Dr. Dre: The Beat Goes On
Hip hop music and those who dabble in it are having the time of their lives. It has attracted a variety of multiple talents who love what they do because they know exactly what they’re doing. Some very successful ones have raked in fortunes that can make any rising star envious and 100% more inspired. Take Dr. Dre. For him to come this far – he’s now the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment – he must have worked long hours and paid his dues many times over. His versatility has landed him in the best places where he is acknowledged as having a style all his own and for smelling talent from far away. Dr. Dre won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, a credit to the “Marshall Mathers LP” and “2001.” These two albums forayed into a fresh musical path, marked by piano high notes and string melodies, supported by a deep and profound bass sound. This particular style is evident in the song “Let me Blow Ya Mind” sung by Eve and Gwen Stefani, “Break Ya Neck by Busta Rhymes and “Family Affair” by Mary J. Blige.
Dr. Dre was born Andre Romell Young on February 18, 1965 in LA, California. His talents are confirmed in his Grammy victory, as a producer, hip hop rapper and creator, actor and radio executive. His fame took off when he was a member of the rap group NWA, and then went on to establish Death Row Records with Suge Knight. He shared his success with Snoop Dogg, The Game, Eminem – in fact launching their careers to great heights. Others who have benefited from his work include Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent and Nick Forand.
Critics agree that Dr. Dre’s albums “The Chrnic” and “2001” changed the face of rap by introducing a totally refreshing style called West Coast G-Funk, which has proved to be a viable formula, at least as far as the US rap charts are concerned. It was the dominant style during the period 1992-1996. Young’s name, Dr. Dre, is a combination of Dr. J, a basketball star whom he idolized and the second syllable of his first name “dre”.
Dr. Dre took to DJ’ing and also was a poster boy for the World Class Wrecking Cru in the early 80s. He started collaborating with Broadus, also known as Snoop Doggy Dogg for whom he produced mix tapes. He produced Snoopy Dogg’s first album, “Doggystyle.”
Another album – “Detox” was scheduled for release in 2004, but Dr. Dre decided to delay the launch as he wanted to develop the artists on his Aftermath Entertainment level: Stat Quo, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent. He’s also working on albums for Jay-Z’s “Kingdom Come”, Bishop Lament’s “The Reformation” and Nas’ “Hip Hop Is Dead”, plus a few others.