Dr. Dre

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DR. DRE

Born: Andre Young; Los Angeles, California, 18 February 1965

Genre: Hip-Hop

Best-selling album since 1990: The Chronic (1992)

Hit songs since 1990: "Ain't Nuthin' but a G Thang," "Let Me Ride," "Still D.R.E.," "The Next Episode"

If Phil Spector and Brian Wilson defined the sound of California in the 1960s and 1970s, then Dr. Dre became the next Angelino to seduce the nation with his sonic vision of Southern California. Until the arrival of his album, The Chronic (1992), hip-hop had largely followed an East Coast aesthetic shaped by producers such as Marley Marl and the 45 King. Evoking the sonic tempo and texture of the subway cars running throughout New York, the so-called "East Coast sound" pulsed with an edgy, staccato rhythm. Dr. Dre's sound on The Chronic (1992) stands in stark contrast.

Dr. Dre began his career in the mid-1980s as the producer and sometime-rapper for the Los Angeles–based rap group the World Class Wrecking Cru. He left the Cru in 1986 to help join the formation of N.W.A., where he, along with his fellow Cru member Yella, were responsible for the production on N.W.A.'s groundbreaking Straight Outta Compton (1988). By the late 1980s Dre was the producer of choice for many L.A. rap groups, including Above the Law, the D.O.C., and J.J. Fad. He also continued to produce for N.W.A. until the group disassembled in 1991. Dre then moved onto a solo career, beginning with The Chronic.

Inspired by everything from low-rider convertibles to backyard barbecues to Southern California's mythic sun culture, Dre makes music that is about release and hedonism rather than the clenched tension that defines New York's vibe. One of Dr. Dre's main innovations on The Chronic is using musicians rather than sampling to interpolate rhythms and melodies throughout the tracks, a technique that gives the album a more organic, vibrant sound yet retains the comfort and familiarity that samples can provide. The signature style on the album is Dr. Dre's synthesizers, snaking their way through the album's main hits like "Ain't Nuthin' but a G Thang" and "Let Me Ride." These songs are lush, drenched in melodies and harmonies reminiscent of 1970s soul by the likes of Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, and Gamble and Huff. There is darker fare as well, such as the funk-laden "Escape from Death Row" or the forceful "Lyrical Gangbang," which balance the album's sonic impulses.

As Los Angeles lay smoldering from physical and social fires lit by the riots following the Rodney King verdicts, The Chronic stood as an unlikely affirmation and celebration of inner-city life as well as a warning that the age of the gangsta was upon us. Though Dre raps on most of the album's songs, his lack of sophistication as a lyricist led him to bring aboard Snoop (Doggy) Dogg for the album. With his memorable drawl and sing-song lyrical style, Snoop was an unlikely gangsta icon; his easy-going attitude toward violence and death is made all the more sinister by his relaxed nature. He is the virtuoso, verbal complement to Dre's outstanding soundcraft, and though Snoop's name does not appear on the album's header, it is as much his album as Dre's.

The Chronic was a crowning achievement and instantly inspired an entire generation of followers and copycats. Though Dre never gave up his role of producer and rapper, he spent the rest of the decade learning how to become a kingmaker. His first attempt, Dr. Dre Presents . . . The Aftermath (1996), fell short, failing to produce hits or future stars. Dre found more success with 2001 (1999), a well-liked follow-up to The Chronic that shows off a sound that is no less soulful for having grown more spare. The project reunited him with Snoop Dogg and a host of other guests. Few new stars, however, emerged from the project.

Dre's main achievement by the turn of the century was not his own work but finding and nurturing new talent. Just as he had promoted Snoop Dogg's early career, Dre took Eminem under his wing. Under his guidance the controversial white rapper emerged in 2000 as one of rap music's biggest new stars. Though Dre did not produce all the songs that appeared on Eminem's albums, his implicit endorsement of Eminem gave the rising rapper a legitimacy among the many fans loyal to Dre. Likewise, in 2003 Dre, along with Eminem, put his credibility and resources behind the rapper 50 Cent, whose debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003), claimed the biggest-selling debut in pop music history.

Over time, Dr. Dre has attracted his share of admirers and critics, not simply over the amoral lifestyle he champions on his albums, but also for creating such an omnipresent sound that dominated much of hip-hop in the 1990s. Undeniably, though, for those who champion and condemn him, Dr. Dre has become one of the most important and influential figures in hip-hop history.

Spot Light: "Ain't Nuthin' but a G Thang"

Before the L.A. riots of 1992, the soundtrack to Los Angeles' hip-hop scene had been dominated by loud and aggressive songs like N.W.A.'s "F***the Police" (1988) and Ice Cube's "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" (1991). However, with soft keys and a rolling bass line, Dr. Dre's "Ain't Nuthin' but a G Thang" crept onto the air-waves with a quiet ferocity, soon dominating the Southland's musical tempo. Rather than an angry invective against the events leading up to the riots, "G Thang" makes the gangsta's world of money, sex, and violence seem smooth and seductive rather than sinister and dangerous. Though Dr. Dre and his lyrical partner Snoop (Doggy) Dogg may be rapping about murder and mayhem, the song itself is less a call to action and more an affirmation of lifestyle, a soul-soaked road song made for cars cruising along L.A.'s asphalt sea. The most important sonic feature on "G Thang" is Dre's reintroduction of the searing, snaking synthesizers he first used on songs from N.W.A.'s Efil4zaggin (1991). A distinctive, signature style that Dre later used on The Chronic, "G Thang's" synths soon dominated the so-called "G Funk" sound of L.A. gangsta rap and was incorporated by producers around the country.