Dr. Dre

Andre Romell Young, known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor born on February 18, 1965. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, as well as the co-founder of Death Row Records. Young began his career in the mid-1980s as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru before achieving widespread fame as a founding member of the gangsta rap group N.W.A. Over his career, he has become widely recognized for his solo music, extensive production work, and key role in popularizing West Coast G-funk.

Born in Compton, California, Young was raised primarily by his grandmother in the New Wilmington Arms housing project. His family moved frequently throughout Compton, Carson, Long Beach, and Los Angeles neighborhoods. He attended Vanguard Junior High School, Roosevelt Junior High School, Centennial High School, Fremont High School, and Chester Adult School. During his high school years, Young focused heavily on social life and entertainment, frequently attending the Eve's After Dark club where he began working as a DJ under the moniker Dr. J before eventually adopting the name Dr. Dre.

While at Eve's After Dark, Young recorded early tracks alongside DJ Yella and subsequently joined the World Class Wreckin' Cru, who achieved a local hit with the song "Surgery." In 1986, he met rapper Ice Cube and began producing music for Ruthless Records, a label run by Eazy-E. In 1987, Young formed N.W.A alongside Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and Arabian Prince. The group gained national attention for their explicit depictions of urban violence, and their 1989 debut album, Straight Outta Compton, became a major commercial success that helped drive the rise of gangsta rap. Young produced tracks for several Ruthless Records releases before N.W.A disbanded in 1991.

Following his departure from Ruthless, Young co-founded Death Row Records with Suge Knight and released his debut solo album, The Chronic, in 1992. The album popularized the synthesizer-heavy West Coast G-funk sound, yielded hit singles such as "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" and "Let Me Ride," and earned Young a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. During his time at Death Row, Young also produced Snoop Dogg's debut album Doggystyle and mentored several other emerging producers and artists.

In 1996, Young left Death Row Records to establish Aftermath Entertainment. The label achieved a major commercial breakthrough in 1998 when Young signed Detroit rapper Eminem, producing key tracks for his successful debut release, The Slim Shady LP. Young followed with his second solo studio album, 2001, in 1999, and his third solo album, Compton, in 2015. Throughout the 2000s and beyond, Young shifted his primary focus toward production and executive duties, signing and producing for acts such as 50 Cent, the Game, and Kendrick Lamar.

Over the course of his career, Young has won seven Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, and was listed on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Beyond his music career, he has appeared as an actor in films such as Set It Off, The Wash, and Training Day. His personal life has also involved widely publicized allegations of violence against women, including a 1991 assault on television host Dee Barnes for which he pled no contest, leading to a public apology issued by Young in 2015.