Dr. Dre

Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), better known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and was previously co-owner of Death Row Records. He has produced albums for and overseen the careers of many rappers, including 2Pac, The D.O.C., Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Xzibit, Knoc-turn'al, 50 Cent, The Game, and Kendrick Lamar. He is credited as a key figure in the crafting and popularization of West Coast G-funk, a rap style characterized as synthesizer-based with slow, heavy beats. As of 2018, he is the third richest figure in hip hop, with a net worth of $770 million.

Dre began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru. He found fame with the influential gangsta rap group N.W.A with Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, which popularized explicit lyrics in rap to detail the violence of street life. His 1992 solo debut The Chronic, released under Death Row Records, made him one of the best-selling American performing artists of 1993, and earned him a Grammy Award for the single "Let Me Ride". That year, he produced Death Row labelmate Snoop Dogg's quadruple platinum debut Doggystyle, and mentored producers such as his step-brother Warren G (leading to the multi-platinum debut Regulate...G Funk Era in 1994) and Snoop Dogg's cousin Daz Dillinger(leading to the double-platinum debut Dogg Food by Tha Dogg Pound in 1995).

In 1996, Dr. Dre left Death Row Records to establish his own label, Aftermath Entertainment. He produced a compilation album, Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath, in 1996, and released a solo album, 2001, in 1999. During the 2000s, Dr. Dre focused on producing other artists, occasionally contributing vocals. Dr. Dre signed Eminem in 1998 and 50 Cent in 2002, and co-produced their albums. He has won six Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year. Dr. Dre has had acting roles in movies such as Set It Off, The Wash and Training Day. Rolling Stone ranked Dre 56 on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".