But is this biography written in crayon? How many variations on the phrase "fuck it" can one biographer drop in three paragraphs? Dre's had a hell of a career - it's deathly hard to stay on top in the game, either as a producer or a rapper, and the Doc's been doing it, as you said, for nearly three decades.

I hope the book's worth a damn more than these responses, cos I could get better insights into Dre by spinning "Let Me Ride". What respected rapper hasn't fought through major adversity? His legacy is going to be as the guy who released 50 Cent's records? Really? So it won't be his production work, the laid-back crispness that put So. Cal on the map? It won't be forcibly swapping hip-hop's harmless fun for hood-paranoia, so that 20 years after NWA, even the pop rappers are desperate to show some grit, some street cred? Isn't Dre's biggest legacy that Lil Wayne smiling is a huge deal? Get someone from Ego Trip on this shit, rest its soul.

Is right on. Perhaps the book is better, but in this interview, Ro gives no sense that he has had any deeper insights into Dre's career than a casual hip-hop fan. The Brad's questions are some of the right ones when addressing Dre's career. The "he had a tough time" and "made it by being his own man" stuff is spectacularly trite, if such a thing is possible.

It is easy to make a career of marketing violence and misogyny to children. Black rappers say things that would never be allowed from a white man, and get rich doing it. This is what has become of the civil rights movement.

about how Dre buys his beats from a white guy in Seattle? I thought that was the secret of his success.(its not really a secret if even a 38 year old white woman knows that)

Has existed long before ANY Black rapper uttered his/her first rhyme. Also it has nothing to do with the Civil Rights movement.

Bad stuff existed before rap started promoting it, therefore promoting it is just fine...

BS.

Bad logic and even a worse understanding of rap. It's obvious you don't know much about rap or Dr. Dre and are just trolling here looking to take political cheapshots. I suppose that's okay but it's still pretty silly.

but the logic isn't bad. Even Oprah is on the bandwagon with this.

Promoting violence and misogyny heavily tarnishes the art of RAP.

LOL. So, why don't you tell us what you know about Rap and, the subject of the article, Dr. Dre, rather than playing troll games by making generic anti-rap comments? After all, the article is about a bio of Dr. Dre.

Hip hop is so over. The genre hasn't produced a significant new talent in years. It's dying....finally.

Kayne West? Lupe Fiasco? TI? and several others you've probably never heard of.

Please indeed. Rap has been dying...finally for 30+ years. Of course it will cool down but I have a feeling it'll keep chugging along.

Anonymous can we get some details on this? I never heard this before.

I read DRE and thought it was one of the best things written about this business. Booklist has already said the same, calling it one of the ten best ever written about the music. Ro takes a close look at DRe and where rap is and how it got here. But I was surprised he cursed. usually he doesn't. either way, about respected rappers fighting through major adversity: The book shows many got their deals due because of close friendships in the business, or handouts, not really earning them. And ro also goes after the crooked magazines, too. and credits Dre for everything he's done. another classic.

that I don't know personally that he buys beats, I should have written "heard" or "read". Its gossip that has floated around the internet and I heard at a Seattle show by a rapper openly produced by the ghost beatwriter.

It's accepted that the prolific superstar rap/R&B producers buy from ghost producers to fill out the albums by their ridiculously long roster of clients. Think about how much that famous pair from Virginia Beach could actually do with their star clients, own band(that tours), solo albums, proteges, and guest spots (not to mention the clothing line, other product endorsements, gossip page socializing). Even if one is a full time studio rat. The message boards on Okayplayer.com(The Roots) site is often worked up over this "scandal". Since they are fans of a band that plays instruments and alternative hiphop, they have a stake in proving that all commercial rap is phony.

(Hint: It is. But most music fans are beyond authenticity anyways, right?).

First Anonymous poster (Anonymous because I don't want my "serious" letters tainted by revealing my vast storage of music/celebrity gossip.)