Dr. Dre

Lore & Background

Dre began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru in 1984, and later found fame with the gangsta rap group N.W.A, which he formed in 1987 with Eazy-E, Ice Cube and Arabian Prince. The group popularized explicit lyrics in hip-hop to detail the violence of street life. N.W.A's debut album Straight Outta Compton (1988) was one of the most successful albums in the West Coast hip-hop scene, and is often credited for the rise in popularity of gangsta rap.

During the early 1990s, Dre was credited as a key figure in the crafting and popularization of West Coast G-funk, a subgenre of hip-hop characterized by a synthesizer foundation and slow, heavy production. Shortly after the release of their second album Niggaz4life (1991), N.W.A disbanded and Dr. Dre began his career as a solo artist. Released as Death Row's first major project, Dr. Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic (1992), made him one of the best-selling American music artists of 1993.

Its lead single, "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" (featuring Snoop Dogg), peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, while its third, "Let Me Ride" won Best Rap Solo Performance at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards. That same year, he produced Death Row labelmate Snoop Dogg's debut album Doggystyle, and mentored producers such as his stepbrother Warren G (leading to the multi-platinum debut Regulate... G Funk Era in 1994) and Snoop Dogg's cousin Daz Dillinger (leading to the double-platinum debut Dogg Food by Tha Dogg Pound in 1995).

In 1996, Dre left Death Row Records to establish his own label, Aftermath Entertainment; his compilation album, Dr. Dre Presents: The Aftermath (1996) and second studio album, 2001 (1999) followed thereafter. After years of teasing an album tentatively titled Detox, Dre released his third studio album, Compton, in 2015. During the 2000s, Dr. Dre shifted focus onto production for other artists, occasionally contributing vocals. He signed Eminem in 1998 and 50 Cent in 2002, while extensively contributing to releases by both artists.

Aftermath has since signed other artists including the Game, Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, Busta Rhymes, Eve, and Rakim, among others. He has won seven Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. Rolling Stone ranked him number 56 on the list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Reader's Guide

Dr. Dre is a central figure in West Coast hip-hop, known for founding Death Row Records and Aftermath Entertainment, producing landmark albums like The Chronic and Doggystyle, and launching the careers of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar. His music is characterized by G-funk production and explicit lyrics about street life.

Did You Know?

• Dr. Dre's middle name, Romell, comes from his father's amateur R&B group, the Romells.
• He originally performed under the name 'Dr. J', after basketball player Julius Erving.