Years after the groundbreaking deal with Apple, Dr. Dre finally made it to the Forbes Billionaires list. Now, the publication takes a closer look at the path Andre Young took from poverty to the helm of a billion-dollar empire.
Humble beginnings
First of all, Dr. Dre wants us to know that his progress has never been motivated by money. It is just him striving for perfection in whatever he does. “I don’t chase money – I try to make the money chase me”, Forbes put his words in the headline. “I’ve always been able to bet on myself, and whatever I do and wherever I go, I know I have my talent with me”. Also, Dre has never shied away from hard work. “I had no problem going to cut grass just to buy shoes when I was younger”, he says of his childhood. “I would do what I had to do just to get what I wanted”.
Perfectionism
Forbes reached out to Eminem, one of Dre’s closest collaborators, for the comment. The only way he agreed to communicate with the publication was via email. Still, his insight was painfully revealing and explained a lot about the infrequency with which Dr Dre releases new music. “Time doesn’t exist with Dr. Dre”, Eminem wrote. “He isn’t focused on dates or deadlines or when something should come out – he’s only thinking about whether something is ready. For instance, on [Dre’s] 2001 album, I thought it was ready before he got ‘Still D.R.E.’ [recorded]. And then I realised if Dre thought he was done, the world would have never heard it”.
The Good Doctor has his own explanation: “Perfectionist is sometimes just a word I use to buy time”, he muses. “If I have a release date and the song isn’t right, am I supposed to turn it in? No, I’ll take the proper time until it’s right”.
Source of inspiration
There is also input from Jimmy Iovine, who says one of the most difficult things is finding something that would inspire Dr Dre. Apparently, Eminem’s demo tape was exactly one of those finds that changed the lives of Marshall, Dre, and millions of people who later heard Slim Shady rap. Marshall is still grateful. “Dre took a chance on me at a time when no one else would”, Eminem explained in his email. “He gave me the credibility for people to listen long enough to take me seriously”.
Work in progress
The article goes through Dr Dre’s ventures that built his fortune to the billion: the dynamic growth of Beats by Dre, the $3 billion deal with Apple, selling his recording and publishing catalogue after divorce, and now the Gin&Juice cocktail line with Snoop Dogg.
However, Dre’s everyday life is not about business meetings. He starts his day with a mile-long swim in his own underground pool (it’s 88 lengths of the 60-foot lane), and then he decides whether to make music in his own studio or lift weights in a full-size gym. His LA house, overlooking the Pacific, is his most inspiring project now. “I have no reason to leave”, Forbes quotes Dr. Dre. “Right now, I’m really enjoying my solitude. I’m just trying to simplify my life, and the only thing I want to do is maintain my way of living here at my house. I want my house to run exactly the way it’s running now, because that’s what makes me happy”.
You can read the full article on the Forbes website.