TheGrio's 100: Andre 'Dr. Dre' Young, Hip-hop and business icon
André Romelle Young, also known as Dr. Dre, has been a mainstay in hip hop music since he released his first album, "The Chronic," in 1992. Since then he has continued to rap, produce music and changed the hustle of hip hop.
André Romelle Young, also known as Dr. Dre, has been a mainstay in hip hop music since he released his first album, “The Chronic,” in 1992. Since then he has continued to rap and produce music. Yet he’s also changed the hustle of hip hop from making beats and spitting lyrics to acting, creating his own record label and selling a line of luxury headphones.
Dr. Dre founded Death Row Records in 1992 with the notorious Suge Knight. Creating a new subset of rap music, the Grammy Award winner became known for his West Coast G-Funk sound from the 90s, and song lyrics while in the rap group N.W.A. In fact, his musical creations made when he was in this group helped coin the term ‘gangsta rap.’
Years later, Dr. Dre left Death Row Records and is now the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment.
In addition to his record label responsibilities, Dr. Dre has branched out into merchandise, selling a line of high-end headphones called Beats By Dre.
When he’s not in the studio or in the boardroom, Dr. Dre can occasionally be seen on the big screen. He’s made appearances in Training Day, Set It Off, and most recently in 50 Cent’s video game Bulletproof.
Dr. Dre is making history … as a hip hop legend turned businessman. Through his ownership of major record labels and through his business ventures, Dr. Dre has become a force to be reckoned with and is currently the third wealthiest rapper in the game, according to Forbes, earning $125 million.
Additionally, under his record labels he has helped launch the careers of Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Eminem.
What’s next for Dr. Dre?
Dr. Dre is expected to release his last album this year. “Detox” has taken several years to produce and is highly anticipated in the music world.
A little-known fact …
Dr. Dre earned nearly $52 million in 2001 alone after selling 30 percent of the Aftermath label to Interscope Records.
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