics. Instantly floored by what he heard on the tape, Dre demanded to meet with the emcee as soon as possible.
That emcee was Marshall Mathers III, who went by the rap name Eminem. The Dre-Eminem pairing hit it off immediately; both the producer and the rapper were going through rough patches in their lives, and the music they made served to reinvigorate their respective careers.
In spite of protests from Aftermath executives, Dre signed Eminem to Aftermath in 1998. A year later, Eminem’s debut album with Aftermath (“The Slim Shady LP”) was released to critical acclaim. In 2000, “The Slim Shady LP” won Best Rap Album at the Grammy Awards, while its hit single “My Name Is” was recognized as Best Rap Solo Performance.
Under the tutelage of Dre, Eminem expanded his presence in the hip hop industry when he joined the powerhouse cast of “2001.” The sequel to the 1992 album “The Chronic,” “2001” saw Dre return to form with his masterful production and a star-studded lineup of rap artists dropping memorable verses. Long-time collaborators Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and MC Ren, graced the album, along with Xzibit, Hittman, and Mary J. Blige, among others.
In sharp contrast to Aftermath’s earlier outings, “2001” achieved both commercial and critical success. The album was eventually certified 6x platinum while also bagging two nominations and one win at the 2001 Grammy Awards.
The Eminem-Dre collaboration “Forgot About Dre” was recognized as Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (a category that included another “2001” single, “The Next Episode”). In addition, “2001” itself was a contender for Best Rap Album, though it lost to its fellow Aftermath project “The Marshall Mathers LP.”
Producer Extraordinaire
As the 21st century rolled along, Dre lent his Midas touch to the production of several successful hip hop tracks. His partnership with Eminem led to four more Grammys for Best Rap Album (thanks to “The Eminem Show,” “Relapse,” “Recovery,” and “The Marshall Mathers LP 2”).
Dre contributed verses and produced a handful of tracks for “Deuce,” the 2003 comeback album of his old friend The D.O.C. (whose larynx was critically damaged in a 1989 car crash). Dre was also instrumental in the rise of Aftermath talents 50 Cent, The Game, and Kendrick Lamar. In addition, Dre made his presence felt (as either a producer or guest rapper) in songs by artists like Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Timbaland, and Akon.
Amidst all the production that Dre did for other artists, his third studio album, “Detox,” was said to be in the works as early as 2001. However, Dre’s busy slate led to multiple delays; the album’s release date went from 2005 to 2007 to 2010.
Though artists such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and 50 Cent publicly stated that “Detox” was either partially or fully completed, Dre never got around to releasing the album. Only two songs from the “Detox” playlist were officially released: “I Need a Doctor,” featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey, and “Kush” featuring Snoop Dogg and Akon.
While the rest of “Detox” has never seen the light of day, Dre would eventually release a project that, in his mind, would be his swan song as far as studio albums go. In 2014, Dre served as a producer for the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton (alongside Ice Cube, with whom he had reconciled).
In August 2015—a few days before the film’s theatrical release—Dre announced that he would be releasing the album “Compton.” Inspired by the movie, Dre put together a fresh set of tracks brought to life by the old guard (including Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube) as well as young blood (such as Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak). The album essentially paid tribute to different parts of Dre’s life: his home city, his running mates in the N.W.A., and his new proteges.
As if to punctuate Dre’s significance in the music industry, he was chosen to headline the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show in Inglewood, California. The promotional material for the Halftime Show revealed his fellow performers at the event: Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.
The live performance also featured surprise appearances by 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. After the 14-minute performance ended with a powerful rendition of “Still D.R.E.,” Dre stood in the midst of his friends and frequent collaborators as he soaked in the applause of 70,000 strong. This image perfectly encapsulates the career of Dr. Dre, an unparalleled genius who elevates the music of other artists for the world to enjoy.
Legacy
The different chapters of Dr. Dre’s career add distinct layers to his legacy in hip hop. As a member of the N.W.A., Dre played a significant role in the emergence of gangsta rap while also helping to provide an uncensored voice for the social angst of his generation.
As a producer for Death Row and Aftermath, Dre has engineered numerous classics of the rap genre. The evolution of his production style—as seen in his solo albums as well as his contributions to other artists’ discography—illustrates how a musician stays relevant through reinvention.
FAQs
Answer: Though Dre is a shining example in light of his many triumphs, he also has a shady past, particularly with regard to his violent dealings with women. TV host Dee Barnes, rapper (and one-time Dre lover) Michel’le, and singer Tairrie B have all accused Dre of physical assault.
As a result of a lawsuit filed by Barnes, Dre rendered community service and took part in an anti-violence PSA that was shown on television. For his part, Dre has admitted that some allegations against his character are true; and he has claimed that “there’s no way in hell” that he will commit such “horrible mistakes” again.
Answer: Throughout his discography as a solo artist, Dr. Dre has not shied away from asking his peers in hip hop to craft lyrics for him. Two of his most popular songs—”Still D.R.E.” and “Forgot About Dre”—are mostly the handiwork of Jay-Z and Eminem, respectively. Other rappers who have written for Dre include Snoop Dogg, Royce Da 5’9”, Rakim, and Kendrick Lamar.
Answer: Dr. Dre’s relentless pursuit of perfection has propelled him to iconic status in the eyes of artists, entrepreneurs, and the masses of fans enjoying his music. Whether as a solo artist as a producer, Dre never wavers in his standards of structure, harmony, and originality.
Even his invention of Beats by Dre, a contraption meant to project music exactly as it is created in studios, serves as a testament to his stubborn dedication. Apple’s $3 billion acquisition of Beats proves how commitment to one’s craft can lead to unprecedented success. In this sense, Dre is an incredibly influential icon.
Bottom Line
In a genre of music that emphasizes cutthroat competition, Dr. Dre has carved a niche for himself as an artist who specializes in making others look (and especially sound) better. While legendary emcees have dominated the hip-hop industry with their unmatched rhymes and flows, Dre has set the bar awfully high for the concoction of musical backdrops that those verses can’t dispense with.
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