Evident in his 2022 Super Bowl Halftime performance, Dr. Dre has either been a colleague or mentor of some of the greatest acts in hip-hop history. Whether it be his fellow N.W.A. member Ice Cube, superstars he produced like Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Eminem, or newer acts like Kendrick Lamar, Dre’s eye for talent has always been second to none.
During a recent interview for Kevin Hart’s Peacock series, Hart to Heart, Dre spoke more about Lamar, and how much the Compton rapper means to the genre.
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“Kendrick Lamar is a real motherfuckin’ artist,” he told Hart. “Like the true definition of the word, you know? The only thing I can take credit for is opening the door for him because he’s done everything hisself. Him and Dave Free.”
Continuing on the topic of Lamar, Dre added that he does not need to release music as frequently as his counterparts, because each album of his is that much more impactful than projects from others.
“He’s the fuckin’ man. He’s amazing man. Kendrick is one of those artists that we call ‘forever artists.’” he said. “He could disappear for fucckin’ five years or something like that and come back and fuck our heads up, you know? Some artists feel like, ‘I have to do something all the time so I won’t be forgotten.’ That’s not him. He can disappear and come back with something that’s shocking. That’s amazing and everybody’s gonna tune in and listen.”
In 2022, Lamar did just that, releasing his studio album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, ending a five-year absence since his 2017 LP DAMN. With MM&TBS, Lamar was able to peak at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as win three Grammy awards for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song.
Elsewhere in the interview, along with revealing that he turned out opportunities to collaborate with music greats like Michael Jackson and Prince, Dre gave his thoughts on the current hip-hop landscape outside of Lamar. While asserting that much of today’s rap isn’t for him, he guaranteed that he’ll always be supportive of the genre’s evolution, unlike other rappers from his era.
“Hip-hop is what it is. Anybody that’s talking about the state of hip-hop right now, when talking about it from a negative place, sounds like somebody’s fucking grandfather,” he said. “Hip-hop is evolving. If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it… I’m keeping it all the way 100 with you. Some of this shit, most of this shit, I don’t like. I don’t listen to a lot of that shit. But I’m not hating on it. I’m never gonna hate on it.”
Check out the clips of Dre’s conversation with Hart below.
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue