Award-winning rapper, producer, and entrepreneur, Andre Romell Young, known to the world as Dr. Dre, has been one of the strong pillars of rap and the hip-hop genres globally.
Over the past 30 years, Dr. Dre has been churning out good songs, produced by him for others or himself.
Dr. Dre, the founder of Aftermath Records, is responsible for discovering and making music superstars out of rappers Marshall Bruce Mathers III, also known as Eminem; Curtis James Jackson III, popularly known as 50 Cent; Snoop Dogg, known in real life as Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.; and Kendrick Lamar, among others.
The respected producer has also produced songs for some of the top names in the US music industry like 2Pac, Mary J. Blige, Ice Cube, and Alicia Keys.
The ‘father of rap’ as he is affectionately called in the industry, has paid his dues and continues to pave the way for talents to flourish.
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There are five amazing songs that most people do not know were produced by the legendary beatmaker Dr Dre. Check them out below.
Break Ya Neck by Busta Rhymes
This classic song was released on November 13, 2001. Break Ya Neck was Busta Rhymes’ first single from his 2001 album, Genesis. Trevor George Smith Jr., popularly known as Busta Rhymes, got Dr. Dre and Scott Storch to produce this masterpiece of a hip-hop song. The track revealed Busta’s ability to rap incredibly fast on a song. Dr. Dre gave a Midas touch with his unique beat arrangement to make this song a hit back in the day.
California Love by 2Pac
When American rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur, popularly referred to as 2Pac, was released from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York in 1992, he flew to Los Angeles to unite with his new recording home, Death Row Records.
Dr. Dre and 2Pac crossed paths in the studio when Dre was ‘cooking’ something in the studio, which later turned out to be the California Love hit song. Tupac asked to get on the song after hearing what Dr. Dre was working on.
Dr. Dre agreed, and that is what resulted in one of the most revered and celebrated rap songs of all time. California Love features Dr. Dre himself as a rapper and producer, as well as Roger Troutman.
New Day by Alicia Keys
American R&B singer Alicia Keys released her New Day song in 2012 from her fifth album, Girl on Fire. The New Day song was produced by Dr. Dre and Swizz Beatz. The track showcases a musical departure from the previous singles by the singer, with a more upbeat sound led by drums and percussion as opposed to her classical R&B sound. Music reviewers praised it and criticized the decision to downplay Alicia Keys’ “powerhouse voice” in favor of percussion. They also praised the new musical approach.
Hello by Ice Cube
O’Shea Jackson Sr., also known as Ice Cube, released the Hello track in 2000. The song is a critique of the current status of the world, specifically on gang culture and violence. The song’s lyrics reflect the anger that people who helped pioneer the gangster rap trend, including Ice Cube, aren’t receiving enough credit for. Dr. Dre and Mel-Man produced the song, it also features Dr. Dre and MC Ren.
Dope by T.I.
This hip-pop song by Clifford Joseph Harris Jr, popularly known as T.I., is the first official single for his tenth studio album. The Dope song was released in 2016. It talks about what it feels like to be in love, and it compares it to being addicted to drugs. Dr. Dre produced the song and features Marsha Ambrosius.