Photo: Stan Musilik
The hardcore messages from the streets didn’t sit well with the likes of Tipper Gore, but whether fretting mothers liked it or not, Dr. Dre changed the entire hip hop landscape. While his voice was distinctive, it was Dre’s production skills and catchy tracks that hooked a legion of fans and sparked thousands of young-gun producers to follow. Creating the blueprint for gangsta rap beginning with N.W.A., Dre continued his production legacy under the umbrellas of his Death Row and Aftermath labels, and the signature G-funk style and rolling synth melodies of The Chronic and Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle cemented his rule as the king of hip hop. Even after Dre had hit icon status, he took it a step further, finding unknown talent and launching the careers of Eminem, 50 Cent and The Game into the stratosphere, as well as keeping Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Gwen Stefani and Eve riding high. Dre keeps up a steady burn of studio work, never giving up his loyalty to the hip hop game.
— Kylee Swenson, editor, Remix
