Before he became Dr. Dre, Andre Young’s involvement in Compton’s music scene connected him with Ice Cube, MC Ren, DJ Yella, and Eazy-E, forming what would eventually become N.W.A. Meanwhile, young Jimmy Iovine dropped out of college and hustled his way into gigs with John Lennon, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen on his way to becoming a sought-after engineer and emerging producer.
Dr. Dre’s formation of hip hop supergroup N.W.A. brings forth the seminal hip-hop record Straight Outta Compton. Though Dre’s creative direction is integral to the group’s success, his relationship with the original N.W.A. contributors, especially Eazy-E, deteriorated due to artistic and financial conflicts. Jimmy Iovine’s work on highly successful albums from Tom Petty, U2 and Stevie Nicks reveals his knack for production and collaboration. But his massive workload and tumultuous personal life lead him to reevaluate his future in the music industry.
After leaving Eazy-E and Ruthless Records, Dr. Dre’s independence results in his debut solo album, The Chronic and the start of his noteworthy collaborations with Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur. But Dre’s artistic success came with numerous challenges, including growing cultural and political concerns about the explicit content in his music. Jimmy Iovine’s transition from music producer to music executive gives him an opportunity to utilize his eye for talent and business savvy, culminating in his creation of Interscope Records and signing Dre. However, Jimmy’s partnership with Dre and Interscope’s provocative roster of musicians means absorbing their problems with the law.
After cutting ties with Death Row Records and Suge Knight, Dr. Dre starts Aftermath Records, (an imprint under Interscope) and discovers Eminem, producing him to international success. Though Jimmy Iovine and Dre continue to produce a top-tier roster of talent, structural changes in the music industry force them to innovate their business model, leading to the creation of Beats Electronics and their flagship product, Beats By Dr. Dre.
