Overview

It is almost impossible to listen to a current hip-hop song that does not bear Dr. Dre's influence. With innovations in style that started with the hip-hop group N.W.A., and, later, as a solo rapper and producer, Dre's influence and lasting impact on hip-hop music and culture is undeniable. He pioneered a new style of music that in the early 1990s would come to be known as gangsta rap, and his proteges - Snoop and Eminem - are both considered some of the top rappers to emerge since rap was born on the streets of New York three decades ago. This biography traces Dre's rise to fame, a story that parallels the rise of hip-hop as one of the most dominant cultural forces in America. Dre came of age at the time when hip-hop culture (rapping, breakdancing, Deejaying, and Graffiti art) began an underground trend in urban America. Chapters take the reader from Dre's childhood in Los Angeles through his friendships, early influences, and the birth of his music career. Also discussed is the tragic tale of Death Row Records, which culminates in the high-profile murders of rap artists Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. and serves as a lesson on what can go wrong when people in the rap business believe their own gangsta hype. Dre's ability to survive in the rough-and-tumble rap industry is a testament to the power of artistic vision and the payoff of sheer persistence.

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9780313338267

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Fans of hip hop and popular culture know Andre Dr. Dre Young as the Los Angeles rapper who, with his group N.W.A, popularized gansta rap in the late 80s, founded the formidable Death Row record label in the 90s, and continues to make names for his proteges in the new millennium. In this biography, high school-aged readers and above can learn of the influences of funk and political poetry on N.W.A, Dre's discovery of artists like Snoop Doggy Dogg and Eminem, and his involvement in controversies surrounding hip hop personalities Tupak Shakur, Suge Knight, and Notorious B.I.G., among other topics. This book includes a timeline of Dr. Dre's life and career. -Reference & Research Book News

<p> Fans of hip hop and popular culture know Andre Dr. Dre Young as the Los Angeles rapper who, with his group N.W.A, popularized gansta rap in the late 80s, founded the formidable Death Row record label in the 90s, and continues to make names for his proteges in the new millennium. In this biography, high school-aged readers and above can learn of the influences of funk and political poetry on N.W.A, Dre's discovery of artists like Snoop Doggy Dogg and Eminem, and his involvement in controversies surrounding hip hop personalities Tupak Shakur, Suge Knight, and Notorious B.I.G., among other topics. This book includes a timeline of Dr. Dre's life and career. -<p>Reference & Research Book News

Author Information

John Borgmeyer is a news editor at the C-VILLE Weekly, an alternative newsweekly in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was a contributing writer to The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History (2005). Holly Lang is a freelance writer and editor. She has worked as a reporter for the Birmingham Post-Herald and the Associated Press.

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