Dr. Dre: The Biography

by Ronin Ro

Born on February 18, 1965 to a sixteen-year-old single mom, Andre Young, AKA Dr. Dre, co-founded the notorious rap group N.W.A. The group was one of the most successful hip-hop groups of the late 1980s and, most importantly, started what the media quickly dubbed Gangsta Rap. His departure from N.W.A. was a story right out of a pulp fiction novel. His new mentor, Suge Knight, allegedly used guns, baseball bats and a kidnap threat to get Dr. Dre released from his contract. Dre and Knight went on to build Death Row Records and turned it into a multi-billlion dollar company. Yet despite its unprecedented success with stars such as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tupac Shakur, the company quickly unraveled in a firestorm of rivalries, greed, violence, and scrutiny by both the government and the media. Not one to fade into the background, Dr. Dre's next move was to start his own record company, Aftermath Entertainment. As CEO, he discovered and created new stars like Eminem, 50 Cent, The Game, and Eve. In this essential addition to any music section, award-winning author Ronin Ro details the rise, fall, and resurrection of one of the biggest names in rap music.

Genres: Music, Biography

320 pages, Hardcover

First published February 24, 2007

Reviews

[Amar Pai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written in a weird tense... I don't know what it's called, it's sort of present tense. e.g. "Days go by. Dr. Dre's phone rings off the hook. Dr. Dre doesn't answer the phone." More irritatingly, it seems as if Dr. Dre was reading over Ronin Ro's shoulder as Ro typed out this biography, demanding revisions/deletions on every other paragraph... the whole thing is toothless and 'authorized' in the worst way.

I did read the whole thing, but mainly just in the interest of going 'oh yeah, remember N.W.A? Oh yeah, remember when he launched Eminem's career? Oh yeah, 50 Cent!' etc. Basically this book is the literary equivalent of a hastily produced 30-minute 'Back to the Music' special on VH1. (disclaimer: no idea if 'Back to the Music' is a real thing)

[Aleem! · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book but I think it kinda went off topic from his life and was clickbait or read bait, idk. Why it mention music and gang stuff. Like his name says that he’s a doctor but there is no mention of anything related to him working as a doctor or him even going to university to become a doctor and be able to use the title “Dr.”, you get what I mean. I’m so perplexed can someone please explain why he omits such an important part of his life and identity he’s literally known as “Dr.” Dre not “Rapper” Dre.😔😡😡🤬🤬😦😦😔😕🔫🔫🔫🗣💯💯‼️⁉️⁉️

[Lady-R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una biografía de Dr. Dre demsiado rosa para mi gusto.
Me gustan las biografías (o pelis o lo que sea) de músicos que se centran en la música. Está bien entrar en el salseo pero no que ello ocupe la mayor parte del libro.

[Alex M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge,”-Straight outta Compton. The story of the come up of Andre Young, known as “Dr.Dre”, was a wild ride for himself. Beginning with his family life then moving on to the start of his DJ career, this biography of Andre Young was written pretty poorly. We are introduced into his normal life until he becomes obsessed over his disc jockey mixing set that transforms him from a regular kid into almost a hermit for a period of time. While he is growing up during this time, crime was rampant around him and he felt as if those pressures would be pushed upon him. Unfortunately he runs into the law a few times causing him to be arrested. Being behind bars gave lessons and insights to Dre and he wouldn’t be the same today if he hadn’t spent his time in prison. The first time he had seen his father was after 20 years of being raised by his single mother.

Other goodreads readers have said that this book is not written up to par with Ronin Ro’s other books and I would have to agree that it is not written as well as it could have. At some points in the book, it seemed very confusing to follow the correlation of what Dre was thinking and the response with his actions. I can also agree with the doubt people have on how rappers nowadays boast about their guns, drugs and sex, but after reading about Dre’s come up I can have respect for his career after hearing the stories that he went through. The strengths in the book are shown through the plot development of Andre Young’s life and the start of Dr.Dre’s career. It also does an excellent job of developing the characters that are introduced into the rap scene such as young Marshall Mathers who develops into the multi-million dollar success who takes the name Eminem.

The type of reader who would like this book would be someone who is interested in getting to know the grind that people had to work for to achieve their fame. Another group of people who would like this would be people who were/are influenced by old rap culture or are fans of Dr.Dre’s music. It provides a good insight on many of today’s older generations of rappers such as Ice Cube, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and 50 cent.

[Dominik Limanowka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography really gave me a deeper insight on Dre and how his life influenced his music. I was surprised to learn all the hardships he's been through. When I hear music today and I hear rappers talking about guns and violence I usually don't believe it and feel like they're making that up just to act hard. But since I have read this book I know that there is one person out there named Dre that doesn't lie about the violence, drugs, and guns. He faced a difficult life but he made it with the motivation he always had in his mind.
I think a reader that has some knowledge of Dre's music or any knowledge at all of rap would enjoy this book. Dre started so many things in the rap movement so it really makes sense to read this and see where it all started and how some artists are where they are today. I have a lot of goodreads updates that show what my favorite parts, moments, or quotes are in this book. All of these updates show the highlights of the book and when Dre is at an all time high or low.
I think a huge strength from this book is character development. Throughout the book the author describes the situation Dre is in and how he deals with everything. It is an autobiography so we expect that as readers as well but we also get to see how he changes easily because of the way the author wrote this book. The amount of information given in this book is unbelievable as each page has more and more music that you probably have not ever heard about. Because there is so much information about music there is also a weakness that comes with it. This weakness is that all the information given bores the reader and it becomes less exciting to read just music titles and when the song or piece of music was released. The book would be more interesting if there was more plot involved.
I would agree with a lot of readers that wrote reviews on this book saying that the book has way too much detail with all the pieces of music Dre wrote and was inspired by. There is just too many facts to remember and that can become annoying. I also agree with some people who said the book was slow at the start but it sped up quick and before no time I was done with the book. All in all I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.

[Jay Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating - 8

At times it felt too biased towards Dr Dre but ultimately a satisfying read into the rap mogul; Appreciate the effort that Ro put into the interviews & how the feuds are chronicled; New respect for Eminem

Have a lesser respect for Dre himself w the violence against women, twelve or so kids & bastardization of hip hop (Puffy West); Skimming of the violence in his mom's house is apparent & questionable

[lindsey driskell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dre

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Dre: The Biography was exactly what it was supposed to be, a chronological look at the life of the best beat producer in rap history. I consider myself well educated on the musical career of Dr. Dre, but this book had stuff in it about Dre that I didn't even know about.

This book didn't heat up for me until the NWA period of Dre's life was discussed which happened around page 38. I wasn't really concerned with the period of Dre's life before he got in that group. Pretty much for me, the NWA period, Dre's solo career, his working with 50 Cent, and the different albums he worked on over the years were the main reasons why I enjoyed this book.

This book read like an objective and at times congratulatory analysis of Dr. Dre's professional and personal lives. Plenty of writers and critics praised Dre in the 1990s and 2000s for his solo work and work with other artists, but with this book it was refreshing to read about Dre's hits and misses as an artist. Even gifted entertainers like Dre get tackled for a loss every now and then in their career endeavors.

Pros of the book: The author did a good job analyzing Dre's humble beginnings and the subsequent ups and downs of Dre's musical career from the late 1980s up until the late 2000s. I also was impressed by the author's critical analysis of some of the albums that Dre worked on as a beat producer including The Wash Soundtrack (2001), The Game's Documentary album (2005), and others.

Cons for the album: I took offense to the author's calling DJ Quik a second-tier artist (pg. 116). That is complete and utter nonsense. Quik was as good or a better rapper than many of the rappers who were out during his prime from 1990 to 1998. Plus, he was a better beat producer than a lot of the beat producers of rap music during the before mentioned prime period of his career. In fact, he had an Unsung episode on TV One years back partly because of how underrated and underestimated he was back in the 1990s.

In closing, Dr. Dre: The Biography was a solid critical analysis of one of the best musicians who ever lived. The book didn't sugarcoat that Dre had a serious problem with women in the 1980s and 1990s, that he made some mistakes with artists that he took under his wing, and more. In essence, the book did its job in educating the public on who Dre was and what he was trying to accomplish with his life in and outside of the studio.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was a little slow at first but then it took off. Other readers on Goodreads said they like the way the book discusses Andre’s life and the struggles he had to overcome. I'd have to agree because the book really demonstrates where he started to where he is now. It shows the struggles of everyday life and how his passion led him away from wrong doings. It goes into a lot of detail for certain things in his life but not all. When he helped start Eminem’s career they would go back and forth on the same beat and you could almost feel the way of their creative process. Strengths for this book would be the dreams and passions Dre shows throughout, how his dreams became his reality. The weakness of this book would have to be that if you don't like rap or gangster lifestyle you'd probably hate the book. The type of reader that would enjoy this book would be someone who loves rap music and wants to learn about the best rappers who were in the game. The character development of Dre throughout the book was almost always changing. From being a young boy in the streets of Compton not knowing what he wants to do with his life to performing on stage in Detroit yelling “fuck da police” causing a riot. He gains so much confidence as he performs and creates new beats, he grows into a man and starts to take more control of his own life. Some fascinating information is that Suge Knight was literally always trying to cause problems with him, he started off many rappers careers like Eminem or 50 cent, and Beats Electronics which Dre made was sold to Apple two years ago. Overall, this book was a great choice for me because I enjoy listening to his music and now I know what his music was trying to accomplish.

[Henry Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether its Nuthin' But a G Thang, Still Dre, or I Need a Doctor, Dr. Dre is always entertaining. If you want to learn about the life about one of the best rappers then this is the book for you.

The book, Dr. Dre, by Ronin Ro discusses the life of Andre Young or as we know him “Dr. Dre”. This book truly shows how hard life really can be. This book also demonstrates what a dream passion, or favorite activity can really become in the real world, a career. The book overall was great in my opinion because of the use of detail and real life experiences. This book describes Dre’s life in great detail; it also talks about his family and his life growing up. I chose to do this collage because I thought I could represent what I thought was important in and about this wonderful book.

The first picture I picked was a picture of young Andre Young. In this picture he is holding one of his first DJ systems. I thought this picture was very important because the book talks a lot about how he liked to DJ and how he loved music. The second picture I have on my collage is a picture of the author of the book, Ronin Ro. Another picture that is important is the picture of the book it self with Dre on the cover behind the title. The picture of Dre with his friend Cordozar Calvin Broadus or as rap fans know him “Snoop Dogg” represents Dre with one of his best friends and rap partner. My last picture is of Dr.Dre in a studio getting ready to record, and in Dr.Dre’s and many others words I’m out.

[Matt Harambe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr Dre today is one of the most well known, most influential producers there is. The book isn't quite 300 hundred pages but it was worth the read. It's a confusing read due to all the rappers and MCs introduced throughout the biography. If you are interested in 90's rap and learning about one of the few masterminds that have come through the rap game, I would definitely recommend this biography. Dr. Dre was a young visionary, he changed the rap game, during the time of Michael Jackson, rappers were trying to be flashy and look respectable. Dr. Dre thought differently from groups such as RUN DMC and Ice T, bringing out the gangsta rap. But the crew that Dr originally worked for "The World Class Wreckin Cru" was not about the "gangsta rap". So Dre and his friend Eric "Eazy E" Lynn decided to make a run of their own by creating N.W.A. Went on to be one of the most influential both good and bad rap groups ever. Songs such as "F*c* the Police" an instant classic, caused riots and protests across the U.S. Dr. Dre after N.W.A went on to do his own thing finding young artists such as Eminem, the Game and 50 Cent and own/sell his headphone company for 2 billion dollars.

[Skye Conton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Dre: The Biography was an amazing book to read. I overall enjoyed how organized and detailed this book was, and it exposed me to new facts I never knew about one of my favorite Hip/Hop artists. The exposition includes his family, lifestyle, the beginning of his DJ career, and the famous N.W.A group he formed. It flows nicely to the termination of N.W.A to the start of Death Row Records and continuing into the death of Tupac (who was not Dre's friend). Next, he collaborated with young white rapper from Detroit: Marshall Mathers also known as Eminem. This book did have some turns in it due to the crime involved in his neighborhood, Compton. I rated it four stars because the ending left me wondering what happens next in his life. I recommend this book for teenagers/adults if interested in Hip/Hop or just to learn about the life of Dre.

[Devin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't normally review books, but I had to let future readers know that this is a terribly written book. It isn't cohesive and the use of quotes is strange and many times unneeded. I gave this book two stars because of my admiration for Dr. Dre and the perils that he has faced in life and the achievements he has made. However, the way these perils and achievements were spread out to the audience through the book was slow and forced. So, if you really need to know more about Dr. Dre feel free to read this book, but be ready to put it down several times cause it just doesn't flow.

[Steven Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some parts that were somewhat insightful and gave some decent background but it never got in depth and seemed extremely cursory a lot of times. I have read some of Ro's other work but this one seemed hastily done. There are moments when lyrics are recounted in a paragraph but they don't add to Dre's story, instead merely existing to take up space. I have seen better depictions of the Dr. Dre experience through articles in magazines. What was an opportunity to get in depth was left behind.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a waste of time, but did underscore for me what I already suspected about the world of hip-hop: petty, avacarious, shallow, materialistic, and violent. Not unlike many other Los Angeles subcultures.

[Ronny Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it really shows that he has overcome a lot of things during his lifetime and how he did it. Detailed about each event that happened during Dr. Dre's lifetime. I do wish there was more of Dr. Dre's input in it but had many other of his friends in it. Overall very good book.

[Mark Gonzalez]

This book made me look at life differently. We all need to realize that success is obtainable no matter what circumstances you come from. You just need to find something that you enjoy doing and never give up on it.

[Jordan]

I enjoy reading most biographies...but this was terribly written.

[Edward]

cool shitola

[Raul · Rating 3 out of 5]

not bad to find details about a very private artist past.

[JennyGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A peek into Dr. Dre's life and how he achieved his status! Wasn't the best biography but I found some interesting things about him I did not know!

[Jason]

I like Dr. Dre and all, but this book reads like a 12-year-old doing a novella-length book report on the real biography that has yet to be published. Whoever edited this should be publicly shamed.

[Waunya Lytle · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a book of pain and music

[Ethan Austria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Dre: The Biography was very interesting read. The book is about Andre Young, better known as Dr. Dre. It tells us about his life, growing up in compton, his family, how he started producing and rapping, and life in the rap game. Andre Became successful by avoiding gangs and by taking risks, he dropped out of highschool and moved to L.A., and met a lot of rappers and musicians famous today. Although this book was interesting it was slow at times and sometimes hard to grasp.