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The 40 Greatest Dr. Dre Productions

By Mosi Reeves

Mosi Reeves

Dr. Dre’s production career spans three decades and some of the most famous moments in American popular music. The Los Angeles musician is responsible for introducing so many acts to the pop mainstream — from childhood friend Eazy-E to Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and many others — that it’s difficult to narrow his achievements to a few dozen picks. Meanwhile, readers of this list will notice the absence of Kendrick Lamar: While the Doctor has played a crucial role in Lamar’s career, Dre technically hasn’t produced any of the rapper’s hits … yet. With Dre, Snoop, Lamar, Eminem and Mary J. Blige set to headline the Super Bowl 56 halftime show next month, we look back at the productions that made him a legend. Take this list as a starting point for exploring an essential hip-hop icon.

50 Cent, “Heat” (2003)

This deep cut from 50 Cent’s six-times-platinum Get Rich or Die Tryin’ showcases Dre’s imagination as a producer of noisy, action-filled tableaus. It opens with a snippet of 50 executing a drive-by before Dre drops in an off-kilter stutter-step rhythm punctuated by gunshots and keyboard high notes. The alternating squalls of keys and gunshots highlight 50’s rep as the hammer-carrying bad man. “The DA can play this motherfucking tape in court/I’ll kill you,” says 50 before harmonizing, “I ain’t playin’, hear what I’m sayin’.” It’s riveting stuff. Dre may be a pop icon now, but he’ll always know how to make gangster shit.

Miche’le, “No More Lies” (1989)

Michel’le’s debut single not only arrived during N.W.A’s incredible 1989 run, but it also gave Ruthless Records a thrillingly new dimension, proving the label was capable of more than uncompromising reality rap. Dre’s bass-y, synthesized funk serves as a platform for Michel’le’s distinctively high-powered yet swinging voice. “I think we had a chemistry. When [we] started working on my stuff, we created something that was phenomenal,” Michel’le told Elle in 2016 . Although “No More Lies” was a massive Billboard Top 10 single, her relationship with Dre ultimately ended tragically, as she would later explain in her controversial biography and Lifetime series Surviving Dr. Dre.

Busta Rhymes, “In the Ghetto” (2006)

“The fact that Aftermath is my new home speaks for itself,” Busta Rhymes told XXL magazine in 2004, a sign of Aftermath’s reputation as the top rap label in the industry. Despite heavy publicity and decent album sales, Busta Rhymes’ Aftermath bow The Big Bang didn’t live up to its sky-high expectations. But it at least yielded “In the Ghetto,” a worthy tribute to the near-mythical king of funk-punk Rick James, who died in 2004. Dr. Dre and DJ Green Lantern sampled James’ “Ghetto Life” alongside a snippet of his infamous appearance at the BET Awards, then built a dramatic track out of punchy horn chops, bass bumps, and subtle flutes. James’ voice is nearly as prominent as Busta’s, who weaves a lyric about hood life before commanding us to “rep your ghetto.”

D12, “Fight Music” (2001)

Eminem’s D12 project is truly underrated. Despite coming up in the same thriving Nineties Detroit rap scene, Em’s friends never quite shook their undeserved reputation as bandwagon riders on his supernova fame. “Fight Music” was a highlight of the group’s solidly effective Devil’s Night debut, and a key moment for rap fans that couldn’t stomach some of their other shock-inducing horrorcore tracks. (That’s excepting Bizarre’s typically misanthropic verse, and his decidedly nasty bars about his grandmother.) Dre’s bass rhythm and Mike Elizondo’s ringing guitar lines lend the performers a raw, emphatic sound over which to unfurl their cipher.

50 Cent feat. Mobb Deep, “Outta Control” (2005)

Arriving at the tail end of 50 Cent’s reign as the biggest star in rap, “Outta Control” has the untroubled panache of a man at the peak of his powers. His harmonized, subtly halting hook — “You … know … I … got … what it takes to make the club go outta control” — sounds like effortlessly made ear candy. Havoc and the recently deceased New York rap hero Prodigy easily segue from their Mobb Deep reputation as Queensbridge murderers to thugs sipping bubbly and enjoying the models at the party. Dre and Mike Elizondo’s sparsely effective interplay of halting piano keys, skidding strings, and Dre’s patented bass-drum thumps makes “Outta Control” a mid-aughts hit that’s easy to love, but hard to reproduce.

Bilal, “Fast Lane” (2001)

This is one of Dr. Dre’s most unexpected collaborations. A highly touted member of Questlove’s Soulquarians movement, Philadelphia musician Bilal Oliver’s excellent debut, 1 st Born Second,  anticipated the P-Funk-meets-Prince-inspired “nu-funk” trend that would define the soul underground for much of the decade. However, the Interscope album didn’t quite catch on with the mainstream, despite Dr. Dre and Jadakiss’ assist on “Fast Lane,” which peaked just outside of the top 40 of Billboard ’s R&B Singles chart. Dre’s clean drums and eerie synths underlined Bilal’s haunted vocal about depravation in the projects, while Jadakiss rhymed with panache, “I’m a left lane/My life is much faster than yours.” Bilal would go on to collaborate with Kendrick Lamar, the Game, and Solange while being the best soul singer you’ve never heard of.

The West Coast Rap All-Stars, “We’re All in the Same Gang” (1990)

“We’re All in the Same Gang” was inspired by “Self Destruction,” an all-star charity single that KRS-One organized in 1988. Much like that hit featured the crème of New York’s rap movement, “We’re All in the Same Gang” brought together California rap stars like MC Hammer, N.W.A (minus Ice Cube), Tone-Loc, Above the Law, Digital Underground, Ice-T, JJ Fad, and others. “Don’t you know we’ve got to put our heads together/Stop the violence and make the change,” sang Michel’le on the chorus. Gang-leader-turned-community-activist Michael Concepion executive-produced the track. Though largely forgotten today, “We’re All in the Same Gang” was not only a gold-certified top 40 Billboard hit, but also earned Dre his first Grammy nomination.

Eminem, “So Bad” (2010)

After producing most of Eminem’s poorly received Relapse, Dr. Dre was largely absent for the Detroit rapper’s 2010 comeback, Recovery. However, he (and co-producer Nick Brongers) worked on “So Bad,” a deep-cut gem that didn’t get widespread attention until it was used in the Despicable Me 3 ad campaign in 2017. The track is a vintage Dre head-nodder, from Brongers’ buoyantly operatic strings and harp-like horn effects to deep bass drums and Sean Cruse’s wah-wah guitar licks. Like much of Eminem’s sobering, cathartic self-analysis on Recovery, “So Bad” finds him unpacking his pop-culture reputation as a misogynist dog and rapping about how he loves ‘em and leaves ‘em.

The Firm, “Phone Tap” (1997)

It should have been a triumph of East Coast-West Coast unity: a supergroup featuring Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega, with Dre overseeing production. But trouble brewed shortly after the Firm debuted “Affirmative Action” on Nas’ 1996 hit It Was Written . First, relatively unknown rapper Nature replaced Cormega, sparking a dispute between Nas and the Queensbridge OG that lasted for years. The following year, the Firm’s The Album flopped among fans and critics, and became one of the biggest casualties of rap music’s gilded “jiggy” age. The only song everyone seemed to like was “Phone Tap,” which found Dre and co-producer Chris “The Glove” Taylor stripping down his signature G-funk melody to an eerily whirring buzz. Despite that small victory, Dre would often refer to the biggest flop in his career as a “firm fiasco.”

World Class Wreckin’ Cru, “Turn Off the Lights” (1987)

Before Dr. Dre shifted his focus to the burgeoning N.W.A posse, he gave the World Class Wreckin’ Cru their biggest single. “Turn Off the Lights” is a funk slow jam between Dre and his girlfriend Michel’le, with the former calling seductively in a spoken-word cadence, eliciting Michel’le’s loud and impassioned vocal response. The synthesized keyboard beat is as slow as molasses, perfect for bass systems in low riders. “Mona Lisa was the singer who did most of the hooks, and this particular night she didn’t make it to the studio,” Michel’le told HipHopDX in 2010 . “I went down, did two takes.… About two weeks later, I hear the song on the radio!” Peaking at Number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100, it became Dr. Dre’s first pop hit.

The D.O.C., “It’s Funky Enough” (1989)

When the D.O.C. dropped “It’s Funky Enough,” he seemed to many like a new and exciting voice from the rapidly growing Ruthless empire. In fact, the Texas rapper had been a part of the camp since Dre discovered his onetime group Fila Fresh Crew while on tour. Fila Fresh Crew contributed to the 1987 compilation N.W.A and the Posse , and the D.O.C. contributed lyrics to Eazy-E’s Eazy-Duz-It . The ragamuffin flows and sharp yet fluid delivery of “It’s Funky Enough” are matched by Dr. Dre’s funky blend of Foster Sylvers’ “Misdemeanor” and multiple James Brown tracks. The two have since had an off-and-on relationship, with the D.O.C. contributing to Dre’s 2015 comeback album, Compton (A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre) . “I’ve always said that Dre is more like a film producer than a music producer,” he told Vibe in 2020 . “One of, if not the dopest of all time.”

Eazy-E, “Eazy-Duz-It” (1988)

Thanks to the underground success of “The Boyz-N-the-Hood,” Eazy-E became the first breakout star of the N.W.A crew. (Meanwhile, J.J. Fad scored a major Billboard pop hit with the Arabian Prince-produced “Supersonic,” which helped fund Eazy’s Ruthless label.) As the explicit title track and lead single from Eazy-E’s debut — radio stations usually opted for the self-explanatory B-side “Radio” — it unfolds like a miniature symphony, and Dr. Dre orchestrates multiple tempo and rhythmic changes amid scratches and cuts from DJ Yella. It’s all grist for Eazy’s unforgettably unique voice. “Once Eazy found out he could do it and knew that he was good since he had a voice and an image, people wanted more,” Ice Cube told Complex in 2013.

Dr. Dre, “Been There Done That” (1996)

In the wake of Dr. Dre’s abrupt departure from Death Row, as well as the September 1996 murder of 2Pac, “Been There, Done That” felt like a necessary pause for reflection as hip-hop fans wondered if reality rap was worth the residual damage it seemingly caused. “You got drama, you got the gun, I got the gat/But we both Black, so I don’t wanna lay ya flat,” he rapped as he bragged about million-dollar homes and cars. Fans respected Dre’s call to renounce violence and focus on making money, but “Been There, Done That” didn’t quite resonate with them like his earlier work. “Most of the feedback I got from ‘Been There, Done That’ was ‘That shit is nice.… now let’s hear some dope shit.’ And they were totally right,” he told The Source in 1999. “Been There, Done That” is an early example of what would later be called “grown-man rap,” and as rap stars age and try to reconcile their maturity with their hellion public images, it deserves a special place in the Dre canon.

Xzibit, “X” (2000)

L.A. rapper and Likwit crew associate Xzibit had recorded two well-received solo albums when Dr. Dre recruited him for Snoop Dogg’s 1999 hit “Bitch Please.” The duo’s partnership continued throughout Dre’s 2001 -era projects, including Xzibit’s platinum-certified album Restless . Its lead single, “X,” has a booming, club-rattling tempo, perfect for his emergence from underground acclaim to mainstream stardom. “I had just finished [Dr. Dre’s “Up in Smoke” tour], and was feeling on top of the world,” Xzibit wrote on Instagram in 2018 . “I went to the studio and released all the energy that I had built up over two years touring performing recording with the greats … this album came out and changed my life.”

Dr. Dre, “Talking to My Diary” (2015)

Dre’s critically acclaimed 2015 comeback Compton didn’t yield an official single, but this plaintive yet hopeful closing number is a close equivalent. It was the only song used from the album in the Straight Outta Compton biopic. And while most of Compton is stuffed with featured guests, “Talking to My Diary” finds Dre alone, marveling at his journey through 50 years of life. “It gets the hardest when I think about the dearly departed/Like the nigga I started with/I know Eazy can see me now looking down through the clouds,” he reminisces over a track he co-produced with DJ Silk and Mista Choc. The track, he told Beats 1 during a 2015 interview, fulfills his goal of making Compton an inspirational coda to a legendary career. “I want this album to be inspiring. I want it to be motivational,” he said. “The record is just me reflecting, and I’m basically just talking to myself.”

The Game feat. 50 Cent, “How We Do” (2004)

As the myth goes, the Game was happy to be a G-Unit soldier until he realized he had a hit on his hands. By the time “How We Do” came out at the end of 2004, the West Coast upstart and 50 Cent were feuding. Their casual vocal interplay on “How We Do” is reminiscent of Dre’s and Snoop’s mic-trading skills on “Nuthin’ but a G Thang.” Dre’s minimalist beat makes spare use of piano keys and chime effects, and keeps the spotlight on the Game and 50 Cent’s performance. Unlike the inseparable Dre and Snoop, though, the duo’s appearances on the Game’s double-platinum debut, The Documentary, seemingly won’t be repeated. The Game has stayed loyal, though – he turned his 2006 album Doctor’s Advocate into an homage to Dre, and recently appeared on the West Coast legend’s 2015 Compton soundtrack.

Eminem, “The Real Slim Shady” (2000)

The celebratory feel of Eminem’s signature hit doesn’t really sound like anything else on The Marshall Mathers LP . He reportedly made the track after the rest of his dark, tortured masterwork was finished, and his management team decided they needed a lead single. “We began with a drumbeat that Dre programmed into an MPC3000,” Mike Elizondo told Sound on Sound in 2006. Elizondo co-produced the track with Dre and Tommy Coster Jr., the latter devising the track’s memorably “harpsichord-like” melody. But it’s Dre’s thumping bass drum that makes the track bounce and gives Eminem fuel. When Eminem descended on the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards with dozens of white boys in white T-shirts “that look just like me,” this hit single felt like a call to arms, and everyone wondered what would happen next.

N.W.A, “Alwayz Into Somethin’” (1991)

N.W.A’s second and final album, efil4zaggaN, has a curious reputation. Though it was a chart-topping hit and named by the Source magazine as its album of the year, it was marred by intragroup conflicts as well as a noticeable decline in lyrical quality due to Ice Cube’s acrimonious 1989 departure. Still, songs like “Alwayz Into Somethin’” are clearly prototypes for Dr. Dre’s subsequent G-funk renaissance. The tempo is slower, bluesier, and shorn of the Bomb Squad-style sampling flurries that marked Straight Outta Compton. The track is a highlight for MC Ren, whose cool delivery matches Dre’s funky-worm groove. (He also calls Ice Cube a “bitch.”) Meanwhile, a ragamuffin chorus from Admiral D reminds us that dancehall reggae was just as popular on the West Coast as it was in the East.

N.W.A, “Dope Man” (1987)

For a follow-up to Eazy-E’s street anthem “The Boyz-N-the-Hood” and the official introduction of the L.A. supergroup Niggaz Wit Attitudes, Ice Cube wrote another memorable tale of a crack dealer on the make. Yet “Dope Man” was also a breakthrough for what soon became the Dr. Dre sound: loud, slick, and booming, with fanciful twists on the Ohio Players’ “Funky Worm,” a noodle-y keyboard line that he virtually made his trademark. Released as the B side to the generic club-friendly electro track “Panic Zone,” it quickly became a calling card for N.W.A’s hard, uncompromising reality rap.

2Pac, “California Love“ (1995)

“California Love” was Dr. Dre’s last great moment with the world-conquering label he and Suge Knight co-founded. New signee 2Pac, one of hip-hop’s first great workaholics and a pioneer for rap’s “make 1,000 songs” model of studio profligacy, chafed at Dre’s perfectionist tendencies. Dre, for his part, plotted an escape from Death Row, alarmed at the label’s increasingly wayward drift. (He also spent some time in prison on drunk-driving charges, an experience that he later said forced him to clean up his lifestyle.) Despite behind-the-scenes tensions, “California Love” immediately became the kind of party starter that, 20 years after its release, can still set a dance floor on fire. Dre ingeniously mixed Roger Troutman’s talk-box vocals with an interpolation of the well-worn B-boy break of Joe Cocker’s “Woman to Woman.” The combination gives the song a classic feel; a blend of East Coast sample sensibilities and West Coast funk vibes that went unnoticed during the height of hip-hop coastal tensions. And with his deep, authoritative voice, he matches 2Pac’s more antic, fire-breathing delivery. “I’ve been in the game for 10 years making rap tunes/Ever since honeys was wearing Sassoon,” he boasts on this essential West Coast anthem.

The Lady of Rage, “Afro Puffs” (1994)

“Afro Puffs” brought a spotlight to the Lady of Rage, a Virginia rapper that Dre discovered through her association with production team L.A. Posse. Dre weaved together a Johnny “Guitar” Watson loop with his signature fried-G-funk keyboards, while Rage got “ruff and tuff” with a bellowing hardcore flow. “Go on with your bad self,” chanted Snoop Doggy Dogg in appreciation. Released as a single from the Above the Rim soundtrack, “Afro Puffs” marked a too-brief moment for a talented artist that Death Row didn’t quite know how to market. She didn’t get to release her solo debut, Necessary Roughness, until 1997 — well after Dr. Dre’s departure and Suge Knight’s imprisonment had left the company on the brink of collapse.

Dr. Dre, “Still D.R.E.” (1999)

Dre had already launched a modest comeback with his work on Snoop Dogg’s fan-favorite “B Please,” and Eminem’s multiplatinum debut, The Slim Shady LP. Yet the stakes couldn’t have been higher for the sequel to his masterpiece, The Chronic . So he recruited East Coast rap god Jay-Z to ghostwrite lyrics for the first single of what was initially known as Chronic 2000. (Counterprogramming moves by friend-turned-foe Suge Knight led Dre to change the title to Chronic 2001 , and finally just 2001. ) “At first, he wrote about diamonds and Bentleys,” Dre told Blaze magazine in 1999. “So I told Jay to write some other shit. Jigga sat for 20 minutes and came back with some hardass, around-the-way L.A. shit.” While Dre renders Jay Hova’s rhymes about hittin’ corners on Lo-Lo’s in his distinctive baritone cool, he collaborated with rising producers Scott Storch and Mel-Man to craft an easygoing stride-piano rhythm that cruises at an impressively low hum. “Guess who’s back?” Dre announces, yet he sounds like he isn’t breaking a sweat about it.

N.W.A, “Express Yourself (Remix)” (1989)

For the remix of “Express Yourself,” Dr. Dre lifted the chorus from Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street’s similarly named track, giving the song a joyously accessible pulse that feels muted in the album version. The video proved to be an MTV favorite, blending scenes of Dre triumphantly leading a parade, a cameo from “Wild Thing” rapper Tone-Loc, and a concept that showed white supremacy’s evolution from slavery overseer to crooked police officer to executioner. It all symbolized N.W.A’s strength of street knowledge, mixing funky fun and serious themes for hip-hop domination. Hilariously, Dr. Dre claimed “I don’t smoke weed or sess,” something that would obviously change in the years to come.

Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg, “Deep Cover” (1992)

Released as the lead single from Dr. Dre’s Deep Cover soundtrack, “Deep Cover” prefaced the creative brilliance and backroom shenanigans that marked Death Row, his new alliance with bodyguard-turned-entrepreneur Suge Knight. Dre brought Snoop Doggy Dogg, a Long Beach newcomer whose casual insouciance and laconic delivery instantly made him the hottest rapper in the industry. His chorus, “’Cause it’s 1-8-7 on an undercover cop!” not only rang through the streets during the summer of ’92, but also brought reactionary criticism from law enforcement. Meanwhile, Knight’s strong-arm tactics against original distributor SOLAR Records resulted in a flurry of lawsuits – which may be the reason why the soundtrack remains unavailable on streaming services.

N.W.A, “Gangsta Gangsta” (1988)

With Dr. Dre’s production — a swinging, funky rhythm lifted from Steve Arrington’s “Weak at the Knees,” the sampled voice of Lady Reed, and allusions to Boogie Down Productions’ “My Philosophy” and William DeVaughn’s “Be Thankful for What You Got” — “Gangsta Gangsta” sounds more like a freewheeling Compton backyard party than an ominous threat. Ice Cube takes command with an increasingly foul-mouthed antihero’s tale before reaching a surprisingly moralistic conclusion. “Now I’m dressed in county blues,” he says. Then the track gives way to a “surprise” final verse from Eazy-E, a crowd-pleasing twist akin to John Travolta’s post-murder reappearance in Pulp Fiction.

Dr. Dre feat. Hittman, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, and Six-Two, “Xxplosive” (1999)

“Xxplosive” is another Dre cult classic that didn’t get an official single release, yet became ubiquitous on urban radio anyway. Dre and Mel-Man weren’t the first to sample Soul Mann and the Brothers’ cover of Isaac Hayes’ “Bumpy’s Lament” — that honor belongs to Fabian Hamilton, who flipped it for Lil Kim’s “Drugs.” However, it’s “Xxplosive’s” sensuously atmospheric reimagining of the Blaxploitation chestnut, setting it over a back-stiffening trap drum rhythm, that Erykah Badu’s “Bag Lady” and too many other tracks to mention here subsequently copied. Nate Dogg’s vocal revisits his earlier star turn on “Ain’t No Fun,” while Texas newcomer and “freakaholic” Six-Two adds to the lasciviousness. “I got these hoes clapping they hands, stomping they feet/Every now and then they put they mouth on me.”

50 Cent, “In da Club” (2003)

By the time “In da Club” dropped in January 2003, at the height of rap’s mainstream dominance, 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ was the most anticipated rap debut since Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle. It topped the Billboard charts for an impressive nine weeks and turned into Dr. Dre’s biggest hit as a producer to date. Its nightlife ubiquity around the globe endures, thanks to its medley of operatic keys, and a hook from 50 that virtually commands you to “find him in the club.” “As soon as he walked into the studio, he picked up a pen, and we were done in an hour,” Dre told Rolling Stone in 2003. The beauty of “In da Club” is its charming simplicity. 50 sounds like a thug comfortable in his own skin, and someone who can party just as easily as “crack your head with a bottle of Bud” if you step out of line.

Snoop Dogg, “Murder Was the Case (Remix)” (1994)

This might be the closest Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg have come to making a horrorcore epic. Originally made for Doggystyle before being remixed and issued as the title single from a straight-to-VHS flick, “Murder Was the Case” found Dre ramping up the whining G-funky-worm melodies to an ear-piercing volume as a backing chorus cries out “Murder!” It’s a sensational G-funk freakout enhanced by Snoop’s tormented raps about making a pact with the devil to conquer his block. The Gothic tones of “Murder Was the Case” mirrored Snoop’s real-life troubles: He faced allegations of conspiring to murder a rival gang member before a 1996 trial acquitted him. During a memorable appearance at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards, Snoop ended his performance of “Murder Was the Case” by declaring, “I’m innocent! I’m innocent!”

Dr. Dre, “Forgot About Dre” (1999)

Dre may have admitted to feeling a little pressure before the release of 2001, but save for a few key numbers, it didn’t show. One of those moments is “Forgot About Dre,” an angry pushback against critics who prematurely claimed he fell off. “All you niggas that said that I turned pop/Or the Firm flopped/Y’all are the reason that Dre ain’t been gettin’ no sleep,” he barks over a twangy bounce track he co-produced with Mel-Man. Meanwhile, Eminem plays Flavor Flav to Dre’s Chuck D by riffing a tale about killing two pedestrians and some barking dogs, and then burning down a house. It made no sense in the context of the song, but it was funny anyway.

Eminem, “My Name Is” (1999)

Thanks to 1997’s The Slim Shady EP, which spread quickly in the early years of internet .wavs and Real Audio streaming, Eminem was already an underground sensation when Dre and Jimmy Iovine signed him to Aftermath/Interscope. The trick was translating his foul-mouthed humor and complex rhyme schemes to a mainstream audience. Dre and Eminem reportedly finished “My Name Is,” the song that would introduce him to white America, in around an hour. Dre makes fanciful use of Seventies British singer Labi Siffre’s “I Got the …,” and the loping bass rhythm gives the song a shrugging “Who, me?” quality that suits Em’s vocal quirks and Cheshire-cat lyrics. Eminem has a goofy irreverence that helps the listener absorb some of his more outré comments, like claiming he “ripped Pamela Lee’s tits off” and “I just found out my mom does more dope than I do.” Dre humbly plays the father figure on his protégé’s star turn: “Slim Shady, you’re a basehead.”

Mary J. Blige, “Family Affair” (2001)

Mary J. Blige was perhaps the greatest R&B singer of the Nineties, and Dre dominated West Coast hip-hop during that decade. Remarkably, however, neither scored a Billboard Number One pop hit until “Family Affair.” The song finds Blige effectively shaking off the ghosts of her well-documented past traumas, and Dre matches her with a buoyantly stomping club beat. “We don’t need no hateration,” she sings happily on the Grammy-nominated single. “Get your ass on the dance floor!” “I don’t think I realized I was successful in music until ‘Family Affair,’ ” she told radio host David Morales last year. “That’s when I realized I was, like, huge. ”

Eve, “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” (2002)

As Eve of Destruction, Philadelphia rapper Eve Jeffers was one of the first artists signed to Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment. But it didn’t work out. “I was 18 when I first got signed. I just wanted my album out, but I didn’t know who I was as an artist, and I think Dre works really good with artists who know their own directions,” she told XXL magazine in 2004. A second deal with Ruff Ryders set her on the right path, and by the time she rejoined Dre for the biggest hit of her career, she was one of rap’s biggest stars. “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” has the same ringing blues-guitar melody that girded Dre’s “Xxplosive,” but it sounds lighter here, and Gwen Stefani’s sassy chorus gives it a winningly pop tone. Eve keeps it hardcore, though. “Drop your glasses, shake your asses,” she commands. Perhaps inspired by the Top 10-charting, Grammy-winning success of “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” Eve rejoined Dre’s Aftermath camp in 2004. Sadly, history repeated itself: Save for a memorable 2007 hit, “Tambourine,” nothing much came out of her second stint at the label, either.

Snoop Dogg, “Gin & Juice” (1993)

“With so much drama in the LBC/It’s kinda hard being Snoop D-O-double-G,” begins this quintessential tale of a good day in the hood. “But I somehow, someway, keep coming up with funky-ass shit like every single day.” Dre’s track made fanciful use of funk sources, from a rhythm bed he cribbed from George McCrae’s “I Get Lifted” and buried underneath his own keyboard arrangements, to transforming Slave’s “Watching You” into the song’s decidedly adult singalong chorus. Overall, it found Snoop Dogg and Dre evolving from the “lyrical gangbangs” of The Chronic to a demimonde of California sunshine, afternoon car cruises, and liquor-fueled backyard parties. When Vibe magazine asked Snoop in 1993 if he considered himself a gangsta, he responded, “Oh, I’d like to say I’m a smooth macadamian.”

Dr. Dre, “Keep Their Heads Ringin’” (1995)

After Dre dominated 1993 and 1994 with The Chronic and Doggystyle, “Keep Their Heads Ringin’” kept his name on the charts during a brief period of inactivity. The track teems with ideas, from the “Buck-buck-buck-booyakasha!” vocal snipped out of KRS-One’s “Mad Crew” to a backing trio of women who mimic the Sequence’s “Funk You Up” by chanting “Ring-ding-dong/Ring-de-ding-ding-dong!” The Billboard Top 10 single is a smooth and infectious G-funk party track where Dre goes “for your neck, so call me Blacula,” and demonstrates the good Doctor’s emphasis on quality over quantity.

Snoop Dogg feat. Nate Dogg, Warren G, and Kurupt, “Ain’t No Fun” (1993)

With its bouncy, glitter-ball-illuminated groove, “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None)” is Dre’s version of a boogie-funk epic. While never released as a single, it has endured as an urban-radio staple and a frequent source of inspiration: Mariah Carey essentially lifted the rhythm for her “Heartbreaker (Remix)” hit in 1999. Just as famous as Dre’s disco-fried beat is Nate Dogg’s opening vocal, and the way he makes heartless pimping sound so playfully likable. “When I met you last night, baby, before you opened up your gap/I had respect for you, lady, but now I take it all back,” he sings. “’Cause I have never met a girl/That I loved in the whole wide world.”

Eazy-E, “The Boyz-n-the-Hood” (1987)

As detailed in the hit 2015 movie Straight Outta Compton, the first N.W.A single happened on a lark. Dr. Dre was locked up for unpaid parking tickets, and Eric Wright bailed out his friend on the condition that they develop a record label. Ice Cube wrote the lyrics for “The Boyz-n-the-Hood,” a tall tale of a young, flashy drug dealer “cruising on the streets in my ’64” inspired by Ice-T’s “6 ‘n the Morning.” The initial plan was for a Brooklyn rap group then staying in Orange County, California, to record the track, but they balked at the violent and hyperlocal lyrics. Dr. Dre prodded a reluctant Wright to try rapping the lyrics. The sound of Wright’s twangy, off-center cadence and nonchalant attitude against Dre’s hard synthesized bass proved to be instant magic — the birth of the legend known as Eazy-E.

Dr. Dre, “The Next Episode” (1999)

On this standout single from 2001, Dr. Dre and co-producer Mel-Man open with an orchestral flourish lifted from famed producer and composer David Axelrod. (Axelrod returned the gesture with “The Dr & the Diamond,” on his self-titled 2001 comeback album.) What follows are inspired performances from Snoop Dogg, Dre, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg. There are too many quotable moments to mention here, but the one everyone knows is Nate Dogg’s legendary kicker “Smoke weed every day!”

Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg, “Fuck Wit Dre Day” (1992)

If “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” established Dre as a visionary exponent of L.A. sunshine, good weed, and afternoon barbecues, then “Dre Day” revealed the grim underside of the G-funk era and its promise of retributive violence. Dre’s arrangement, co-written with bassist Colin Wolfe, turns an interpolation of Funkadelic’s “Not Just Knee Deep” into a scarily ominous portent of conflict. Each verse licks shots at rivals — Dre takes aim at friend-turned-foe Eazy-E, Snoop clowns “Fuck Compton” writer Tim Dog, and they both mock Miami entrepreneur and 2 Live Crew leader Luke Campbell as “quite bootylicious.” Fans who sent “Dre Day” to Number Eight on the Billboard singles chart were thrilled at Dre and Snoop’s mordant battle rap. It also helped burnish Death Row as the world’s most dangerous record label, a reputation that eventually became its undoing.

N.W.A, “Straight Outta Compton” (1989)

As the opening track of the group’s classic Straight Outta Compton, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and Ice Cube present a statement of hardcore purpose, without the thuggish jokes that animated “Gangsta Gangsta.” The video clip for the single shows the crew stomping through L.A.’s blighted streets amid scenes of barking dogs, barbed wire, and fires. “I’m coming straight outta Compton!” each bellow, just before a slowed-down vocal sample from Ronnie Hudson and the Street People’s “West Coast Poplock” flutters by. “It was the best song of that album,” DJ Yella remembered for the Straight Outta Compton movie DVD . “It went right to the point. Wasn’t no sugarcoating. Nothing. This is where we from. This is how it is.”

Dr. Dre, “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” (1992)

According to Dr. Dre, the origins of this seminal ode to Compton party-rocking lay in a stack of records he found at his mother’s house. Then he sought out Snoop Doggy Dogg, who was in jail on unknown charges. “I really wanted this demo done, so he called in and I taped the receiver of the phone to the mic,” Dre told an L.A. radio station in 2015. After Snoop was released, the two cut a proper version of the song that would help G-funk go pop upon its release, with backing musicians such as bassist Colin Wolfe replaying elements of the key Leon Haywood sample. More than its wormy keyboard melody and Blaxploitation groove, though, it’s the vocal interplay between Dre and Snoop Dogg — like a West Coast update of Run-DMC’s mic-trading sessions — that makes “G Thang” such a marvel to hear and one of the greatest songs in hip-hop history.

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Rapper-producer Dr. Dre first made it big with hip-hop group N.W.A. in the 1980s, and he has also enjoyed success as a solo act.

Who Is Dr. Dre?

A music fan from the start, Dr. Dre started working as a DJ in his teens. His first major success came with the rap group N.W.A. and he later co-founded Death Row Records in 1991. In 1992, his first solo album, The Chronic, became a huge hit. Dre started up Aftermath Entertainment in 1996 and signed Eminem and 50 Cent to his label. He eventually co-founded the company Beats Electronics with Jimmy Iovine, going on to make millions from its 2014 sale to Apple.

Early Years

Born Andre Romelle Young, Dr. Dre came from a musical background. Both of his parents were singers. His mother, Verna, quit her group the Four Aces shortly before Dre was born. His middle name comes from one of the bands his father Theodore belonged to, the Romells.

After his parents split up, Dre lived with his mother, who remarried several times. They moved around frequently, and at one point lived at the Wilmington Arms housing project in the Compton area. At Centennial High School, Dre showed a talent for drafting, but he paid little attention to his other course work. He transferred to Fremont High School and then went to the Chester Adult School. But his interests didn't lie in schoolwork—he wanted to make music. Dre received a music mixer for Christmas in 1984 and soon turned his family's home into his studio. For hours on end, he would work his magic, taking pieces of different songs and sounds to make his own sound.

Dre started hanging out at L.A. nightclub Eve After Dark, where he eventually got his chance to work the turntables. He joined the World Class Wreckin' Cru, which performed in nightclubs, and developed the rap persona of Dr. Dre, the Master of Mixology. His new moniker was inspired in part by basketball star Julius "Dr. J." Erving.

A Leading Rap Pioneer

The group's second album, Straight Outta Compton (1988), sold more than 2 million copies and marked the arrival of a new genre—gangsta rap. One track, "F*** tha Police," ignited a firestorm of controversy. The song, which explored tensions between Black youth and the police, was thought to incite violence. The FBI even sent a warning letter to Ruthless Records and its parent company about the song.

Breaking out on his own and on a new record label, Dre hit the top of the hip-hop charts with The Chronic on Death Row Records in 1992. The biggest single from the album was "Nuthin but a 'G' Thang," which featured Snoop Dogg , then a little-known rapper. With this latest release, Dre helped introduce G-funk, which incorporated musical samples and melodies from funk with gangsta rap. Dre had always admired the work of such acts as Parliament and Funkadelic.

Dre released his second solo album, 2001 , in 1999. Selling millions of copies, the recording proved to be a hit on both the hip-hop and pop charts. Over the next several years, Dre teased fans with news of a pending third album, titled Detox . Although tracks from Detox were leaked, the project was continually delayed and the album was never released.

Producer and Record Executive

Behind the scenes, Dr. Dre has been instrumental in launching the careers of numerous hip-hop and rap artists. He acted as a track producer for many of the artists on Ruthless Records, a venture he started up with Eazy-E. Dre also worked with singer Michel'le on her debut album. With N.W.A., Dre helped produce much of the group's material.

With Marion "Suge" Knight, Dre co-founded the rap music empire known as Death Row Records in 1991. There he worked on the 1993 debut album of Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle , and Tupac Shakur 's 1996 work All Eyez on Me . That same year Dre left Death Row Records, escaping from the increasingly troublesome West Coast/East Coast rap feud. The conflict would eventually lead to the deaths of rappers Shakur and Biggie Smalls.

Dre established his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, in connection with Interscope Records. He signed numerous acts to Aftermath, but his two greatest successes came with Eminem and 50 Cent . At first, Dre took flak for signing white rapper Eminem, but he soon proved the critics wrong. He produced several of Eminem's hit albums, including The Slim Shady LP (1999) and The Marshall Mathers LP (2000). With 50 Cent, Dre worked on his debut smash Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003), among other projects.

Trouble With the Law & Violence Against Women

Over the years, Dre hasn't just rapped about violence or reckless behavior. He has lived some of his lyrics, experiencing numerous scrapes with the law. In 1991, he reportedly hit TV host Denise Barnes and tried to push her down a flight of stairs. The attack was triggered by a segment she had done about Ice Cube's departure from N.W.A. Dre faced assault charges and a civil suit for his actions, but both parties decided to settle out of court.

The following year, Dre again faced assault charges for an alleged attack on producer Damon Thomas. He was arrested for battery of a police officer a few months later. Dre seemed to take his dangerous behavior to the extreme in 1994 when he led police on a high-speed chase while intoxicated. Having violated his probation for the earlier battery offense, Dre was sentenced to several months in jail and ordered to pay a fine. He served his time in 1995.

The civil suit Dre faced with Denise Barnes would continue to haunt him as other women would come out about Dre's violent behavior against them during the '90s. Dre addressed his past actions in an interview with the New York Times in August 2015. "Twenty-five years ago I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life. However, none of this is an excuse for what I did," he stated. "I've been married for 19 years and every day I'm working to be a better man for my family, seeking guidance along the way. I'm doing everything I can so I never resemble that man again."

He also added: "I apologize to the women I've hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives."

Hip-Hop Mogul

In 2008, Dre expanded his hip-hop brand when he founded Beats Electronics with record producer Jimmy Iovine. He debuted the company's audio line with Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones, which became wildly popular, and were followed by more successful products endorsed by pop and hip-hop artists. The online music streaming service Beats Music was also launched in January 2014. The two partners have also funded The Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation.

In May 2014, Apple announced the purchase of Beats for $3 billion. The deal increased Dre's net worth to approximately $800 million, making him the richest rap star, according to Forbes . As part of the acquisition, the largest in Apple's history, Dre and Iovine joined Apple in executive roles. In 2016, Apple announced it was working on a scripted television series based on Dre's life, entitled Vital Signs , with its subject also serving as an executive producer.

In August 2015, Dr. Dre announced the release of his long-awaited third album, Compton: A Soundtrack , on iTunes and Apple Music. Timed to coincide with the premiere of Straight Outta Compton , a biopic about the rise of N.W.A., Dre claimed the album was inspired by his time spent on the movie set.

Beats Headphones Lawsuit

In 2014, a former hedge-fund manager named Steven Lamar sued Dre and Iovine on the grounds that, as the man who introduced and developed the idea of celebrity-endorsed headphones for Beats Electronics, he was being short-changed on royalties. The defense acknowledged Lamar's contributions but countered that he was only entitled to royalties from the first headphone model.

A judge rejected Lamar's claims in June 2015, but the case was revived in an appeals court the following year, and in June 2018 a Los Angeles Superior Court jury ruled that Beats owed Lamar an additional $25.2 million in royalties.

Personal Life

Dre first became a father in high school. He didn't meet his first son, Curtis, until the boy was 20 years old. Another high school relationship yielded a daughter named La Tonya. Dre also had a relationship with singer Michel'le, who had worked with him in the World Class Wreckin' Cru, and they had a son together named Marcel. In the late 1980s, he fathered another son, Andre R. Young Jr., with Jenita Porter. Andre Jr. died in 2008 of a drug overdose.

In 1996, Dre married Nicole Threatt. They have two children together, a son named Truth and a daughter named Truly. Threatt filed for divorce in June 2020.

Dre is not the only performer in his family. His stepbrother, Warren G, had several hits in the 1990s. His son Curtis is a rapper who performs under the name "Hood Surgeon."

On January 4, 2021, Dre was hospitalized for an apparent brain aneurysm. “Thanks to my family, friends and fans for their interest and well wishes," Dre said in a statement. I’m doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team. I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals at Cedars. One Love!!”

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1965
• Birth date: February 18, 1965
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: Compton
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Rapper-producer Dr. Dre first made it big with hip-hop group N.W.A. in the 1980s, and he has also enjoyed success as a solo act.
• Astrological Sign: Aquarius

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• I just want to get my music out and make sure that it's heard in the right way.
• Everything that I do is for sound goals. It comes from my gut. When I'm sitting in the studio, a mix isn't done till I feel it in my gut.
• Everything in my life has been about sound and making music, so Beats represents just that - the improvement of sound and the dedication to everything I've been doing from the day I started.

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Snoop Dogg Continues To Tease A Huge World Tour With Dr. Dre

Ever since Dr. Dre came out of hiding with Compton , there’s been teases pertaining to a world tour . Mainly, Snoop Dogg is the one talking about it, and his speak-into-existence approach continues during his Rolling Stone interview.

Does that include a tour? People want to see you two on the road. I think that makes sense more than anything. A Snoop-Dre album would be amazing, but a tour even more, because we have legendary music the world has yet to see us perform globally. I’m pretty sure he wants to do it. He just wants the team in place. Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre – that’s the dream team for him.

It’s not surprising that this tour is taking forever to happen. Dr. Dre, as we know, is a perfectionist. Once he has a vision, there’s no compromising what it is he (wants) to see take shape. So, he wants the biggest artists in hip-hop all together on one tour where schedules are definitely going to conflict until they can all sit down and work it out. The best plan of action is to book the proposed tour far in advance that way Eminem can’t make up an excuse about having to take his daughter to school. Realistically, though, it seems like Em would be the easiest to get on board since he’s so quiet and reclusive nowadays.

If it happens, this Dr. Dre tour could be one of the biggest in this generation. As big, if not bigger, than the Up in Smoke tour from 2000. Snoop also says in the interview that he and Dre have legacies to worry about. What better way to leave your mark than one final tour that reunites you with your close friends and apprentices?

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The Compton Sessions: How Dr. Dre Created His Comeback

By Jayson Greene

by Jayson Greene

August 12, 2015 Photo by: Scott Council

Last week, we learned that Dr. Dre 's Detox , the most labored and rumor-dogged album in commercial rap history, had been given a mercy killing. “I didn’t like it,” Dre declared. “The record, it just wasn’t good.” It was a bracing death for material that had been accumulating in secret for over a decade, but Dre delivered the news calmly, while in the same breath confirming far more surprising information: He had managed to record a new album of original material, and it was called Compton . Not only was Compton not Detox , it was in many ways unlike anything Dre had released in his career: ragged at the edges, steely, and grim.

Talking to the inner circle of musicians who worked most closely with Dre during the heady months in which Compton was made, a common thread emerges: This is definitely not the album Dre had been promising to deliver to the industry for the last 16 years. Instead, it is the late dawning of an idea that seemed to draw direction from everything the leaked Detox tracks were not: It is not relaxed, not clean, not safe. It came together in a blur. Dre’s signature crisp funk is gone, and there is nothing on the album that aims to complement a weed high. Instead, Compton is hulking, sinewy, and defiantly odd. It’s the result of various collaborators—old and young, legendary and unknown—pitching in their talents, all guided by a singular force.

“What Phil Jackson is to basketball, that’s what Dre is to talent and music. He made me change my perspective on what I can create.”

Photo by Courtney Jefferson

Raleigh rapper King Mez has the most writing credits on Compton besides Dre. He also served as the reference voice for every Dre verse on the album and recorded backing vocals on every track save for one. Mez has as much to do with the industrial-grey tone of Compton anyone (at one point, our interview is interrupted when he gets an impromptu call from Dre himself).

To hear Mez tell it, he was brought in late last year, between the death of Detox and Dre’s decision to press on with his new project. "When I got the opportunity to write for Dre I knew it was a dream come true, but a lot of people were worried for me,” he laughs. “Like, ‘Oh man, you’re going over there to write for that album? So many people have tried and have been unsuccessful.’ But I wasn’t around for the times that he’s been uninspired or whatever—the second I met him, we had chemistry. I knew the album was gonna come out.

“We originally built on older music he had, stuff that sounded like an updated 2001 ,” Mez adds, referencing Dre’s slick 1999 opus. He’s diplomatic, but there is a distinctive lack of enthusiasm in his voice describing those early tracks, all of which quickly fell by the wayside once Dre enlisted a fresh batch of younger MCs and producers. "The people that came in really changed the sound of the album,” Mez says.

According to the rapper, the turning point came when DJ Dahi , the Inglewood producer responsible for Drake’s “Worst Behavior” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Money Trees”, submitted the clattering beat for what would become the album’s fanfare, “Talk About It”. “That’s one of the more right now -sounding records on the album,” Mez observes. "I think it really changed Dre’s perspective. Before that, we had a different intro that was really big, and it sounded good, but we all decided it wasn’t right for the album."

When DJ Dahi first sent over the beat that became “Talk About It”, it was without much hope: Dre’s camp had been collecting music for years, all of it eventually dying on the broken-dreams heap of Detox . “I didn’t think anything of it,” says Dahi. “He hadn’t done anything in 16 years, and a lot of people had been working with him, so I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t meet Dre until much later, and then I asked him what the project was, and he just said, ‘It’s not The Chronic and it’s not 2001 .’”

The final version of “Talk About It” begins with Mez bleating “I don’t give one fuck” in a strangled voice that sets the record’s hectic pace. Mez co-wrote most of Dre’s verses with the producer’s 25-year-old protégé Justus , including Dre’s own “Talk About It” salvo. “Justus was like, 'Man, we gotta come in and say something outrageous . It’s gotta be like buying the state of California or something,'” Mez remembers. “He was joking, but I was like, 'That actually should be it.’ So I went in, rapped the cadence, and we came up with the next eight to 10 bars before we presented it to Dre. It ended up being the first verse he rapped on a solo record since 2001 ."

Dahi says that watching Dre was an education in surgical adjustments. “When I think about Dre’s music, I think of these really vivid colors—his tracks always feel like a movie, you know?” he says. "I feel like so much of his music happens in mixing. It’s almost not fair. He has his own way of tweaking a beat. You give him anything, and he finds a way to make it hit differently, and you say, ‘Oh, that’s some dope shit.' It’s his ear."

For “Talk About It”, Dahi paid close attention to those tweaks and says the changes were subtle but profound: “The kick and snare were so much further up than I would have put them; the snare and kick are the motor of hip-hop records, and Dre’s really good at finding that motor so that everything else falls into place behind it."

“We’ve heard Dre go outside of the box before Compton , but it was usually only for a song or two. What I like about this album is that he stepped all the way outside of the box. And he stayed out."

—Dem Jointz

Photo by Josh Christopher

Another new recruit who became integral to the album was producer Dem Jointz ; though he has worked with R&B acts like Boyz II Men and longtime Dre collaborator Marsha Ambrosius, in hip-hop, he is an unknown quantity. He ended up producing “Genocide” and “Medicine Man”, co-producing “Deep Water" and “Satisfaction”, and contributing additional background vocals to seven other tracks.

Jointz says Dre never offered an overarching perspective for the album. “It’s crazy how it all comes together like he’s telling a specific story, but it wasn’t like it was planned,” he says. “He didn’t get into detail as to what kind of record he was looking for.” Dem was in the studio for the bulk of the album’s creation, and he has his own impressions of the project: “We’ve heard Dre go outside of the box before Compton , but it was usually only for a song or two. What I like about this album is that he stepped all the way outside of the box. And he stayed out."

Jointz brought the basic track for “Genocide", and Dre suggested adding a sample of the deep synth that opens the Gap Band’s “Burn Rubber on Me” —but not that song’s actual groove. The off-kilter addition galvanizes the beat, turning all of its clanking parts into one loud, fearsome roar. And then there is the song’s disorienting scat breakdown, which Jointz says was all Dre.

"We were trying to figure out a point where ‘Genocide’ was switching off into some other shit—and this was even before Kendrick got on the album—but [Dre] wanted to go into some jazzy, a capella shit,” Jointz remembers. “He had me go in and do a little beat-box swing and then arranged all the voices and told everyone what to do. After we were finished, no one could make that shit fit with the song. But he kept at it, because he saw it. It’s the moment where that song becomes a movie.”

“So much of Dre's music happens in mixing. He has his own way of tweaking a beat. You give him anything, and he finds a way to make it hit differently. It’s almost not fair.”

Photo by Lorenzo de Guia

It’s this approach—gather together an exploding roomful of talent, coax them into performing to your exacting standards, and then corral them into a neat frame with your name on top—that has become the working method of choice for anyone hoping to claim Dre’s spot. The rap-album-as-talent-showcase is Dre’s model, and on Compton , he demonstrates that he still has the ability to hear unheard brilliance in the work of others.

“What Phil Jackson is to basketball, that’s what he is to talent and music,” says Mez. “The way he utilized us, it almost felt like, ‘Oh, so this guy can do this .’ It made me change my perspective on what I can create.” Talking about recording reference tracks for Dre to rap over, Mez marvels, “He coached my voice into sounding like what he wanted his voice to sound like on every song. It was like method acting, in a way: You put yourself in the perspective of someone else for an elongated period of time. So much so that when it was time to start working on my own music again, it was weird for a little while. I had to get out of that mindset.”

The complicated symbiotic relationship between Mez’s words and Dre’s words—and how those words sound on record—illuminates what a fascinating, non-binary dance so-called ghostwriting can be. In most accounts of Dre’s history as a rapper, he is a vehicle, willingly steered by others. But Mez says they were both driving forces pursuing some larger idea or concept. “Every time I’d record, he’d say, ‘Say it more like this,’ or ‘Say it more like that,’” he remembers. “In his mind, he’s imagining what he’s going to sound like, but he’s getting me to do it first. I’m telling you, I did thousands of takes for that record. We went over nearly every word. The line on 'Deep Water' that goes 'These niggas won’t let up until they all wet up' is like a just-offbeat, stutter-type rap. We must have went over that 100 times at his beach house.”

DJ Premier. Photo courtesy of Year Round Records.

“I watched him work the boards old-school style,” says New York hip-hop vet DJ Premier , who collaborated with Dre on the pained “Animals”. “He’s got ProTools hooked up, but he’s still on the Control 24 board, turning the knobs, working each fader by hand. A lot of kids now don’t do that; everything is just a mouse and a computer screen. I’m like, ‘You still plugged into that ? I haven’t used this since ‘98!’”

Earlier this year, Premier flew out to L.A. to work with Christina Aguilera and stopped by Dre’s studio, bringing with him a sample of a record he’d found on a recent crate-digging trip to Moscow: “He heard it and was like, 'Yo, I need that.'” Premier and Dre were acquaintances, but they hadn’t spoken in over a decade and had never worked together. The track Premier brought had originally been recorded for a different project, and had his crisp, minimalist signature, which Dre began to populate with details.

“He added some singers in the background and brought in his man Bluetooth, who’s a piano player, bass player, singer, drummer, all kinds of shit,” says Premier. “There were certain chords I didn’t want, and Dre was cool with it if I said, ‘Hey, that’s a little too much on that part.’ He respects honesty. I like that it wasn’t overdone. He didn’t smother it.

“Dre recently asked me about the difference between a producer and a beat maker,” Premier adds. “For me, it’s like film: You can shoot all the footage you want, but it’s all about the edit, the final outcome, when the world gets it. That’s what makes you a producer. That’s what Dre does."

By Nina Corcoran

By Matthew Strauss

By Eric Torres

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All Press Releases for June 11, 2024

Renowned artist jeff robb unveils first-ever 3d portrait of hip-hop icon dr. dre, acclaimed artist jeff robb has created a revolutionary three-dimensional portrait of the iconic hip-hop legend, dr. dre..

Working with Dr. Dre has been an incredible honour.

    LONDON, ENGLAND, June 11, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Acclaimed artist Jeff Robb has broken new ground in the world of contemporary art with the unveiling of the first-ever three-dimensional portrait of legendary hip-hop artist and producer Dr. Dre. The pioneering work, a result of an intensive day-long shoot at the prestigious Milk Studios in Los Angeles, is the first of its kind taken of the star. Utilizing his signature techniques and innovative approach, Robb has created a portrait that not only captures Dr. Dre's physical likeness but also encapsulates the profound impact of his legacy. The lenticular photographic 'holographic' like portrait offers a unique, immersive experience, allowing viewers to engage with the subject in a way that traditional 2D art cannot match. Lenticular photography, the medium employed by Robb, has a history dating back to the 1940s. The technique involves creating images that change or move when viewed from different angles, using specialized lenticular lenses to produce a three-dimensional effect. "Working with Dr. Dre has been an incredible honour," said Robb. "His influence on music and culture is unparalleled, and I wanted to create something that truly reflects his impact. The 3D portrait not only showcases his physical presence but also captures the depth of his legacy." The portrait of Dr. Dre marks another milestone in Robb's career, further cementing his reputation as a leading innovator in the field of contemporary art. Jeff Robb is a London-based artist renowned for his pioneering work in lenticular photography and three-dimensional imaging. With a career spanning over three decades, Robb consistently tries to push the boundaries of contemporary art by merging cutting-edge technology with traditional artistic techniques. Robb's artwork has been featured in prestigious galleries and museums around the world, cementing his status as a leading figure in the contemporary art scene. His diverse portfolio encompasses a wide range of subjects, from thought-provoking abstract compositions to captivating intimate portraits, of which he undertakes a limited number of private commissions per year. For more information about Jeff Robb and his work, please visit his website . You can also follow him on social media @jeff_robb_art to stay updated on his latest projects and exhibitions. # # #

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Eminem Reunites With Dr. Dre In Photos From Superhero-Inspired 'Houdini' Video

Eminem tapped into his Slim Shady persona for the music video for his new single “ Houdini ,” and he has now shared some behind-the-scenes shots with his longtime mentor Dr. Dre .

In a carousel shared on Instagram on Tuesday (June 4), Em shared a few images from the set that are reminiscent of his earlier videos like “Without Me” and “The Real Slim Shady.”

“Why is he still dressing like that?” Em wrote in the caption. “Check out the full #Houdini gallery now! #TheDeathofSlimShady 📸 @jeremydeputat”

Check out the pics below:

Eminem’s “Houdini,” which samples his own classic hit “Without Me,” features the Slim Shady character making light of Megan Thee Stallion ’s 2020 shooting at the hands of Tory Lanez , which left her with bullet fragments in her feet .

Rapping over a cartoonish beat that also samples the Steve Miller Band’s “Abracadabra,” he spits: “If I was to ask for Megan Thee/ Stallion if she would collab with me/ Would I really have a shot at a feat?”

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June 2, 2024

The wordplay continues when he later makes a joke about R. Kelly and the leaked sex tape that allegedly showed him urinating on a minor.

“In the coupe, leaning back my seat/ Bumpin’ R. Kelly’s favorite group, the black guy pees,” he quips, playing on the name of the Black Eyes Peas .

The 51-year-old rap legend also takes shots at modern society, including cancel culture and gender identity with the bars: “My shit may not be age-appropriate/ But I will hit an eight-year-old in the face with a participation trophy/ ‘Cause I have zero doubts that this whole world’s ’bout to turn into some girl scouts/ That censorship bureau’s out to (shut me down).”

He adds: “My transgender cat’s Siamese/ Identifies as black, but acts Chinese.”

The video for the single features Eminem donning his Robin-inspired Rap Boy superhero outfit from the aforentioned “Without Me” visual and battling his Slim Shady alter ego, who has teleported to the present day from 2002.

When the two face off in comic book style, things spiral further out of control as they combine to create a hybrid “monster” who is even more controversial and unfiltered.

In addition to Dre, the visual also boasts cameos from 50 Cent , Snoop Dogg , Royce Da 5’9″ , The Alchemist , Jimmy Iovine, manager Paul Rosenberg and Shady Records signee Westside Boogie .

Towards the end of the clip, actor and comedian Pete Davidson pops up and rides in a car with Eminem while the rapper’s three children are also seen briefly after they’re referenced in the lyrics.

“Houdini” serves as the lead single from Em’s upcoming 12th album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) , which is due out this summer.

In this article

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• Eminem Does His Own Stunts In 'Houdini' Behind-The-Scenes Footage: 'Don't Try This At Home'

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Eminem Does His Own Superhero Stunts in 'Houdini' Blooper Reel: 'Don't Try This at Home!!!'

The 'Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)' rapper dropped the music video for his "Houdini" single on May 31

EminemMusic/YouTube

Looks like Eminem had fun being his own stuntman on the set of his “Houdini” music video.

Following the release of his latest visual — an updated spin on his 2002 “Without Me” video, which dropped on May 31 — the “ Lose Yourself ” rapper, 51, shared a blooper reel on Instagram on Monday, June 10, featuring himself, of course, dressed in his same superhero suit from his earlier video captioned, “I do my own stunts.”

“Don’t try this at home,” a straight-faced Eminem jokingly warns viewers at the top of the clip before doing takes where he does tiny jumps off of a bed and repeatedly face-plants on the floor. 

“Oh, you want me to smack my f---ing face? I can’t control my cape, bro,” he says sarcastically to someone off-camera. “I cannot be responsible for my cape.” 

The footage then cuts to the rap star trying — and failing — to scale a wall with a rope as he flails around and flips over. “Holy s---, it’s actually not easy,” he notes, pretending to be shocked. In another scene, the Recovery rapper attempts a few unserious superhero tuck-and-roll moves, saying, “You like the roll? I thought I killed it.”

The behind-the-scenes clip concludes with the Grammy-winning rapper filming a slo-mo punching scene with his blond Slim Shady persona before the camera cuts to the latter noting that his shoe came off between takes.

John D Shearer/Shutterstock

Eminem’s official “Houdini” video — which features cameos from Pete Davidson , Dr. Dre , 50 Cent , Snoop Dogg and Shane Gillis — brought back his Slim Shady alter ego for what could be the last time as the rapper gears up to drop his next studio album this summer titled The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) . Endless breadcrumbs that he’s dropped since announcing the project have hinted that the forthcoming LP will lay Slim Shady to rest once and for all.

First, he declared the twisted rap persona dead in a fake obituary that appeared in the Detroit Free Press last month, which said, in short, “His complex and tortured existence has come to a close, and the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed this world.”

Then, a day before the “Houdini” video dropped, Eminem posted a FaceTime call with magician David Blaine on Instagram , where he concluded, “Well for my last trick, I’m gonna make my career disappear.”

The Kamikaze rap artist performed his new single during a surprise performance at the ​​“ Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central ” event in his hometown on Thursday, June 6, which he executive-produced. His appearance followed after performers like Diana Ross , Big Sean and more.

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Looking Back (and Forward) With Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny opens up about the state of trap and reggaeton, how he defines love, and his Most Wanted Tour.

A week after Valentine’s Day, Bad Bunny sat on a grand piano two nights before the start of his tour, singing 2018’s “Amorfada,” which roughly translates to “fuck love.” 

It was an intimate moment that didn’t ultimately make it into his live show, but maybe that wasn’t the point; it felt like the breathless blurting of the lyrics was just for him. The silence in the venue during rehearsals transported those of us in attendance back to Benito Antonio Ocasio Martinez’s nascent career days, during which he cemented himself as Latin trap’s king before transforming into the more enigmatic pop star he is today. Still, it’s a title and essence he continues to pay homage to, and further builds on one of 2023 ’s albums of the year, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. 

“What’s happening is really cool,” Bad Bunny told me in mid-February, reflecting on this seemingly infinitely soaring moment in Latin music. “I don’t know where I see myself now… but it’s not here,” he says, before expanding on the relatable sentiment: “There’s a lot I want to do.”

In an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Bad Bunny’s Most Wanted Tour (which ends this Sunday, June 9th in Puerto Rico), we discussed the state of trap and reggaeton, how he defines love, and more. Watch the full video, which includes conversations with a few key members of his team (including renowned stylist Storm and Benito’s trusted horse handlers who assure us that we have nothing to worry about) and read the brief conversation with Bunny, in English, below.

View this video on YouTube

What inspired this business casual look? It’s like a no pants look.

I’m gonna try it, but I don’t know if I’m gonna get away with it. It’s a working outfit... I saw it in the locker room and just put it on.

You looked very pensive during rehearsal, what were you thinking about? Honestly, I’m always thinking of ideas, things I want to incorporate, whether I like what’s happening or not. We’ve been working on the stage for months and when I arrived three days ago and saw it, we changed it. It was just different, you just feel it or you don’t and I knew it needed to change. That always happens, it’s a part of my life…

It’s a process. Everything changes at the last minute. 

Well, it’s your process, maybe not everyone else’s. We can be working on something for a year, and two days before I say “no” [ laughs ]... Karina [Ortiz, choreographer] starts to show me what there is, and I say, “Yeah, ok, we have to change this, let’s do this,” and that’s the way I envision things.

Scheming… Uh-huh.

And are you ready? Do you feel ready? I feel like you’re not… [ Laughs .] No, I’m not ready. I mean, like, yeah I’m ready because I always kind of am but, well, the production team’s ready, everyone’s ready, the dancers are ready, the lights are ready, the DJ’s ready, everyone’s ready. But I’m not ready in reality. But when the first show starts, I know I’ll be ready. 

How do you know when you are? I think I just say that so it’s fun, but when I get there it’s like, “Yeah, I’m ready.”

On the day of the show, when you’re about to go on stage, what do you like to do? What is your ideal process in those moments? I’m super easy—being chill in the green room, listening to music, and when the moment comes, people ask me if I have rituals, if I do anything special, but honestly no, I just get off the couch and go.

I know you saw that we picked “Monaco” as the song of the year last year; congratulations! I like that you immersed yourself in trap again on this project. What do you think about where things are going in trap and reggaeton, and where do you want to take them? Wow, how do I answer that question… I made this album because it was now or never. It was the moment to make it, bring it back to what the essence of my trap was, which has always been different. There are the known figures of the style who, not necessarily imitate, but look at what the gringos are doing, and I’ve always just had my own trap and I think it’s been that way from the start. That’s what I did with this album: bring in my own style of trap, obviously, with an evolution. But I think I made it pretty clear that I was doing it because it had to be done, but later I want to do other things. 

Regarding this moment of reggaeton and trap, something is always happening and now there’s a scene in every country. Because before it was just Puerto Rico in its corner, and now there are tons of people in different places and there’s new talent emerging all the time. Puerto Rico continues to be like that—every day there’s someone new, every day there’s a new reggaeton artist. I have some of them on the album, which is my way of supporting the new generation, and I don’t do it for anything in return. Those who have followed my career know that I support those who give it their all. I think what’s happening is really cool, but I don’t know where I see myself now. But, it’s not here. There’s a lot I want to do, a lot of music I want to make. [I have] a lot of heart.

Something I’m known to ask about, and that you talk about in your music, is love. How would you define love?  [ Sings ] “ El amor es una magia… ” Love manifests itself in different ways. There’s the love for your mom, which is infinite, of your family, friends... There’s the love for what you do; that’s why I’m here. If it doesn’t move you, it’s not love. I love this and it moves me so, “va por ahí.”

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Nicki Minaj is released after Amsterdam arrest for allegedly 'carrying drugs': Reports

Nicki Minaj has apparently been released after being arrested in Amsterdam on Saturday, according to reports by multiple outlets. Footage from an Instagram Live by Minaj showed her exchange with an officer. It was then recorded and posted on X by various fan accounts.

Multiple reports state that Minaj's release was seemingly confirmed by Amsterdam police in a post on the agency's X account in Dutch although her name was not mentioned. In English it reads: "We have just released a 41-year-old American woman who we arrested this afternoon at Schiphol on suspicion of exporting soft drugs. After consultation with the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect was fined and can continue her journey."

The 12-time Grammy nominee appeared to be detained after a video, lasting over three minutes, shows the rapper discussing her apparent arrest with an Amsterdam police officer, who said the star is being detained "because you're carrying drugs" after she asked why she was being arrested.

The "Anaconda" rapper responded by saying "I'm not carrying drugs." Minaj continued the conversation by telling the officer "I need a lawyer present" and "no, I need a lawyer present now" when the officer told her to get in a vehicle. The officer then appeared to say, "we'll get (you to) next show." Minaj responded and said, "you're talking about my show? What about it?" according to an apparent Instagram Live posted from the rapper's own page.

USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Minaj. In a emailed statement to USA TODAY, Amsterdam Police said "we cannot provide information on persons older than 18 years. This is because of the data privacy law. Therefore, we cannot confirm anything."

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Minaj was slated to perform in Manchester, England on Saturday, according to her official tour website. But that has now been postponed due to the incident, according to reports.

Arrest follows X posts claiming Amsterdam airport security was trying to 'sabotage' her world tour

The star first made noise earlier Saturday before her alleged arrest after claiming apparent Amsterdam Airport Schiphol officials were trying to "sabotage" her tour.

In a lengthy series of X posts, she took aim at the airport saying, "they've been trying everything they can to TRY to stop this tour" and adding, "they took my luggage & when I asked where it is they said it's on the plane. It couldn't have been, I just pulled up." Minaj added that "this is how they plant things on your luggage."

The rap superstar is currently on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour and was en route to Manchester, her next tour stop, when the incident took place.

She posted a nearly one-minute-long video of herself discussing the luggage issue with an airport official, who appeared to be an apparent airport security guard that said they want to "open" her bags. Later, Minaj posted that "they said they found weed." As she noted in a previous X post, marijuana is legal in Amsterdam .

Minaj explained that the alleged luggage issue was happening because "they" try to make her book a new plane "every time" and added that she "fired mngmnt who I found out for years were adding on 30-50K on my jet & pocketing it." Minaj also said she fired a tour manager recently for the same thing and continued, saying "their goal is to make me late, & to pocket 40K."

"They’re being paid big money to try to sabotage my tour b/c soooooo many ppl are mad that it’s this successful & they can’t eat off me. They got caught stealing money from my travel/jets. Got fired. Got mad. Etc," Minaj wrote on X.

Minaj also reposted a post on X by a fan suggesting that the bag checks are being done to further sabotage the star.

"The odds that this happens before an international flight right after Nickis announcement for the second leg of her US tour is suspect. The opps are really out here. There is not one single person that can convince me otherwise. The proof is in the second bag check," the user said.

Nicki Minaj airline, airport posts on X follow Megan Thee Stallion rant from earlier this year

In addition to this spat with airport officials, Minaj is known for her public feuds with other female rappers including Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B. Earlier this year, she lashed out at Megan Thee Stallion in a series of tweets and a diss track, "Big Foot."

"Swearing on your dead mother when you lie," Minaj  said in one line . "Cause she was lying on your dead momma."

Megan Thee Stallion's Hiss hits No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 amid Nicki Minaj feud

She also told Megan Thee Stallion she "fell off, I said 'get up on your good foot," referencing her Houston-born rival's 2020 shooting by Canadian rapper Tory Lanez. Later on the track, Minaj raps "like a bodybuilder I keep raisin' the bar" before rhyming and questioning "you get shot with no scar?"

Nicki Minaj's diss track and on X came after her rap peer returned to music with hit single "Hiss" (which followed the similarly reptilian track "Cobra"), rapping that people "don't be mad at Megan," but they're "mad at Megan's Law." Minaj's husband, Kenneth Petty, and her brother, Jelani Maraj, are registered sex offenders.

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Hollywood & media deaths in 2024: photo gallery & obituaries, eminem teams with pete davidson, dr. dre and more on first single from ‘the death of slim shady (coup de grâce)’.

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Eminem has a cameo-filled video to accompany the first single from his upcoming 12th studio album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce).

Pete Davidson , Dr. Dre , Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Shane Gillis are in the video for the song “ Houdini ,” a callback to the rapper’s 2002 hit “Without Me.” Watch the video below.

The clip opens with Dr. Dre informing Eminem that a portal from 2002 has opened up in the city, unleashing the early 2000s version of Eminem.

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Davidson comes in at the tail end as a new driver. “Trust me, I’m a great driver,” he says. “Don’t worry, I just got my license back.”

The comedian parodied Eminem a few times on Saturday Night Live , with the rapper often popping up in the sketches himself.

The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) , Eminem’s 12th studio album, is scheduled for release in the summer.

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