Dr. Dre (b. 1965)

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Biography

Andre Romell Young, known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of Death Row Records. Dre began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru in 1984, and later found fame with the gangsta rap group N.W.A, which he formed in 1987 with Eazy-E, Ice Cube and Arabian Prince. The group popularized explicit lyrics in hip-hop to detail the violence of street life. N.W.A's debut album Straight Outta Compton (1989) was one of the most successful albums in the West Coast hip-hop scene, and is often credited for the rise in popularity of gangsta rap. During the early 1990s, Dre was credited as a key figure in the crafting and popularization of West Coast G-funk, a subgenre of hip-hop characterized by a synthesizer foundation and slow, heavy production.

In Their Own Words (1)

"You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge."

– Dr. Dre, introducing N.W.A's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton. , 1988

Timeline

The story of Dr. Dre, told in moments.

1965 Birth

Born Andre Romell Young in Compton, California. His mother was a teenager. He discovered DJing at a local teen club and started spinning at parties.

What did those early parties in Compton teach you about sound? Was DJing an escape or an obsession?

1988 Event

Co-founded N.W.A with Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella. Their album Straight Outta Compton was one of the first gangsta rap records to reach a mainstream audience. The FBI sent a letter warning about the track "F--- tha Police."

Did you understand what N.W.A was starting? What did the FBI letter feel like?

1992 Event

Released The Chronic, his solo debut on the new Death Row Records label. It popularized G-funk, a production style built on heavy synth bass and slow beats. The album went triple platinum.

Where did G-funk come from in your head? Was The Chronic therapy or art?

1999 Event

Released 2001 on his own Aftermath Entertainment label. "Still D.R.E.," co-produced with Scott Storch, featured Jay-Z and became a cultural staple. He also signed a Detroit rapper named Eminem.

What made you build your own label instead of staying on someone else's? Was 2001 a second act or the real beginning?

2014 Event

Sold Beats Electronics to Apple for $3 billion. It was the largest acquisition in Apple's history. Dre, who'd started as a teenage DJ in Compton, became hip-hop's first billionaire.

Did you ever imagine a teenage DJ from Compton would sell a company to Apple for $3 billion? What did that moment feel like?