Dr. Dre

Compton producer, rapper and Aftermath founder who shaped G-funk and signed Eminem in 1998.

Dr. Dre, born Andre Romell Young on February 18, 1965, is an American rapper, record producer, executive and actor from Compton, California. He founded Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics and co-founded Death Row Records. After rising to fame in N.W.A, he became a central architect of West Coast G-funk, a sound built on synthesizers and slow, heavy grooves. His production shaped the careers of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar. He has won seven Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, and Rolling Stone placed him at number 56 among the greatest artists of all time.

Quick Facts

Birth Name: Andre Romell Young
Other Names: Dre · Brickhard · The Mechanic
Birth Date: 1965-02-18
Birth Place: Compton, California, U.S.
Relatives: Sir Jinx (cousin) · Warren G (step-brother) · Olaijah Griffin (step-nephew)
Occupation: Rapper · songwriter · record producer · entrepreneur · record executive · DJ · actor
Works: Discography · filmography · production
Years Active: 1984–present
Spouse: Nicole Plotzker (1996–2021)
Children: 8
Awards: Full list

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Young grew up moving between Compton, Carson, Long Beach and parts of Los Angeles, largely raised by his grandmother. He began DJing at the club Eve's After Dark, first as Dr. J after his basketball hero Julius Erving, and met Antoine Carraby, later DJ Yella. With World Class Wreckin' Cru he scored an early local hit, Surgery. In 1987 he formed N.W.A with Eazy-E, Ice Cube and Arabian Prince, and Straight Outta Compton in 1989 helped push gangsta rap into the mainstream. After a dispute with Eazy-E he left in 1991 and, with Suge Knight, launched Death Row Records. His solo debut The Chronic in 1992 made him one of the top-selling artists of 1993. He left Death Row in 1996 to found Aftermath.

Reader's Guide

Through the 2000s Dre focused on producing for others, signing Eminem in 1998 and 50 Cent in 2002 and working heavily on their records. He also produced Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle and mentored his stepbrother Warren G. His own albums include 2001 in 1999 and, after years of talk about Detox, Compton in 2015. His record includes serious accusations of violence against women: he pled no contest in 1991 to assaulting Dee Barnes, and Michel'le accused him of abuse in 2015. He publicly apologized after Compton came out.

Did You Know?

Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang, featuring Snoop Dogg, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
Let Me Ride won Best Rap Solo Performance at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards.
His middle name comes from the Romells, his father's amateur R&B group.
He has acted in Set It Off, The Wash and Training Day.