Dr.Dre a Legend...you win some..you lose some..

An interesting article... although personally i never saw Dr Dre as an even remotely credible rapper, but i never really cared that much or looked close enough to know that he didn't (or couldn't) write his own lyrics... After reading your observations it occurred to me that Dre is like the hip-hop equivalent of the old childrens story 'The Emperor's New Clothes'... And there's something rather ironic about a range of headphones that outsell all their competitors based not on a vastly superior sound quality, but almost exclusively on the image they project...

How you can 'respect' any artist who got Royce Da 5'9 to ghost write a song that is a tribute to your own brother's death (The Message)is beyond me. Don't get me wrong, I do like the NWA stuff and don't mind the earlier tracks with Snoop, but this doesn't mean he has earnt any respect as an artist.

yeah, he may not have written any of his bars and yes a lot of 2001 was produced by melman. BUT he was largely responsible for NWA's sound he was responsible for bringing Eminem to public attention and has released loads of truly great songs! There are a few better produces about(DJ premier for a start) and I don't even regard him as a proper MC, but, he is a legend!

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Copious amount of artists have by their own admission 'been around the world' based purely on the success of that one song in their back catalogue that Dre produced. Wether he does it alone, delivers as part of a team or has the savvy to get the right people doing the things he doesn't do so well, if the end result is what you want it doesnt matter. If he was riding the back of others he would have been found out by now, particularly at the beginning where there was nowhere to hide. He was part of a 4 piece in NWA that brought Hip Hop forward in a big way and there is no chance he did not contribute to the success they had. For whatever has defined the success he has had, he cannot be seen as anything less than Hip Hop royalty.

Like Pilko, I don't really care about Dre's prowess in front of the mic. I don't generally think of him as a rapper first and foremost. I'm more interested in the music he releases under his name, special guests and all. Having done two classics from his two studio albums so far, the formula clearly works, so I'm not too bothered who does what. As long as the end result is somewhere near 2001, then I'll be very happy.

Have to agree with simmo on this, he is Hip Hop royalty. For being part of the groundbreaking N.W.A, to be able to leave and set up Death Row Records, launching the careers of Snoop Dogg & Tha Dogg Pound. To then leave Death Row and then set up Aftermath and launching the careers of Eminem & 50 Cent. Xzibit's main stream success is down to executive production from Dre. He is royalty, because for every flop artist, he has a superstar. Only people who don't understand Hip Hop consider him to be a rapper as his main role. He is a producer, a legendary one at that.

Spot on with the article, I like dre I think he has gone through a lot to where he is today, however that doesn't mean he should take credit for everything he does, mel man , mike, scott storch all need to come clean about production, unless he pays them still for their work. As regards wasting people's time , he took the piss out of raekwon - come on he did only built for cuban links, his raps were amazing the album is a great and the production was immense from the rza - who is a better producer than dre. Prior to that he wasted the god emcee's time - rakim. How can you waste the greatest rapper of all time, his time. Rakim is respected by all rappers that man set a bench mark on how to rap, changed rap from bragging but into stories with complex rhyming but made simple to listen to and dre fxxxs him over. Maybe dre was jealous that he couldn't write "eric b, my melody, paid in full, I aint no joke etc" dre should be exposed the man made 100 million dollars through his headphones. He can take criticism it won't affect his bank balance.

I don't get rap/hip hop

are you kidding? Dre's sampling methods are totally unique - or at least if they aren't now, they were when he got started. His basslines are so distinctive and memorable, he is responsible for so many chart hits. He's been producing for years and years before he became a 'legend', so I think it's safe to say those credentials are pretty sound. If you don't get Dre, go and listen to Marshall Mathers LP, which broke the record for most copies sold in a week - the record having been set by Doggystyle, also produced by Dre - and then listen to recent Eminem. The catchy hooks are absolutely CRUCIAL to hip-hop. Dre's style is distinctive and simple - think Let Me Blow Ya Mind or Nuthin' But A G Thang or Still Dre. They stick in your mind because Dre is a great producer and whether you want to admit it or not, a good musician. I don't even like hip-hop that much, man, but you have to recognise when people are good at what they do.

If you can write the thick end of 800 words on Dre and not even mention The Chronic, it's no wonder you don't fucking get him.

I stopped reading after you mentioned you'd bought his headphones. Article could have been shortened to say "Dr Dre is a legendary producer"

obviously a bit OT but just to say one of the reasons I love reading ST is how well informed the commenters are. I often learn more from them than the actual article. Thanks, guys.

Wannabe. You total and utter clown. Dee isn't a "rapper" but a producer. The must successful (in terms of sales) there had ever been. So what his headphones are shit, anyone with any brains buys them from a headphone manufacturer. Much like anyone who wants a truly global, best buys them from Dre. Can't believe mother fuckers still act like they forgot about Dre

i for one am intrigued as to whether detox will ever see the light of day. but parts of 2001 are (sonically) utter genius. he helped snoop and eminem earn their stripes and his aftermath label gave birth to some interesting r and b. he cannot rap but that isn't the point. some say it is all about the rhymes and deleivery, but you need something to display them and PRODUCTION is key to enjoying hip hop. dre has the head nodding factor up to unknown levels. he can't match premier, kanye or the bomb squad at their height, but he is a legend if only for 'forget about dre', 'next episode' and virtually the whole of snoop's debut -in fact he virtually invented the west coast gangsta rap SOUND. all props to him for that...now release that album why don't ya!!!!!

Didn't he produce the NWA albums? Doggystyle? The Chronic? Eminem? Sorry but someone who has helped define a genre so much as Dre surely deserves some credit. Especially when you consider he has played a big part in getting black music into the mainstream. He is far too influential to dismiss lightly like this. It seems to me like you dont get hip-hop full stop.

100% agree with you dude. I've always thought it was dumb how people slander other artists for everything under the sun but don't mention how Dre of all people doesn't write his lyrics, and getting someone else to write a tribute to your own brother. So lame. He should have justt stuck to the producing

is linky referring to me - i hope not!! dre is a genius producer, just not a very good rapper. and that ain't a problem when you consider the brilliance of his music...

I think everyone has missed the point of this article, yes he is a great producer, but the focus of this IS he prowess in front of a mic and with his pen and paper, with which he is total and utter shit.

I think its pretty common knowledge DRE doesn't write his own lyrics and I'm also pretty sure he's not been on some kind of crusade to hide this fact....check the song credits on any of his albums.. He's also never claimed to be a MC in the purest form...so the fact he uses ghost writers is besides the point! He's in the business of making hit records, crafting genre defining sounds and his voice adds flavour, marrying well his own production, so why not enlist the help of a decent wordsmith to help bind it all together! He also made $100 million dollars out of Beats headphones because of fools like you buying into the hype....get over it man!

The point of it maybe that he isnt a great rapper, but then if you asked me what was great about Dre I wouldnt say he was great at rapping partiularly more that he has produced so much and shaped hip hop, so not so much we missing the point of the article than the article is missing the point of Dr Dre

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you people commenting on here have no clue as to what the hell you are talking about. those of us that have been dre fans since the chronic have always known he didnt write his own lyrics. DR DRE HAS ALWAYS PRIMARILY BEEN A PRODUCER!! Him not writing his own lyrics does not take anything away from his artistry. Noone cares if someone else writes a song for lionel richie or whoever the fuck, but in hiphop its this big crime. back in the day other folks writing lyrics for rappers wasnt even a big deal! youd know this if you knew your history...anyway i think ive said enough. lame article and probably 15 years too late.

i also see people talking about mel man and scott storch. dre is going the way of quincy jones where he has other producers working under him. dre doesnt just take their beats. he brings them up to scratch! know what you are talking about before you type. none of these folks had anything to do with the NWA albums the first snoop dogg album or the first chronic albums

If the earphones broke why didnt you just send them back and get a new pair? should be under warrenty (unless theyre fake). Would have meant you didnt have to write this article and saved you about 5 hours using google to referance.

Dr Dre ? Dr Dire more like...

He's not a real Doctor so beware. He is though, a Liverpool fan. That bit is true. Tony Blackburn is not from Blackburn, nor is Michael Bolton actually from Bolton. Just wanted to point that out.

What a silly poorly researched article.What about the chronic? You jump from NWA to 2001 and forget to comment on the album that elevated dre to god-like status? Dr Dre is considered invinsible in hip hop circles PRECISELY because of the Chronic. Your article is a big fail. Go and sit down somewhere , listen to "Let Me Ride" then come back and try again.

I already know the counter; “Dre’s a producer first, artist second”. Except, this isn’t and never has been the case. Erm...YES IT HAS. You clearly have no idea. He has produced some of the biggest tracks and albums in hip hop history for eminem, snoop, 2pac, 50 cent and NWA. His production has held its own in clubs and radio for over 20 years. Please look at any list of most played/loved/sold hip hop tracks then re-write your article.

@Tobi Oke Please look up art in the dictionary.

It's not a 'counter'. Dr Dre is a hip-hop producer, probably the best ever. He may be seen sometimes as a rapper, but that's by people whose interest in rap music amounts to 'The Chronic 2001' and some Eminem songs which are quite good. And yes Dr Dre has taken inspiration from other sources with his production, sometimes sampled other producers, but ultimately he provides the final product, with frightening consistency. No other producer has been responsible for so many classic songs and albums. In some ways he's more of a conductor than a producer, bringing together a cacophany of sounds and hooks to create one stunningly complex piece of work. Plus, unlike other producer greats like DJ Premier and Pete Rock, he's successfully evolved his sound to appeal to a changing audience. In fact you could argue Dr Dre is personally responsible for many of the sonic shifts hip-hop has gone through over the past 25 years. His influence is unquestionable, he's made some of the catchiest club bangers as well as ground-breaking, critically respected albums, so I think there's no doubt he's a hip-hop legend. Yes he does sometimes rap and he's not bad at it, but only someone with the most limited interest or care for rap music would label him as primarily a rapper.

I think your just pissed that your a victim of fashion and Dre is the clever one who sold you the headphones. Ice T once said that rappers are actors and without a doubt Dre has been playing the part, he once wore spandex and makeup, so we know he ain't gangster, the music was still good then and that's what has made him rich. If I only made the Chronic then sat back and did fuck all for the next 10 years but make money whilst others sweated I'd think I was pretty dam clever too. But the fact is he hasn't he's been bringing people in and producing there music for a long time, did you forget about Deathrow? I no longer like Dre as yes he is shady, that's how he is still around today and others aren't, but I couldn't deny that at one point he was the bees knees and no matter what(unless we find out he's a Jim will fix it) the Chronic will be in my collection as one of the best hip hop albums.

Was ever much of fan of West coast rap,it went all 'nigger,bitch,fuck' and I didn't really like it.His gangster life and themusic he produces is as shit and plastic as his overpriced headphones

yoo haters leave the Doc alone dis nigga is a legend dnt compare him wit lil wayne .. lets talk about chronic album dat was some s####

You know why you don't get Dr. Dre? Cause you were a baby sucking his thumb when Dre was at his prime and live in a country that has no understanding of what growing up in the Compton hip-hop/rap scene was/is like. Stick to topics in your generation and maybe you'll understand them.