October 4th 2023.
Famed music producer Dr. Dre almost quit music while making his classic album The Chronic, according to an excerpt from the book The Streets Win: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Greatness, released on Oct. 3. The book, coauthored by legendary hip-hop recording artist LL Cool J, contains stories from esteemed hip-hop artists who have made their mark over the past 50 years of hip-hop.
One such anecdote is the story of Andre Young, aka Dr. Dre, almost giving up his career in the early 1990s due to issues he was facing at that time. Dre had already exited the famed group N.W.A after Ice Cube left in a dispute over money. Cube had gone on to have a successful solo project, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, and Dre was prepping to become a solo success as well.
“In 1992, I had just bought a new house. Eazy-E and Jerry Heller were trying to starve me out and refused to pay the money they owed me. I was driving on the 101 freeway headed to the studio and, on that drive, I was thinking about quitting. I had been working on music for ‘The Chronic’ for at least a month, and everything I was doing either sounded like what I had already done or not as good as what I had already done. I started second-guessing my ability and whether music was what I was supposed to be doing,” Dre recalled, according to The Streets Win.
Despite the moment of doubt, Dre pushed his doubts aside and persevered. He explained that after that brief moment of wanting to give up, his creative juices started flowing and soon he was creating some of the best music he had ever made.
“A week later, I started making the best music I had ever made. That moment was crucial to helping me solidify my determination to be a success. It also confirmed that I possessed everything I needed, and all I had to do was stay patient and persistent. If I had listened to that little thing that told me to quit, my entire life would be different now,” Dre recalled.
Dr. Dre's determination has led him to become one of the most successful music producers and hip-hop entrepreneurs of our time. We are lucky to have him still making his mark in the industry and inspiring others to keep pushing forward.
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