Recognizing groundbreaking work
Pioneering rapper Dr. Dre received this month the inaugural Hip-Hop Icon Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in recognition of his impact on the genre, industry and culture of the music genre hip-hop.
“Dr. Dre’s groundbreaking early work laid a foundation for hip-hop as we know it today. As a champion for some of today’s biggest artists and a successful entrepreneur, he changed the culture around hip-hop,” ASCAP board chairman and President Paul Williams said in a statement. “Dre continues to be a pivotal figure in the music industry and we are thrilled to recognize him with the inaugural ASCAP Hip-Hop Icon Award as we mark 50 years of hip-hop.”
Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, received the award on June 22 in Los Angeles during ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul Music Awards Celebration of 50 Years of Hip-Hop.
A Compton native who rocketed to fame as co-founder of the N.W.A., Dre became a major solo success in 1992 with his album “The Chronic.”
