Dr. Dre has been given a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
The legendary hip-hop producer and rapper officially received the 2,775th star on the boulevard yesterday, 19th March. The recognition sees him follow in the footsteps of other esteemed artists like Ice Cube, 2Pac and Snoop Dogg who have previously been honoured with the revered status. Back in 2021, Missy Elliot was also awarded a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star.
Upon receiving the award, the West Coast artist said: “Growing up in Compton, I never imagined that I would one day be represented here among some of my childhood heroes.”
Addressing a crowd of fans on a podium, he continued, "I’ve been fortunate enough to make a living doing exactly what I love to do. How about that? Isn’t that the dream? Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of finding and nurturing new talent as well as pushing the boundaries in hip-hop both in content and substance."
“But I’m most proud of elevating the sound and clarity of how we experience hip-hop. Getting that thing right is one of my greatest achievements. I love that this honour is unique to Los Angeles and brings fans from all over the world to connect with their favourite artists. I’ll be here forever.”
It’s difficult to sum up Dr. Dre’s illustrious career, and the impact he has had on the genre of hip-hop, in few words. As a co-founder of the influential rap group, N.W.A., Dre went on to release his debut album, 'The Chronic' in 1992, which peaked at No.3 on the Billboard 200.
After departing from N.W.A., Dre continued to produce hits for Death Row Records, collaborating with iconic rappers such as Snoop Dogg and 2Pac. He later founded Aftermath Entertainment in 1996, with support from Interscope co-founder Jimmy Iovine, where he discovered talents like Eminem and 50 Cent. His string of No.1 hits includes tracks like 50 Cent's 'In Da Club', Mary J. Blige's 'Family Affair', and Eminem's 'Crack A Bottle'.
Last April, Dr. Dre dropped a 30th-anniversary vinyl reissue of his trailblazing G-funk album, ‘The Chronic’. In the same year, the producer sold the master recordings of the LP to Universal Music Group and Shamrock Capital, in a deal reportedly worth upwards of $200 million.
Watch Dr. Dre’s speech below.