Even if you aren’t a fan of hip hop music, Dr Dre’s influence in the industry is remarkable.
Not only was he part of the earliest hip hop movement influencing dozens of stars – including Eminem – he also revitalised his career by coming up with headphones and later selling them to Apple to become hip hop’s richest artist (yes, even richer than Jay-Z).
So in celebration of his 50th birthday we run through some of the things you may not know about Dre.
1. He is the richest hip hop artist in the world
Worth an estimated $800 million (£519 million) Dr Dre has amassed a great deal of wealth over the years.
2. He helped launch Eminem’s career
In early 2000, Dr Dre was focusing on producing songs and albums of other artists. He co-produced six songs from Eminem’s successful album Marshall Mathers LP, including “The Real Slim Shady”, helping the burgeoning artist launch his career.
3. He sold Beats Electronics for $3 billion (£1.94 billion)
Dr Dre’s popular headphones’ company Beats Electronics was bought by Apple in 2014 for a whopping $3 billion (£1.94 billion). The headphones are so popular they are a regular feature on the heads of celebrities.
4. He was once in a hip hop group with Ice Cube
Ice Cube does more acting nowadays but back in the day he and Dr Dre were in a hip hop group with Eazy-E, Yella MC Ren, the Arabian Prince and the DOC. The group was called NWA.
5. He released his last album in 2001
Dr Dre hasn’t released an album in years. His last album The Chronic 2001 was his last. He now concentrates on his business ventures.
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