Key Takeaways
- Dr. Dre plans to go “off the grid” for a year or two after finishing two projects, including one with Houston artist Marcus Clae.
- On Ice Cube and Mike Epps’ Listen & Laugh podcast, Dre said he wants his first break after 41 years in music to make room for another creative passion.
Dr. Dre is planning to step away from making music for a little while and pursue another creative endeavor.
In the first episode of Ice Cube and Mike Epps’ Listen & Laugh podcast, Dre revealed his intent to “take a break” after finishing up two projects he’s working on — one with an artist named Marqus Clae from Houston — due to the fact that he’s been making music for a staggering 41 years.
“For the first time in my adult career, I’m going to take a break from that,” he said around the 20-minute mark. “I’m going to go away, and I’m going to get off the grid for a year or two.”
After clarifying that he’s been in the studio every year since he began making music, Dre expressed his belief that he never really left it. “You never leave it. Even when you’re not there,” he explained, saying how seeing storefronts and bumper stickers inspire him when he’s not physically inside of a studio.
“For the first time in my life, it won’t be there,” Dre continued. “It’s taking up space for something else. What if there’s something else waiting for me that could give me the same exact feeling when I discovered music?”
Dre’s level of success in the music industry warrants his much-needed break. Over those four decades, Dre has earned seven Grammy Awards and helped shape the sound of hip-hop, from his groundbreaking work with N.W.A. to his landmark solo debut, The Chronic. He’s also produced hits for Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar, building a legacy that spans generations.
In 2016, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A.
Elsewhere in the same podcast appearance, Dre said that Larry Smith is the “fucking best hip-hop producer ever” and admitted that he’s “extremely excited” about AI’s integration into music.
