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Dr. Dre

 
Who2 Biography: Dr. Dre, Rapper / Music Producer
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Dr. Dre
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  • Born: 18 February 1965
  • Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
  • Best Known As: Founding member of the gangsta rap group N.W.A.

Name at birth: Andre Young

Andre Young, a.k.a. Dr. Dre, co-founded the notorious rap group N.W.A. (with Ice Cube and Eazy-E). The group was one of the most successful hip-hop groups of the late 1980s and helped lay the foundations of what's known as West Coast gangsta rap. Dre's 1992 solo effort, The Chronic, was a critical and popular success and made his fame as a producer. He helped launch the careers of Warren G., Snoop Dogg, Eve of Destruction. In 1999 Dr. Dre helped produce Eminem's top-selling The Slim Shady LP, and in 2005 he was behind The Game's debut album, The Documentary.

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Black Biography: Dr. Dre
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Home > Library > History, Politics & Society > Black Biographies

rap musician; music producer; actor

Personal Information

Born Andre Ramelle Young, c. 1965, in Compton, CA; married Nicole Young, 1996; one son: Marcelle.

Career

Rap artist; record producer for various artists, including Eazy-E, the D.O.C., Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and 50 Cent. Began career as a DJ in high school, early 1980s; formed World Class Wreckin' Cru, 1982; released two albums; joined N.W.A., 1985; released three albums and one EP; produced eight albums for Ruthless Records; cofounded Death Row Records, 1991; released first solo album, The Chronic, Death Row, 1993; left Death Row and founded Aftermath Entertainment, 1996; released Dr. Dre Presents ... The Aftermath, 1996; produced The Album for The Firm, 1997; produced The Slim Shady LP, 1999; released Dr. Dre 2001, 1999; produced The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000, produced Get Rich or Die Tryin' for 50 Cent, 2003.

Life's Work

Though Dr. Dre's music career has not always been a "'G' Thang," (the "G" stands for "gangsta"), his own recordings combined with his production work made gangsta rap among the most vital pop genres of the 1990s. Born Andre Ramelle Young in Compton, California, Dre was raised by his mother. From the time he was four years old, he loved playing DJ at her parties. In 1981, he heard a song by Grandmaster Flash that inspired him to change his name in honor of basketball star Julius "Dr. J" Erving and become a full-time DJ.

Dre began spinning records at a Los Angeles nightclub called Eve After Dark. He produced the dance tapes in the club's four-track studio during the week, then played them on the weekends. In addition to using the rap trademarks of sampling, scratching, and drum machines, he added keyboards and vocals. "I would put together this mix shelf," Dre told Jonathan Gold in Rolling Stone, "lots of oldies, Martha and the Vandellas and stuff like that. And where normally you go to a club and the deejays play all the hit records back to back, I would put on a serious show. People would come from everywhere, just to see Dre on the wheels of steel."

In 1982, when Dre was 17 years old, he formed the World Class Wreckin' Cru with Yella (Antoine Carraby), his fellow DJ and manager of Eve After Dark. Dre's demo, "Surgery," became the group's first independently released single and sold 50,000 copies. Dre graduated from Compton's Centennial High School in 1983. Impressed with his studies in mechanical drafting, Northrop Aircraft offered him a job, but he turned it down. Dre discovered he could make more money as a DJ, and all of his spare time was spent preparing for the release of the World Class Wreckin' Cru's second album.

Dre left the World Class Wreckin' Cru in 1984. "They wouldn't do my songs," Dre said in a Death Row Records biography. "They said they'd never get on the radio." Dre joined with Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson), who was in a group with his cousin at the time. Together they performed live wherever they could, including dates at skating rinks, where they played in front of 2,000 people at a time.

Formed New Company

In 1985, Dre and Eazy-E (Eric Wright) decided to start up their own record company with Eazy-E's capital and Dre's producing talent. Dre produced the label's first project, "Boyz-n-the-Hood," featuring Eazy-E as the artist. They sold about 10,000 copies out of the trunks of their cars and used the money to finance the first single for their newly formed group, N.W.A. (Niggaz with Attitude) which included Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Yella, M. C. Ren (Lorenzo Patterson), and Arabian Prince. Dre wrote and produced the group's first single, "Dopeman." He also produced Eazy-E's first platinum album, Eazy-Duz-It, that same year.

NWA began its controversial and successful career in 1987 with the release of N.W.A. and the Posse on Macola Records. Two years later, the group released Straight Outta Compton on Ruthless Records and sold more than two million copies. Of course, the controversy behind the group and the album only assisted in launching their sales. Milt Ahlerich, assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Office of Public Affairs, wrote a letter to the group's parent record company objecting to the lyrics of the song "F--- tha Police." Police throughout the country added fuel to the fire by allegedly making it standard operating procedure to pull over any car driven by African-American men blaring N.W.A. "We loved the controversy," Dre said in his record company biography. "It's the reason we blew up as big as we did. It wasn't hurting us, it was helping us."

Keeping alive his career as a producer, Dre produced the D.O.C. (Tray Curry), a rapper he had discovered in Dallas, Texas. The D.O.C.'s album, No One Can Do It Better, became Number One on Billboard's R&B album chart, Number 20 on the pop chart, and reached platinum sales. The track, "It's Funky Enough," became a Number One rap single. Dre also produced an album for his former girlfriend, Michel'le, which went platinum and reached Number One on Billboard's R&B chart.

In January of 1990, Ice Cube left N.W.A. over a financial dispute and started a solo career. Later that year, N.W.A. released the platinum EP, 100 Miles and Runnin', on Ruthless Records. The group's third album, Efil4zaggin ("Niggaz 4 Life"), hit the stores in 1991, sold over a million copies in just two weeks, and reached Number One on Billboard's album chart.

N.W.A.'s success and controversy brought them lots of attention, and Dre began receiving attention for his antics outside of the recording studio. On January 27, 1991, Dre allegedly hit Denise ("Dee") Barnes, the former host of Pump It Up, a FOX-TV show, and tried to push her down a staircase at an L.A. nightclub. Pump It Up had aired a segment about the separation of Ice Cube and N.W.A., with Ice Cube and the members of the group talking about each other. N.W.A. and Dre decided the show made them look bad. After the incident, Barnes filed assault charges and a $22.75 million suit against Dre; he settled out of court.

Joined Marion "Suge" Knight

Later in 1991, Dre and Marion "Suge" Knight inspected Dre's contract with Ruthless Records. Dre, the house producer at Ruthless Records, had watched seven of the eight albums he produced go platinum. Knight claimed Ruthless had taken advantage of Dre by paying him a substandard royalty rate and withholding back pay. Dre left Ruthless, and Knight engineered his release from his contract with the label. Ruthless Records president Eazy-E claimed that he only agreed to end the contract because Knight and two other men threatened him with baseball bats and pipes.

"I got Ice Cube his start. I also launched Eazy," Dre said in his record company biography. "There ain't no question that N.W.A. became what it was in large part because of my music and my producing. Me and Eazy had agreed from Jump Street that we was to be partners. Now Eazy says he's the owner of the record company, Ruthless. Well, let him own it then. But I was never supposed to be signed to him or owned by him." Eazy-E filed suits against Dre at the end of 1991 and in late 1992 for racketeering and conspiracy. A federal judge dismissed the charges on August 9, 1993.

Suge Knight and Dre founded their own label, Death Row Records, and searched for major label distribution. They had Dre's first solo effort, The Chronic, completed by the time they formed a partnership with Interscope Records in 1992. "People didn't want to take a chance on us, and it [made me angry]," Dre said in Newsweek. "I mean, I had talent--talent that had already been proven with huge record sales from N.W.A.--so you had to wonder what ... the problem was."

Dre continued to keep his name in the press and on police records before the release of his solo album. On June 5, 1992, Dre surrendered to police after they had issued a warrant for his arrest on charges that he assaulted record producer Damon Thomas. Then, in October of 1992, Dre pleaded guilty to battery of a police officer during a May 22 brawl. He served "house arrest" sentences for each charge, which necessitated his wearing a police-monitoring ankle bracelet.

Success and Legal Trouble

In 1993, The Chronic arrived in stores--the first release for Death Row Records. It sold three million copies and spent eight months in the Top Ten of Billboard's album chart. The first single, "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang," sold more than a million copies, and "F--- wit Dre Day" went gold. The Chronic featured other budding rap artists from Dre's "posse," including Snoop Dogg, Rage, RBX, Jewell, Nate Dogg, Daz, and Kurupt. Dre then went behind the scenes of the music video business, following the release of the album with his directorial debut, Nuthin' But a'G' Thang.

Dre went on to produce the debut of Snoop Dogg, the best friend of Dre's brother, Warren Griffen III (Warren G). Doggystyle, released on Death Row, sold 800,000 copies in its first week. In August of 1993, Dre and other Death Row artists headlined a national tour that included Run-D.M.C., Geto Boys, Onyx, and Boss. The $200,000 stage show included a 14-piece band, a 1964 Impala, a makeshift liquor store, a garage, a 10-foot skeleton, and a 42-person entourage. Dre found himself in serious trouble in 1994. It began on January 10, when he led Los Angeles police through the streets on a high-speed chase. When Dre was finally apprehended, the police found his blood-alcohol level to be 0.16, twice the legal limit in California. Since he had broken his 1993 probation, he received an eight-month jail sentence, a $1,053 fine, four years summary probation, and an order to complete a 90-day alcohol education program.

Later that same year, Dre received a Grammy Award for best rap solo performance. He also produced the single debut of his brother, Warren G on Death Row's Above the Rim compilation. By August of 1994, albums he had rapped on or produced had sold nearly 28 million copies. On September 27, 1994, Death Row Records released Murder Was the Case, which featured a song by Dre and Ice Cube, "Natural Born Killaz." Dre also directed an 18-minute video, starring Snoop Dogg, Murder Was the Case: The Movie.

Dre and Ice Cube reunited on their album, Helter Skelter. The first single, "You Don't Want to See Me," featured an appearance by funk founder George Clinton. However, Helter Skelter's release was postponed due to Dre's jail sentence, which started on January 10, 1995. In the meantime, Dre contributed the single "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" to the soundtrack for Friday, a comedy film starring Ice Cube. Meanwhile changes were taking place inside Dre's head. "That was my wake-up call because all I could do in that cell was think," he told Newsweek's Allison Samuels and David Gates. "My mom said that going to jail was the best thing that could have happened to me, and she was right."

Left Death Row

Dre realized that the negative influences at Death Row were distracting him from his number one love--making music. A maturing Dre also felt that Death Row, constantly involved in one trouble or another, was a scene that was hindering the positivity he was feeling in his own life. He married in 1996 and considered himself a happily married man with children. However, his "happy" status was not part of Death Row's vision. As he told Vibe, "The mentality there [at Death Row] is, you have to be mad at somebody in order for yourself to feel good, even to be able to make a record." He added, "I have nothing bad to say about anybody that's with Death Row. It's just not my vibe."

In 1996, Dre stunned the rap world when he departed from Death Row, citing differences in philosophy. He had once hoped that the label would expand into other genres, including jazz, reggae, and "black" rock music. However, the irony was that gangsta rap--spurred by his own classic, The Chronic--continued to bring in the money, and according to Vibe, "Dre began to realize that no one else was seeing his larger vision for the label."

Dre started his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, as a joint venture with Jimmy Iovine's Interscope. Relishing his new autonomy, Dre asserted in Vibe, "Now I'm gonna be able to do whatever I wanna do. If it works, it's on me. If it fails, it's on me. But I'm an innovator." To do so, Dre has recruited five black women he refers to as "Dre's Angels" because as he told Vibe, like television's character, Charlie, from Charlie's Angels, he plans on being "unseen, just heard." Later, admitting what he says on records about women is not true, he stated in Newsweek, "black women are the strongest most hardworking people on earth."

Dre's first Aftermath release was a compilation of various hard-core hip hop and R&B artists entitled Dr. Dre Presents ... Aftermath, and featured his own single, "Been There, Done That." In bypassing the "East Coast-West Coast" riff between artists from the two different camps, Dre was able to work with the top people in the business, causing Vibe to suggest that "he sets trends."

Most of the repercussions from Dre's leaving Death Row had mostly positive effects. He commented in Vibe, "People are giving me respect as a person, for being a wise black man ... Right now, I'm exhaling in a major way." The only drawback was a brief period from 1996 to 1999 when, due to record label differences, he was restricted from working with some of his old crew, such as Snoop Dogg.

During that period, Dre produced the much anticipated, but mildly disappointing 1997 CD, The Album, by The Firm, which included Foxy Brown, Nas, AZ, and Nature. But 1999 saw the strong return of Dr. Dre with the debut of Detroit artist, Eminem and The Slim Shady LP. Eminem, born Marshall Mathers, not only helped Dre flex his skills as a producer but also as a performer. The follow up release, The Marshall Mathers LP, garnered a Producer of the Year Grammy and a Best Performance by a Duo or Group Grammy for the single, "Forgot About Dre."

Before he began working with Eminem, many people believed Dre ended his creative rap by leaving Death Row. He told Newsweek, "The word on the street was I couldn't do it anymore. One writer said my only prayer was to work with Snoop again." In spite of previous problems, Dre did work with Snoop again on a solo effort, Dr. Dre 2001, in 1999 which also included collaborations between many other artists on The Chronic in 1993. It also sparked one of the most successful summer concert tours, 2000's Up In Smoke The Tour featured Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Ice Cube among others and included stops in more than 43 cities.

While Dre produced others and recorded solo efforts, his work with Aftermath gave him the opportunity to continue editing videos; working in film, and writing an autobiography. His film credits include a small role in 1996's Set If Off, 2001's Training Day with Denzel Washington, and The Wash with Snoop.

"Dre has vision," Jimmy Iovine, producer and head of Interscope Records, commented in Dre's biography. "I believe he's one of the great producers around today because his approach combines a lot of different worlds, in music and life. He can reach everyone. Because of his creativity and innovation, pushing the limits like most producers don't do anymore these days--whether in rap or rock--he deserves his own label. He's that gifted."

The turn of the millennium also saw Dre use his gifts to influence the technological future of music. Dre joined popular heavy metal band Metallica and the Recording Industry Association of America in suing Napster, a popular web site where members swap MP3s. In each suit, the complaints focused on copyright infringement. Dre submitted a list of more than 900,000 songs that he wanted removed from the website. Napster ultimately agreed to block songs that record companies wanted out of their trading software, but subsequent royalty agreements mean that many songs that Dre has performed or produced are now available on Napster.

Regardless of the ups and downs in the rap business, Dre's vision is still in tact. In Dre's own words, as reported in Vibe, "I just wanna be positive, helping people help themselves, not saying anything bad about anyone, just being the real Andre Young....I'm not trying to be no gangster....The only thing I want to do is make records, live a comfortable life, and chill with my family." The aftermath seems to have been hard earned and worth the wait.

Awards

Grammy Award for best rap solo performance, 1994; Source awards for best producer, solo artist, and album, 1994; named "One of the Top Ten Artists That Mattered Most, 1985-1995" by Spin magazine; named one of "The 101 Most Powerful People in Entertainment" by Entertainment Weekly, 1996; Grammy, Producer of the Year, 2000; ASCAP award, Songwriter of the Year, 2002.

Works

Selected Discography

  • (With N.W.A.)
  • N.W.A. and the Posse, Macola, 1987.
  • Straight Outta Compton, Ruthless, 1989.
  • 100 Miles and Runnin', Ruthless, 1990.
  • Niggaz4life, Ruthless, 1991.
  • Greatest Hits, Central Station, 1996.
  • Solo Work as Artist
  • The Chronic, Death Row, 1993.
  • "Keep Their Heads Ringin'," Friday (soundtrack), Priority, 1995.
  • Helter Skelter, with Ice Cube, Death Row, 1995.
  • Dr. Dre Presents ... The Aftermath, Aftermath, 1996.
  • "Zoom," with LL Cool J, Bulworth (soundtrack), 1998.
  • Dr. Dre 2001, Aftermath, 1999.
  • As Producer
  • Eazy-Duz-It, Easy-E, Ruthless, 1988.
  • No One Can Do It Better, The D.O.C., Ruthless, 1989.
  • Livin' Like Hustlers, Above the Law, Epic, 1989.
  • Doggystyle, Snoop Dogg, Death Row, 1993.
  • Concrete Roots, Triple X, 1994.
  • Murder Was the Case, Death Row, 1994.
  • First Round Knock Out, Triple X, 1994.
  • Back N Tha Day, 1996.
  • The Album, The Firm, Aftermath, 1997.
  • The Slim Shady LP, Eminem, Aftermath, 1999.
  • The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem, Aftermath, 2000.
  • Get Rich or Die Tryin', 50 Cent, Aftermath, 2003.
  • The Documentary, The Game, Aftermath, 2005.

Further Reading

Books

  • Beckman, Janette, and B. Adler, Rap: Portraits and Lyrics of a Generation of Black Rockers, St. Martin's Press, 1991.
  • Kenyatta, Kelly, You Forgot About Dre: The Unauthorized Biography of Dr. Dre and Eminem, Amber Books, 2001.
  • The Trouser Press Record Guide, edited by Ira A. Robbins, Collier, 1991.
Periodicals
  • Billboard, October 14, 1989; April 7, 1990; June 22, 1991; July 6, 1991; July 13, 1991; September 7, 1991; June 6, 1992; June 20, 1992; October 24, 1992; January 16, 1993; January 23, 1993; May 8, 1993; July 3, 1993; July 10, 1993; August 23, 1993; November 27, 1993; December 25, 1993.
  • Business Wire, July 12, 2001.
  • Daily Variety, June 18, 2002.
  • Details, April 1993; May 1993.
  • Entertainment Weekly, February 26, 1993; December 31, 1993; November 11, 1994; February 3,1995; October 25, 1996; June 22, 2001.
  • Jet, September 19, 1994; August 2, 1999; March 12, 2001.
  • Musician, June 1989; December 1990; March 1991; February 1994.
  • Newsbytes, April 26, 2000.
  • Newsweek, August 22, 1994; October 31, 1994; November 25, 1996, pp. 74-5., July 3, 2000.
  • New York Times, March 10, 1993; April 23, 1993; January 2, 1995.
  • People, May 23, 1994; September 19, 1994.
  • Rolling Stone, June 29, 1989; August 8, 1991; September 19, 1991; March 18, 1993; September 30, 1993; June 2, 1994; October 20, 1994.
  • The Source, September 1993; June 1995.
  • Spin, January 1994.
  • Vibe, September 1996, p. 65; October 1996, pp. 75-8.
Online
  • Dr. Dre, http://www.drdre2001.com (November 14, 2004).
Other
  • Additional information for this profile was obtained from an MTV News transcript, January 9, 1995, and Death Row Records press material, 1995.

— Lorna M. Mabunda, Sonya Shelton, and Leslie Rochelle

Artist: Dr. Dre
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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists
Dr. Dre

Similar Artists:

DJ Quik, Warren G, Jose Sinatra, RC, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly, L.T. Hutton, Timbaland, Johnny J, Nate Dogg, Westside Connection, MC Eiht, Tha Dogg Pound, Mack 10, Meech Wells, DJ Pooh, Ant Banks, Spice 1, CPO, Cypress Hill, Compton's Most Wanted

Influenced By:

George Clinton, Zapp, Parliament, Ice-T, Funkadelic, Cameo

Followers:

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Performed Songs By:

L. Walters, A. Young, Richard Vick, Kurupt, Alonzo Williams, William Stewart, Colin Wolfe, Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Michael Hawkins, Chauncey Hannibal, Norman Durham, Woody Cunningham

Worked With:

Dat Nigga Daz, DJ Yella, Donovan Sound, Mike Sims, Michel'le

Formal Connection With:

N.W.A., Snoop Dogg, Eazy-E, Knoc-Turn'al, Eminem, The Firm, Ice Cube, Mel-Man, The D.O.C., The Game, Hitman, 50 Cent, Suge Knight, Xzibit, Scott Storch, Eve, 2Pac, Po' Broke & Lonely?, MC Ren, The World Class Wreckin' Cru, Hittman, Mike Elizondo, Lil ½ Dead, Yella, Jay-Z

Relationship With:

Hood Surgeon
See Dr. Dre Lyrics
  • Born: February 18, 1965, Los Angeles, CA
  • Active: '80s, '90s, 2000s
  • Genres: Rap
  • Instrument: Producer, Vocals, Keyboards
  • Representative Albums: "The Chronic," "Chronicle: Best of the Works," "2001"
  • Representative Songs: "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang," "Let Me Ride," "Still D.R.E."

Biography

More than any other rapper, Dr. Dre was responsible for moving away from the avant-noise and political stance of Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions as well as the party vibes of old-school rap. Instead, Dre pioneered gangsta rap and his own variation of the sound, G-funk. BDP's early albums were hardcore but cautionary tales of the criminal mind, but Dre's records with N.W.A. celebrated the hedonistic, amoralistic side of gang life. Dre was never much of a rapper -- his rhymes were simple and his delivery was slow and clumsy -- but as a producer, he was extraordinary. With N.W.A. he melded the noise collages of the Bomb Squad with funky rhythms. On his own, he reworked George Clinton's elastic funk into the self-styled G-funk, a slow-rolling variation that relied more on sound than content. When he left N.W.A. in 1992, he founded Death Row Records with Suge Knight, and the label quickly became the dominant force in mid-'90s hip-hop thanks to his debut, The Chronic. Soon, most rap records imitated its sound, and his productions for Snoop Doggy Dogg and Blackstreet were massive hits. For nearly four years, G-funk dominated hip-hop, and Dre had enough sense to abandon it and Death Row just before the whole empire collapsed in late 1996. Dre retaliated by forming a new company, Aftermath, and while it was initially slow getting started, his bold moves forward earned critical respect.

Dre (born Andre Young, February 18, 1965) became involved in hip-hop during the early '80s, performing at house parties and clubs with the World Class Wreckin' Cru around South Central Los Angeles and making a handful of recordings along the way. In 1986, he met Ice Cube, and the two rappers began writing songs for Ruthless Records, a label started by former drug pusher Eazy-E. Eazy tried to give one of the duo's songs, "Boyz-n-the Hood," to HBO, a group signed to Ruthless. When the group refused, Eazy formed N.W.A. -- an acronym for Niggaz With Attitude -- with Dre and Cube, releasing their first album in 1987. A year later, N.W.A. delivered Straight Outta Compton, a vicious hardcore record that became an underground hit with virtually no support from radio, the press, or MTV. N.W.A. became notorious for their hardcore lyrics, especially those of "Fuck tha Police," which resulted in the FBI sending a warning letter to Ruthless and its parent company, Priority, suggesting that the group should watch their step.

Most of the group's political threat left with Cube when he departed in late 1989 amid many financial disagreements. While Eazy appeared to be the undisputed leader following Cube's departure -- and he was certainly responsible for the group approaching near-parodic levels with their final pair of records -- the music was in Dre's hands. On both the 1990 EP 100 Miles and Runnin' and the 1991 album Efil4zaggin ("Niggaz4life" spelled backward), he created dense, funky sonic landscapes that were as responsible for keeping N.W.A. at the top of the charts as Eazy's comic-book lyrics. While the group was at the peak of their popularity in 1991, Dre began to make efforts to leave the crew, especially after he was charged with assaulting the host of a televised rap show in 1991. The following year, Dre left the group to form Death Row Records with Suge Knight. According to legend, Knight held N.W.A.'s manager at gunpoint and threatened to kill him if he refused to let Dre out of his contract.

Dre released his first solo single, "Deep Cover," in the spring of 1992. Not only was the record the debut of his elastic G-funk sound, it also was the beginning of his collaboration with rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. Dre discovered Snoop through his stepbrother Warren G, and he immediately began working with the rapper -- Snoop was on Dre's 1992 debut, The Chronic, as much as Dre himself. Thanks to the singles "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang," "Dre Day," and "Let Me Ride," The Chronic was a multi-platinum, Top Ten smash, and the entire world of hip-hop changed with it. For the next four years, it was virtually impossible to hear mainstream hip-hop that wasn't effected in some way by Dre and his patented G-funk. Not only did he produce Snoop's 1993 debut, Doggystyle, but he orchestrated several soundtracks, including Above the Rim and Murder Was the Case (both 1994), which functioned as samplers for his new artists and production techniques, and he helmed hit records such as Blackstreet's "No Diggity," among others, including a hit reunion with Ice Cube, "Natural Born Killaz." During this entire time, Dre released no new records, but he didn't need to -- all of Death Row was under his control, and most of his peers mimicked his techniques.

The Death Row dynasty held strong until the spring of 1996, when Dre grew frustrated with Knight's strong-arm techniques. At the time, Death Row was devoting itself to 2Pac's label debut, All Eyez on Me (which featured Dre on the breakthrough hit, "California Love"), and Snoop was busy recovering from his draining murder trial. Dre left the label in the summer of 1996 to form Aftermath, declaring gangsta rap dead. While he was subjected to endless taunts from his former Death Row colleagues, their sales slipped by 1997 and Knight was imprisoned on racketeering charges by the end of the year. Dre's first album for Aftermath, the various-artists collection Dr. Dre Presents...The Aftermath received considerable media attention, but the record didn't become a hit, despite the presence of his hit single, "Been There Done That." Even though the album wasn't a success, the implosion of Death Row in 1997 proved that Dre's inclinations were correct at the time. Both 2001 and its companion instrumental version followed in 1999. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Actor: Dr. Dre
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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Feb 18, 1965 in Los Angeles, California
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '90s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Music, Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Coming to America, The Show, Get Rich or Die Tryin'
  • First Major Screen Credit: Coming to America (1988)

Biography

One of the founding fathers of gangsta rap, the G-funk style, Death Row Records, and Aftermath, Dr. Dre has been bringing innovation and slick production to the world of rap since the early days of N.W.A. in the late '80s. As with many restless souls in the music industry, it was only a matter of time before Dre decided to expand his role in the entertainment industry to feature films.

Born Andre Young in February of 1965, Dre's early work with N.W.A. garnered the tough rapper a reputation for fearless abandon. With their gritty tales of violent life on the streets the group encountered more than a little controversy, though their then-unique approach to rap inspired countless imitators along with their vehement detractors. Later helping to launch the careers of Snoop Doggy Dogg and stepbrother Warren G. as a producer, Dre proved that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and remained one of the most innovative fixtures in the hip-hop universe. Some of Dre's early work in the film industry involved orchestrating the soundtracks for such films as Above the Rim and Murder Was the Case in 1994. Taking the director's chair for 1993's Hour of Chaos and Murder Was the Case the following year, Dre also turned up in front of the camera for Set It Off (1996), Whiteboyz (1999), and Training Day (2001). Despite his reputation for being so "hard," Dre's first major film role would come surprisingly in the comedy The Wash (2001) alongside longtime friend and fellow G-Funk cohort Snoop Doggy Dogg. With former collaborator Ice Cube having already taken his act to the screen for laughs in 1995's Friday, it appeared as if the ever-serious former N.W.A. killaz had finally lightened up a bit and taken on a more easygoing celluloid existence as opposed to their more dangerous vinyl incarnation. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Wikipedia: Dr. Dre
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
For the New York radio and television presenter, see Doctor Dré.
Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre backstage at a concert in 2008
Background information
Birth name Andre Romelle Young[1]
Born February 18, 1965 (1965-02-18) (age 44)
(Compton, California, United States)
Origin Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres Hip hop
Occupations Rapper, record producer, actor
Instruments Vocals, synthesizer, keyboards, turntables, drum machine, sampler
Years active Since 1984
Labels Priority, Death Row, Aftermath, Interscope
Associated acts World Class Wreckin' Cru, N.W.A, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, The Game
Website drdre.aftermathmusic.com

Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records, also having produced albums for and overseeing the careers of many rappers signed to those record labels, such as Snoop Dogg and Eminem. As a producer he is credited as a key figure in the popularization of West Coast G-funk, a style of rap music characterized as synthesizer-based with slow, heavy beats.[2]

Dr. Dre began his career in music as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru and he later found fame with the influential gangsta rap group N.W.A with Eazy-E and Ice Cube which popularized the use of explicit lyrics in rap to detail the violence of street life.[2] His 1992 solo debut, The Chronic, released under Death Row Records, led him to become one of the best-selling American performing artists of 1993[3] and to win a Grammy Award for the single "Let Me Ride."[4] In 1996, he left Death Row to found his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, producing a compilation album, Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath, in 1996, and releasing a solo album titled 2001, in 1999, for which he won the Grammy producer's award the next year.[2]

During the 2000s, he focused his career on production for other artists, while occasionally contributing vocals to other artists' songs. Rolling Stone named him among the highest-paid performers of 2001[5] and 2004.[6] Dr. Dre has also had acting roles in movies such as Set It Off, and the 2001 films The Wash and Training Day.[7]. In the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, it is rumored Carl Johnson (the main character) is inspired by him.

Dre is known for his production ability, and for helping many underground rappers become popular, such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent and The Game, producing beats for them. He is focused on producing for other artists and rarely producing for himself. The only productions he made for himself were The Chronic and 2001, two of the most influental and essential hip hop albums of all time.

Contents

Early life

The first child of Verna and Theodore Young, Dr. Dre was born André Romelle Young on February 18, 1965, when his mother was 16. She married his father, Theodore Young, after he was born. Young's middle name, "Romelle," came from Theodore Young's unsigned, amateur R&B singing group, The Romells. In 1968 his mother divorced Theodore Young and later married Curtis Crayon. They had three more children together, two sons named Jerome and Tyree (both deceased)[8][9] and daughter Shameka.[10]

In 1976 Young began attending Vanguard Junior High School but due to gang violence around Vanguard he transferred to the safer suburban Roosevelt Junior High School.[11] Verna later married Warren Griffin, whom she met at her new job in Long Beach,[12] which added three new stepsisters and one new stepbrother to the family. That stepbrother, Warren Griffin III, would eventually become a rapper under the stage name Warren G.[13]

Young attended Centennial High School in Compton during his freshman year in 1979, but transferred to Fremont High School due to poor grades. Young attempted to enroll at Northrop Aviation Company in an apprenticeship program, but poor grades at school made him ineligible. Thereafter, he focused on his social life and entertainment for the remainder of his high school years.[14] Young fathered a son, Curtis, born December 15, 1981, with Lisa Johnson. Curtis Young was brought up by his mother and didn't meet his father until Curtis had become a rapper about 20 years later, with his stage name being Hood Surgeon.[15]

Music career

World Class Wreckin' Cru (1984–1985)

Main article: World Class Wreckin' Cru
Dr. Dre during his time in World Class Wreckin' Cru (in red)

Inspired by the Grandmaster Flash song "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel", he often attended a club called The Eve After Dark to watch many DJs and rappers performing live. Thus, he became a DJ in the club, initially under the name "Dr. J", based on the nickname of Julius Erving, his favorite basketball player. At the club, he met aspiring rapper Antoine Carraby, later to become member DJ Yella of N.W.A.[16] Soon afterwards he adopted the moniker Dr. Dre, a mix of previous alias Dr. J and his first name, referring to himself as the "Master of Mixology".[17] He later joined the musical group World Class Wreckin' Cru under the independent Kru-Cut Records in 1984. The group would become stars of the electro-hop scene that dominated early 1980s West Coast hip hop, and their first hit "Surgery" would prominently feature Dr. Dre on the turntables and sell 50,000 copies within the Compton area.[18] Dr. Dre and DJ Yella also performed mixes for local radio station KDAY, boosting ratings for its afternoon rush-hour show The Traffic Jam.[19] Dr. Dre's earliest recordings were released in 1994 on a compilation titled Concrete Roots. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of the website Allmusic described the compiled music, released "several years before Dre developed a distinctive style", as "surprisingly generic and unengaging" and "for dedicated fans only".[20]

His frequent absences from school jeopardized his position as a diver on his school's swim team. After high school, he attended Chester Adult School in Compton following his mother's demands for him to get a job or continue his education. After brief attendance at a radio broadcasting school, he relocated to the residence of his father and residence of his grandparents before returning to his mother's house.[21] He later dropped out of Chester to focus on performing at the Eve's After Dark nightclub.[22]

N.W.A and Ruthless Records (1986–1991)

Main article: N.W.A
"Fuck Tha Police"
from Straight Outta Compton
Problems listening to this file? See media help.
N.W.A.'s debut became a bestseller, despite its controversial content. Dre is second from right.

In 1986 he met rapper Ice Cube, who collaborated with Dr. Dre to record songs for Ruthless Records, a rap record label run by local rapper Eazy-E. N.W.A, along with fellow west coast rapper Ice T are widely credited as seminal artists of the gangsta rap genre, a profanity-heavy subgenre of hip hop, replete with gritty depictions of urban crime and the black gangster lifestyle. Not feeling constricted to racially charged political issues pioneered by rap artists such as Public Enemy or Boogie Down Productions, N.W.A favoured hardcore themes and uncompromising lyrics, offering stark descriptions of violent, inner-city streets. Propelled by the hit "Fuck tha Police", the group's first full album Straight Outta Compton became a major success, despite an almost complete absence of radio airplay or major concert tours. The Federal Bureau of Investigation sent Ruthless Records a warning letter in response to the song's content.[2]

After Ice Cube left N.W.A over financial disputes, Dr. Dre produced and performed for much of the group's second album Efil4zaggin. He also produced tracks for a number of other rap acts on Ruthless Records, including Above the Law, and The D.O.C. for the album No One Can Do It Better.[23] In 1991, at a music industry party in Hollywood, he assaulted television host Dee Barnes of the Fox television program Pump it Up, feeling dissatisfied with a news report of hers regarding the feud between the remaining N.W.A members and Ice Cube. Thus, Dr. Dre was fined $2,500 and given two years' probation and 240 hours of community service, as well as a spot on an anti-violence public service announcement on television.[24][25]

The Chronic and Death Row Records (1992–1995)

Further information: Death Row Records
"Nuthin' But a "G" Thang"
from The Chronic
Problems listening to this file? See media help.
Dr. Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic, was among the top-selling albums of the 1990s and spawned three hit singles.

After a dispute with Eazy-E, Dre left the group at the peak of its popularity in 1991 under the advice of friend, and N.W.A lyricist, The D.O.C. and his bodyguard at the time, Suge Knight. Knight, a notorious strongman and intimidator, was able to have Wright release Young from his contract and, using Dr. Dre as his flagship artist, founded Death Row Records. In 1992 Young released his first single, the title track to the film Deep Cover, a collaboration with rapper Snoop Dogg, whom he met through Warren G.[2] Dr. Dre's debut solo album was The Chronic, released under Death Row Records. Young ushered in a new style of rap, both in terms of musical style and lyrical content.[26]

On the strength of singles such as "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang", "Let Me Ride", and "Fuck wit Dre Day (and Everybody's Celebratin')" (known as "Dre Day" for radio and television play), all of which featured Snoop Dogg as guest vocalist, The Chronic became a cultural phenomenon, its G-funk sound dominating much of hip hop music for the early 1990s.[2] In 1993 the Recording Industry Association of America certified the album multi-platinum,[27] and Dr. Dre also won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for his performance on "Let Me Ride".[4] For that year, Billboard magazine also ranked Dr. Dre as the eighth best-selling musical artist, The Chronic as the sixth best-selling album, and "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" as the 11th best-selling single.[3]

Besides working on his own material, Dr. Dre produced Snoop Dogg's debut album Doggystyle, which became the first debut album for an artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 album charts.[28] In 1994 Dr. Dre produced the soundtracks to the films Above the Rim and Murder Was the Case. He collaborated with fellow N.W.A member Ice Cube for the song "Natural Born Killaz" in 1995.[2] For the film Friday, Dre recorded "Keep Their Heads Ringin'", which reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Singles (now Hot Rap Tracks) charts.[29]

In 1995, just as Death Row Records was signing rapper 2Pac and positioning him as their major star, Young left the label amidst a contract dispute and growing concerns that label boss Suge Knight was corrupt, financially dishonest and out of control. Thus, in 1996, he formed his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, under the distribution label for Death Row Records, Interscope Records.[2] Consequently, Death Row Records suffered poor sales by 1997, especially following the death of 2Pac and the racketeering charges brought against Knight.[30]

Move to Aftermath Entertainment (1996–1998)

Further information: Aftermath Entertainment

The Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath album, released on November 26, 1996, featured songs by Dr. Dre himself, as well as by newly signed Aftermath artists, and a solo track "Been There, Done That", intended as a symbolic farewell to gangsta rap.[31] Despite being classified platinum by the RIAA,[32] the album was not very popular among music fans.[2] In October 1996, Dre performed "Been There, Done That" on Saturday Night Live.[33] In 1997, Dr. Dre produced several tracks on The Firm's The Album; it was met with largely negative reviews from critics. Rumors began to abound that Aftermath was facing financial difficulties.[34] Aftermath Entertainment also faced a trademark infringement lawsuit by the underground thrash metal band Aftermath.[35] First Round Knock Out, a compilation of various tracks produced and performed by Dr. Dre was also released in 1996, with material ranging from World Class Wreckin' Cru to N.W.A to Death Row recordings.[36]

The turning point for Aftermath came in 1998, when Jimmy Iovine, the head of Aftermath's parent label Interscope, suggested that Dr. Dre sign Eminem, a rapper from Detroit. Dre produced three songs and provided vocals for two on Eminem's successful and controversial debut album The Slim Shady LP, released in 1999. [37] The Dr. Dre-produced lead single from that album, "My Name Is", would help propel Eminem into stardom. Also during this time, Dre was stated to have worked as assistant mixer for the track "Even Deeper" from industrial metal group Nine Inch Nails' album The Fragile.

2001 (1999–2000)

Main article: 2001 (album)
"Still D.R.E."
from 2001
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Dr. Dre's second solo album, 2001, released on November 16, 1999, was considered an ostentatious return to his gangsta rap roots.[38] It was initially titled The Chronic 2000 to imply being a sequel to his debut solo effort The Chronic but was re-titled 2001 after Death Row Records released an unrelated compilation album with the title Chronic 2000: Still Smokin in May 1999. Other tentative titles included The Chronic 2001 and Dr. Dre.[39] The album featured numerous collaborators, including Devin the Dude, Hittman, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Nate Dogg and Eminem. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of the website Allmusic described the sound of the album as "adding ominous strings, soulful vocals, and reggae" to Dr. Dre's style.[38] The album was highly successful, charting at number two on the Billboard 200 charts[40] and has since been certified six times platinum,[27] validating a recurring theme on the album: Dr. Dre was still a force to be reckoned with, despite the lack of major releases in the previous few years. The album included popular hit singles "Still D.R.E." and "Forgot About Dre", both of which Dr. Dre performed on NBC's Saturday Night Live on October 23, 1999.[41] Dr. Dre won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2000,[2] and joined the Up in Smoke Tour with fellow rappers Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube that year as well.[42]

During the course of 2001's popularity, Dr. Dre was involved in several lawsuits. Lucasfilm Ltd., the film company behind the Star Wars film franchise, sued him over the use of the THX-trademarked "Deep Note".[43] The Fatback Band also sued Dr. Dre over alleged infringement regarding its song "Backstrokin'" in his song "Let's Get High" from the 2001 album; Dr. Dre was ordered to pay $1.5 million to the band in 2003.[44] The online music file-sharing company Napster also settled a lawsuit with him and heavy metal rock band Metallica in the summer of 2001, agreeing to block access to certain files that artists do not want to have shared on the network.[45]

Focus on production (2001–present)

Following the success of 2001, Dr. Dre focused on producing songs and albums for other artists. He co-produced six tracks on Eminem’s landmark Marshall Mathers LP, including the Grammy-winning lead single, “The Real Slim Shady”. The album itself earned a Grammy and proved to be the fastest-selling rap album of all time, moving 1.76 million units in its first week alone [46]. He produced the single "Family Affair" by R&B singer Mary J. Blige for her album No More Drama in 2001.[5] He also produced "Let Me Blow Ya Mind", a duet by rapper Eve and No Doubt lead singer Gwen Stefani[47] and signed R&B singer Truth Hurts to Aftermath in 2001.[48] Dr. Dre was the executive producer of Eminem’s 2002 release, The Eminem Show. He produced three songs on the album, one of which was released as a single, and he appeared in the award-winning video for “Without Me”.

Another copyright-related lawsuit hit Dr. Dre in the fall of 2002, when Sa Re Ga Ma, a film and music company based in Calcutta, India, sued Aftermath Entertainment over an uncredited sample of the Lata Mangeshkar song "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai" on the Aftermath-produced song "Addictive" by singer Truth Hurts. In February 2003, a judge ruled that Aftermath would have to halt sales of Truth Hurts' album Truthfully Speaking if the company would not credit Mangeshkar.[49]

Another successful album that Dr.Dre produced for Aftermath was Get Rich or Die Tryin', the 2003 major-label debut album by Queens, New York-based rapper 50 Cent. It featured the Dr. Dre-produced hit single "In da Club", a joint production between Aftermath, Eminem's boutique label Shady Records and Interscope.[50] Eminem's fourth album since joining Aftermath, Encore, again saw Dre taking on the role of executive producer, and this time he was more actively involved in the music, producing or co-producing a total of eight tracks, including three singles. In November 2004, at the Vibe magazine awards show in Los Angeles, Dr. Dre was attacked by a fan named Jimmy James Johnson, who was supposedly asking for an autograph. In the resulting scuffle, then-G-Unit rapper Young Buck stabbed the man.[51] Johnson claimed that Suge Knight, president of Death Row Records, paid him $5,000 to assault Dre in order to humiliate him before he received his Lifetime Achievement Award.[52] Knight immediately went on CBS's The Late Late Show to deny involvement and insisted that he supported Dr. Dre and wanted Johnson charged.[53] In September 2005, Johnson was sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to stay away from Dr. Dre until 2008.[54]

Dr. Dre also produced "How We Do", a 2005 hit single from rapper The Game from his album The Documentary.[55] For an issue of Rolling Stone magazine in April 2005, Kanye West reviewed Dr. Dre as 54th out of 100 artists for Rolling Stone magazine's list "The Immmortals: The Greatest Artists of All Time".[56]

In November 2006 Dr. Dre began working with Raekwon on his album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II.[57] He also produced tracks for the rap albums Buck the World by Young Buck[58], Curtis by 50 Cent,[59], Tha Blue Carpet Treatment by Snoop Dogg,[60] and Kingdom Come by Jay-Z.[61] Dre also appeared onTimbaland's track "Bounce", from his 2007 solo album, Timbaland Presents Shock Value along side, Missy Elliott, and Justin Timberlake.[62].

Planned but unreleased albums during Dr. Dre's tenure at Aftermath have included a full-length reunion with Snoop Dogg titled Breakup to Makeup, an album with fellow former N.W.A member Ice Cube which was to be titled Heltah Skeltah,[23] an N.W.A reunion album,[23] and a joint album with fellow producer Timbaland titled Chairmen of the Board.[63] Other upcoming albums for which he will produce include The Reformation by Bishop Lamont,[64] The Nacirema Dream by Papoose,[65] Flirt by Eve,[66] and an upcoming album by Queen Latifah.[67]

Detox

Main article: Detox (Dr. Dre album)

Detox is to be Dr. Dre's final album.[68] In 2002, Dre told Corey Moss of MTV News that he intended Detox to be a concept album.[7] Work for the album dates back to early 2004,[69] but later in that year he decided to stop working on the album to focus on producing for other artists, but then changed his mind; the album had initially been set for a fall 2005 release.[70] After several delays, the album was finally scheduled to be released sometime in 2009 by Interscope Records, which has not set a firm release date for the album as of February 2009.[68] Producers confirmed to work on the album include DJ Khalil, Nottz, Bernard "Focus" Edwards Jr.,[71] Hi-Tek,[72] J.R. Rotem,[73] RZA,[74] Jay-Z,[75] Warren G,[76] and Boi-1da.[77] Snoop Dogg claimed that Detox was finished, according to a June 2008 report by Rolling Stone magazine.[78]

After another delay based on producing other artists' work, Detox is now scheduled for a 2009 release, coming after 50 Cent's Before I Self Destruct and Eminem's Relapse, an album for which Dr. Dre handled the bulk of production duties.[79][80] Dre appeared in the remix of the song "Set It Off" by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall (also with Pusha T); the remix debuted on DJ Skee's radio show in December 2008.[81] At the beginning of 2009, Dre produced, and made a guest vocal performance on, the single "Crack a Bottle" by Eminem and the single sold a record 418,000 downloads in its first week.[82] and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the week of February 12, 2009.[83] In a Dr. Pepper commercial that debuted on May 28, 2009, he premiered the first official snippet of Detox.[84] 50 Cent and Eminem asserted in an interview on BET's 106 & Park that Dr. Dre had around a dozen songs finished for Detox.[85]

Film career

Dr. Dre made his first on screen appearance as a weapons dealer in the 1996 bank robbery movie Set It Off.[86] In 2001, Dr. Dre also appeared in the movies The Wash and Training Day.[87] A song of his, "Bad Intentions" (featuring Knoc-Turn'Al) and produced by Mahogany, was featured on The Wash soundtrack.[88] Dr. Dre also appeared on two other songs "On the Blvd." and "The Wash" along with his co-star Snoop Dogg. In February 2007 it was announced that Dr. Dre would produce dark comedies and horror films for New Line Cinema-owned company Crucial Films, along with longtime video director Phillip Atwell. Dr. Dre announced "This is a natural switch for me, since I've directed a lot of music videos, and I eventually want to get into directing."[89] Along with fellow member Ice Cube, Dr. Dre will produce a biographical film about N.W.A.[90]

Entrepreneur

Beats By Dr. Dre Logo

In July 2008, Dr. Dre released his high-performance brand of headphones, Beats by Dr. Dre. The headphones are made by Monster.[91] He is also planning to release an "Aftermath Cognac and vodka" at around the same time he releases Detox.[92] For the 2009 Fall season, HP and Dr. Dre are teaming up to release Beats By Dr. Dre with the sale of all HP laptops and headsets.[93]HP and Dr. Dre announced the deal on October 9, 2009, at a press event in Santa Monica, California. The new laptop, known as HP ENVY 15 Beats limited edition, will be available for sale October 22 and be priced around $2,299. Besides the laptop, the PC comes with Dr. Dre's signature headphones.[94]

Personal life

Marriages and family

He had a second son, Andre Young Jr, with then-girlfriend Jenita Porter. Andre Young Jr. died at the age of 20 on August 23, 2008 at his Woodland Hills home.[95] The coroner determined that he died from an overdose of heroin and morphine.[96]

From 1990 to 1996 Dr. Dre dated singer Michel'le, who frequently contributed vocals to Death Row Records albums. In 1991 the couple had a son, Marcel. In May 1996 Dr. Dre married Nicole Threatt, the ex-wife of NBA player Sedale Threatt.[97] Dr. Dre and Nicole have two children together: a son named Truth (born 1997) and a daughter named Truly (born 2001).

Income

In 2001, Dr. Dre earned a total of about $52 million from selling part of his share of Aftermath Entertainment to Interscope Records and his production of such hit songs that year as "Family Affair" by Mary J. Blige. Rolling Stone magazine thus named him the second highest-paid artist of the year.[5] Dr. Dre was ranked 44th in 2004 from earnings of $11.4 million, primarily from production royalties from such projects as albums from G-Unit and D12 and the single "Rich Girl" by singer Gwen Stefani and rapper Eve.[6] He was ranked 9th in 2008 from earnings of $15 million. [98]

Musical influences and style

Dr. Dre has said that his primary instrument in the studio is the Akai MPC3000, a drum machine and sampler, and that he uses as many as four or five to produce a single recording. He cites George Clinton, Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield as primary musical influences. Unlike most rap producers, he tries to avoid samples as much as possible, preferring to have studio musicians re-play pieces of music he wants to use, because it allows him more flexibility to change the pieces in rhythm and tempo.[99] In 2001 he told Time magazine, "I may hear something I like on an old record that may inspire me, but I'd rather use musicians to re-create the sound or elaborate on it. I can control it better."[100] Other equipment he uses include the E-mu SP-1200 drum machine and other keyboards from such manufacturers as Korg, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Moog, and Roland.[101]

After founding Aftermath Entertainment in 1996, Dr. Dre took on producer Mel-Man as a co-producer, and his music took on a more synthesizer-based sound, using fewer vocal samples (as he had used on "Lil' Ghetto Boy" and "Let Me Ride" on The Chronic, for example). Mel-Man has not shared co-production credits with Dr. Dre since approximately 2002, but fellow Aftermath producer Focus has credited Mel-Man as a key architect of the signature Aftermath sound.[102] About.com ranked Dr. Dre #2 (tied with Pete Rock) on their "Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers" list.[103]

In 1999 Dr. Dre started working with Mike Elizondo, a bassist, guitarist, and keyboardist who has also produced, written and played on records for female singers such as Poe, Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette,[104] In the past few years Elizondo has since worked for many of Dr. Dre's productions.[105][106] Dr. Dre also told Scratch magazine in a 2004 interview that he has been studying piano and music theory formally, and that a major goal is to accumulate enough musical theory to score movies. In the same interview he stated that he has collaborated with famed 1960s songwriter Burt Bacharach by sending him hip hop beats to play over, and hopes to have an in-person collaboration with him in the future.[99]

Work ethic

Dr. Dre has stated that he is a perfectionist and is known to pressure the artists with whom he records to give flawless performances.[99] In 2006 Snoop Dogg told the website Dubcnn.com that Dr. Dre had made new artist Bishop Lamont re-record a single bar of vocals 107 times.[107] Dr. Dre has also stated that Eminem is a fellow perfectionist, and attributes his success on Aftermath to his like-minded work ethic.[99]

A consequence of this perfectionism is that some artists that initially sign deals with Dr. Dre's Aftermath label never release albums. In 2001, Aftermath released the soundtrack to the movie The Wash. featuring a number of Aftermath acts such as Shaunta, Daks, Joe Beast and Toi. To date, none have released full-length albums on Aftermath and have apparently ended their relationships with the label and Dr. Dre. Other noteworthy acts to leave Aftermath without releasing albums include King Tee, 2001 vocalist Hittman, Joell Ortiz, and Rakim.[108]

However, over the years word of other collaborators has surfaced. During his tenure at Death Row Records, it was alleged that Dr. Dre's stepbrother Warren G and Tha Dogg Pound member Daz made many uncredited contributions to songs on his solo album The Chronic and Snoop Doggy Dogg's album Doggystyle (Daz received production credits on Snoop's similar-sounding, albeit less successful album Tha Doggfather after Young left Death Row Records).[109]

It is known that Scott Storch, who has since gone on to become a successful producer in his own right, contributed to Dr. Dre's second album 2001; Storch is credited as a songwriter on several songs and played keyboards on several tracks. In 2006 he told Rolling Stone:

"At the time, I saw Dr. Dre desperately needed something," Storch says. "He needed a fuel injection, and Dr. Dre utilized me as the nitrous oxide. He threw me into the mix, and I sort of tapped on a new flavor with my whole piano sound and the strings and orchestration. So I'd be on the keyboards, and Mike [Elizondo] was on the bass guitar, and Dr. Dre was on the drum machine".[110]

Current collaborator Mike Elizondo, when speaking about his work with Young, describes their recording process as a collaborative effort involving several musicians. In 2004 he claimed to Songwriter Universe magazine that he had written the foundations of the hit Eminem song "The Real Slim Shady", stating, "I initially played a bass line on the song, and Dr. Dre, Tommy Coster Jr. and I built the track from there. Eminem then heard the track, and he wrote the rap to it."[106] This account is essentially confirmed by Eminem in his book Angry Blonde, stating that the tune for the song was composed by a studio bassist and keyboardist while Dr. Dre was out of the studio but later programmed the song's beat after returning.[111]

Furthermore, in the September 2003 issue of The Source, a group of disgruntled former associates of Dr. Dre complained that they had not received their full due for work on the label. A producer named Neff-U claimed to have produced the songs "Say What You Say" and "My Dad's Gone Crazy" on The Eminem Show, the songs "If I Can't" and "Back Down" on 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin', and the beat featured on Dr. Dre's commercial for Coors beer.[108]

Although Young studies piano and musical theory, he serves as more of a conductor than a musician himself, as Josh Tyrangiel of Time magazine has noted:

Every Dre track begins the same way, with Dre behind a drum machine in a room full of trusted musicians. (They carry beepers. When he wants to work, they work.) He'll program a beat, then ask the musicians to play along; when Dre hears something he likes, he isolates the player and tells him how to refine the sound. "My greatest talent," Dre says, "is knowing exactly what I want to hear."[100]

Although Snoop Dogg retains working relationships with Warren G and Daz, who are alleged to be uncredited contributors on the hit albums The Chronic and Doggystyle, he states that Dr. Dre is capable of making beats without the help of collaborators, and that he is responsible for the success of his numerous albums.[112] It should be noted that Dr. Dre's prominent studio collaborators, including Scott Storch, Elizondo, Mark Batson and Dawaun Parker, have shared co-writing, instrumental, and more recently co-production credits on the songs where he is credited as the producer.

It is also widely acknowledged that most of Dr. Dre's raps are written for him by others, though he retains ultimate control over his lyrics and the themes of his songs. As Aftermath Producer Mahogany told Scratch: "It's like a class room in [the booth]. He'll have three writers in there. They'll bring in something, he'll recite it, then he'll say. 'Change this line, change this word,' like he's grading papers."[113] As seen in the credits for tracks Young has appeared on, there are often multiple people who contribute to his songs (although it should be noted that often in hip hop many people are officially credited as a writer for a song, even the producer). As a member of N.W.A, The D.O.C. wrote lyrics for him while he stuck with producing.[23] Popular New York City rapper Jay-Z ghostwrote lyrics for the single "Still D.R.E." from Dr. Dre's album 2001.[39]

Discography

Main articles: Dr. Dre discography and Dr. Dre production discography

Awards and nominations

  • "Let Me Ride"—Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance - 1994
  • "California Love"—Grammy Award Nomination as Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (with 2Pac and Roger Troutman) - 1997.
  • "No Diggity"—Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (with Blackstreet and Queen Pen) - 1998
  • "Forgot About Dre"—Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group - 2001 | (with Eminem)
  • "Still D.R.E."—Grammy Award Nomination Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (with Snoop Dogg) and The Source Awards Nomination Single of the year (2000)
  • The Marshall Mathers LP—Grammy Award for Best Rap Album - 2001 (with Eminem)
  • Various Production—Grammy Award for Producer of the Year - 2001

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video Himself Documentary
1996 Set It Off Black Sam
2000 Up in Smoke Tour Himself Documentary
2001 Training Day Paul
The Wash Sean

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Ro 2007, p. 1
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2000). "Dr. Dre - Biography". Allmusic. http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wpfqxqt5ldhe~T1. Retrieved 2007-09-22. 
  3. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (1994-01-14). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9905E3D61231F931A25752C0A962958260&scp=22&sq=%22Dr.+Dre%22&st=nyt. Retrieved 2008-03-03. 
  4. ^ a b "Dr. Dre - Grammy Awards". Allmusic. http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wpfqxqt5ldhe~T52. Retrieved 2008-02-17. 
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References

External links

v • d • e
Dr. Dre
Studio albums
Compilations
Solo singles
"Deep Cover" · "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" · "Fuck wit Dre Day" · "Let Me Ride" · "Natural Born Killaz" · "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" · "Been There, Done That" · "East Coast West Coast Killas" · "Puppet Master" · "Zoom" · "Fuck You" · "Still D.R.E." · "Forgot About Dre" · "The Next Episode" · "Put It On Me" · "Bad Intentions" · "The Wash"
Guest singles
"We're All in the Same Gang" · "Funky Flute" · "U Better Recognize" · "Let's Play House" · "California Love" · "California Love (Remix)" · "No Diggity" · "Game Over" · "Ghetto Fabulous" · "Guilty Conscience" · "U Know" · "Hello" · "Just Be a Man About It" · "Fast Lane (remix)" · "Knoc" · "Symphony in X Major" · "Encore/Curtains Down" · "Crack a Bottle" · "Old Time's Sake"
Related people
Related articles
v • d • e
N.W.A
Eazy-E · Dr. Dre · Ice Cube · MC Ren · DJ Yella · Arabian Prince
Albums
EPs
Compilations
Singles

"Dopeman" · "Straight Outta Compton" · "Gangsta Gangsta" · "Express Yourself" · "100 Miles and Runnin'" · "Appetite for Destruction" · "Alwayz Into Somethin'" · "Chin Check"
Related articles
v • d • e
Ruthless Records
Former artists
Albums
v • d • e
Death Row Records
Founders

Dr. Dre · Suge Knight
Former artists
Albums
v • d • e
Aftermath Entertainment
Artists
Former artists
Busta Rhymes · Eve · The Firm · G.A.G.E. · The Game · Hittman · Joell Ortiz · King Tee · Last Emperor · Rakim · Stat Quo · Truth Hurts



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