Dr. Dre

Waiting for Detox

Dre’s long awaited third solo album, Detox is due for release sometime in early 2008. Production started back in early 2004 but due to time running over on Ice Cube’s latest album and making changes to his tracks. A heavy workload with 50 Cent’s follow-up album, The Game’s first album forced the project to the side. Right now Dre is knee-deep in records putting together The Game’s follow-up album which in the title, ‘The Doctor’s Advocate’ pays homage to the legend. Dre has a reputation for taking his time on perfecting his work giving him an estimated time between albums of seven years. His solo albums become instant multi-platinum classics in any genre the moment they hit the streets. The Chronic and 2001 were both classic studio masterpieces and became the highest-selling rap albums of their time. Since producing Straight Outta Compton Dre has been regarded as being the most proficient producer in hip-hop. All three showcase the development of his signature G-Funk sound production that revolutionized the west coast Gangsta Rap scene. Now Detox is the most anticipated album in hip-hop right now far exceeding any other industry peers.

During the late hours of August, 2007 Dr. Dre came out of a long hibernation for the MTV Video Music Awards in las vegas to present an award alongside Mary J. Blige. He showed up looking extremely well-shaped, as bulked as 50 Cent and defined as Ladies Love. There are only three things in Dre's daily agenda as he told the Los Angeles Times, producing, weight training and time with his family. At the VMA's he announced that Detox was coming... This still brings no medic to us, as we ironically feel like going through cold-turkey waiting for this album drop. According to Interscope, there is still no confirmed date for the album.

Aftermath producer/multi-instrumentalist Mike Elizondo told Billboard.com in 2005 that Dre was perfectly content to take his time finishing the effort. "Dre has very high standards, he wants to shock the world and put something out that no one would have ever thought possible from a hip-hop artist. He's definitely going to take his time and make sure it's right."

Dre mentioned that Detox will be his last project. "I think it's time to move on, (rhyming is) a young man's game." He told the Times. The next two months rounding off 2007 Dre will devote the majority of his time to polishing Eminem's next album. However there is new reports that Dre recently signed off on a multi-year production pact with New Line Cinema to score and possibly direct films with long-time associate and director, Philip G. Atwell.

Hood Surgeon

If this G-Funk is in Dr. Dre’s blood then any product of his has to be tight…. The bloodline flows through the immortal Young into his 25 year old son, born Curtis Mclemore but changed his last name to Young when he met his biological father in 2002. He is now better known on the mic as Hood Surgeon. He is in the studios working on a new mixtape album with rapper Kokane called Autopsy. Tracks, "Malpractice" and "Compton City" are set to represent Compton, all over again. The album is to be released from independent record label So Hood Records for which he is the joint CEO with Jason Rosales.

Curtis was born December 15, 1981 to single mother from Paramount, outside of L.A. city. Andre was 16 at the time when the pair met at Centennial High School but was urged to have no part in the upbringing of the child. Curtis grew up hard in Compton with no handouts or financial support from Dr. Dre. His mother kept the identity of his father from him until he was twelve years old. He has since taken a keen interest in rapping and producing. There had never been any real association between father and son until recently in 2007 when Dr. Dre agreed to produce tracks for his opening act. Aside from this, Curtis had previously met Dre at the age of 21.

The reunion should make fine chemistry when the Doctor and the Surgeon are in the operating theatre together. Who knows maybe we will be blessed with an NWA Juniors click with Eazy-E’s son Lil' Eazy who is going through the same grind as Surgeon, growing up with no influence of his father or record company. Keep posted for the debut album from Hood Surgeon, originally dubbed, The Autopsy but as of June, 2007 the title may have changed to 'Son of a Doctor'. We wait, along with ‘Detox’ with baited breath.

DADDY'S SHADOW

At 22, Dr. Dre's third born daughter, (of thirteen siblings) who goes by the alias, Manaj has developed into a budding rap offspring, showing the apple doesn't fall far with this fem-fatale on the mic. Her breakthrough into the limelight will be through feature reality-based docu-film called, Daddy's Shadow following Manaj as she prepares to record her début album in the studio with Wigga Wrecords with a tell-all on her life growing up under her father's wings. This is due for a December, 2007 release through TM Media.

Unlike Hood Surgeon, Manaj was raised by her father who did not encourage her to become a recording star, and she is therefore left to fight her own way through the industry. She could become a burgeoning new artist with talent parallel to that of her famous father. Manaj has worked with brother, Surgeon on tracks and believes they will continue to collaborate on records. Who knows maybe daddy may lend his super-beats to their future projects. Fellow N.W.A. junior, Erin Bria Wright (E.B.) is also following the same path as her father, Eazy-E. Stay posted for these daughters of gangsta rap legends set to rewrite their father's history. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier can do it.