In addition to being an iconic producer, Dr. Dre has proven to be quite the talent evaluator. Whether just as a collaborator or for the purposes of signing them to Aftermath, he typically has the instincts to find a star. Once he finds them, he cranks out some all-time classics to set them on the right course.
As a testament to Dr. Dre’s rock-solid track record, Noisey has selected five artists who got their big breaks through association with the artist-turned-exec. Moreover, we take a look at some of the immaculate records he made alongside them.
Five artists That Received a Massive Boost From Working with Dr. Dre
Snoop Dogg
Imagine your grand introduction to the world being on “Nuthin’ But a G Thang”. Snoop Dogg seemingly appeared out of nowhere when he burst onto the scene. But you hear him on The Chronic with Dr. Dre, and you can immediately tell what the N.W.A. legend saw in Snoop. Ever since, he’s remained tight with Dre.
“Dr. Dre has, like, always been a big brother, a mentor. But he taught me professionalism as far as how to separate from the hood and how to, you know, get on a business venture, and just look forward and not really pay attention to what’s behind you,” Snoop Dogg said in a 2024 interview.
Anderson .Paak
Remember when Dr. Dre made people wait an eternity for Detox? Then, eventually, he just canned the whole album and concept and decided to make something else? For any millennial rap fan or older, they can vividly remember being dragged along for ages in anticipation of Detox.
For Anderson .Paak, that cancellation might’ve been beneficial. We’ll never know if he had any involvement before Dre pulled the plug on the album in 2015. Regardless, his involvement in Compton that same year took Anderson .Paak from a bubbling LA singer to a legitimate star in R&B. Nowadays, he makes collab albums with Bruno Mars and work with his girlfriend Mariah Carey. Dre certainly helped in a big way.
Eminem
Dr. Dre took Eminem and his edgy, subversive raps and turned him into a superstar. He clearly thought the world of his talent when he compared him (as well as himself) to John Lennon. “Any time you’ve got genius, and you’re presenting it to the masses, um, you’re going to be looked at in a certain way, especially because most people are afraid of change, you know what I mean? People that are so different and have the ears of so many people and they’re almost like followers to you, it’s dangerous to a lot of people. And I believe John Lennon was one of those people. I believe I’m one of those people. I believe Eminem is one of those people,” Dr. Dre explained in a 2000 interview.
Because of Dr. Dre, white rappers everywhere are still trying to impersonate Eminem. But few rappers could skillfully approach what he was capable of on records like “Forgot About Dre” and “Guilty Conscience”.
50 Cent
There was almost a chance that 50 Cent never got the opportunity to link with Eminem and Dr. Dre. As Dre was looking to expand his Aftermath empire alongside Jimmy Iovine and Interscope, 50 was being courted by Universal. They dangled $1.3 million in front of the bubbling rapper at the time. However, after meeting Eminem, who eventually introduced him to Dre, he signed to Shady Records through Aftermath in 2002. It’s something Tony Yayo still can’t quite wrap his mind around.
“Yayo did not understand why I wouldn’t do a deal with Universal. They offered me 1.3 mill, and we was broke,” 50 recalled in January 2026. “I said, ‘No, y’all can keep that. Now you see why I love Eminem so much. If he ran your kid over with a car, I’d say ‘No, he didn’t! LOL.’”
It turned out to be an especially impactful signing for all parties involved. Obviously, 50 Cent became a massive star, but only through Dr. Dre producing some of his biggest songs to date, including “In Da Club”.
Kendrick Lamar
Dre’s big endorsement of Kendrick Lamar still has ripple effects on mainstream hip-hop today. You can tell that Dre thought he was the next West Coast superstar and lauded his work accordingly. Teasing him for Detox in a Beats commercial and hopping on his classic album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, with “The Recipe”, it gave Kendrick instant credibility.
However, Kendrick felt like he almost blown it once upon a time. During a conversation with Howard Stern back in 2017, Lamar recalled hanging up on someone claiming to represent Dr. Dre. “Me and my boy Ali, we was eating at Chili’s,” Kendrick said at the time. “I’ll never forget it. We was eating at Chili’s, and we got a call like, ‘Yo, Dr. Dre likes your music.” And we were like, ‘Yo, who the f*** is this on the phone?’”
Thankfully, some serious persistence from Dre and his team assured that Kendrick and TDE wouldn’t slip through his fingers.
The post 5 Artists Who Have Dr. Dre to Thank for Their Career appeared first on VICE.
