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Dr. Dre

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Dr. Dre
Flickr @Jason Persse

Dr. Dre, or Andre Romelle Young AKA as Dre, is a rap pioneer and entrepreneur born to a musical family in Compton, California. Launching his music career in 1985 with the iconic group N.W.A. (Niggaz with Attitude), Dre has taken home six Grammy Awards and ranks 56/100 Greatest Artists of all time. 

As a producer, Dre cut his teeth at Death Row Entertainment, responsible for launching Snoop Dogg and Tupac’s careers. After battles between East Coast and West Coast rappers continued, ultimately culminating in Tupac and Biggie’s deaths, he decided to split from parner Marion “Suge” Knight and launch his own label: Aftermath Entertainment. The new label went on to launch legends Eminem and 50 Cent. 

Andre Romelle Young overcame his shady past in the ‘90s, where he struggled with alcohol and violence. Dre faced multiple run-ins with the law for assault charges, serving time in 1995. Ten years later in an interview with the New York Times, Dre acknowledges his mistakes and states “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.”

After years of producing chart topping hits, Dre expanded his business acumen by teaming up with Jimmy Iovine and launching Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, which they eventually sold to Apple for a hefty price tag, Beats streaming service, and a $70 million donation to launch the University of Southern California for The Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation.

Dre is a father of six children; one late son who passed in 2008, three from earlier relationships, and two after his marriage to Nicole Threatt in 1996.

Dr. Dre’s Black Moment:

  • 6 Grammy Awards, producing hundreds of songs throughout his career
  • Ranked number 56 on the list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time
  • 2014 Hustler of the Year by BET Awards 
  • Launch of The Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation through the  University of Southern California 
  • Inducted to the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 with N.W.A.

RELATED BLACK MOMENT: Tupac Shakur

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