Meebo

Monday 28 November 2011

Slim The Mobster explains his recent Detox comments

The Dre protege opens up about a few topics including how Dre's hiatus was blown out of proportion.

Slim the Mobster has previously spoken on his working relationship with Dr. Dre, offering his opinion on why Detox still hasn’t been released. During an interview with Good*Fella Media, the Dre protégé explained that his comments on taking a break from the industry were blown out of proportion and that he still might have plans to release the LP.

“I ain’t ever said ‘Fuck Detox.’ I don’t know if that’s the case. I think it got kind of taken out of hand, what he was saying. He was saying, he’s about to let us do us because of where his motivation,” he said. “I don’t think he’s saying ‘Scratch Detox, fuck Detox,’ none of those things. I think people took that as what he was saying, but again, he’s not a fucking rapper. And people forget that.

“For him, he’s a producer. [Rapping] is not what he does,” he continued. "Detox was a thought when Eminem came out, 50, Game, all these dudes was involved. All those things played out and they turned out to kind of be iffy, because Game and 50 got into it and little things like that and dudes trying to come out with headphones. All those things. It’s a weird thing. I don’t want to be in competition with my boss. You can’t outshine the nigga that gave you your shine."


Source - http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.17767/title.slim-the-mobster-speaks-on-dr-dres-detox-says-50-cent-forgot-how-to-make-street-records

Sunday 27 November 2011

Dre & Snoop to perform at 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards!

World renown hip hop artists Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg have announced that they will be performing at the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards!

Mnet released new information on November 27 revealing that the two artists will be performing at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on November 29, alongside some of Asia's hottest stars. For those unfamiliar with American hip hop, Dr. Dre is the figure behind the discovery of Eminem and is regarded as a world famous producer, while Snoop Dogg is the leader of the West Coast hip hop scene. He's also been nominated for 10 Grammy Awards as well.

This is the first ever time that such big figures from the hip hop scene will be joining on one stage in Asia, and many are hyping it up as the stage of living legends.

"We feel that we're taking one step further into truly being called the music ceremony to represent all of Asia, especially with the confirmation of such honorable artists attending from all over the world. They won't be just making an attendance, as we're also planning some special performances. Japan's top singer Koda Kumi, China's Jane Zhang Liang Ying, Lang Lang, Singapore's Richard Lee, and Fann Wong will also be coming together," said the MAMA.

Other artists currently confirmed include Super Junior, SNSD, 2NE1, miss A, YB, Dynamic Duo, Will.I.Am, apl.de.ap and others.

As always, the MAMA will be broadcast all over the world through 13 different broadcast networks. It will be held on November 29 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

source - http://www.soompi.com/news/dr-dre-and-snoop-dogg-confirmed-to-attend-Link2011-mama

Saturday 26 November 2011

Don't Give Up, Dr Dre's new material will be arriving soon!

Visit the "Coming Soon" section of HMV.com and you'll notice that topping the December pre-orders chart, as it has done on and off since it was first announced eight bleedin' years ago, is Dr Dre's mythical third album Detox. Of course, barring some kind of rupture in the space-time continuum, the much-delayed follow up to Dre's 2001 (which was actually released way back in 1999) won't now be coming out this year, a fact tacitly acknowledged on the site by the absence of any official artwork. Instead, Dre stares out from a crudely mocked-up cover with the guilty look of a feckless mechanic who promises to finish fixing your car just as soon as the parts are delivered, his sciatica's cleared up, and Mars has formed a favourable aspect with Pluto.

source- http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/nov/26/dr-dre-peter-gabriel-dont-give-up?newsfeed=true


HMV album pre order link source - http://hmv.com/hmvweb/comingSoon.do?pGroupID=1&clickID=hp040203

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Slim The Mobster says Dr Dre deserves a break, isn't too concerned with high-profile features

'He gave us Eminem and 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Game ... let the man have fun,' War Music rapper tells 'RapFix Live.'


Dr. Dre made waves last week when he said he was ready to take "a little bit of a break" from music after he finishes working with Kendrick Lamar and Slim the Mobster.

When Slim appeared on "RapFix Live" Wednesday, the Aftermath rapper said, "For the past time that I've been around, I know for a fact that [Dre] hasn't been out the studio long. Let him have a break.

"He gave us Eminem and 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Game, he gave us so many different things in his time. There are some rappers who haven't gave us nothing. So, let the man have fun now."

At the opening of the Beats by Dre pop-up store in Manhattan, New York, the hip-hop icon told Fader TV, "I've been working on music for 27 years now, and the longest I've ever been out of the studio in 27 years has been two weeks. I'm never gonna stop music — it's like air to me. I'm gonna take a little bit of a break, enjoy some time with the family."

But can we at least get Detox before he goes? "I'm hoping," said Slim, who recently released his War Music mixtape. "That's what we're shooting for, right?"

Several years in the making, there hasn't been a hip-hop album shrouded in as much mystery as Dre's third solo affair. Even Slim, who is in the Doc's camp, isn't sure which songs will make the final track list, though he has heard several, including a song with Jay-Z and another with Drake.

"It's a process, so I don't even know what songs are really on the album and what songs aren't on the album," Slim said, before noting that, ultimately, Dre isn't too concerned with high-profile features. "He's picky; he don't care about that name stuff. It's gotta be appeasing to him and what he likes."

source - http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674810/dr-dre-slim-the-mobster-war-music.jhtml

Slim the Mobster "It's not like it's not going to come out! It's definitely coming out"

During the Dubcnn interview Slim the Mobster talks about Detox.:

How tired are you of people asking about Detox?

Slim: I'm never tired of it! That album is like my little brother. I got a lot of faith and belief in it, I love it. When we get it all situated and we figure things out, it's coming. It's not like it's not going to come out! It's definitely coming out, it's just about the strategy, the plan and making him feel good about it. That's part of the reason that I stepped up from behind and just playing a low key role to me giving him some motivation by seeing me out here doing it and make him want to get back in.


source - http://www.dubcnn.com/interviews/slimthemobster2011/

Thursday 17 November 2011

Slim The Mobster Talks Drake & Jay-Z Tracks Intended For ‘Detox’

Sway was finally successful to get something out of one of his guests on MTV Rapfix live last evening regarding the mythical project Detox. Slim The Mobster was reluctant to speak on the album but he finally revealed hearing a Drake song and a Jay-Z song intended for Detox. The big question: is the album still coming or was Dre really serious about taking a break in the FADER interview?

"I Don't Know Where Dr. Dre Would Do It At Without It Being Crazy Sold Out"

With Dr. Dre recently dishing out plans to possibly go back into deejaying, SOHH reached out to past N.W.A. affiliate/producer Cavie for his take on the Doc's possible career move.

In his eyes, Cavie feels Dre going back to his roots could strengthen hip-hop.

"That's actually a good thing," Cavie told SOHH about Dre going back to deejaying. "As a producer, it keeps your chops up, it keeps your ears fresh, you can really see what people are feeling when you're out there. There's no better feeling than when you're out there. I think I heard Lil Jon say you get that instant gratification. Being on that stage, right there, doing what you really do, it's not just a beat that you made. You're out there controlling. You're controlling the club, you're feeling that energy because when you play something good, everybody goes crazy. I think Dre, with the type of ear he has, I would love to see that. I've seen a lot of celebrities -- be really good deejays. [Singer] Macy Gray is a deejay and so they get paid crazy dough and you would never think that. So Dr. Dre getting behind the deejay table would be an interesting event. I don't know where he would do it at without it being crazy sold out." (SOHH)

Cavie also denied past claims suggesting Dre went by the deejay name, "Dr. J."

"I think that would be huge for the state of California too," Cavie added. "It's already huge but to know that Dr. Dre is spinning tonight or just being able to go out and see him spin, that would be crazy. Dr. Dre has always been Dr. Dre. He's never been Dr. J. He's always been Dr. Dre. He used to deejay at a place called Eve's After Dark and there was another place in Compton called Skateland USA. These are all of the places he used to deejay at. People used to make fun of him back in the day because he wore makeup but those were during the late 1970's, early 1980's where costumes and stuff, people did that. He used to rock stuff back there. He's definitely been a deejay and doing things for years. Like I said, I would love to see Dre do that. For him even considering it is big and not as a producer but as a deejay. It's a totally different feeling." (SOHH)

source - http://www.sohh.com/2011/11/dr-dre-getting-behind-the-deejay-table-w.html

"We Were All Just In The Studio, Me, Kendrick Lamar & Dr. Dre"

With Dr. Dre announcing plans to take a music hiatus and focus on his family this week, SOHH recently reached out to the producer's protege Slim the Mobster about holding down Aftermath Records.

Speaking on his bond with fellow Aftermath rapper Kendrick Lamar, Slim said he feels now is the time to prove himself to the world.

"Yeah, I mean, it feels good. We were all just in the studio the other day, me, Kendrick and Dre and the energy was just there," Slim told SOHH when asked about holding up the Aftermath flag. "Me and Kendrick know each other from previous situations. Where he grew up, my lived there. I know who he is, he knows who I am. We just made it into something big. This is what I work for. With me, I have to really prove my point because I've been signed so long but it feels like I've done nothing. When I say 'nothing,' I mean I haven't done anything that's been Slim-motivated. It's been in the lure of of Detox and Dr. Dre. I feel like right now, it's my time." (SOHH)

source - http://www.sohh.com/2011/11/we-were-all-just-in-the-studio-me-kendri.html

Monday 14 November 2011

Dr Dre Says After 27 Years Of Working On Music He's Taking A Break

Dr. Dre ready for a break from music, wants Beats By Dre to become second only to Apple.

After almost three decades of non-stop contributions to music, producer/rapper Dr. Dre says he’s finally ready for a break from music. Dr. Dre revealed the news during an interview with The Fader at the opening of the Beats By Dre store in SoHo.

Dr. Dre explained that when he’s done working with Kendrick Lamar and Slim Da Mobster he’ll be ready for a break which will consist of spending more time with his family.

“These are the next two artists I’m working on, Slim Da Mobster and Kendrick Lamar. I think that’s when I’m gonna just wrap it up for a minute because I’ve been working on music for 27 years now and the longest I’ve ever been out of the studio in 27 years has been two weeks,” Dr. Dre explained. “So yea I feel like I’m gonna take a little bit of a break. I’m never gonna stop music, it’s like air to me. So I’mma take a little bit of a break. Enjoy some time with the family til I get that itch to get back in.”

Aside from working on music Dr. Dre has contributed heavily to the Beats By Dre line of headphones and says they won’t stop until they’ve become second only to Apple.

“I’m shocked myself as to how well they’re doing. We’re gonna keep new and exciting product coming. We’re trying to eventually be second to Apple. And I don’t think that’s a bad position,” said Dr. Dre. “We’re really trying to take over everything with a speaker. And also microphones. We’re gonna get involved in that also.”

There were no mentions of a Detox release during Dr. Dre’s interview with The Fader.

source - http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.17603/title.dr-dre-says-after-27-years-of-working-on-music-hes-taking-a-break

Just Blaze producing track for Kendrick Lamar

It might have caught your eye in the midst of Lord Knows leaking, but super producer Just Blaze let the cat out of the bag that he would be working with the buzzing Compton upstart, Kendrick Lamar. K. Dot confirmed the rumors but didn’t give a name or day it was releasing.

This makes it clearer that maybe we wont see a new Dr Dre track yet, as recent rumours stated.





Saturday 12 November 2011

Dr Dre track "no longer on Detox" ?

On twitter there were rumours flying around for a possible Dr Dre track feat Kendrick Lamar and Game, with producer Just Blaze contributing.

According to @ChigzterOB4CL this track is "no longer on Detox".

https://twitter.com/#!/ChigzterOB4CL/status/135306253722324992


https://twitter.com/#!/ChigzterOB4CL/status/135305148049264640

Dre and Bishop Lamont to reunite?

Reid is currently recording a new version of “Seeds of Memory,” the title track from his 1976 album produced by his friend Graham Nash, which besteveralbums.com calls Reid's best. He wrote it about World War II, but hip-hop master Dr. Dre and Bishop Lamont are now adding raps about Afghanistan to Reid's new, harder vocals.Reid is reticent to say he's making a comeback because he never made it big enough.

source - http://www.mydesert.com/article/20111106/LIFESTYLES0101/111060331/-60s-musical-prodigy-Terry-Reid-his-remarkable-past-future?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage

Friday 11 November 2011

Don Trip Reacts To Recording With Dr Dre

Exclusive: Interscope's recent artist explains meeting the hit-makers who signed him, and his single "Letter To My Son," featuring Cee-Lo which he recorded before Cool, Dre or the iconic Dr. Dre.

A lot could be inferred when Dr. Dre mentions an unknown artist's name in the same sentence as Roc Nation's breakout star J. Cole. When that happened late last year, Memphis' Don Trip was hardly known to the industry, although he's been a fixture on the circuit in his hometown. The Dr. Dre connection came about when Cool & Dre took him to Interscope Records as the first artist signed through their new Epidemic Music imprint on the label.

With an album, Heaven On the Way, in the works, Don Trip has recorded to beats from Boi 1-Da, Renegades, T-Minus and the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. Ironically, Don Trip's current single, the emotionally charged “Letter To My Son” was recorded before the deal yet the current version features vocals from Cee-Lo Green.

HipHopDX caught up with Don Trip in late October just before his first performance in Los Angeles, at the House of Blues as the opening act on Game's R.E.D. Tour to going over his music's substance, Memphis, and the personal connections that got him out of there and possibly on the path to stardom.
Don Trip Explains Working With Dr. Dre Before His First Major Album

HipHopDX: What was it like being in the lab with Dr. Dre?

Don Trip: it was quite an experience. I come from listening to Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and N.W.A., so being in the studio with him, actually being able to meet him, is an experience within itself. I actually recorded a record working with him and I can tell you this: he is very precise. There's a certain sound he looking for and he go to till he find that sound. I rock with that.

DX: Who set that up? Did that come about from your deal with First Family and Cool & Dre?

Don Trip: As far as the deal, I met Frank Lopez from First Family Entertainment in Memphis through my DJ, DJ Larry Live. Frank told me about the relationship he had with Cool & Dre and they flew me down to Miami. We got to know each other a little bit and the chemistry worked so from that so felt it was a packaged deal of something to present to Interscope.

DX: What was the time frame on this process?

Don Trip: We started in like September of last year and we got the deal of February of this year.

DX: Talk about what your music grind was like in Memphis.

Don Trip: It was difficult, being that Memphis is one of the spots that there's only a handful of acts that come out and succeeded. It's a lot more difficult to make it from Memphis than to make it from Atlanta or Houston or many other places. Not to say it's not hard to make it there, just saying it was more difficult to make it from Memphis without there being an outlet for that. So it made it harder, but, I personally prefer the hard work. I don't knoLinkw why I'm wired like that but I prefer to go the road less traveled. I didn't have to move to another state to do it.

source - http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.17563/title.don-trip-reacts-to-recording-with-dr-dre-explains-signing-with-cool-dre

Thursday 10 November 2011

New Dr Dre track coming soon??

Producer Just Blaze has been hinting in his tweets about a new Dr Dre track being released, rumoured to feature Kendrick Lamar. Stay tuned will be looking for some more solid info:

@JustBlaze - In other news, to the few people that understands what this means. "Firestarter" has just been sent to Interscope at their request.

@JustBlaze - And @drdre said..


sources
https://twitter.com/#!/JustBlaze/status/134543863409934336

https://twitter.com/#!/JustBlaze/status/134760968503832577


Jimmy Iovine Talks Signing Eminem & BeatsByDre

Part of Steve Stoute's online series "The Tanning Effect," he sits down with Interscope headman Jimmy Iovine. During the interview, Iovine speaks about finding out about Eminem, passing his tape to Dr Dre and signing him to Interscope.
"At the time, Dre was on fire. He also came off a weak album, but he was just so in touch. A kid came into my office, I used to be an intern, so I always like to help interns, so the kid came into my office, and he said, 'I heard this white guy last night rapping.' Again, I'm not a pioneer of rap, I'm not some guy who discovered the genre, so I always heard that white rappers don't work. I said, 'I'll tell you what, you did a really good job, if you give me a CD, I'll play it for Dr. Dre.'"

"The guys in Dre's studio at the time were trying to talk him out of it, while Eminem was in town working," Iovine continued. "Dre said 'I don't care what you think, this is gonna work.' And they made 'My Name Is.'"
Later, Jimmy Iovine speaks about how he and Dr Dre came up with the "Beats By Dre" headphone line and brand idea.

Eminem & Dre Inspire 50 Cent To Take His Time

'I'll be dead, I'll be gone, and the material will still be here to influence new artists,' 50 tells MTV News.

Recording with Dr. Dre and Eminem is bound to rub off eventually. While in the middle of recording his upcoming fifth solo album, 50 Cent has learned to take his time in the booth, and that in part explains the delay in releasing his LP.


"This is the first time that I've recorded and I haven't put pressure to release at a specific day. I've been on the shot clock the entire time. Dre and Em — I mean Dre's record hasn't been out in 11 years, so when you talk about perfection, it's gotta be crazy, right?" he told MTV News while at a New York book signing for his just-released anti-bullying book, "Playground."

Dre's 2001 was released in 1999 and not long after its release, fans began to hear rumblings about the oft-delayed Detox. Dre, a noted perfectionist, has been said to be putting the finishing touches on the LP for quite some time now, and recently Fif has adopted the super-producer's ear for detail.

"I think that provides additional pressure for him that it's taken this long, and in Em's case he has high standards too," 50 said. "You wouldn't believe how many times he records the records that you hear. He's done it over and over and over and over to make it sound like the way that he feels it's supposed to sound."

For his 2003 breakout hit "In Da Club," the G-Unit general wasn't nearly as meticulous as he has recently become. "In the beginning, it was like 30 minutes, 'In Da Club' was 30 minutes, to write it, have the vocals laid," 50 revealed. "I punched in a few times, it didn't matter it was good. Everybody bought it, they said it's a classic and now it's a process where I'm recording it, listening to it and saying, 'I can do that better than that.' "

The veteran hitmaker has realized the influence that his catalog has, and it is that realization that has him thinking differently. "I understand it now because all the material that I put out is gonna be here longer than I am," he said. "So I'll be dead, I'll be gone, and the material will still be here to influence new artists moving forward."

source - http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674078/50-cent-inspiration-eminem-dr-dre.jhtml

Xzibit says Detox intro is done

Jump to 8min27secs



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok8fBRpmvSU&t=8m27s

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Game to feature on Detox "More Than Once" ??

Chuck Taylor says that if the near-mythical album ever releases, he will be on several tracks.

Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg recently said that Dr. Dre’s near-mythical album Detox was in the mixing stage, though a concrete release date is yet to be announced. Game recently spoke with KISS 107.5's Jay Thomas and said that if the album ever does drop, he will be featured on at least two of the tracks.

“If there is a Detox, then Game is on it more than once. But if it never comes out, then nobody’s on it,” he said.

As he’s previously done, the Compton, California native remained mum on all other aspects of the album, stating that while it’s been on his mind, he has nothing more to offer about the project.

“Detox man, I don’t know about Detox man. I’ve been thinking about detoxing lately, because I’ve been back on my workout grind and I’ve been thinking about detoxing. That’s the only thing I can tell you about Detox.”







source - http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.17543/game-says-he-will-be-featured-more-than-once-on-dr-dres-detox/

Saturday 5 November 2011

New Slim the Mobster & Dr Dre "Back against the wall" + mixtape

While in London Town to kick off his club tour with the Grime Godfather Wiley, SoulCulture TV caught up with DJ Whoo Kid at the Dope Chef showroom and he revealed that he would be premiering a brand new Dr Dre track on Saturday (November 5th) called "Back Against The Wall" which will be taken from a forthcoming mixtape by the latest aftermath signing Slim The Mobster. Describing the record as "Some hardcore shit, NWA type feel, like he's back, he's calling out haters...fuck y'all, no more Mr nice guy type ish" it premiere on the Whoolywood Shuffle co hosted by MTV's Sway.

The G-Unit repping DJ and radio personality also revealed details on a forthcoming mixtape he will be creating with Dr Dre later this year which will possibly feature Snoop Dogg and some more of Dre's old school collaborators.

Slim the Mobster feat Dr Dre - "Back against the wall"


Friday 4 November 2011

Slim the Mobster radio interview (dre/detox/kendrick)

SLIM THE MOBSTER GOES IN WESTSIDE RADIO TO DISCUSS UPCOMING ALBUM "WARMUSIC", SNOOP, KENDRICK, DRE, DETOX W/ THE ONE AND ONLY JULIO G .. TONY G

Thursday 3 November 2011

Beats by Dre shop opens in NY

The first and only pop-up store for Dr. Dre's line of headphones opened on Greene Street Wednesday afternoon and the rapper/producer himself was scheduled to appear there Wednesday night.

The high-end headphone shop Beats by Dr. Dre was set to host a grand opening party at 67 Greene St. from 7 to 9 p.m., spokeswoman Karen Civil said. Dr. Dre was expected to be joined there by Interscope Geffen A&M Records chair Jimmy Iovine.

While the event with music by DJ Prostyle of the radio station Power 105.1 was private, small groups of fans who gather for the event were expected to be allowed in to the party, where a cake in the shape of a giant set of headphones was on the menu.

Metal barricades were set up outside the store Wednesday afternoon.

Dr. Dre said in a statement on Beats by Dr. Dre's website that the headphones, which start at $229 for over-ear models, provide realistic sound quality.

"Most headphones can't handle the bass, the detail, the dynamics. Bottom line, the music doesn't move you," he said. "With Beats, people are going to hear what the artists hear, and listen to the music the way they should: the way I do."

Headphones that the company designed for celebrities, including the New York Yankees, are displayed in glass cases in the store. Every Yankee was given a pair of custom-made white headphones with blue pinstripes, Civil said.

The store also has a soundproof-room where shoppers can test the brand's speakers.

The pop-up store for the line, which launched in 2008, will be open through mid-January, Civil said.

http://www.dnainfo.com/20111102/greenwich-village-soho/dr-dre-set-ring-new-popup-store-wednesday

Tuesday 1 November 2011

'Be creative and make money out of it' says Dre on headphones

Preparing to interview Dr Dre is quite a nervy affair. Not only is he responsible for soundtracking gangsta rap, inventing G-funk, signing Eminem and reshaping hip-hop for the 90s, he also has a team around him seemingly desperate to make the experience as tense as possible.

A handful of journalists are driven downtown to Cult Studios on West 27th St in New York – a run-down space in mid-town which looks from the outside like, well, a squat (they've succeeded at looking inconspicuous) but inside is actually some kind of bling Tardis, with scantily clad promo girls giving out canapes to nibble on while we wait for The Doctor to arrive. One of his team warns me in conversation that he's a man of few words, answering technical questions in meetings with a simple thumbs up or thumbs down – and after seeing him in a press conference earlier where he spoke a mere two words ("thanks guys"), I believe what I'm told.

In recent years, Dre's branched out from music, becoming a successful international businessman with the birth of his Beats headphones range, a project which he has worked closely with head of Interscope records, Jimmy Iovine. So is he living the American Dream? He has no doubt. "Absolutely. I've been living the American Dream for over 25 years – just being able to do what I do, be creative and make money out of it, it's incredible."

Dre has certainly had a more creative hand in his line of Beats than a cynic would imagine. Iovine tells a story in the press conference of meeting Dre on the beach. Dre said he'd been approached to design a range of trainers, to which Iovine responded, "Fuck sneakers, let's make speakers". So they did. And Dre's been involved at every step – even harking back to hip-hop's early years in the new collection, which features a mobile beatbox designed to carry on your shoulder like a ghettoblaster. He talks about the project like his baby under a very simple premise: "I want people to enjoy music like I enjoy it in the studio, musicians have been hearing music differently for a long time and Beats are changing that".

Despite being flown to NYC to interview Dre ahead of the launch of this new range, I'm told that under no circumstance can I ask about his infamously long-awaited album Detox (It is testament to the brand he has become that Dre can keep the public eagerly waiting for a follow-up album to the legendary 2001 with no harm to his good name). Damn, I think, there goes the question on everybody's lips. As nice as they are, there's only so much I can bring myself to talk about headphones – what I want to know about, being a music journalist, is the music, not the earpieces you use to hear it. Unfortunately, a lot of my questions not relating to the product are cut short, so my allocated 10 minutes with Dre are punctuated with a PR's voice instructing me to "keep it Beats."

And yet, Dre is far from a sullen character. Before the interview, I stand outside and make small talk with him under the watchful gaze of his PR, and he manages to tell me that one UK act that he's listening to right now is the dubstep outfit Nero. He's so open and friendly, I wonder what all the fuss is about. The weight of the Dre legend is definitely felt by his team, though. The interview is conducted in a white room full of around 10 PRs, marketing managers and who-knows-who, and as a result the atmosphere is more than a little claustrophobic. At least he says more to me than he did in the conference, suddenly perking up about the project, adamant that he is not just a silent face of the brand.

"It's one of the best things I've ever been involved in" he says, laughing when I ask just how far he would take Brand Dre. Could he have a reality show like his long-time partner in hip-hop, Snoop Dogg on the cards? "No! In fact, I would advise against anyone doing reality shows. I won't be doing X Factor just yet."

I ask if his title as a businessman has overtaken the title of artist, "I don't think the brand has overtaken the music, I think that they just work together, like, I love watching the two come together."

We talk about how his journey has taken him from the streets of LA to the high-rise elevators of an international business mogul, and he says, with genuine modesty, that he's always surprised: "I could never have imagined where I am now." So has he let go of the anger that fuelled NWA? His PR steps in and insists, once more, that I "stick to questions about Beats." I want to scream.

I tell Dre how I saw a few kids wearing Beats on the subway earlier and he grins. "The ultimate experience is seeing young people in the headphones, almost as big as people listening to my album, well, listening to my album on the headphone would be pretty good too."

I try to talk about his influence on hip-hop culture and the awesome 2001, which my 14-year-old self played on repeat on my CD Walkman so that my mum wouldn't hear the unadulterated talk of bitches and hos but again, we're told to turn the questions back to headphones.

It's just surreal. What's funny, though, is that despite the pre-interview spiel from his "people" that tried to make speaking with Dre just a few steps down from an audience with God ("he's not doing any more interviews this year", "he doesn't speak a lot"), he actually comes across as modest, relaxed and entirely likeable, or at least not as intimidating as his build might suggest. Emboldened and frustrated, and with the PR theatrically tapping her watch, I decide to pose the question I've come 3,000 miles to ask. Lots have been cut short, I've been interrupted, and it's now or never.

"So Dre, when is Detox coming out?"

The room shudders, the PR bristles, and with that I'm ushered out.

source - http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/nov/01/dr-dre-headphones-detox?newsfeed=true