Following increasingly successful stints as the primary musical architect for rap groups World Class Wreckin' Cru and N.W.A., Dr. Dre recorded one of the most successful and influential rap albums to date, The Chronic.

Already a sought-after producer, Dre stepped up to the mic himself, along with Nate Dogg, That Nigga Daz and (then) new discovery, Snoop Doggy Dogg. Dre took N.W.A.'s no-holds-barred gangsta style and ent further with tales of gangbangin', gunplay, womanizing and smokin' the ultra-strong dope--the "Chronic" for which the LP is named. Dre also dissed his former N.W.A. partner and Ruthless label owner Eazy-E, sparking one of rap's most colorful recorded battles. The extremely profane and blunt rapping caused The Chronic to become mandatory listening not only for rap's hardcore fans, but also a new legion of suburban white kids burned out on the hand-wringing angst of millionaire grunge rockers. More important in the long run, though, is Dre's constantly improving production style, which combines old-school grooves, thunderous but simple bass, sparse drum programs and sinewy analog synth lines that accent the drama. Dre became an MTV star as huge as Nirvana, and with that came the prerequisite media circus. In '91, he pleaded no contest to the beating of rap show hostess Dee Barnes. With manager Suge Knight, he formed the ludicrously successful Death Row Records, but left in the mid-'90s to form his own Aftermath Records. Dre's production work with Snoop, Tupac Shakur, Michel'le and numerous others has been a highlight of '90s rap.

Upon his exit from Death Row, the artists he left behind suffered artistically. His own Aftermath label so far has released his solo single "Been There, Done That," in which he renounced gangsta posturing, and the lukewarm compilation of new artists Dr. Dre Presents The Aftermath.