Dr. Dre
Encyclopedia
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), primarily known by his stage name
Dr. Dre, is an American record producer
, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur
, and occasional actor
. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment
and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records
. He has produced albums for and overseen the careers of many rappers signed to those record labels, such as Snoop Dogg
, Eminem
and 50 Cent
. 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.
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
, Ice Cube
, MC Ren
, and DJ Yella
which popularized the use of explicit lyrics in rap to detail the violence of street life. 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 and to win a Grammy Award
for the single "Let Me Ride
". In 1996, he left Death Row to establish his own label, Aftermath Entertainment. Under that label, he produced a compilation album titled Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
in 1996, and released a solo album titled 2001 in 1999, for which he won the Grammy producer's award the next year.
During the 2000s, he focused his career on production for other artists, while occasionally contributing vocals to other artists' songs. Dr. Dre signed Eminem
and 50 Cent to his record label in 1998 and 2003 respectively while contributing production on their albums. Rolling Stone
named Dr. Dre among the highest-paid performers of 2001 and 2004. Dr. Dre has also had acting roles in movies such as Set It Off
, and the 2001 films The Wash
and Training Day
.
In 1976 Young began attending Vanguard Junior High School in Compton, CA, but due to gang violence around Vanguard he transferred to the safer suburban Roosevelt Junior High School. Verna later married Warren Griffin, whom she met at her new job in Long Beach, which added three new stepsisters and one new stepbrother to the family. That stepbrother, Warren Griffin III, would eventually become rapper Warren G
.
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 in an apprenticeship program at Northrop Aviation Company
, 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. Young fathered a son, Curtis, born December 15, 1981, with Lisa Johnson. Curtis Young was brought up by his mother and first met his father 20 years later, when Curtis became rapper Hood Surgeon.
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. He subsequently 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. 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". 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.
Dr. Dre and DJ Yella also performed mixes for local radio station KDAY
, boosting ratings for its afternoon rush-hour show The Traffic Jam. 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".
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. He later dropped out of Chester to focus on performing at the Eve's After Dark nightclub.
, who collaborated with Dr. Dre to record songs for Ruthless Records, a rap record label run by local rapper Eazy-E
. N.W.A and 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 gang lifestyle. Not feeling constricted to racially charged political issues pioneered by rap artists such as Public Enemy or Boogie Down Productions
, N.W.A favored 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.
After Ice Cube left N.W.A in 1989 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 his 1989 album No One Can Do It Better
. 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.
and his bodyguard at the time, Suge Knight
. Knight, a notorious strongman and intimidator, was able to have Eazy-E 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. 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.
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. In 1993 the Recording Industry Association of America
certified the album multi-platinum, and Dr. Dre also won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
for his performance on "Let Me Ride
". 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.
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. In 1994 Dr. Dre produced some songs on 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. For the film Friday
, Dre recorded "Keep Their Heads Ringin'
", which reached No.10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.1 on the Hot Rap Singles (now Hot Rap Tracks) charts.
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. In 1996, he formed his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, under the distribution label for Death Row Records, Interscope Records
. Subsequently, Death Row Records suffered poor sales by 1997, especially following the death of 2Pac and the racketeering
charges brought against Knight.
album, released on November 26, 1996, featured songs by Dr. Dre himself, as well as by newly signed Aftermath Entertainment
artists, and a solo track "Been There, Done That
", intended as a symbolic farewell to gangsta rap
. Despite being classified platinum by the RIAA, the album was not very popular among music fans. In October 1996, Dre performed "Been There, Done That" on Saturday Night Live
. 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. Aftermath Entertainment also faced a trademark infringement
lawsuit by the underground thrash metal band Aftermath. 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.
Despite the mixed reception to his label's album, Dr. Dre was featured on two Billboard Hot 100
No.1 singles in 1996, those being 2Pac's "California Love
" and R&B group Blackstreet
's "No Diggity
". They were Dr. Dre's first No.1 singles as a lead or featured artist.
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. The Dr. Dre-produced lead single from that album, "My Name Is
", would help propel Eminem into stardom. The album was eventually certified 4x Platinum and helped to revive the Aftermath label. Also during this time, Dre assisted on the mix for Nine Inch Nails
track "Even Deeper", from 1999 album The Fragile
.
, 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. The album was highly successful, charting at number two on the Billboard 200
charts and has since been certified six times platinum, 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. Dr. Dre won the Grammy Award
for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2000, and joined the Up in Smoke Tour with fellow rappers Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube that year as well.
During the course of 2001s 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
". 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. 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.
”. 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. He produced the single "Family Affair
" by R&B singer Mary J. Blige
for her album No More Drama
in 2001. He also produced "Let Me Blow Ya Mind
", a duet by rapper Eve
and No Doubt
lead singer Gwen Stefani
and signed R&B singer Truth Hurts
to Aftermath in 2001. 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.
Another successful album on the Aftermath label was Get Rich or Die Tryin'
, the 2003 major-label debut album by Queens
, New York-based rapper 50 Cent. Dr. Dre produced or co-produced four tracks on the album, including the hit single "In da Club
", a joint production between Aftermath, Eminem's boutique label Shady Records
and Interscope. 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. 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. Knight immediately went on CBS
's The Late Late Show
to deny involvement and insisted that he supported Dr. Dre and wanted Johnson charged. In September 2005, Johnson was sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to stay away from Dr. Dre until 2008.
Dr. Dre also produced "How We Do", a 2005 hit single from rapper The Game
from his album The Documentary. For an issue of Rolling Stone magazine in April 2005, Dr. Dre was ranked 54th out of 100 artists for Rolling Stone magazine's list "The Immortals: The Greatest Artists of All Time". Kanye West
wrote the summary for Dr. Dre, where he stated Dr. Dre's song "Xplosive" as where he "got (his) whole sound from".
In November 2006 Dr. Dre began working with Raekwon
on his album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
. He also produced tracks for the rap albums Buck the World by Young Buck
, Curtis
by 50 Cent, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
by Snoop Dogg, and Kingdom Come
by Jay-Z. Dre also appeared on Timbaland
's track "Bounce", from his 2007 solo album, Timbaland Presents Shock Value
along side, Missy Elliott
, and Justin Timberlake
.
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, an N.W.A reunion album, and a joint album with fellow producer Timbaland
titled Chairmen of the Board. Other upcoming albums for which he will produce include The Reformation by Bishop Lamont, The Nacirema Dream by Papoose
, Flirt by Eve
, and an upcoming album by Queen Latifah
.
that he intended Detox to be a concept album
. Work for the album dates back to early 2004, 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. After several delays, the album was finally scheduled to be released sometime in 2010 by Interscope Records, which has not set a firm release date for the album as of July 2010. Producers confirmed to work on the album include DJ Khalil
, Nottz
, Bernard "Focus" Edwards Jr., Hi-Tek
, J.R. Rotem, RZA
, Jay-Z
, Warren G
, and Boi-1da
. Snoop Dogg
claimed that Detox was finished, according to a June 2008 report by Rolling Stone magazine.
After another delay based on producing other artists' work, Detox was then scheduled for a 2010 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. 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. 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. and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the week of February 12, 2009. Along with this single, in 2009 Dr. Dre produced or co-produced 19 of 20 tracks on Eminem's album Relapse. These included other hit singles "We Made You
", "Old Time's Sake
", and "3 a.m.
". (the only track Dre didn't produce was the Eminem produced single "Beautiful
")
In a Dr Pepper
commercial that debuted on May 28, 2009, he premiered the first official snippet of Detox. 50 Cent and Eminem asserted in an interview on BET
's 106 & Park
that Dr. Dre had around a dozen songs finished for Detox. Detox is likely to be released sometime in 2012. The first two singles, "Kush" and "I Need a Doctor
", were released in September 2010 and February 2011 respectively. "Kush" has become a top 40 hit in the United States and "I Need a Doctor" peaked at Number Four on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single, "The Psycho" featuring 50 Cent is set to release sometime this year respectively.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers will honor Dr. Dre with its Founders Award for inspiring other musicians.
In an August 2010 interview, Dr. Dre stated that an instrumental
album titled The Planets is in its first stages of production; each song being named after a planet
in the Solar System
. On September 3, Dr. Dre showed support to longtime protégé Eminem
, and appeared on his and Jay-Z
's Home & Home Tour
, performing hit songs such as "Still D.R.E.," "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang," and "Crack a Bottle," alongside Eminem
and another protégé, 50 Cent. Sporting an "R.I.P. Proof" shirt, Dre was honored by Eminem telling Detroit's Comerica Park to do the same. They did so, by chanting "DEEE-TOX," to which he replied, "I'm coming!"
Dr. Dre was featured on the cover of XXL
in the December/January 2011 issue. After Detox he will be one of the producers of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins' album Still Cool.
On 14 November 2011 Dre announced that he will be taking a break from music once he has finished producing for artists Slim the Mobster and Kendrick Lamar
. In this break he'll work on bringing his Beats By Dre to a standard as high as Apple and will also spend time with his family.
. In 2001, Dr. Dre also appeared in the movies The Wash
and Training Day
. A song of his, "Bad Intentions" (featuring Knoc-Turn'Al
) and produced by Mahogany, was featured on The Wash soundtrack. 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." Along with fellow member Ice Cube, Dr. Dre will produce a biographical film about N.W.A tentatively titled Straight Outta Compton.
. The line consists of Beats Studio, a circumaural headphone, Beats Tour, an in-ear headphone, Beats Solo & Solo HD, a supra-aural headphone, Beats Spin, Heartbeats by Lady Gaga
, also an in-ear headphone, and Diddy
Beats. The headphones are made by Monster
. He is also planning to release an "Aftermath Cognac and vodka" at around the same time he releases Detox. 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. 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.
musicians such as George Clinton
, Isaac Hayes
and Curtis Mayfield
as his 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. 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." 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.
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.
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
, In the past few years Elizondo has since worked for many of Dr. Dre's productions. 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.
re-record a single bar of vocals 107 times. Dr. Dre has also stated that Eminem is a fellow perfectionist, and attributes his success on Aftermath to his similar work ethic. He gives a lot of input into the delivery of the vocals and will stop an MC during a take if it isn't to his liking. However, he does give MCs he works with room to write lyrics without too much instruction unless it is a specifically conceptual record, as noted by Bishop Lamont
in the book How to Rap
.
A consequence of his 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
, Raekwon
and Rakim
.
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).
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:
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." 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 Young later programmed the song's beat after returning.
A group of disgruntled former associates of Dr. Dre complained that they had not received their full due for work on the label in the September 2003 issue of The Source
. 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
.
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:
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. 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.
As seen in the credits for tracks Young has appeared on, there are often multiple people who contribute to his songs (although often in hip hop many people are officially credited as a writer for a song, even the producer).
In the book How to Rap
, RBX
explains that writing The Chronic
was a "team effort" and details how he ghostwrote
"Let Me Ride
" for Dre. In regard to ghostwriting lyrics he says, "Dre doesn't profess to be no super-duper rap dude – Dre is a super-duper producer". As a member of N.W.A, The D.O.C. wrote lyrics for him while he stuck with producing. New York City rapper Jay-Z
ghostwrote lyrics for the single "Still D.R.E." from Dr. Dre's album 2001.
, who frequently contributed vocals to Death Row Records albums. In 1991, the couple had a son, Marcel. In 1996, Dr. Dre married Nicole Threatt, the ex-wife of NBA player Sedale Threatt
. They have two children together: a son named Truth (born 1997) and a daughter named Truly (born 2001).
On August 23, 2008, Young's second son, Andre Young Jr., died at the age of 20 at his mother's Woodland Hills home. The coroner determined that he died from an overdose of heroin and morphine.
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. 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
.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Dr. Dre, is an American record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, and occasional actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
. He has produced albums for and overseen the careers of many rappers signed to those record labels, such as Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
. As a producer he is credited as a key figure in the popularization of West Coast
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
G-funk
G-funk
G-funk, or Gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that emerged from Westcoast gangsta rap in the early 1990s. G-funk incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-funk tunes, and a high-pitched...
, a style of rap music characterized as synthesizer-based with slow, heavy beats.
Dr. Dre began his career in music as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru
World Class Wreckin' Cru
The World Class Wreckin' Cru was an electro group, best known for its contributions to early rap and its association with future-N.W.A member, hip-hop mogul, and renowned producer Dr. Dre.-Early Career:...
and he later found fame with the influential gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
group N.W.A with Eazy-E
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
, Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
, MC Ren
MC Ren
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson , better known by his stage name MC Ren, is a rapper who formed part of the group N.W.A. His moniker is derived from his first name .-Early life:...
, and DJ Yella
DJ Yella
DJ Yella is the stage name of Antoine Carraby , a DJ, drummer, music producer, film director and pornographer from Compton, California. He was a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru along with Dr. Dre. He later became a founding member of the pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A...
which popularized the use of explicit lyrics in rap to detail the violence of street life. His 1992 solo debut, The Chronic
The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
, released under Death Row Records, led him to become one of the best-selling American performing artists of 1993 and to win a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for the single "Let Me Ride
Let Me Ride
"Let Me Ride" is the third single released by Dr. Dre from his 1992 album The Chronic. It experienced moderate success on the charts until it became a hit after Dr. Dre won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance during the Grammy Awards of 1994. Snoop Doggy Dogg is involved for a "Rollin' in...
". In 1996, he left Death Row to establish his own label, Aftermath Entertainment. Under that label, he produced a compilation album titled Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath is a compilation album by Dr. Dre. It was released in 1996 after leaving Death Row Records, and was the first release on his then newly established Aftermath Entertainment. In spite of Dr...
in 1996, and released a solo album titled 2001 in 1999, for which he won the Grammy producer's award the next year.
During the 2000s, he focused his career on production for other artists, while occasionally contributing vocals to other artists' songs. Dr. Dre signed Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and 50 Cent to his record label in 1998 and 2003 respectively while contributing production on their albums. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
named Dr. Dre among the highest-paid performers of 2001 and 2004. Dr. Dre has also had acting roles in movies such as Set It Off
Set It Off
Set It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery...
, and the 2001 films The Wash
The Wash (film)
The Wash is a hip hop-styled film written and directed by DJ Pooh and starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and DJ Pooh, with appearances by Eminem and Ludacris. The film was released on November 16, 2001.-Plot:...
and Training Day
Training Day
Training Day is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The film follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South and East Los Angeles.The film was a box office success and...
.
Early life
The first child of Theodore and Verna Young, Dr. Dre was born André Romelle Young in Compton, CA, on February 18, 1965, when his mother and father were ages 16 and 17; they married in 1964. Young's middle name, "Romelle," came from his father's unsigned amateur R&B singing group, The Romells. In 1968, his parents divorced, and his mother later married Curtis Crayon. They had three more children together, two sons named Jerome and Tyree (both deceased) and daughter Shameka.In 1976 Young began attending Vanguard Junior High School in Compton, CA, but due to gang violence around Vanguard he transferred to the safer suburban Roosevelt Junior High School. Verna later married Warren Griffin, whom she met at her new job in Long Beach, which added three new stepsisters and one new stepbrother to the family. That stepbrother, Warren Griffin III, would eventually become rapper Warren G
Warren G
Warren G , is an American West Coast rapper and hip hop producer. He is also Dr. Dre's half-brother.His biggest hit is the song "Regulate" with Nate Dogg released in 1994...
.
Young attended Centennial High School
Centennial High School (Compton, California)
Centennial High School is a public high school in Compton, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area....
in Compton during his freshman year in 1979, but transferred to Fremont High School
John C. Fremont High School
John C. Fremont Senior High School is a Title 1 co-educational public high school located in Los Angeles, California, United States.Fremont is in a region known as South Los Angeles...
due to poor grades. Young attempted to enroll in an apprenticeship program at Northrop Aviation Company
Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...
, 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. Young fathered a son, Curtis, born December 15, 1981, with Lisa Johnson. Curtis Young was brought up by his mother and first met his father 20 years later, when Curtis became rapper Hood Surgeon.
1984–85: World Class Wreckin' Cru
Inspired by the Grandmaster FlashGrandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
song "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel
The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel
"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" is a single released by Grandmaster Flash in 1981. It is a live DJ mix recording of Flash scratching and mixing records from various groups using three turntables...
", he often attended a club called The Eve After Dark to watch many DJs and rappers performing live. He subsequently became a DJ in the club, initially under the name "Dr. J", based on the nickname of Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
, his favorite basketball player. At the club, he met aspiring rapper Antoine Carraby, later to become member DJ Yella
DJ Yella
DJ Yella is the stage name of Antoine Carraby , a DJ, drummer, music producer, film director and pornographer from Compton, California. He was a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru along with Dr. Dre. He later became a founding member of the pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A...
of N.W.A. 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". He later joined the musical group World Class Wreckin' Cru
World Class Wreckin' Cru
The World Class Wreckin' Cru was an electro group, best known for its contributions to early rap and its association with future-N.W.A member, hip-hop mogul, and renowned producer Dr. Dre.-Early Career:...
under the independent Kru-Cut Records
Kru-Cut Records
Kru-Cut is an American record label formed by Lonzo Williams in 1984 during the formation of his group the World Class Wreckin Cru in hopes of the group gaining a status and being able to make money. The Kru-Cut label struck a label with Macola records to help to distribute music and products of...
in 1984. The group would become stars of the electro-hop
Electro-hop
Electro hop is the fusion of electro, electroclash, electropop, electronica, or electronic dance music with hip hop. The music usually has dancing in mind, however some forms of the music are electronica...
scene that dominated early 1980s West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
, and their first hit "Surgery" would prominently feature Dr. Dre on the turntables and sell 50,000 copies within the Compton area.
Dr. Dre and DJ Yella also performed mixes for local radio station KDAY
KDAY
KDAY in Redondo Beach and KDEY in Ontario are a pair of synchrocasting radio stations based in South Los Angeles that airs an Classic hip-hop format aimed at African Americans in the 18-49 range. The station is owned by Magic Broadcasting, LLC and broadcasts at 93.5 MHz on the FM dial...
, boosting ratings for its afternoon rush-hour show The Traffic Jam. Dr. Dre's earliest recordings were released in 1994 on a compilation titled Concrete Roots
Concrete Roots
Concrete Roots is a 1994 album produced by Dr. Dre.-Track listing:-Sales:-Credits:*Peter Heur - Executive Producer*DJ Flash - Executive Producer*The World Class Wreckin' Cru - Performer...
. 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".
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. He later dropped out of Chester to focus on performing at the Eve's After Dark nightclub.
1986–91: N.W.A and Ruthless Records
In 1986, Dr. Dre met rapper Ice CubeIce Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
, who collaborated with Dr. Dre to record songs for Ruthless Records, a rap record label run by local rapper Eazy-E
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
. N.W.A and fellow West Coast rapper Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
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 gang lifestyle. Not feeling constricted to racially charged political issues pioneered by rap artists such as Public Enemy or Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions was a hip hop group that was originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of BDP's debut album, Criminal Minded. The name of the group, Boogie Down, derives from a nickname for the...
, N.W.A favored themes and uncompromising lyrics, offering stark descriptions of violent, inner-city streets. Propelled by the hit "Fuck tha Police
Fuck tha Police
"Fuck tha Police" is a protest song by the gangsta rap group N.W.A that appears on the album Straight Outta Compton. Despite not being a single, it ranked #425 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....
", the group's first full album Straight Outta Compton
Straight Outta Compton
The lyrics on the album were mainly written by Ice Cube and MC Ren. Critics of the album expressed their view that the record glamorized Black-on-Black crime, but the emcees stated that the group was simply showing the reality of living in the areas of Compton, California, and South Central Los...
became a major success, despite an almost complete absence of radio airplay or major concert tours. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
sent Ruthless Records a warning letter in response to the song's content.
After Ice Cube left N.W.A in 1989 over financial disputes, Dr. Dre produced and performed for much of the group's second album Efil4zaggin
Efil4zaggin
- Samples :Prelude* "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" by Isaac HayesReal Niggaz Don't Die* "UFO" by ESG* "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson* "Die Nigger!!!" by The Last Poets* "Rise Above" by Black Flag* "Long Red" by Mountain...
. He also produced tracks for a number of other rap acts on Ruthless Records, including Above the Law, and The D.O.C.
The D.O.C.
Tracy Lynn Curry , primarily known by his stage name The D.O.C., is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. In addition to a solo career, he was a member of the hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and a creative force behind the gangsta rap group N.W.A, where he co-wrote many of their releases. He has...
for his 1989 album No One Can Do It Better
No One Can Do It Better
No One Can Do It Better is The D.O.C.'s debut album, released on June 16, 1989. It reached number-one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks, while peaking in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified gold by the RIAA three months after it was released, and platinum...
. In 1991, at a music industry party in Hollywood, he assaulted television host Dee Barnes
Dee Barnes
Denise "Dee" Barnes is an American rapper and former television personality, whose stage name was D Zire, performed in the West Coast hip hop female duo Body & Soul, and hosted an influential radio show on KDAY prior to gaining wider fame as the host of Fox's hip hop show Pump It Up!.Body & Soul's...
of the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
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
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
on television.
1992–95: The Chronic and Death Row Records
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.The D.O.C.
Tracy Lynn Curry , primarily known by his stage name The D.O.C., is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. In addition to a solo career, he was a member of the hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and a creative force behind the gangsta rap group N.W.A, where he co-wrote many of their releases. He has...
and his bodyguard at the time, Suge Knight
Suge Knight
Marion "Suge" Knight, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Black Kapital Records and co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Death Row Records rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including...
. Knight, a notorious strongman and intimidator, was able to have Eazy-E release Young from his contract and, using Dr. Dre as his flagship artist, founded Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
. In 1992 Young released his first single, the title track
Deep Cover (song)
"Deep Cover", also known as "187", is Dr. Dre's debut solo single, his first song since the N.W.A. break up. It was made for the soundtrack from the film Deep Cover . The song features Snoop Dogg making his first appearance on record.-History:...
to the film Deep Cover
Deep Cover
Deep Cover is a 1992 crime thriller film starring Laurence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum and directed by veteran actor Bill Duke. It is also notable for its theme song of the same name, composed by Dr...
, a collaboration with rapper Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, whom he met through Warren G. Dr. Dre's debut solo album was The Chronic
The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
, released under Death Row Records. Young ushered in a new style of rap, both in terms of musical style and lyrical content.
On the strength of singles such as "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang", "Let Me Ride
Let Me Ride
"Let Me Ride" is the third single released by Dr. Dre from his 1992 album The Chronic. It experienced moderate success on the charts until it became a hit after Dr. Dre won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance during the Grammy Awards of 1994. Snoop Doggy Dogg is involved for a "Rollin' in...
", and "Fuck wit Dre Day (and Everybody's Celebratin')
Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')
"Fuck wit Dre Day " is a hip-hop single by Dr. Dre, with a guest appearance by Snoop Doggy Dogg, from the 1992 album The Chronic on Death Row Records...
" (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
G-funk
G-funk, or Gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that emerged from Westcoast gangsta rap in the early 1990s. G-funk incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-funk tunes, and a high-pitched...
sound dominating much of hip hop music for the early 1990s. In 1993 the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certified the album multi-platinum, and Dr. Dre also won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
for his performance on "Let Me Ride
Let Me Ride
"Let Me Ride" is the third single released by Dr. Dre from his 1992 album The Chronic. It experienced moderate success on the charts until it became a hit after Dr. Dre won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance during the Grammy Awards of 1994. Snoop Doggy Dogg is involved for a "Rollin' in...
". 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.
Besides working on his own material, Dr. Dre produced Snoop Dogg's debut album Doggystyle
Doggystyle
Doggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...
, which became the first debut album for an artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album charts. In 1994 Dr. Dre produced some songs on the soundtracks to the films Above the Rim
Above the Rim
Above the Rim is a 1994 drama directed by Jeff Pollack. The screenplay was written by Pollack and journalist-turned-screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper , from a story by Pollack and Benny Medina....
and Murder Was the Case
Murder Was the Case
Murder Was the Case is a 1994 short film and soundtrack album starring Snoop Doggy Dogg. The 18 minute film was directed by Dr. Dre and Fab Five Freddy and chronicles the fictional death of Snoop Dogg and his resurrection after making a deal with the Devil...
. He collaborated with fellow N.W.A member Ice Cube for the song "Natural Born Killaz
Natural Born Killaz
"Natural Born Killaz" is a single from the reunited duo of Dr. Dre and Ice Cube originally intended for the scrapped album 'Heltah Skeltah'. It is the first time the two had been on a single together since their rap group N.W.A had split up. The single was released in 1994 in the US and 1995 in the...
" in 1995. For the film Friday
Friday (film)
Friday is a 1995 stoner comedy-drama-buddy film directed by F. Gary Gray. Starring Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Bernie Mac, Tommy Lister, Jr...
, Dre recorded "Keep Their Heads Ringin'
Keep Their Heads Ringin'
"Keep Their Heads Ringin" is a single by Dr. Dre taken from the soundtrack of the movie Friday. Although the album was released on Priority Records, Death Row Records still owns the masters to the song...
", which reached No.10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.1 on the Hot Rap Singles (now Hot Rap Tracks) charts.
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
Suge Knight
Marion "Suge" Knight, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Black Kapital Records and co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Death Row Records rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including...
was corrupt, financially dishonest and out of control. In 1996, he formed his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, under the distribution label for Death Row Records, Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. Subsequently, Death Row Records suffered poor sales by 1997, especially following the death of 2Pac and the racketeering
Racket (crime)
A racket is an illegal business, usually run as part of organized crime. Engaging in a racket is called racketeering.Several forms of racket exist. The best-known is the protection racket, in which criminals demand money from businesses in exchange for the service of "protection" against crimes...
charges brought against Knight.
1996–98: Move to Aftermath Entertainment
The Dr. Dre Presents the AftermathDr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath is a compilation album by Dr. Dre. It was released in 1996 after leaving Death Row Records, and was the first release on his then newly established Aftermath Entertainment. In spite of Dr...
album, released on November 26, 1996, featured songs by Dr. Dre himself, as well as by newly signed Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
artists, and a solo track "Been There, Done That
Been There, Done That
"Been There, Done That" is a 1997 single by West Coast rapper and producer Dr. Dre from his compilation album Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath. The song is produced by Dr. Dre himself and Bud'da. The lyrics were written by former Death Row Records labelmate, J-Flexx...
", intended as a symbolic farewell to gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
. Despite being classified platinum by the RIAA, the album was not very popular among music fans. In October 1996, Dre performed "Been There, Done That" on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. In 1997, Dr. Dre produced several tracks on The Firm's The Album
The Album (The Firm album)
The Album, also known as The Firm: The Album, is the debut studio album of American hip hop supergroup The Firm, released October 21, 1997 on the Interscope-subsidiary label Aftermath Entertainment.-Background:...
; it was met with largely negative reviews from critics. Rumors began to abound that Aftermath was facing financial difficulties. Aftermath Entertainment also faced a trademark infringement
Trademark infringement
Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attaching to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees...
lawsuit by the underground thrash metal band Aftermath. First Round Knock Out
First Round Knock Out
First Round Knock Out is a compilation by rapper/producer, Dr. Dre. The album was released in 1996 for Triple X Records and was mostly produced by Dr. Dre, as well as Cold 187um and Chris "The Glove" Taylor, who produced one song each . Artists featured on the album include Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg,...
, 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.
Despite the mixed reception to his label's album, Dr. Dre was featured on two Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
No.1 singles in 1996, those being 2Pac's "California Love
California Love
"California Love" is a hip hop song by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman. The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single upon his release from prison in 1995. A popular remix version of the song appeared on his 1996 double album All Eyez on Me...
" and R&B group Blackstreet
Blackstreet
Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...
's "No Diggity
No Diggity
"No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen in her first recorded appearance. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 in the UK. It ranked at #91 on . It sold 1.6 million copies in 1996, and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a...
". They were Dr. Dre's first No.1 singles as a lead or featured artist.
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
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, 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
The Slim Shady LP
The Slim Shady LP is the second studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on February 23, 1999. It is his major-label debut, and was released under Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and Web Records....
, released in 1999. The Dr. Dre-produced lead single from that album, "My Name Is
My Name Is
"My Name Is" is a song by Eminem released in 1999. It is the debut single overall from his major label debut album, The Slim Shady LP. The song was ranked at #26 on "VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's". "My Name Is" also was ranked #6 on Q Magazine's "1001 Best Songs Ever"...
", would help propel Eminem into stardom. The album was eventually certified 4x Platinum and helped to revive the Aftermath label. Also during this time, Dre assisted on the mix for Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
track "Even Deeper", from 1999 album The Fragile
The Fragile
In terms of narrative, virtually no references are made to the aspects depicted in The Downward Spiral. Like The Downward Spiral, The Fragile is a concept album, but, as a double album, is nearly twice the length of its predecessor. Reznor's vocals, for the most part, are much more melodic and...
.
1999–2000: 2001
Dr. Dre's second solo album, 2001, released on November 16, 1999, was considered an ostentatious return to his gangsta rap roots. 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. The album featured numerous collaborators, including Devin the DudeDevin the Dude
Devin Copeland , better known by his stage name, Devin the Dude, is a Houston hip hop artist, and rapper. He is best known for his unique rapping style, his long career signed to Rap-A-Lot Records, and his 2002 song, "Lacville '79"....
, Hittman, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...
, Nate Dogg
Nate Dogg
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale , better known by his stage name Nate Dogg, was an American musician. He is noted for his membership of rap trio 213 and his solo career in which he collaborated with Dr. Dre, Warren G, Tupac and Snoop Dogg on many hit releases. Nate Dogg released three solo albums, G-Funk...
and Eminem. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of the website Allmusic described the sound of the album as "adding ominous strings
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
, soulful vocals, and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
" to Dr. Dre's style. The album was highly successful, charting at number two on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
charts and has since been certified six times platinum, 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.
Still D.R.E.
"Still D.R.E." is the title of a song recorded by American artist Dr. Dre. It was released in November 1999 as the lead single from his multi-platinum second album 2001. This song features Snoop Dogg on the intro, chorus and outro.- Music video :...
" and "Forgot About Dre
Forgot About Dre
-Peak positions:-End of year charts:-Awards:"Forgot About Dre" won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2001 Grammy Awards....
", both of which Dr. Dre performed on NBC's Saturday Night Live on October 23, 1999. Dr. Dre won the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2000, and joined the Up in Smoke Tour with fellow rappers Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube that year as well.
During the course of 2001s popularity, Dr. Dre was involved in several lawsuits. Lucasfilm Ltd., the film company behind the Star Wars film franchise
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, sued him over the use of the THX
THX
THX is a trade name of a high-fidelity audio/visual reproduction standard for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, and car audio systems. The current THX was created in 2001 when it spun off from Lucasfilm Ltd...
-trademarked "Deep Note
Deep Note
Deep Note is the name of THX's audio logo, a distinctive synthesized crescendo sound. It was created by Dr. James A. Moorer, then an employee of the Lucasfilm Computer Division, in 1983...
". 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. The online music file-sharing company Napster
Napster
Napster is an online music store and a Best Buy company. It was originally founded as a pioneering peer-to-peer file sharing Internet service that emphasized sharing audio files that were typically digitally encoded music as MP3 format files...
also settled a lawsuit with him and heavy metal rock band Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
in the summer of 2001, agreeing to block access to certain files that artists do not want to have shared on the network.
2001–08: Focus on production
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 ShadyThe Real Slim Shady
"The Real Slim Shady" is a hip hop song written by Eminem for his third studio album The Marshall Mathers LP . It was released as the lead single a week before the album's release...
”. 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. He produced the single "Family Affair
Family Affair (Mary J. Blige song)
"Family Affair" is a 2001 hit song for Mary J. Blige, produced by Dr. Dre. It was taken from her fifth album, No More Drama, and was responsible for popularizing the terms "hateration" and "dancery" in the US, as well as contributing to the popularity of the word "crunk". The single topped the...
" by R&B singer Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
for her album No More Drama
No More Drama
No More Drama is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. The album was released on August 28, 2001 by MCA Records in North America. The album was certified 3x Platinum. According to Billboard magazine, No More Drama has sold over 3,200,000 in the United States alone to...
in 2001. He also produced "Let Me Blow Ya Mind
Let Me Blow Ya Mind
"Let Me Blow Ya Mind" is the second and final single from Eve's second album, Scorpion. Released in 2001, the single peaked at number two in the United States; it also reached number 29 in Canada, and was also her second hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number four...
", a duet by rapper Eve
Eve (rapper)
Eve Jihan Jeffers , is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actress. Her first three albums have reached a total of over 8 million albums sold worldwide. She has also achieved success in fashion as she started a clothing line titled "Fetish." She won a Grammy Award in 2002 for the...
and No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
lead singer Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
and signed R&B singer Truth Hurts
Truth Hurts
Share Watson , known as Truth Hurts, is an American Contemporary R&B singer-songwriter.-Albums:-Singles:* 2002: "Addictive" Share Watson (born October 10, 1971, St. Louis, Missouri), known as Truth Hurts, is an American Contemporary R&B singer-songwriter.-Albums:-Singles:* 2002: "Addictive"...
to Aftermath in 2001. Dr. Dre was the executive producer of Eminem’s 2002 release, The Eminem Show
The Eminem Show
The Eminem Show is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Eminem, released in 2002. It was the best-selling album of 2002 in the United States, with sales of 7.6 million copies. At the Grammy Awards of 2003 it was nominated for Album of the Year and became Eminem's third LP in four years to...
. He produced three songs on the album, one of which was released as a single
Business (song)
"Business" is a song by the rapper Eminem, released in 2003 as a single internationally, except in the U.S.. It was from his worldwide hit album, The Eminem Show, which was released in 2002. In the song, Eminem talks about him and Dr...
, and he appeared in the award-winning video for “Without Me
Without Me
"Without Me" is a rap song by American rapper Eminem. It was released as the lead single from his fourth studio album titled The Eminem Show in 2002, and re-released on his greatest-hits compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits in 2005....
”.
Another copyright-related lawsuit hit Dr. Dre in the fall of 2002, when Sa Re Ga Ma
Sa Re Ga Ma
Saregama India Limited, formerly The Gramophone Company of India is an Indian music company. Saregama also works in the home video business...
, a film and music company based in Calcutta, India, sued Aftermath Entertainment over an uncredited sample of the Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
song "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai" on the Aftermath-produced song "Addictive" by singer Truth Hurts
Truth Hurts
Share Watson , known as Truth Hurts, is an American Contemporary R&B singer-songwriter.-Albums:-Singles:* 2002: "Addictive" Share Watson (born October 10, 1971, St. Louis, Missouri), known as Truth Hurts, is an American Contemporary R&B singer-songwriter.-Albums:-Singles:* 2002: "Addictive"...
. 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.
Another successful album on the Aftermath label was Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)
Get Rich or Die Tryin is the debut studio album of American rapper 50 Cent, released February 4, 2003, on Aftermath Entertainment under a joint venture with Shady Records and distribution by Interscope Records. Its initially planned release was pushed seven days ahead due to heavy bootlegging and...
, the 2003 major-label debut album by Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York-based rapper 50 Cent. Dr. Dre produced or co-produced four tracks on the album, including the hit single "In da Club
In da Club
"In Da Club" is a hip hop song performed by rapper 50 Cent from his commercial debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin. The song was produced by Dr. Dre with co-production from Mike Elizondo. 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, and Elizondo wrote the song...
", a joint production between Aftermath, Eminem's boutique label Shady Records
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg founded the label in 1999 after the release of The Slim Shady LP.Since the formation, the label has signed nine acts...
and Interscope. 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
Young Buck
David Darnell Brown , also known as Young Buck, is an American Southern rapper. Buck is a former member of the New York City Hip-Hop group G-Unit, also a former artist of G-Unit Records as of Nov 26, 2011...
stabbed the man. 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. Knight immediately went on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show (CBS TV series)
The Late Late Show is an American late-night television talk and variety show on CBS hosted by Craig Ferguson since 2005. It immediately follows Late Show with David Letterman and is produced by Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated...
to deny involvement and insisted that he supported Dr. Dre and wanted Johnson charged. In September 2005, Johnson was sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to stay away from Dr. Dre until 2008.
Dr. Dre also produced "How We Do", a 2005 hit single from rapper The Game
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
from his album The Documentary. For an issue of Rolling Stone magazine in April 2005, Dr. Dre was ranked 54th out of 100 artists for Rolling Stone magazine's list "The Immortals: The Greatest Artists of All Time". Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
wrote the summary for Dr. Dre, where he stated Dr. Dre's song "Xplosive" as where he "got (his) whole sound from".
In November 2006 Dr. Dre began working with Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
on his album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist, and Wu-Tang Clan-member Raekwon, released September 8, 2009, on Ice H2O/EMI Records in the United States. The album experienced numerous delays to its release due to Raekwon's approach of continual re-writing...
. He also produced tracks for the rap albums Buck the World by Young Buck
Young Buck
David Darnell Brown , also known as Young Buck, is an American Southern rapper. Buck is a former member of the New York City Hip-Hop group G-Unit, also a former artist of G-Unit Records as of Nov 26, 2011...
, Curtis
Curtis (50 Cent album)
Curtis is the third studio album by American rapper 50 Cent, released September 11, 2007, on Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album features production from Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Timbaland, among others...
by 50 Cent, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
Tha Blue Carpet Treatment is the eighth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Geffen Records on November 21, 2006. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard charts.- Album information :...
by Snoop Dogg, and Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (Jay-Z album)
Kingdom Come is the ninth studio album by American rap artist Jay-Z. It was released on November 21, 2006. It was considered a "comeback album" for the established rapper, as 2003's The Black Album was slated to be his final release...
by Jay-Z. Dre also appeared on Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
's track "Bounce", from his 2007 solo album, Timbaland Presents Shock Value
Timbaland Presents Shock Value
Shock Value, is the second solo studio album, and fifth album overall, by record producer and rapper Timbaland. It is Timbaland's first release on his own imprint, the Interscope Records-distributed Mosley Music Group. Shock Value features a long list of guest artists, among them Fall Out Boy,...
along side, Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
, and Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
.
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, an N.W.A reunion album, and a joint album with fellow producer Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
titled Chairmen of the Board. Other upcoming albums for which he will produce include The Reformation by Bishop Lamont, The Nacirema Dream by Papoose
Papoose (rapper)
Shamele Mackie , better known by his stage name Papoose , is an American rapper.-Biography:Born March 5, 1978 in Brooklyn, New York City by Sierra Leone and Native American parents, Papoose made his first attempts at rapping at the age of 7. He was given his name by his grandma Vivian because of...
, Flirt by Eve
Eve (rapper)
Eve Jihan Jeffers , is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actress. Her first three albums have reached a total of over 8 million albums sold worldwide. She has also achieved success in fashion as she started a clothing line titled "Fetish." She won a Grammy Award in 2002 for the...
, and an upcoming album by Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
.
2009–present: Detox and The Planets
Detox is to be Dr. Dre's final album. In 2002, Dre told Corey Moss of MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
that he intended Detox to be a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
. Work for the album dates back to early 2004, 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. After several delays, the album was finally scheduled to be released sometime in 2010 by Interscope Records, which has not set a firm release date for the album as of July 2010. Producers confirmed to work on the album include DJ Khalil
DJ Khalil
Khalil Abdul-Rahman, better known by his stage name DJ Khalil, is a Los Angeles based American hip hop/soul record producer, and is the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Self Scientific, together with rapper Chace Infinite...
, Nottz
Nottz
Dominick Lamb better known by his stage name, Nottz is a music producer, writer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. He sometimes extends his executive name to Nottz Raw.-History:...
, Bernard "Focus" Edwards Jr., Hi-Tek
Hi-Tek
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star...
, J.R. Rotem, RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Warren G
Warren G
Warren G , is an American West Coast rapper and hip hop producer. He is also Dr. Dre's half-brother.His biggest hit is the song "Regulate" with Nate Dogg released in 1994...
, and Boi-1da
Boi-1da
Matthew Samuels , better known as Boi-1da , is a Canadian hip-hop producer from Toronto, Ontario. He has produced for artists and groups such as Chip tha Ripper, Kardinal Offishall, Clipse, Drake, Eminem, Saukrates, k-os, G-Unit, and The Diplomats among others...
. Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
claimed that Detox was finished, according to a June 2008 report by Rolling Stone magazine.
After another delay based on producing other artists' work, Detox was then scheduled for a 2010 release, coming after 50 Cent's Before I Self Destruct
Before I Self Destruct
Before I Self Destruct is the fourth studio album by American rapper 50 Cent, released November 9, 2009 on Interscope Records in the United States. It is his final solo release for his current contract with Interscope Records, excluding a "greatest hits" album. A feature film, also titled Before I...
and Eminem's Relapse, an album for which Dr. Dre handled the bulk of production duties. Dre appeared in the remix of the song "Set It Off" by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall
Kardinal Offishall
Jason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
(also with Pusha T
Clipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
); the remix debuted on DJ Skee
DJ Skee
Scott Keeney , better known by his stage name DJ Skee, is a DJ and entrepreneur operating out of Los Angeles. Skee manages his own new media music, marketing, and production company, Skee.TV...
's radio show in December 2008. At the beginning of 2009, Dre produced, and made a guest vocal performance on, the single "Crack a Bottle
Crack a Bottle
"Crack a Bottle" is a hip hop song by American rappers Eminem, Dr. Dre, and 50 Cent from Eminem's sixth studio album Relapse. On February 12, 2009, the song broke the first week digital sales record with 418,000 downloads, topping the previous record held by "Live Your Life" by T.I. featuring...
" by Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and the single sold a record 418,000 downloads in its first week. and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the week of February 12, 2009. Along with this single, in 2009 Dr. Dre produced or co-produced 19 of 20 tracks on Eminem's album Relapse. These included other hit singles "We Made You
We Made You
"We Made You" is a song by American hip hop musician Eminem. It was released as the first single from his sixth studio album Relapse on April 7, 2009. Produced by Dr. Dre and co-produced by Doc Ish and Eminem himself, the song samples "Hot Summer Nights" by Walter Egan. Eminem performed this song...
", "Old Time's Sake
Old Time's Sake
-Musical personnel:*Eric "Jesus" Coomes – guitar, bass*Mark Batson – keyboards*Dawaun Parker – keyboards*Trevor Lawrence, Jr. – keyboards-Charts:...
", and "3 a.m.
3 a.m. (Eminem song)
"3 a.m." is the second official single by American rapper Eminem from his album Relapse. The single was produced by Dr. Dre. The song was released onto the iTunes Store April 28, 2009. The music video was released on May 2 at 10:00 p.m. via Cinemax....
". (the only track Dre didn't produce was the Eminem produced single "Beautiful
Beautiful (Eminem song)
"Beautiful" is the third and final official single from American rapper Eminem. It was released on May 12, 2009 on iTunes as a digital download. "Beautiful" entered the UK Singles Chart on May 17, 2009 at #38 and re-entered at #31 due to massive airplay and was released as the third UK single after...
")
In a Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper is a soft drink, marketed as having a unique flavor. The drink was created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904 and is now also sold in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia ...
commercial that debuted on May 28, 2009, he premiered the first official snippet of Detox. 50 Cent and Eminem asserted in an interview on BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
that Dr. Dre had around a dozen songs finished for Detox. Detox is likely to be released sometime in 2012. The first two singles, "Kush" and "I Need a Doctor
I Need a Doctor
"I Need a Doctor" is a single by American hip-hop artist Dr. Dre. The song features guest appearances from American rapper Eminem and singer Skylar Grey. The song is produced by British record producer Alex da Kid, mixed by Dr...
", were released in September 2010 and February 2011 respectively. "Kush" has become a top 40 hit in the United States and "I Need a Doctor" peaked at Number Four on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single, "The Psycho" featuring 50 Cent is set to release sometime this year respectively.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers will honor Dr. Dre with its Founders Award for inspiring other musicians.
In an August 2010 interview, Dr. Dre stated that an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
album titled The Planets is in its first stages of production; each song being named after a planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
in the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
. On September 3, Dr. Dre showed support to longtime protégé Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, and appeared on his and Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Home & Home Tour
The Home & Home Tour
The Home & Home Tour is a tour by rappers Eminem & Jay-Z. The tour comprises two shows at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, and two shows in Yankee Stadium, New York City. A DVD of the tour is being made of the Detroit show. It may only be a DVD of Eminem's part of the show, but nothing has been...
, performing hit songs such as "Still D.R.E.," "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang," and "Crack a Bottle," alongside Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and another protégé, 50 Cent. Sporting an "R.I.P. Proof" shirt, Dre was honored by Eminem telling Detroit's Comerica Park to do the same. They did so, by chanting "DEEE-TOX," to which he replied, "I'm coming!"
Dr. Dre was featured on the cover of XXL
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
in the December/January 2011 issue. After Detox he will be one of the producers of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins' album Still Cool.
On 14 November 2011 Dre announced that he will be taking a break from music once he has finished producing for artists Slim the Mobster and Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar , formerly known by his stage name K. Dot, is an American rapper, and songwriter. He first gained major attention after the release of his 2010 mixtape O D. In 2011, his album Section.80, released exclusively through iTunes, instantly ranked as one of the top digital hip-hop releases...
. In this break he'll work on bringing his Beats By Dre to a standard as high as Apple and will also spend time with his family.
Film career
Dr. Dre made his first on screen appearance as a weapons dealer in the 1996 bank robbery movie Set It OffSet It Off
Set It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery...
. In 2001, Dr. Dre also appeared in the movies The Wash
The Wash (film)
The Wash is a hip hop-styled film written and directed by DJ Pooh and starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and DJ Pooh, with appearances by Eminem and Ludacris. The film was released on November 16, 2001.-Plot:...
and Training Day
Training Day
Training Day is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The film follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South and East Los Angeles.The film was a box office success and...
. A song of his, "Bad Intentions" (featuring Knoc-Turn'Al
Knoc-turn'al
Royal Harbor , known by stage name Knoc-turn'al, is a songwriter and rapper. He is known to write for Dr. Dre.-Albums:...
) and produced by Mahogany, was featured on The Wash soundtrack. 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
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
-owned company Crucial Films, along with longtime video director Phillip Atwell
Phillip Atwell
Philip G. Atwell is an American music video, television commercial and feature film director. Starting out as a music video producer, he took up directing in 1999. Often co-directing with Dr...
. 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." Along with fellow member Ice Cube, Dr. Dre will produce a biographical film about N.W.A tentatively titled Straight Outta Compton.
Entrepreneurship
In July 2008, Dr. Dre released his brand of headphones, Beats by Dr. DreBeats By Dr. Dre
Beats By Dr. Dre is a brand of headphones and loudspeakers marketed by hip-hop/rap musician Dr. Dre and Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records chairman Jimmy Iovine under Beats Electronics LLC. There are six versions of the headphones and six versions of the earphones, which are manufactured and...
. The line consists of Beats Studio, a circumaural headphone, Beats Tour, an in-ear headphone, Beats Solo & Solo HD, a supra-aural headphone, Beats Spin, Heartbeats by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, also an in-ear headphone, and Diddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
Beats. The headphones are made by Monster
Monster Cable Products
Monster Cable Products Inc. owns the Monster Cable brand of consumer audio and video cable, which is primarily used to connect audio and video components...
. He is also planning to release an "Aftermath Cognac and vodka" at around the same time he releases Detox. 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. HP and Dr. Dre announced the deal on October 9, 2009, at a press event in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, 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.
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 often uses as many as four or five to produce a single recording. He cites 1970s funkFunk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
musicians such as George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
, Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
and Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
as his 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. 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." Other equipment he uses include the E-mu SP-1200
E-mu SP-1200
E-mu SP-1200 is a classic drum machine and sampler released in August 1987 by E-mu Systems, Inc. as an update of the SP-12, which was originally created for dance music producers...
drum machine and other keyboards from such manufacturers as Korg, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Moog, and Roland.
After founding Aftermath Entertainment in 1996, Dr. Dre took on producer Mel-Man
Mel-Man
Melvin Breeden, better known as Mel-Man, is a producer from Norfolk, Virginia. He is the President/CEO of Big Cat Records.-Early life:...
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.
In 1999 Dr. Dre started working with Mike Elizondo
Mike Elizondo
Michael "Mike" Elizondo is a well-known songwriter, bassist, keyboardist, and hip hop music producer.-Musical career:Mike Elizondo is especially known for his collaborations with internationally successful producer Dr. Dre and rapper Eminem. He has played the bass for many of Dr...
, a bassist, guitarist, and keyboardist who has also produced, written and played on records for female singers such as Poe
Ann Danielewski
Anne "Annie" Decatur Danielewski , professionally known as Poe, is an American singer and songwriter. She first hit the modern rock charts in the mid-1990s. Poe is the daughter of Polish film director Tad Danielewski and his second wife, Priscilla Machold. She is the sister of author Mark Z....
, Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
and Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
, In the past few years Elizondo has since worked for many of Dr. Dre's productions. Dr. Dre also told Scratch
Scratch (magazine)
Scratch was a magazine about the art of creating hip-hop. It featured articles regarding producers, musicians and DJs that make beats for rap records, and details the secret methods, stories, partnerships, philosophies and equipment behind the music...
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
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
by sending him hip hop beats to play over, and hopes to have an in-person collaboration with him in the future.
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. In 2006 Snoop Dogg told the website Dubcnn.com that Dr. Dre had made new artist Bishop LamontBishop Lamont
Philip Martin , better known as Bishop Lamont is an American rapper from Carson, California. He was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label but left in 2010.-Biography:...
re-record a single bar of vocals 107 times. Dr. Dre has also stated that Eminem is a fellow perfectionist, and attributes his success on Aftermath to his similar work ethic. He gives a lot of input into the delivery of the vocals and will stop an MC during a take if it isn't to his liking. However, he does give MCs he works with room to write lyrics without too much instruction unless it is a specifically conceptual record, as noted by Bishop Lamont
Bishop Lamont
Philip Martin , better known as Bishop Lamont is an American rapper from Carson, California. He was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label but left in 2010.-Biography:...
in the book How to Rap
How to Rap
How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC is a book on hip-hop music and rapping by Paul Edwards. It is compiled from interviews with 104 notable rappers who provide insights into how they write and perform their lyrics.- Publication :...
.
A consequence of his 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
King Tee
Roger McBride, mostly known as King Tee , is an American West coast rapper from Compton, California.-Career:...
, 2001 vocalist Hittman, Joell Ortiz
Joell Ortiz
Joell Ortiz is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York, and a member of the group Slaughterhouse.-Biography:Joell Ortiz was born to Puerto Rican parents. Ortiz grew up in the Cooper Park Houses in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York formerly signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath...
, Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
and Rakim
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...
.
Collaborators/co-producers
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 PoundTha Dogg Pound
Tha Dogg Pound is a rap group made up of Daz Dillinger and Kurupt. They were signed to Death Row Records in their early careers and were key to the label's success. The group made their 1992 rap debut on Dr. Dre's The Chronic, on various songs. They also appeared on Snoop Dogg's debut album...
member Daz
Daz Dillinger
Delmar Drew Arnaud , better known by his stage name Daz Dillinger is an American hip hop producer and rapper mostly known for his membership in the rap duo Tha Dogg Pound, with Kurupt, and his work with Death Row Records.-The Chronic, Tha Dogg Pound and Dogg Food:Daz began his career on Death Row...
made many uncredited contributions to songs on his solo album The Chronic and Snoop Doggy Dogg's album Doggystyle
Doggystyle
Doggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...
(Daz received production credits on Snoop's similar-sounding, albeit less successful album Tha Doggfather after Young left Death Row Records).
It is known that Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
, 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".
Current collaborator Mike Elizondo
Mike Elizondo
Michael "Mike" Elizondo is a well-known songwriter, bassist, keyboardist, and hip hop music producer.-Musical career:Mike Elizondo is especially known for his collaborations with internationally successful producer Dr. Dre and rapper Eminem. He has played the bass for many of Dr...
, 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
The Real Slim Shady
"The Real Slim Shady" is a hip hop song written by Eminem for his third studio album The Marshall Mathers LP . It was released as the lead single a week before the album's release...
", stating, "I initially played a bass line on the song, and Dr. Dre, Tommy Coster Jr. and I built the track from there. Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
then heard the track, and he wrote the rap to it." 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 Young later programmed the song's beat after returning.
A group of disgruntled former associates of Dr. Dre complained that they had not received their full due for work on the label in the September 2003 issue of The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
. 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 Eminem Show
The Eminem Show is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Eminem, released in 2002. It was the best-selling album of 2002 in the United States, with sales of 7.6 million copies. At the Grammy Awards of 2003 it was nominated for Album of the Year and became Eminem's third LP in four years to...
, the songs "If I Can't" and "Back Down" on 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (album)
Get Rich or Die Tryin is the debut studio album of American rapper 50 Cent, released February 4, 2003, on Aftermath Entertainment under a joint venture with Shady Records and distribution by Interscope Records. Its initially planned release was pushed seven days ahead due to heavy bootlegging and...
, and the beat featured on Dr. Dre's commercial for Coors beer
Coors Brewing Company
The Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States...
.
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."
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. Dr. Dre's prominent studio collaborators, including Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
, Elizondo, Mark Batson
Mark Batson
Mark Batson is an American record producer, arranger, and songwriter from Bushwick, Brooklyn, now based in Los Angeles.As a co-writer and producer with Dr. Dre, he is responsible for Jay-Z's 2006 single "Lost One", as well as tracks for Eminem, 50 Cent, Game and Snoop Dogg. As a co-writer and...
and Dawaun Parker
Dawaun Parker
Dawaun Parker is a Grammy Award winning, multi-platinum musician, record producer and rap artist.Dawaun Parker is a staff songwriter and producer for Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment label...
, have shared co-writing, instrumental, and more recently co-production credits on the songs where he is credited as the producer.
Ghostwriters
It is 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."As seen in the credits for tracks Young has appeared on, there are often multiple people who contribute to his songs (although often in hip hop many people are officially credited as a writer for a song, even the producer).
In the book How to Rap
How to Rap
How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC is a book on hip-hop music and rapping by Paul Edwards. It is compiled from interviews with 104 notable rappers who provide insights into how they write and perform their lyrics.- Publication :...
, RBX
RBX
Eric Dwayne Collins, better known by his stage name RBX , is a former rapper and R&B singer from Long Beach, California...
explains that writing The Chronic
The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
was a "team effort" and details how he ghostwrote
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
"Let Me Ride
Let Me Ride
"Let Me Ride" is the third single released by Dr. Dre from his 1992 album The Chronic. It experienced moderate success on the charts until it became a hit after Dr. Dre won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance during the Grammy Awards of 1994. Snoop Doggy Dogg is involved for a "Rollin' in...
" for Dre. In regard to ghostwriting lyrics he says, "Dre doesn't profess to be no super-duper rap dude – Dre is a super-duper producer". As a member of N.W.A, The D.O.C. wrote lyrics for him while he stuck with producing. New York City rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
ghostwrote lyrics for the single "Still D.R.E." from Dr. Dre's album 2001.
Relationships and family
Dr. Dre's eldest son is named Curtis Young. When Curtis Young was born, Greene was 16, and Dr. Dre was 17. Curtis Young is an aspiring rapper who goes by the rap moniker "Hood Surgeon". In 1988, Dr. Dre had his second son, Andre Young Jr., with Jenita Porter. Porter sued Dr. Dre in 1990 in Orange County Superior Court seeking $5,000 of child support per month. From 1990 to 1996, Dr. Dre dated singer Michel'leMichel'le
Michel'le Toussant better known as Michel'le, is an American R&B singer-songwriter known for her squeaky, child-like speaking voice, which is a startling contrast to her strong vocals.-Career:...
, who frequently contributed vocals to Death Row Records albums. In 1991, the couple had a son, Marcel. In 1996, Dr. Dre married Nicole Threatt, the ex-wife of NBA player Sedale Threatt
Sedale Threatt
Sedale Eugene Threatt is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. He played college basketball at the West Virginia Institute of Technology from 1979 to 1983...
. They have two children together: a son named Truth (born 1997) and a daughter named Truly (born 2001).
On August 23, 2008, Young's second son, Andre Young Jr., died at the age of 20 at his mother's Woodland Hills home. The coroner determined that he died from an overdose of heroin and morphine.
Income
In 2001, Dr. Dre earned a total of about US$52 million from selling part of his share of Aftermath Entertainment to Interscope RecordsInterscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
and his production of such hit songs that year as "Family Affair
Family Affair (Mary J. Blige song)
"Family Affair" is a 2001 hit song for Mary J. Blige, produced by Dr. Dre. It was taken from her fifth album, No More Drama, and was responsible for popularizing the terms "hateration" and "dancery" in the US, as well as contributing to the popularity of the word "crunk". The single topped the...
" by Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
. Rolling Stone magazine thus named him the second highest-paid artist of the year. 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
G-Unit
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City formed by 50 Cents. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mix tapes...
and D12
D12
D12, an acronym for The Dirty Dozen, is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia...
and the single "Rich Girl
Rich Girl (Gwen Stefani song)
"Rich Girl" is a song by American recording artist Gwen Stefani from her debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. . Produced by Dr. Dre, the track features rapper Eve, and is a remake of Louchie Lou & Michie One's 1993 song of the same name, which was in turn an adaptation of the Fiddler on the...
" by singer Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
and rapper Eve
Eve (rapper)
Eve Jihan Jeffers , is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actress. Her first three albums have reached a total of over 8 million albums sold worldwide. She has also achieved success in fashion as she started a clothing line titled "Fetish." She won a Grammy Award in 2002 for the...
.
Discography
- The ChronicThe ChronicThe Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
(1992), Death RowDeath Row RecordsDeath Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr... - 2001 (1999), AftermathAftermath EntertainmentAftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
- Detox (TBA), Aftermath
- The Planets (TBA), Aftermath – instrumental
Wins
- "Let Me RideLet Me Ride"Let Me Ride" is the third single released by Dr. Dre from his 1992 album The Chronic. It experienced moderate success on the charts until it became a hit after Dr. Dre won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance during the Grammy Awards of 1994. Snoop Doggy Dogg is involved for a "Rollin' in...
" – Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Rap Solo PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
– 1994 - Rap In A Video Dr. Dre (featuring Eminem) — "Forgot About Dre" MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS – 2000
- "Forgot About DreForgot About Dre-Peak positions:-End of year charts:-Awards:"Forgot About Dre" won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2001 Grammy Awards....
" – Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or GroupGrammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or GroupThe Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
– 2001 | (with EminemEminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
) - The Marshall Mathers LPThe Marshall Mathers LPThe Marshall Mathers LP is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem. Released May 23, 2000, the album sold more than 1.76 million copies in its first week just in the US. In 2001, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and was nominated for Album of the Year...
– Grammy Award for Best Rap AlbumGrammy Award for Best Rap AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
– 2001 (with Eminem) - Various Productions – Grammy Award for Producer of the YearGrammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-ClassicalThe Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1975. The award had several minor name changes:*from 1975 to 1977, the award was known as Best Producer of the Year...
– 2001 - "Crack a BottleCrack a Bottle"Crack a Bottle" is a hip hop song by American rappers Eminem, Dr. Dre, and 50 Cent from Eminem's sixth studio album Relapse. On February 12, 2009, the song broke the first week digital sales record with 418,000 downloads, topping the previous record held by "Live Your Life" by T.I. featuring...
" – Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group – 2010 | (with Eminem and 50 Cent) - Relapse – Grammy Award for Best Rap AlbumGrammy Award for Best Rap AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
– 2010 (with Eminem)
Nominations
- "California LoveCalifornia Love"California Love" is a hip hop song by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman. The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single upon his release from prison in 1995. A popular remix version of the song appeared on his 1996 double album All Eyez on Me...
" – Grammy Award Nomination as Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (with 2Pac and Roger TroutmanRoger TroutmanRoger Troutman was the lead singer of the band Zapp who helped spearhead the Funk movement and heavily influenced West Coast hip hop due to the scene's heavy sampling of his music over the years...
) – 1997 - "Still D.R.E.Still D.R.E."Still D.R.E." is the title of a song recorded by American artist Dr. Dre. It was released in November 1999 as the lead single from his multi-platinum second album 2001. This song features Snoop Dogg on the intro, chorus and outro.- Music video :...
" – Grammy Award Nomination Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (with Snoop DoggSnoop DoggCalvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
) and The Source Awards Nomination Single of the year – 2000
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video is a 1992 documentary film starring rap group N.W.A The film was released on November 2, 1992 and was distributed by Priority Records and TriStar Pictures... |
Himself | Documentary |
| 1996 | Set It Off Set It Off Set It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery... |
Black Sam | |
| 2000 | Up in Smoke Tour Up in Smoke Tour The Up in Smoke Tour was a West Coast hip hop tour in 2000 featuring artists Ice Cube, Eminem, Proof, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, D12, MC Ren, Westside Connection, Mel-Man, Tha Eastsidaz, Doggy's Angels, Devin The Dude, Warren G, TQ, Truth Hurts and Xzibit.- Background :The tour was... |
Himself | Documentary |
| 2001 | Training Day Training Day Training Day is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The film follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South and East Los Angeles.The film was a box office success and... |
Paul | |
| The Wash The Wash (film) The Wash is a hip hop-styled film written and directed by DJ Pooh and starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and DJ Pooh, with appearances by Eminem and Ludacris. The film was released on November 16, 2001.-Plot:... |
Sean | ||
| 2012 | Shady Talez | Filming |
External links
- Official Detox blog
- Beats by Dr. Dre official site
- Dr. Dre at WhoSampled
- Dr. Dre at Beatbuggy