Dr. Dre was born Andre Romelle Young to Verna and Theodore Young in Los Angeles on Feb. 16, 1965. He grew up in Compton, raised mostly by his mother. Legend has it that Dre’s middle name, “Romelle,” came from his father’s amateur R&B singing group The Romelles.
Early on in his career, Andre Young deejayed under the alias Dr. J after his favorite basketball player, Julius “Dr. J” Irving. His musical chops earned him a spot on the World Class Wreckin’ Cru alongside DJ Yella, Shakespeare, Cli-N-Tel, and Mona Lisa. Dre became the in-house producer and DJ of the short-lived electro-pop group.
