Hip-hop mogul Dr Dre has been honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – with Eminem, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg among the stars celebrating him.
Dr Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, was a key figure in the early 1990s West Coast hip-hop scene, rising to fame in the late 1980s as part of seminal gangster rap group NWA.
His debut solo album, 1992’s The Chronic, was a huge success and he has since become one of the most renowned producers in hip-hop.
On Tuesday, the rapper and producer was honoured in the category of recording, and his star placed next to that of long-time friend and collaborator Snoop Dogg, who performed a rap during the Los Angeles ceremony.
“I love the idea of being immortalised on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it is an incredible tribute to my artistry, growing up in Compton I never imagined that I would one day be represented here along some of my childhood heroes,” Dr Dre said.
“Focus on your passion and the rest will follow and that is exactly what it is for me.
“Pouring my whole soul and self into my passion for hip hop led me on a path to an incredible career, and I’m fortunate enough to make a living doing exactly what I love to do.
“Isn’t that the dream.”
Dr Dre played a major part in the careers of Eminem and 50 Cent, and he brought them on stage for the 2022 Super Bowl halftime performance, alongside Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige, which later won an Emmy award.
“Over the course of my career I’ve had the privilege of finding and nurturing new talent as well as pushing the boundaries of hip hop, both in contents and substance,” Dr Dre said.
“But I’m most proud of elevating the clarity and sound of how we experience hip hop, getting that thing right is one of my greatest achievements.”
Dr Dre said he was “incredibly grateful” for the support from fans over the years.
“Most of us have grown up together and at nearly 60 years old, you’re still rocking with me and I appreciate that,” he said.
“Which is really good because I’m nowhere near done, you better believe there’s a lot more coming.”
He also joked that Ice Cube, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg got their stars before him “for some reason”, adding “but I’m not bitter, I’m here now”.
As the US rappers took photographs with Dr Dre, a hooded Eminem could be seen putting his middle finger up to a drone capturing footage of the event.
Dr Dre also launched the Beats headphone range, alongside US entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine, which later made him one of the wealthiest figures in the music industry.
“Dr Dre is the greatest producer ever,” Iovine said.
“I’ve heard some of the music he’s making right now, he is coming for other genres. He is the greatest partner, friend, ally, you could possibly have.
“For all you people out there who are aspiring to get into entertainment, when you go to bed tonight, pray you meet a Dr Dre.”
The Walk of Fame ceremony comes after Dr Dre disclosed on James Corden’s This Life Of Mine show that he had three strokes while in hospital for a brain aneurysm in 2021.
