André Romell Young (born February 18 , 1965 in Compton, California ), better known by his stage name Dr. Dre , is an American record producer,rapper , actor and record executive He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co- owner and artist of Death Row Records .
He was a founding member of the influential rap group N.W.A. , which popularized the use of explicit lyrics in rap detailing the violence of street life (also known as Gangsta rap ). He has also produced albums for and overseen the careers of some of the biggest stars in (mostly) rap music, including 2Pac , Snoop Dogg , Eminem , 50 Cent , G-Unit , The Game , Nate Dogg ,Busta Rhymes,and Eve . With tens of millions of records he has produced sold worldwide (including over 65 million with Eminem alone ), he is widely regarded as one of the most popular and powerful figures in rap music of all time.
Musically, as a producer he is credited as a key figure in the creation and popularization of West Coast G-funk , a style of rap music characterized as synthesizer-based with slow, heavy beats. G-funk dominated the U.S. rap charts in the period of 1992-1996 , and is still considered one of the major living styles of hip hop today.
His stage name "Dr. Dre" was derived from his nickname and that of his favorite basketball athlete, Julius "Dr. J" Erving