Dr. Dre

One of the most recognizable names in the Hip Hop industry, Dr. Dre did not earn it by sheer luck. He was born Andre Romelle Young on February 18, 1965. He was the firstborn from the couple Theodore and Verna Young who were literally young when they had him. Verna who was only 17 when Dre was born divorced Theodore after four years of marriage and later remarried twice and had seven more children.

Young Dre was close to gang violence when he enrolled in Vanguard Junior High School and he did badly in school in terms of grades. As a result he concentrated on social life during his teens, visiting clubs to watch DJs in action. He made many useful relationships during this period of time.

It was with World Class Wreckin' Cru that he began his career in entertainment. The group which was signed by indie label Kru-Cut Records was focused on electro-hop which was popular in the early '80s in the West Coast area. He then formed an acquaintance with Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Mc Ren, and DJ Yella which all popularized the use of explicit language in rap through N.W.A.

The group which is not constricted with issues like racism and politic scored a major hit with "F**k tha Police". The album "Straight Outta Compton" prompted controversy and warning from The FBI. Dre then became more prominent behind the scene when he produced tracks for other artists under Ruthless Records such as The D.O.C.

Drew left N.W.A. in 1991 and began a solo career. He set up Death Row Records and released an album called "aThe Chronic%" a year later. The album received a huge welcome, becoming a culture phenomenon with the songs like "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" and "Let Me Ride". It went on receiving a multi-platinum and a Grammy Award for "Let Me Ride".

The album also spawned a partnership with Snoop Dogg who also received a success after releasing "Doggystyle". Death Row continued to experience success, especially when Tupac Shakur was in. However Suge Knight's involvement in the label forced Dre to form his own label which is called Aftermath Entertainment. Death Row had its lowest point by late '90s after losing Dre's management and the death of Tupac.

Meanwhile, Dre kept his juice flowing with an album called "Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath" in 1996. Featuring news artists signed to his label, the album did not do as well as "The Chronic" despite classified platinum. It was during this time that Aftermath was reportedly financially-challenged. Rescue came when Interscope's head, Jimmy Iovine, introduced Dre to a new rapper named Eminem.

Hailing from Detroit, Eminem was a white boy in the black-dominated industry but Dre took the chance. He produced several tracks in Eminem's highly-successful debut album "The Slim Shady" which was released in 1999. The album sold well on the market and saved Aftermath.

At the same time, Dre put his attention to another solo album, releasing a sophomore effort in November 1999 and calling it "2001". Featuring a number of collaborators from Snoop to Xzibit to Nate Dogg, the album was a success after climbing to the runner-up position of Billboard Hot 200 chart. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences honored him with Producer of the Year in 2000.

Underneath the popularity, Dre faced several downsides of fame. His songs were frequently the subject of lawsuits for copyright infringement and other legal cases. He was once too assigned to anger management classes after assaulting a reporter for getting the bad light on N.W.A's side.

From 2001 and on, Dre focused his life on producing for other artists. He put so much energy and effort on Eminem, 50 Cent and other Aftermath artists while moonlighting as producer of numerous others like Mary J. Blige and The Game. Rolling Stone named Dre among the highest-paid performers of 2001 and 2004.

In 2002 he announced a third album which he planned to call "Detox". Due to the time he consumed to produce for others, the album's release was delayed for years. It was planned to be dropped in several points between 2004 and 2009 but by 2010, the label has not yet announced any fixed date. Snoop said the album was done in 2008 and Dre indeed released a snippet of the album in May 2009 commercial for Dr. Pepper.

The first taste of the album finally came out in September 2010 with the release of two songs "Kush" and "I Need a Doctor". Soon after, it was announced that the album would arrive in shelves in April 2011.