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Dr. Dre
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Dr. Dre was born Andre Romell Young in 1965 in Compton, a suburb of Los Angeles. He is a rapper, but above all a producer. With his slow, rich beats he defined the sound of West Coast hip hop in the 1990s, and he discovered and mentored artists such as Snoop Dogg and Eminem.
Music and breakthrough
He began in 1984 as a DJ in the World Class Wreckin' Cru and in 1987 co-founded N.W.A. That group brought gangsta rap to a wide audience, with the album Straight Outta Compton (1988). In 1991 Dre founded the label Death Row Records with Suge Knight. His first solo album The Chronic (1992) laid the foundations for G-funk: slow funk grooves with synthesizers and plenty of space in the mix. The single Nuthin' but a "G" Thang, featuring the young rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg, reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993. Dre then produced Snoop's debut Doggystyle (1993) and, with 2Pac, California Love (1995). In 1996 he left Death Row and started his own label, Aftermath, where he signed Eminem in 1998. His second album 2001 (1999) opened with the single Still D.R.E., built on a stark keyboard melody by Scott Storch.
Influence
Dre also became an entrepreneur. He co-founded the headphone brand Beats, which Apple acquired in 2014. In 2000, like Metallica, he brought a lawsuit against Napster. In 2022 he appeared at the Super Bowl halftime show with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar.
Listening
Nuthin' But a "G" Thang · Dr. Dre, 1992Apple Music ↗
Nuthin' but a "G" Thang · Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg, 1992Apple Music ↗
Still D.R.E. · Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, 1999Apple Music ↗
California Love · 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre, 1995Apple Music ↗
Discography
Studio albums
- 1992The Chronic
- 19992001
- 2015Compton
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Mixtape 6: Fear of a Black PlanetNL Reader
- Mixtape 13: From Cassette to CloudNL Reader