Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine in 2017; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagicJimmy Iovine has the highest praise for Dr. Dre, calling him “the greatest pioneer in producing records of the last 40 years.”
The former Interscope Records executive was among those honoring Dre Wednesday night at the Producers & Engineers Wing Grammy Week celebration in Los Angeles.
The duo began working together in 1992, when Interscope partnered with Death Row Records.
“This guy’s going to define Interscope,” Iovine recalled after he heard Dre’s landmark album, The Chronic, according to Rolling Stone. “I think Dr. Dre is the greatest pioneer in producing records of the last 40 years.”
Dre, born Andre Young, has won six Grammys, including Producer of the Year in 2002. He founded Beats Electronics in 2008 with Iovine, and the University of Southern California named a school after them, the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy.
The former N.W.A. member co-founded Death Row Records and was the leader of the West Coast hip-hop movement, working with Snoop Dogg, Tupac, and many others. In 1996, Dre founded Aftermath Entertainment and launched the careers of Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, The Game and 50 Cent.
Dre told the crowd his career has been like a dream come true.
“What if you could have everything you want and never have to deal with or do anything you don’t like,” he said. “That’s my life.”
“Producing and engineering has been fascinating to me since I was a kid,” Dre added. “We have the ability and the power to make people happy, excited, emotional, make people cry, give you goosebumps and create a lifetime of memories, and that’s super powerful.”
The tribute ended with a performance by Dre’s protégé, Anderson .Paak. He’s nominated for two Grammys: Best R&B album for Ventura, and “Come Home,” featuring Andre 3000, which is up for Best R&B Performance.
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