Dr. Dre To Be Honored With ASCAP’s Hip-Hop Icon Award

Dr. Dre is set to be honored by ASCAP for his contributions to the music industry. The official press release for the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards was sent out Tuesday (June 20), detailing their plans to give the legend the first-ever ASCAP Hip-Hop Icon Award.

ASCAP chairman of the board and president Paul Williams spoke about Dre’s importance to the culture and why he was perfect for the inaugural honor.

“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,” Williams said. “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.”

The ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards will look to celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary and will take place in Los Angeles on Thursday (June 22). ASCAP’s Hip-Hop Icon Award is presented to ASCAP members whose musical contributions have indelibly impacted Hip-Hop’s art and culture.

Dre is still working on new music and almost produced an entire project for LL Cool J. In May 2023, Cool J expressed that the Compton musician was the original producer before he called Q-Tip.

During an appearance on Way Up With Angela Yee, the Queens emcee shared details on his work with Dr. Dre.

“So, the real story is that I did about 30 to 40 songs with Dre, and in doing those songs, I felt like the music was amazing,” LL recalled. “What Dre was bringing to the table was super dope — but I felt like the writing, what I was bringing to these songs didn’t feel strong enough to me.”

“I ended up having a dream, and in this dream, Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest came to me,” he continued. “When he came in my dream, he was like, ‘Yo, that album you gonna do with Dre is gonna be dope.’ And I’m looking at him, and he’s smirking a little bit. He had a funny look on his face. And then when I woke up, I felt like Q-Tip was on my spirit… So I just called him. He picked up, and I told him I wanted to do an album. We went and did the record, and the rest is history.”

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