Dr Dre

"Born on February 18, 1965 to a sixteen-year-old single mom, Andre Young,AKA Dr. Dre, co-founded the notorious rap group N.W.A. The group was one of the most successful hip-hop groups of the late 1980s and, most importantly, started what the media quickly dubbed Gangsta Rap. His departure from N.W.A. was a story right out of a pulp fiction novel. His new mentor, Suge Knight, allegedly used guns, baseball bats and a kidnap threat to get Dr. Dre released from his contract. Dre and Knight went on to build Death Row Records and turned it into a multi-billlion dollar company. Yet despite its unprecedented success with stars such as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tupac Shakur, the company quickly unrivaled in a firesom of rivalries, greed, violence and scrutiny by the government and the media as Suge Knight's unconventional business practices increasingly mirrored the violent, hard-edged themes of its music. Dr. Dre bailed out, losing his company, his copyrights, his master tapes and all his money in the process. Back in the ghetto, he had to figure out how to get back on top. He decided to start his own record company called Aftermath Entertainment. As CEO of Aftermath, Dr. Dre then discovered and created new stars. He managed, produced, launched and is still in charge of luminaries such as Eminem, Fifty Cent, The Game and Eve. All of the luminaries owe their phenomenal success to Andre Young. The rise, fall and rise of Dr. Dre is what this book is about."

Brown details Dr. Dre's life, times, and history, in a way no other work has, brilliantly capturing the history of this music legend.

From his time in the group NWA to his work with Eminem, Dr. Dre has been a major part of hip-hop's history. The rapper/producer has been able to make hit music for years. Today, he's also moving into business with Beats by Dre. It seems there's nothing that Dre can't do! Dr. Dre tells the story of one of hip-hop's most important artists and producers. Read about Dre's role in starting Death Row Records and Aftermath Entertainment. Learn about what Dre has been through to reach his goals, and how he's survived tough times.

Tracing the careers of hip-hop's three most dynamic stars, this deeply reported history brilliantly examines the entrepreneurial genius of the first musician tycoons: Diddy, Dr. Dre, and Jay-Z. Being successful musicians was simply never enough for the three kings of hip-hop. Diddy, Dr. Dre, and Jay-Z lifted themselves from childhood adversity into tycoon territory, amassing levels of fame and wealth that not only outshone all other contemporary hip-hop artists, but with a combined net worth of well over $2 billion made them the three richest American musicians, period. Yet their fortunes have little to do with selling their own albums: between Diddy's Ciroc vodka, Dre's $3 billion sale of his Beats headphones to Apple, and Jay-Z's Tidal streaming service and other assets, these artists have transcended pop music fame to become lifestyle icons and moguls. Hip-hop is no longer just a musical genre; it's become a way of life that encompasses fashion, film, food, drink, sports, electronics and more -- one that has opened new paths to profit and to critical and commercial acclaim. Thanks in large part to the Three Kings -- who all started their own record labels and released classic albums before moving on to become multifaceted businessmen -- hip-hop has been transformed from a genre spawned in poverty into a truly global multibillion-dollar industry. These men are the modern embodiment of the American Dream, but their stories as great thinkers and entrepreneurs have yet to be told in full. Based on a decade of reporting, and interviews with more than 100 sources including hip-hop pioneers Russell Simmons and Fab 5 Freddy; new-breed executives like former Def Jam chief Kevin Liles and venture capitalist Troy Carter; and stars from Swizz Beatz to Shaquille O'Neal, 3 Kings tells the fascinating story of the rise and rise of the three most influential musicians in America.

Offers an insider's view of hip hop music, the evolution of Death Row Records, and the turbulent history of the genre, from the sex-and-violence drenched culture of the industry to the feud between East Coast and West Coast music.

"Raw, authoritative, and unflinching ... An elaborately detailed, darkly surprising, definitive history of the LA gangsta rap era." -- Kirkus, starred review A monumental, revealing narrative history about the legendary group of artists at the forefront of West Coast hip-hop: Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur. Amid rising gang violence, the crack epidemic, and police brutality, a group of unlikely voices cut through the chaos of late 1980s Los Angeles: N.W.A. Led by a drug dealer, a glammed-up producer, and a high school kid, N.W.A gave voice to disenfranchised African Americans across the country. And they quickly redefined pop culture across the world. Their names remain as popular as ever -- Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. Dre soon joined forces with Suge Knight to create the combustible Death Row Records, which in turn transformed Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur into superstars. Ben Westhoff explores how this group of artists shifted the balance of hip-hop from New York to Los Angeles. He shows how N.W.A.'s shocking success lead to rivalries between members, record labels, and eventually a war between East Coast and West Coast factions. In the process, hip-hop burst into mainstream America at a time of immense social change, and became the most dominant musical movement of the last thirty years. At gangsta rap's peak, two of its biggest names -- Tupac and Biggie Smalls -- were murdered, leaving the surviving artists to forge peace before the genre annihilated itself. Featuring extensive investigative reporting, interviews with the principal players, and dozens of never-before-told stories, Original Gangstas is a groundbreaking addition to the history of popular music.

Themes: Hi-Lo, urban nonfiction, music, entrepreneur, Hip-Hop, celebrities, biographies. There's no doubt about it, today's students listen to an average of 2.5 hours of music every day. Guess what they are listening to? Hip-hop is mainstream, continually topping Billboard's Hot 100 charts. These hi-lo biographies engage striving readers from the very beginning with blinged-out covers, stunning four-color photographs, modern and graphic page design, and high-interest informational text. Biographies highlight the unique characteristics of each mega-rapper, including childhood struggles, personal style, rivalries, giving back, and more. Each 48-page paperback book includes a timeline and glossary, with vocabulary words highlighted throughout. Many people think Dr. Dre is the best hip-hop producer in history. He started Death Row and Aftermath. He has played a big role in creating two different styles of hip-hop--gangsta rap and G-funk. He has helped some of the greatest rap artists of all time reach their potential.

Presents the life of Dr, Dre, a musician and producer who was influential in the rise of hip-hop music as a important part of American popular culture.