Dr. Dre

Birth Name	Andre Romelle Young
Born	February 18, 1965
Aliases	Dre Brickhard The Mechanic
Years Active	1985–present
Instruments	Vocals, Piano
Label(s)	Priority, Death Row, Aftermath, Interscope, Ruthless
First Album	The Chronic
Latest Album	Compton
Website	www.drdre.com

Andre Romelle Young born February 18, 1965, known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer and rapper. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founded and was the president of Death Row Records.

Dr. Dre began his career in music as a member of the World Class Wrecking Cru and he later found fame with the influential gangsta rap group N.W.A with Eazy-E and Ice Cube which popularized the use of explicit lyrics in rap to detail the violence of street life. 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 the 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.Rolling Stone named him 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 2001, Dre earned a total of about US$52 million from selling part of his share of Aftermath Entertainment to Interscope Records and his production of such hit songs that year as "Family Affair" by Mary J. Blige. Rolling Stone magazine thus named him the second highest-paid artist of the year. 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.[202] Forbes estimated his net worth at US$270 million in 2012. The same publication later reported that he acquired US$110 million via his various endeavors in 2012, making him the highest–paid artist of the year. Income from the 2014 sale of Beats to Apple, contributing to what Forbes termed "the biggest single-year payday of any musician in history", made Dr. Dre the world's richest musical performer of 2015.

Professional Career

World Class Wreckin' Cru (1984–1985)

Dr. Dre during his time in World Class Wrecking CruInspired by the Grandmaster Flash song "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel", he often attended a club called The Eve After Dark to watch many DJs and rappers performing live. Thus, he became a DJ in the club, initially under the name "Dr. J", based on the nickname of Julius Erving, his favorite basketball player. At the club, he met aspiring rapper Antoine Carraby, later to become member DJ Yella of N.W.A. 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 Wrecking 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.

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

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

After Ice Cube left N.W.A over financial disputes, Dr. Dre produced and performed for much of the group's second album. He also produced tracks for a number of other rap acts on Ruthless Records, including Above the Law, and The D.O.C. for the album No One Can Do It Better. In 1998, 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.

The Chronic and Death Row Records (1992–1995)

Dr. Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic, was among the top-selling albums of the 1990s and spawned three hit singles. After a dispute with Eazy-E, Dre left the group at the peak of its popularity in 1991 under the advice of friend, and N.W.A lyricist, The D.O.C. and his bodyguard at the time, Suge Knight. Knight, a notorious strongman and intimidator, was able to have 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, 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 "Nuthing 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 "Nuthing 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 1997 Dr. Dre produced the soundtracks to the films Above the Rim and Murder Was the Case. He collaborated with fellow N.W.A member Ice Cube for the song "Natural Born Killaz" in 1995. For the film Friday, Dre recorded "Keep Their Heads Ringing", which reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #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. Thus, in 1996, he formed his own label, Aftermath Entertainment, under the distribution label for Death Row Records, Interscope Records. Consequently, Death Row Records suffered poor sales by 1997, especially following the death of 2Pac and the racketeering charges brought against Knight.

Move to Aftermath Entertainment and “2001” (1996–2000)

Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath album, released on November 26, 1996, featured songs by Dr. Dre himself, as well as by newly signed Aftermath artists, and a solo track "Been There, Done That", intended as a symbolic farewell to gangsta rap. 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 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 Wrecking Cru to N.W.A to Death Row recordings.

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. Also during this time, Dre assisted on the mix for Nine Inch Nails track "Even Deeper", from 1999 album The Fragile.

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 Dude, Hittman, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Nate Dogg and Eminem. 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 Producer of the Year 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. Lucasfim, the 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 "Backstroking" 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.

Focus on production and “Detox”(2001–2010)

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 The Marshall Mathers LP, including the Grammy-winning lead single, “The Real Slim Shady”. The album itself earned a Grammy and proved to be the fastest-selling rap album of all time, moving 1.76 million units in its first week alone. 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 produced and rapped on singer and Interscope labelmate Bilal's 2001 single "Fast Lane", which barely missed the Top 40 of the R&B charts. He later assisted in the production of Bilal's second album, Love for Sale, which Interscope controversially shelved because of its creative direction. 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 ("Business"), and he appeared in the award-winning video for “Without Me. He also produced the D.O.C.'s 2003 album Deuce, where he made a guest appearance on the tracks "Psychic Pymp Hotline", "Gorilla Pympin'" and "Judgment Day".

In 2002, Dr. Dre signed rapper 50 Cent to Aftermath in a joint venture between Interscope and Eminem's Shady Records. Dr. Dre served as executive producer for 50 Cent's commercially successful February 2003 debut studio album “Get Rich or Die Trying”. Dr. Dre produced or co-produced four tracks on the album, including the hit single "In da Club". 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.

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

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.

During this period, the D.O.C. stated that Dre had been working with him on his fourth album Voices through Hot Vessels, which he planned to release after Detox arrived. 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 femer 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.

In 2007, Dr. Dre's third studio album, formerly known as Detox, was slated to be his final studio album. Work for the upcoming album dates back to 2001, where its first version was called "the most advanced rap album ever", by producer Scott Storch. Later that same 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. Producers confirmed to work on the album include DJ Khalil, Nottz, Bernard "Focus" Edwards Jr., Hi-Tek, J.R. Rotem, RZA, and Jay-Z. 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. In a Dr Pepper commercial that debuted on May 28, 2009, he premiered the first official snippet of Detox. On December 15, 2008, 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. 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 did not produce was the Eminem-produced single "Beautiful". In May 2009 50 Cent and Eminem asserted in an interview on BET's 106 & Park that Dr. Dre had around a dozen songs finished for Detox.

On April 20, 2010, "Under Pressure", featuring Jay-Z and co-produced with Scott Storch, was confirmed by Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre during an interview at Fenway Park as the album's first single. The song leaked prior to its intended release in an unmixed, unmastered form without a chorus on June 16, 2010; however, critical reaction to the song was lukewarm, and Dr. Dre later announced in an interview that the song, along with any other previously leaked tracks from Detox's recording process, would not appear on the final version of the album.

Two genuine singles – "Kush", a collaboration with Snoop Dogg and fellow rapper Akon, and "I Need a Doctor" with Eminem and singer Skylar Grey – were released in the United States during November 2010 and February 2011 respectively: the latter achieved international chart success, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and later being certified double platinum by the RIAA and the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). On June 25, 2010, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored Dr. Dre with its Founders Award for inspiring other musicians.

In an August 2010 interview, Dr. Dre stated that an instrumental album, The Planets, was 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!"

Hiatus, Coachella, and Compton (2011-2020)

The length of time that Detox had been recorded for, as well as the limited amount of material that had been officially released or leaked from the recording sessions, had given it considerable notoriety within the music industry. Numerous release dates (including the ones mentioned above) had been given for the album over the years since it was first announced, although none of them transpired to be genuine. Several musicians closely affiliated with Dr. Dre, including Snoop Dogg, fellow rappers 50 Cent, the Game and producer DJ Quik, had speculated in interviews that the album will never be released, due to Dr. Dre's business and entrepreneurial ventures having interfered with recording work, as well as causing him to lose motivation to record new material.

On August 1, 2015, Dre announced that he would release what would be his final album, titled Compton. It is inspired by the N.W.A biopic, Straight Outta Compton, and is a compilation-style album, featuring a number of frequent collaborators, including Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Xzibit and the Game, among others. It was initially released on Apple Music on August 7, with a retail version releasing on August 21. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he revealed that he had about 20 to 40 tracks for Detox but he did not release it because it did not meet his standards. Dre also revealed that he suffers from social anxiety and due to this, remains secluded and out of attention.

On February 12, 2016, it was revealed that Apple would create its first original scripted television series for its then-upcoming Apple TV+ streaming service. Titled Vital Signs, it was set to reflect Dre's life. He was also an executive producer on the show, before the show's cancellation sometime in September 2018, due to an overly graphic concept of drugs, gun violence and sex. In October 2016, Sean Combs brought out Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and others on his Bad Boy reunion tour.

In 2018, he produced four songs on Oxnard by Anderson .Paak. He was the executive producer on the album, as so its follow-up, 2019's Ventura.

Return to production and Super Bowl halftime show (2020-Present)

Dr. Dre was the executive producer of Eminem's 2020 release, Music to Be Murdered By. He produced four songs on the album. He also produced two songs on the deluxe edition of the album, Side B, and appeared on the song, "Gunz Blazing". On September 30, 2021, it was revealed that Dre would perform at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show alongside Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. In December 2021, an update for the video game, Grand Theft Auto Online, predominantly featured Dre and added some of his previously unreleased tracks which was released as an EP, The Contract, on February 3, 2022. Around this time, Dre announced he was collaborating with Marsha Ambrosius on Casablanco, and with Mary J. Blige on an upcoming album. Later that year, Snoop Dogg announced that he and Dr. Dre are in the process of recording their new album, Missionary. Snoop said the album will be released via Death Row and Aftermath.

On February 13, 2022, Dr. Dre performed at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show alongside Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige, with surprise appearances from 50 Cent and Anderson. Paak. The performance was met with critical acclaim and is the first Super Bowl halftime show to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). The show also won the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special and Outstanding Music Direction. The same year, he produced numerous songs including "The King and I", a collaboration between Eminem and CeeLo Green for the 2022 biopic, Elvis, and a remix of Kanye West's song "Use This Gospel" for DJ Khaled's album God Did.

In September 2022, it was reported that Dr. Dre will compose the original score for the upcoming animated series, Death for Hire: The Origin of Tehk City. The show is created by Ice-T and Arabian Prince; based on the graphic novel of the same title, it features the voice talent of Ice-T, his wife Coco Austin, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, and Treach among others.

In November 2022 Dre presented induction Eminem into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and had special guest appearances by Aerosmith lead vocalist Steven Tyler and Ed Sheeran during Eminem's performance.

In February 2023, Dre and Ambrosius held a listening session for the project in Los Angeles. In December 2023, Ambrosius released the first single from the album The Greatest, under Aftermath and Interscope Records. The song was produced by Ambrosius, Dr. Dre and his production team, The ICU. According to one of Dre’s fellow producers, Dem Jointz, the album is slated to be released in 2024. In March 19, 2024 during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Dre stated that Eminem intended to release a new album that year. On April 25, during the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit Eminem announced a twelfth studio album entitled “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)”, with a planned release in summer 2024. The album is produced by Dr. Dre and The ICU.

Personal Life

On December 15, 1981, when Dre was 16 years old and his then-girlfriend Cassandra Joy Greene was 15 years old, the two had a son named Curtis, who was brought up by Greene and first met Dre 20 years later. Curtis performed as a rapper under the name Hood Surgeon.

In 1983, Dre and Lisa Johnson had a daughter named La Tanya Danielle Young. Dre and Johnson have three daughters together. In August 2021, LaTanya spoke out about being homeless and unable to support her four children. She is currently working for UberEats and DoorDash, and she also works at warehouse jobs. She is living in debt in her SUV while her children are living with friends. Dr. Dre has allegedly stopped supporting LaTanya financially since January 2020 because she has "spoken about him in the press".

In 1988, Dre and Jenita Porter had a son named Andre Young Jr. In 1990, Porter sued Dre, seeking $5,000 of child support per month. On August 23, 2008, Andre died at the age of 20 from an overdose of heroin and morphine at his mother's Woodland Hills home.

From 1987 to 1996, Dre dated singer Michel'le, who frequently contributed vocals to Ruthless Records and Death Row Records albums. In 1991, they had a son named Marcel.

On May 25, 1996, Dre married Nicole Plotzker, who was previously married to basketball player Sedale Threatt. They have two children together: a son named Truice (born 1997) and a daughter named Truly (born 2001). Nicole filed for divorce in June 2020, citing irreconcilable differences. In November 2020, she filed legal claims that Dre engaged in verbal violence and infidelity during their marriage. She also stated that he tore up their prenuptial agreement that he wanted her to sign out of anger. Dre's representative responded, calling her claims of infidelity and violence in their marriage "false". Before being released from the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, he was ordered to pay Plotzker-Young $2 million in temporary spousal support. Between the spring and summer of the year, Dre was ordered by the Los Angeles County judge to pay his ex-wife over $300,000 a month in spousal support. The $2 million extension request was also dismissed, due to insufficient claims. In July 2021, Dr. Dre was ordered by the Los Angeles Superior Court Judge to pay an additional $293,306 a month to his estranged wife in spousal support starting August 1 until she decides to remarry or "further order of the Court". Then, in August, the judge denied his wife's request for a protective order, due to her being afraid of Dre after a snippet leaked on Instagram of him rapping about the divorce proceedings and his possible brain aneurysm earlier that February; in this snippet, he called his wife a "greedy bitch". In mid-October, Dr. Dre was served more divorce papers, during his grandmother's funeral. That same month, Dre was officially deemed "single" by the judge. The financial owings in this case included expenses of Dre's Malibu, Palisades and Hollywood Hills homes, but not his stock in past ownership of Beats Electronics, prior to its sale to Apple in 2014. As of December 2021, the divorce proceedings have entered its final stages. On December 28, the divorce was settled with Dre keeping most of his assets and income due to the prenuptial agreement, although he would have to pay a 9-figure settlement within one year. Dre finalized his divorce from Nicole for a reported sum of $100 million of his estate.

In 2014, Dre purchased a $40 million home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles from its previous owners, NFL player Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bündchen.

In April 1992, after a verbal dispute with his engineer, Dre was consequently shot four times in his leg.

It was reported that Dre suffered a brain aneurysm on January 5, 2021, and that he was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's ICU in Los Angeles, California. Hours after his admission to the hospital, Dre's home was targeted for an attempted burglary. He eventually received support from LeBron James, Martin Lawrence, LL Cool J, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Cube, 50 Cent, Ellen DeGeneres, Ciara, her husband Russell Wilson, T.I., Quincy Jones and others. In February, he was released with a following message on Instagram: "Thanks to my family, friends and fans for their interest and well wishes. 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!!" In March 2024, Dre revealed that during his hospitalization following the brain aneurysm, he also suffered three strokes.

Dre is a fan of both the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, and the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA.

Controversies and legal issues

Violence against women

Accusations of Dr. Dre's violence against women have been widely publicized. On January 27, 1991, at a music industry party at the Po Na Na Souk club in Hollywood, Dr. Dre assaulted television host Dee Barnes of the Fox television program Pump it Up!, following an episode of the show. Barnes had interviewed NWA, which was followed by an interview with Ice Cube in which Cube mocked NWA. Following his assault of television host Dee Barnes, he was fined US$2,500, given two years' probation, and ordered to perform 240 hours of community service, part of which he fulfilled by making an anti-violence public service announcement. A civil suit was settled out of court.

In 2015, Michel'le, the mother of one of his children, accused him of domestic violence during their time together as a couple. The abusive relationship is portrayed in her 2016 biopic Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le. Their abusive relationship is portrayed in her 2016 biopic Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le. Dre threatened a lawsuit against Lifetime, Sony Picturesand filmmakers of Surviving Compton in a cease and desist, but never ultimately took action.

Interviewed by Ben Westhoff for the book Original Gangstas: the Untold Story of Dr Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap, Lisa Johnson stated that Dre beat her many times, including while she was pregnant. She was granted a restraining order against him.

Former labelmate Tairrie B claimed that Dre assaulted her at a party in 1990, in response to her track "Ruthless Bitch".

During press for the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton, questions about the portrayal and behavior of Dre and other prominent figures in the rap community about violence against women – and the question about its absence in the film – were raised. The discussion about the film led to Dre addressing his past behavior in the press. In August 2015, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Dre lamented his abusive past, saying, "I made some fucking horrible mistakes in my life. I was young, fucking stupid. I would say all the allegations aren't true—some of them are. Those are some of the things that I would like to take back. It was really fucked up. But I paid for those mistakes, and there's no way in hell that I will ever make another mistake like that again."

Two weeks following the release of his third album, Compton, he issued an apology to the women "I've hurt". In that statement to The New York Times on August 21, 2015, Dre again addressed his abusive past, stating, "25 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. 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. ... 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."

In the 2017 film The Defiant Ones, Dr. Dre explained about the Dee Barnes incident again, "This was a very low point in my life. I've done a lot of stupid shit in my life. A lot of things I wish I could go and take back. I've experienced abuse. I've watched my mother get abused. So there's absolutely no excuse for it. No woman should ever be treated that way. Any man that puts his hands on a female is a fucking idiot. He's out of his fucking mind, and I was out of my fucking mind at the time. I fucked up, I paid for it, I'm sorry for it, and I apologize for it. I have this dark cloud that follows me, and it's going to be attached to me forever. It's a major blemish on who I am as a man."

Copyright lawsuits

During the course of 2001's popularity, Dr. Dre was involved in several lawsuits. Lucasfilm Ltd., the film company behind the Star Wars film franchise, sued him over the use of the THX-trademarked "Deep Note". 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. French jazz musician Jacques Loussier sued Aftermath for $10 million in March 2002, claiming that the Dr. Dre-produced Eminem track "Kill You" plagiarized his composition "Pulsion". The online music file-sharing company Napster also settled a lawsuit with him and metal band Metallica in mid-2001, agreeing to block access to certain files that artists do not want to have shared on the network.

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.

Others

On June 28, 1992, hours before midnight, a barbecue grill and an overfill of charcoal caused Dre's Calabasas mansion to set on fire. Two firefighters who exhausted the fire were treated in the hospital for minor injuries. The fire caused over $125,000 in home damages.

Dre pleaded guilty in October 1992 in a case of battery of a police officer and was convicted on two additional battery counts stemming from a brawl in the lobby of the New Orleans hotel in May 1991.

In 1993, he was convicted of battery after an altercation with a man who stood outside the front porch of his Woodland Hills home in front of the musician's girlfriend. He claimed that Dre broke his jaw as a result.

On January 10, 1994, Dre was arrested after leading police on a 90 mph pursuit through Beverly Hills in his 1987 Ferrari. It was revealed that Dr. Dre had a blood alcohol of 0.16, twice the state of California's legal limit. The conviction violated the conditions of parole following Dre's battery conviction in 1993; he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to eight months in prison in September 1994. He was ordered to pay a $1,053 fine and attend an alcohol education program.

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.

On October 30, 2015, Ruthless co-founder Jerry Heller filed suit against Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E's widow, Tomica Woods-Wright, director F. Gary Gray and Universal Pictures for defamation of character and copyright infringement over the biopic, Straight Outta Compton. The lawsuit states that depictions of Heller in the film, portrayed by Paul Giamatti, were wrongfully taken from an autobiography he wrote about his involvement with Ruthless and N.W.A. The case was taken to court in June 2016 where a judge criticized the filing, saying that the film was "approved to portray these facts in "colorful and hyperbolic" terms". On September 2, 2016, Jerry Heller died of a car accident, preceded by a heart attack. However, his lawsuit kept on through his legal team and members of his estate. In October 2018, the lawsuit was dropped, costing Heller's estate $35 million for punitive and $75 million for compensatory damages.

On April 4, 2016, TMZ and the New York Daily News reported that Suge Knight had accused Dre and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department of a kill-for-hire plot in the 2014 shooting of Knight in club 1 OAK. Three months later, in July, Dre was reportedly detained by police after confronting a next-door neighbor in Malibu about a test drive. It was also alleged that he brandished a handgun on the neighbor, but no evidence would be linked and Dre was soon released.

On May 8, 2018, Dre lost a name trademark filing to a Pennsylvania gynecologist named Draion Burch, who previously filed a trademark petition in 2015 to use his nickname, Dr. Drai, which has the similar pronunciation. Then, on June 26, Dre and Jimmy Iovine were ordered to pay $25 million to former partner and creative designer Steven Lamar, who sued the two co-founders for $100 million in unpaid royalties for designing the early Beats headphone models. The lawsuit was filed in 2015 after news broke out of Apple's acquisition of the headphone brand a year prior.

Dr. Dre production discography

The following list is a discography of production by Dr. Dre, an American hip hop record producer and recording artist from Compton, California. It includes a list of songs produced, co-produced and remixed by year, artbeenist, album and title.

Singles produced

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name

Year	Title	Peak chart positions										Certifications	Album
		US	US R&B	US Rap	CAN	FRA	NL	NZ	SWE	SWI	UK
1986	"Boyz-n-the-Hood" (Eazy-E)	50	18	14	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		N.W.A. and the Posse
1988	"Eazy-er Said Than Dunn" (Eazy-E)	—	84	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Eazy-Duz-It
	"Is It Love" (J.J. Fad)	92	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Supersonic
	"Supersonic" (J.J. Fad)	31	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	US: Gold
	"Way Out" (J.J. Fad)	61	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Straight Outta Compton" (N.W.A)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	158		Straight Outta Compton
	"Gangsta Gangsta" (N.W.A)	—	91	11	—	—	—	—	—	—	70
1989	"Eazy-Duz-It" (Eazy-E)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Eazy-Duz-It
	"We Want Eazy" (Eazy-E)	—	43	7	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"No More Lies" (Michel'le)	7	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	US: Gold	Michel'le
	"Express Yourself" (N.W.A)	—	45	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	26		Straight Outta Compton
	"It's Funky Enough" (The D.O.C.)	—	12	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		No One Can Do It Better
	"The D.O.C. & The Doctor" (The D.O.C.)	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"The Formula" (The D.O.C.)	—	76	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Mind Blowin'" (The D.O.C.)	—	—	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1990	"Murder Rap" (Above the Law)	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Livin' Like Hustlers
	"Untouchable" (Above the Law)	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Keep Watchin" (Michel'le)	—	65	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Michel'le
	"Nicety" (Michel'le)	29	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"100 Miles and Runnin'" (N.W.A)	—	51	2	—	—	—	32	—	—	38		100 Miles and Runnin'
1991	"Something In My Heart" (Michel'le)	31	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Michel'le
	"Appetite for Destruction" (N.W.A)	—	45	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		N***az4Life
	"Alwayz into Somethin'" (N.W.A)	—	37	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	60
1992	"Deep Cover" (Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg)	—	46	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Deep Cover
	"Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" (Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg)	2	1	1	—	—	—	39	—	—	31	US: Platinum	The Chronic
1993	"Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')" (Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg)	8	6	13	—	—	—	49	—	—	59	US: Platinum
	"Let Me Ride" (Dr. Dre)	34	34	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	31
	"Who Am I? (What's My Name?)" (Snoop Dogg)	8	8	1	—	—	—	4	—	—	20	US: Gold	Doggystyle
1994	"Gin and Juice" (Snoop Dogg)	8	13	1	—	—	—	11	—	—	39	US: Platinum
	"Doggy Dogg World" (Snoop Dogg featuring Tha Dogg Pound & The Dramatics)	46	25	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	32
	"Afro Puffs" (The Lady of Rage)	57	5	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Above the Rim
	"Natural Born Killaz" (Dr. Dre & Ice Cube)	95	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	45	US: Gold	Murder Was the Case
	"U Better Recognize" (Sam Sneed featuring Dr. Dre)	—	48	18	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1995	"Keep Their Heads Ringin'" (Dr. Dre)	10	10	1	—	29	15	3	7	7	25	US: Gold	Friday
	"California Love" (2Pac featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman)	1	1	1	51	13	7	1	1	7	6	CAN: Gold NOR: Gold US: 2x Platinum	All Eyez on Me
1996	"Been There, Done That" (Dr. Dre)	—	19	—	—	—	—	31	—	—	—		Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
1998	"Zoom" (Dr. Dre & LL Cool J)	—	52	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	15		Bulworth
1999	"My Name Is" (Eminem)	36	18	10	38	68	12	4	16	29	2		The Slim Shady LP
	"Bitch Please" (Snoop Dogg featuring Xzibit)	77	26	8	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		No Limit Top Dogg
	"Guilty Conscience" (Eminem featuring Dr. Dre)	—	56	—	—	97	21	—	25	—	5		The Slim Shady LP
	"Chin Check" (N.W.A featuring Snoop Dogg)	—	71	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Next Friday
	"Still D.R.E." (Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg)	93	32	11	—	29	—	—	—	—	6		2001
2000	"Forgot About Dre" (Dr. Dre featuring Eminem)	25	14	—	—	—	16	26	29	37	7
	"The Next Episode" (Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg, Kurupt& Nate Dogg)	23	11	9	—	22	26	—	—	34	3
	"The Real Slim Shady" (Eminem)	4	11	7	6	6	6	15	3	2	1	AUS: Gold BEL: Platinum FRA: Gold GER: Gold NOR: Gold SWE: Gold SWI: Gold UK: Gold	The Marshall Mathers LP
	"Hello" (Ice Cube featuring Dr. Dre & MC Ren)	—	50	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc)
	"X" (Xzibit)	76	36	32	—	73	—	—	42	5	14		Restless
2001	"Let Me Blow Ya Mind" (Eve featuring Gwen Stefani)	2	6	10	29	15	—	7	6	1	4		Scorpion
	"Lay Low" (Snoop Dogg featuring Master P, Nate Dogg, Butch Cassidy & Tha Eastsidaz)	50	20	8	—	81	—	—	—	48	—		Tha Last Meal
	"Break Ya Neck" (Busta Rhymes)	26	10	21	—	50	13	—	—	20	—		Genesis
	"Family Affair" (Mary J. Blige)	1	1	—	—	1	—	2	7	4	—		No More Drama
	"Lookin' at You" (Warren G featuring Ms. Toi)	—	76	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	60		The Return of the Regulator
	"Bad Intentions" (Dr. Dre featuring Knoc-turn'al)	—	33	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	4		The Wash
2002	"The Knoc" (Knoc-turn'al featuring Dr. Dre & Missy Elliott)	98	67	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		L.A. Confidential presents: Knoc-turn'al & Knoc's Landin'
2003	"In da Club" (50 Cent)	1	1	1	1	16	2	1	4	1	3	AUS: 2x Platinum BEL: Gold GER: Gold NZ: Gold SWE: Gold SWI: Gold US: Gold UK: Silver	Get Rich or Die Tryin'
	"Satisfaction" (Eve)	27	22	—	—	60	87	—	—	—	20		Eve-Olution
	"Business" (Eminem)	—	77	25	—	—	9	14	—	—	6	AUS: Gold	The Eminem Show
	"Poppin' Them Thangs" (G-Unit)	—	66	—	—	—	27	—	—	—	10	US: Platinum	Beg for Mercy
2004	"The Set Up" (Obie Trice featuring Nate Dogg)	73	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	32		Cheers
	"Rich Girl" (Gwen Stefani featuring Eve)	7	78	—	12	4	—	3	4	6	4	AUS: Platinum NZ: Gold SWE: Gold US: Gold	Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
	"Not Today" (Mary J. Blige featuring Eve)	41	21	—	40	—	—	—	—	—	57	US: Platinum	Love & Life
	"Westside Story" (The Game featuring 50 Cent)	93	55	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		The Documentary
	"Just Lose It" (Eminem)	6	35	7	—	7	5	1	12	1	1	AUS: Platinum DEN: Platinum NZ: Platinum NOR: Gold US: Gold	Encore
	"How We Do" (The Game featuring 50 Cent)	4	2	2	—	30	5	4	—	8	5	US: Gold	The Documentary
2005	"Ass Like That" (Eminem)	60	93	—	—	—	28	9	—	25	4		Encore
	"Outta Control" (50 Cent featuring Mobb Deep)	6	11	5	6	—	27	12	—	10	7		The Massacre & Blood Money
2006	"In the Ghetto" (Busta Rhymes featuring Rick James)	—	50	24	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		The Big Bang
	"Lost One" (Jay-Z featuring Chrisette Michele)	58	19	10	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Kingdom Come
2007	"30 Something" (Jay-Z)	—	21	13	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Boss' Life" (Snoop Dogg featuring Nate Dogg)	—	65	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
	"Straight to the Bank" (50 Cent)	32	30	10	—	38	—	—	53	—	—		Curtis
	"U Ain't Goin' Nowhere" (Young Buck featuring LaToiya Williams)	—	57	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Buck the World
2009	"Crack a Bottle" (Eminem featuring Dr. Dre & 50 Cent)	1	60	4	1	—	56	6	9	4	3		Relapse
	"I Get It In" (50 Cent)	53	43	16	52	—	—	—	—	—	75		Non-album single
	"We Made You" (Eminem)	9	—	19	6	11	—	1	11	4	4	AUS: Platinum	Relapse
	"3 a.m." (Eminem)	32	—	—	24	—	—	—	—	—	56
	"Old Time's Sake" featuring Dr. Dre (Eminem)	25	115	—	14	—	—	—	—	—	61
2012	"New Day" (50 Cent featuring Dr. Dre & Alicia Keys)	79	51	21	43	109	—	—	—	—	—		Street King Immortal
2013	"New Day" (Alicia Keys)	—	10	—	—	174	—	—	—	—	—		Girl on Fire
2016	"Dope" (T.I. featuring Marsha Ambrosius)	121	46	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or receive certification.

Film career

Dr. Dre made his first on screen appearance as a weapons dealer in the 1996 bank robbery movie Set It Off. 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.

Entrepreneur

In July 2008, Dr. Dre released his high-performance brand of headphones, Beats by Dr. Dre. 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.

Dr Dre's Beats headphones.

Relationship with Eminem

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 later programmed the song's beat after returning.

In the September 2003 issue of The Source, a group of disgruntled former associates of Dr. Dre complained that they had not received their full due for work on the label. A producer named Neff-U claimed to have produced the songs "Say What You Say" and "My Dad's Gone Crazy" on The Eminem Show.

Official Account

• Dr. Dre on Twitter
• Dr. Dre on Facebook
• Dr. Dre on Instagram
• Dr. Dre on Insstar.com
• Dr. Dre on Instagweb.com
• Dr. Dre on Buzzcent.com
• Dr. Dre on Insstars.com
• Dr. Dre on Photostags.com

Track List (with Eminem)

• "Guilty Conscience"
• "Forgot About Dre"
• "Bitch Please II"
• "Say What You Say"
• Encore
• "Crack a bottle"
• "I Need A Doctor"
• "Guns Blazing" (2020)

Discography

For more information on Dre's discography, see Music by Dre.