Dr. Dre's Perfectionist Tendencies Spark Comparisons to Steve Jobs

[Lone Deranger]

how old was he when this occurred and what year is it now? So if you do something when you're young and stupid, that's who you are in your 40's or does this standard only apply to Dre? hmmmmmmmm

Until such time as I hear him denounce his criminal past(?) and proffer a genuine heart-felt apology, I see no reason to judge him a decent human being, let alone worthy of being praised in the manner people are doing here as well as in that embarrassment that is the source article. Acts of such extremely violent hatred might be forgiven by some but certainly should never be forgotten. His reputation is tarnished forever.

 

[lwells]

Anybody who ever heard Dre's production and mixing knows it was done by a perfectionist.

Now that's an argument that's worth making! I'll agree with that.

One thing I do not understand though. If you spend so much time perfecting a track's mix, wouldn't you want the listener to hear it the way you originally intended? I don't see how you could do that with Beat's headphones.

 

[TrentS]

Comparing Music Crap To Computer Innovation!?!

What-EVER!!!!! No way can you compare the two. One's field is music, the other technology and computer innovation. Big difference!!!

 

[Cigsm]

Uh oh, you realize what you're speaking of was, which happened 25 YEARS ago, went to court and was given community service a $2500 fine and a 2 years probation? You also realize that people grow up. People change. And sometimes it's for the better. And now he's a fine example of how a young man, literally from the streets of the ghetto, can completely turn his life around.

Right. Like the time Steve Jobs beat a reporter bloody in front of witnesses for giving news coverage to the wrong faction.

Er, wait, no, I guess that wasn't BOTH of them.

----------

They fall apart after a month? Thanks for your completely made up comment.

Meanwhile, they are rated 4.5 stars on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e=as2&tag=popcyouk-20&linkId=FW4UEDPEOWH73DZR

This is the silliest thing I have read in months. I actually JUST registered to post how much I laughed when I read this article's title.

• Any person that has ever listened to Dr. Dre's Beats headphones knows that they were not designed by a perfectionist.
• Anybody that has ever owned Beat's headphones knows that they fall apart after a month. They also know that Beat's were not designed by a perfectionist.
  

Who really buys into this bologna?

 

[darthgeekonius]

Until such time as I hear him denounce his criminal past(?) and proffer a genuine heart-felt apology, I see no reason to judge him a decent human being, let alone worthy of being praised in the manner people are doing here as well as in that embarrassment that is the source article. Acts of such extremely violent hatred might be forgiven by some but certainly should never be forgotten. His reputation is tarnished forever.

oh the dreaded repudiation thing. I guess he needs to send you a letter or hold a press conference because according to you, he hasn't denounced, apologized, or just grown up in the last 2 decades. For all you know, he and the woman made up in 1991, but since this isn't public knowledge... awe forget it, the premise of your argument is silly and your retort even more foolish. Judging ANY individual and tarnishing them forever based on what they did in the past when they were young, makes zero sense, unless you can prove they are that same person today, and you like the rest of the public only know of him based on what's been reported, unless you know Andre personally which I doubt. Furthermore, I'm certain that Tim and team wouldn't knowingly hire a guy that's such a menace to society as you so eagerly pointed out. Your commentary is very intriguing though when one contemplates subtext.

 

[Thermonuclear]

Here's how much of a 'perfectionist' Dr. Dre is:

He picked her up by her hair and "began slamming her head and the right side of her body repeatedly against a brick wall near the stairway" as his bodyguard held off the crowd with a gun. After Dre tried to throw her down the stairs and failed, he began kicking her in the ribs and hands. She escaped and ran into the women's rest room. Dre followed her and "grabbed her from behind by the hair again and proceeded to punch her in the back of the head." - Rolling Stone

Aw, man, the 'perfectionist' couldn't even succeed throwing a woman down the stairs.

The fact that Apple is in business with this narcissistic psychopath is disgusting.

Quoted, as it bears repeating.

A psychologist acquaintance of mine said that nearly every male who is caught attacking a woman is attempting to compensate for impotency or a small penis. If you can't please them in bed, then just whack them around because they deserve it; that's the woman beater's thinking. Maybe the brand name "Beats" has a more sinister origin than admitted.

 

[inkswamp]

He also, apparently, has no concept of good sound, because his headphones are horrible. Hardly better than the el cheap KOSS knockoffs you can get at Walgreens.

Sort of amusing because this sounds exactly like the kind of things people said about Steve Jobs for many years. "Jobs doesn't know how to make a good computer/phone/tablet/etc... Hardly better than the el cheapo Dell/Samsung/Microsoft knockoffs you can get at Best Buy."

 

[Cigsm]

You've brought the serious LULLLZ to the thread! Awards for you!

Meanwhile, the rest of us know that "Dr" is a stage name, of which he can choose any one he likes. And believe it or not - he doesn't have to run it by you first. He's earned the "Dr Dre" name, seeing as he's now worth nearly a billion dollars on that name. Seems more than well earned.

Further, he's writing and rapping about the life he knew. Not that it matters, he doesn't have to justify his art to you, or anyone else. Just as any other artist doesn't have to justify what they perform. You may not like it, because you didn't live that life and clearly have absolutely no clue on how to listen to stories. And at the end of the day, that's what the songs are...stories.

You sound like one of those crazy right winged groups trying to boycott people from listening to an artist because they don't like this or that.

It's only petty because you have not earned the title either. Go to school, earn something, then lets talk.

Andre made his money off of the hood rats that buy into the idea that death row is "cool" and now Apple wants a piece of the pie.

Apple can keep it's "cool" factor and so can Andre.

And just in case you think it's "cool" here is a little reminder of what your glorifying.

http://listverse.com/2010/08/01/10-crimes-of-men-on-death-row/

 

[lwells]

You don't like Beats. Fine. Some people do. Equally fine. It's that simple.

My confusion in this was that I assumed that Beats were just headphones. I could not understand why somebody would like these as a tool to reproduce audio. When I step back, I can really see why somebody take this discussion so personally. This is an image thing.

If you tell somebody that their Grado SR325's are veiled and rolled off, they are not cut as deeply as when you tell somebody that their Beats are have poor bass control and no mid range. In the later senario, you're threatening somebody's image and style.

 

[oliversl]

Seems a nice hirequisition, I hope Tim had hired him before WWDC so someone could put a cover on those iMacs running Yosemite, ohhh the secrecy, ohh the details

 

[dmax35]

He has a doctorate from living in the ghetto and making it out, now is almost a billionaire, so call him all the names and belittle him all you want. But in your lifetime you will never amount to anything he has done

No one is belittling or calling him names, if you don't have the educational credentials. Don't call yourself a Dr. I'm sure in my past career as a combat surgeon has nothing to do with any lifetime achievements nor does my bank account have a billion dollars in it.

 

[darthgeekonius]

What-EVER!!!!! No way can you compare the two. One's field is music, the other technology and computer innovation. Big difference!!!

Maybe this will make you less confused: The comparison was never about the differences between IT and Music, though there are more similarities than differences. It was about the work ethic, creativity, etc. of the two individuals being compared. However, considering that Steve wasn't really an IT guy on the level of a programer but more a "producer" himself in the sense that he oversaw the creation, production, and marketing of products for mass consumption that just happen to be IT products, he and Dre are adequately compared as that is exactly what Dre did when it comes to managing, producing, artists and albums (products) that were marketed for mass consumption and I'm certain NWA, Ice Cube, 2Pac, 50 Cent, Eminem, and Dre himself have surely sold A LOT of products, imagine if their record sales were iPhones!

I'm just troubled at the replies as I'm hoping what I'm seeing in the subtexts, is really just in my head......

 

[flat five]

Andre made his money off of the hood rats that buy into the idea that death row is "cool" and now Apple wants a piece of the pie.

pretty sure dre made his money off the suburbs.. same place apple makes their money.

Apple can keep it's "cool" factor and so can Andre.

And just in case you think it's "cool" here is a little reminder of what your glorifying.

http://listverse.com/2010/08/01/10-crimes-of-men-on-death-row/

you do understand that most rap lyrics are fiction/story telling— and/or metaphors right?

often, guns/slugs/swords/murdering/etc are used when talking about slaying sucka emcees— with words

—
is quentin tarantino a psychopath killer ninja because he made kill bill?

do you really believe dr.dre thinks death row, as in the jail block full of murderers, is cool?
do you think dre's music is meant to encourage fans to go kill other people?

 

[L-Fire]

I understand that in a tech forum most people wouldn't understand what Dre has done to warrant such a comparison (that I may not agree with) so let me educate you.

Dr. Dre has single handedly changed the sound of hip hop music at least three times over the past 25 years. When he drops an album, the whole genre copies his sound. Every kid in his room making beats aspires to be able to recreate his sound. Very few people can make that claim. He also created 2 of what would be any real hip hop fans list of top 10 albums. In other words he has released products that affect the industry they're released in so much that afterwards every competitors product bears the mark of his product in one way or another. Sound like anyone?

As much as people talk about the sound quality of Beats headphones, no one can dispute the sound quality of his beats. He is responsible for a change in the early 90's muddy sound quality of hip hop to the crystal clean sound that you hear on the radio today. Dre's mixes are unparalleled and everyone who is anyone knows it. Even Jay Z hired Dre just to mix his album "Kingdom Come" because of Dre's ear for detail when it comes to mixing. He basically agonizes over ever little detail until it passes his stricter than normal standards. Sound like anyone?

He's also a perfectionist. He recorded over 100 songs for his Detox album but they're not good enough for him. He'd rather not release anything and scrap an entire project than risk tarnishing his legacy. He also demands perfection from everyone around him and while he may be more laid back than Steve, he'll quickly "lose your number" if you're not living up to what he believes your true potential to be. Sound like anyone?

You can talk about him beating a woman if you want but if a 20 year old gangsta rapper from Compton can't smack a !@#$% then who can? I can assure you that all was forgotten until this Apple deal manifested.

 

[SoAnyway]

No, because Dre is a rapper and Jobs was a brilliant software and hardware developer.

Actually, I don't know much about Dre, I'm sure he's done a lot of awesome stuff in his lifetime--I just don't see this as a racism issue which you seem to be trying to make it.

Get your facts straight, Jobs was never actually a developer. Did he have his input with the products? Yes. Did he actually develop anything himself? No.

At best, Jobs was brilliant at marketing and strategy. He was the business guy from the very beginning. Just take a look at history and who actually worked on the Apple I. It was Woz making it and Jobs selling it.

As for the racism angle, let's just be honest and say that racism isn't dead, even in this forum.

 

[Cigsm]

Wow, you're anecdotal evidence is totally proof that a billion dollar company is total crap.
Meanwhile, every single Beats product has a 4 or 4.5 star rating on Amazon with THOUSANDS of reviews.

Also, they have a full one year warranty of which they replace a product for both instances you gave.

Perfectionist? Is that why my Wireless Beats headband snapped when I was taking them off when they were only a couple months old? Is that why my Beats Executives had the left speaker stop working from light use within a couple of months of purchase? Is that why the headband on my wired beats came loose within a year of purchase?

Overpriced crap.

 

[HenryDJP]

LOL, Dre is such a perfectionist that he allowed his Studio, Pros and Solo headphones to hit the market and every single one of them snapped in half right out of the box.

 

[darthgeekonius]

Quoted, as it bears repeating.

A psychologist acquaintance of mine said that nearly every male who is caught attacking a woman is attempting to compensate for impotency or a small penis. If you can't please them in bed, then just whack them around because they deserve it; that's the woman beater's thinking. Maybe the brand name "Beats" has a more sinister origin than admitted.

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen an expert that you personally know has weighed in, so the case is closed! LOL

Seriously, any psychology major even a student at a 101 level course can debunk this madness because we have 2 decades of history to counter the argument with. How many women has this occurred with since this incident? What's more likely is that Dre, then a young kid from COMPTON who just came into fame and fortune but hasn't yet matured and shook off the trappings of his environment (see nature vs nurture) was punished, learned from his crime, and grew up, becoming even more successful than ever only to be bashed with foolish arguments on a msgboard because the WSJ dare compared him to Archangel Steve! My question is what is it about Dr. Dre that illicit some of these rather awkward attacks in these forums? That's something I would really like for psychology and sociology friends to weigh in on! Thought I have my ideas.... Kant, Durheim, Freud,.... hmmmmm

 

[cube]

Also, they have a full one year warranty of which they replace a product for both instances you gave.

Warranty is no excuse. It is a pain to have to have to request warranty service for anything.

Like for the 2011 MBP. Which seems to start failing again not long after repair.

 

[flat five]

The fact that Apple is in business with this narcissistic psychopath is disgusting.

then at least a comparison to jobs hold true.

most of these type of people (ceos etc) have some aspd in them.. that's the trait (or lack of traits) that allow them to do these things they're doing.

 

[rmatthewware]

I don't know a lot about Dr. Dre, but if he has a personality that rejects deadlines in favor of making the best product, he seems exactly the kind of person Apple needs. Apple has released products recently that weren't ready. Maps, I'm looking at you. Actually I'm not, because I use Google Maps. (I really want to like Apple Maps...)

 

[vice-versa]

Pretty sure suburban kids/adults are buying the vast majority of Dre's genre of music and in turn are the ones responsible for giving him most of his wealth. Or did you actually think the segment of the population that makes up less than 20% of the total was responsible for generating all of the revenue for the genre that dominates the airwaves?

Clearly you didn't think that one out too well before clicking "submit reply".

College Campus are filled with students rocking Beats....

 

[Asclepio]

dr. apple aka drapple

 

[darthgeekonius]

Pretty sure suburban kids/adults are buying the vast majority of Dre's genre of music and in turn are the ones responsible for giving him most of his wealth. Or did you actually think the segment of the population that makes up less than 20% of the total was responsible for generating all of the revenue for the genre that dominates the airwaves?

Clearly you didn't think that one out too well before clicking "submit reply".

EXACTLY! The majority of Rap/Hip-Hop anything is bought in suburbia, 13% of the US population, could not make this genre the cultural phenomena that it is.

 

[kdarling]

Jobs was a programmer before Wozniak was. Jobs started programming at 12 years old at HP's corporate office. Look it up.

Again, Jobs never programmed a single line of code in his life.

As for his summer at HP, here's what Jobs said about it in his 1985 Playboy interview:

I got "a job that summer working at Hewlett- Packard on the line, assembling frequency counters. Assembling may be too strong. I was putting in screws. It didn't matter; I was in heaven. "

Jobs designed the Mac Calculator in 10 minutes. Look up Andy Hertzfelds article on it.

If you know the story, you know that Jobs kept picking nits with Hertzfeld's design over several days, until the latter gave up and made a program where each part of the look could be customized.

It's as if someone today arranged icons and wallpaper for their homescreen from a hardcoded selection done by someone else. Would you call that "design" ? Barely. Certainly it was nothing special, and the keys were rearranged after Jobs left Apple, so they'd match the new Mac's keypad.

And finally, his architectural design work was outstanding. The Apple Store, the glass staircase, etc. Look it up.

Requesting or approving a material or a look is not "architectural design work". If it were, everybody who asked their home builder to rearrange some walls or closets should put that skill on their resume