Last week, hip-hop superproducer Dr. Dre was reported as becoming hip-hop’s first billionaire following Apple’s purchase of his Beats Electronics headphone brand. Though it was later disputed —Dre reportedly only netted around $800 million from the deal—the news put Dre in a new and even more exclusive economic bracket. The mayor of Compton, California, Aja Brown says she wants to give Dr. Dre a key to the city, according to TMZ.
Dre is one of Compton’s most well-known native sons. He helped put Compton on the map in the late 1980s with the seminal rap group N.W.A. before striking out on his own and launching Death Row Records and Aftermath in the 1990s. In a hip-hop landscape that had been previously dominated by acts based in New York City, Dre helped make Compton famous — and notorious. The city’s bevy of hip-hop stars; ranging from elder statesmen like Dre and his former N.W.A. band mate Ice Cube to newcomers like Kendrick Lamar and Y.G., have often referenced the violence and crime that pervades Compton. Mayor Brown would like to see Dre do something to help elevate his old community.
Brown says she wants Dre’s involvement in the restoration of Compton. She also reportedly wants Dre’s assistance in sponsoring performance arts or music programs in the city.
Another famous Compton native, rapper and producer DJ Quik also earned a key for his charitable work in the community of Compton.
