Renowned music producer Dr. Dre has been recognized with the inaugural Hip-Hop Icon Award by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).
He received the special accolade at ASCAP’s 50 Years of Hip-Hop celebration in Los Angeles last week.
In his acceptance speech, the Compton native expressed his gratitude.
“I can’t imagine where my life would be without Hip-Hop. I was thinking about what it means to be an icon. Someone or something worthy of great respect. You probably need to be around for a while to be worthy of this type of respect. So, I started doing the math, and I realized, that I’ve been involved, successful, relevant in Hip-Hop for 40 of its 50 years.”
Dr. Dre’s Friends Came To Support Him
Dre’s close friend and collaborator, Snoop Dogg, had the honor of presenting him with the award.
Snoop praised Dre, calling him his brother and expressing his appreciation for their shared experiences in the industry.
“Dre, you my brother. It’s an honor to know you, to work with you, to hang out with you and to present you with this very first ASCAP Hip-Hop Icon Award.”
Earlier this year, Dre also received the Global Impact Award at the 2023 GRAMMYs, a prestigious recognition that was subsequently named after him.
While Dr. Dre has been celebrated by his peers, he has also received criticism from Dee Barnes, a former Hip-Hop journalist he assaulted in the 1990s.
According to Vibe, Barnes highlighted the challenge of separating an artist’s work from their personal actions.
He expressed concerns about naming an award after an individual with a history of abusive behavior.
Despite the controversy, Dr. Dre’s contributions to Hip-Hop and his lasting influence on the music industry have been acknowledged through these prestigious honors.
