Fiending for a check-up with the Doc? Peep a few excerpts from VIBE’s August/September cover story on Dre. Dre to hold you down till August 13. Interview by: Jerry Barrow

ON THE DETOX HOLD-UP:
When you first announced Detox did you think it would take this long?
Absolutely not. I thought it would take at worst case a couple of years. For example, actual work time on The Chronic was nine months and actual work time on my last album, 2001, was about 10 months. The actual work time on this album is about half of that, where I’m seriously focusing on it. There is always something coming up. Like signing talent, old and new.

ON DEALING WITH MUSIC LEAKS:
So “Under Pressure” leaking was killer.
It was a little bit more frustrating because at least “Crack a Bottle” had a hook on it. I wouldn’t be as mad at a leak if the song was done.

Can you blame the fans for wanting to hear something after all this time?
Absolutely not. I’m not mad at the fans. I’m mad at the person that leaked the shit. I have no idea how it got out. It’s not even worth looking to see who did it. It happens. The most painful part about it is that I’m passionate about what I do so people should hear it in the right form.

There were some other reference tracks that leaked with T.I. and Ludacris lyrics. Were those legit?
Two of them were. Somebody actually hacked into our emails, so that made our red flags go up. We’re in a new age and that’s a sign: Wake up motherfucker. You have to be more careful with your shit. That’s all there is to it. I know what’s up now.

ON A COMING INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM:
You mentioned a hip-hop album without rapping. Will we ever hear a Dr. Dre instrumental album?
Oh yeah, that’s in the works. An instrumental album is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. I have the ideas for it. I want to call it The Planets. I don’t even know if I should be saying this, but fuck it. [Laughs.] It’s just my interpretation of what each planet sounds like. I’m gonna go off on that. Just all instrumental. I’ve been studying the planets and learning the personalities of each planet. I’ve been doing this for about two years now just in my spare time so to speak. I wanna do it in surround sound. It’ll have to be in surround sound for Saturn to work.

Pick up VIBE’s August/September JUICE issue on August 16 for the full interview.

Hi-Tek also talks about being signed to Dre’s aftermath label as a producer, how Dre is a mentor to him and how people perceive Dre. He also talks about the status of Detox. Some memorable quotes from this interview from Tek:

“If you cant make the Dre cut That’s your fault”…”Dre has built nothing but superstars”…”You don’t deserve producer credit if you don’t produce, just because you make a beat doesn’t make you a producer!”

For more of this interview with Reflection Eternal check out: http://www.HardKnock.tv

This interview took place at the 23RD ANNUAL ASCAP RHYTHM & SOUL MUSIC AWARDS where DR DRE received the ASCAP’s Founders Award.

“I want to set the record straight for everybody who’s been waiting to hear my music. The song that’s on the internet is an incomplete song that I’m still working on. When it’s ready, you’ll be hearing it from me”, so Dr. Dre!

Make sure to check out DrDre.com and Detox-DrDre.com!

Let us know what you’re up to nowadays.
I have an independent album called The G Files out right now. I’m just testing the independent game, seeing how it is, and how I can work in it. It’s got a lot of great people on there like Snoop, Travis Barker, Nate Dogg, and Raekwon. I’ve got a bunch of new artist on the bubble too, so I’m just working on that. Other than that I’m doing my production, getting my beats stacked up so I can press play on the industry and get people back into Warren G the producer as well as the artist.

Are you doing that to clear up the perception of you? Some people looked at you as producer first and rapper second.
I did it all from the gate. As far as people thinking I’m more of a rapper than producer, I’m cool with it. I’m happy with people looking at me like that. But I’m a multiple artist, so I produce, rap and write. That’s just what happened when I started doing my thing. I’m trying to re-establish myself as a producer right now, that’s my main focus. That’s what the industry has wanted from me. I never stopped though. I’ve been in the studio grinding out beats for people to pick up.

What direction are you going with your production?
Everything I do is G-Funk. I’m just into producing great music. I try to make singles. I just do good music. Music that’s hood, but still appeals to the world. I want the world to love the sound. I try to make hit records, constantly.

What made you want to go the independent route?
Because a lot of guys I know that are independent were like, “The independent’s get all the money.” You get what you work for. With a major, you get 35 cents [per record]. Independent you can get $5 to $8 a record. I was trying it out. It’s cool, but you have to surround yourself with the right people to push yourself independently. I’m thinking if I do another record, I might do it on a major so people know it’s out there. Independently I’ve done all the promo I can do, but the world doesn’t know it’s there. I’m getting back into my production. I like scoring and music supervision.

I did the music for this TV show on BET called Harlem Heights. That was my tester, and they loved it. As far as film, most of the records you’ve heard from me were made for movies I had in mind. So beyond that, I’m trying to get into sounds. If they need a fart, I’m trying to put the fart in. I’m a DJ, so I know how to place and blend things so they sound right.

How do you feel about the current soundscape of West Coast music?
We ain’t really got nobody besides Snoop out right now. It ain’t really nothing out from the West right now. I can’t really speak on it. I couldn’t tell you right now. But I do know when Dre drops Detox it’s gonna open up the new talent. It’s just hard to make the West like it was before because we don’t have any outlets. Snoop is the head of Priority Records now, so we’ll see how that goes. I’m trying to get a position too, so I can let this West Coast talent be heard.

Why do you think that is?
It’s the industry. You got a lot of people here that’s heads of the company who ain’t from here and don’t understand what we do. I was told by a person that my record was too West Coast. How the fuck am I too West Coast? I do me. I make Warren G songs for everybody. So when you got people thinking like that, of course you ain’t gonna get no talent out here. These people can’t speak for the fans, and the fans actually want that. They want that old West Coast sound because the shit that’s coming out these days sounds like some electro shit. We need this real shit back cracking.

How can we get music from everywhere heard everywhere though?
A lot of it has to do with the DJs. The music was controlled by radio and DJs, so we have to start supporting. People are getting paid for playing records. We should get back to the love and the paycheck is gonna come. Radio and DJs have to understand, when you don’t play the records, we don’t get paid. This is how we survive and send [our] kids to college. This is our job. So when you tell an artist you can’t play their record, you’re crushing their whole world. People need to get back to doing it for the love. I get major love in Atlanta and New York, but when I come back home to L.A., we’ve only got West Coast Wednesday. How come the West Coast only gets Wednesdays in L.A.? When I went to NYC to let people know I was in town they wouldn’t let me get on the radio station to tell people. And I’m a guy that brought you tons of music. I’ve done a lot for Def Jam and New York, working with Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles. When Def Jam was down, I saved the day. There should always be love there. They should never tell me I can’t get on [the radio]. And the Program Director was from California, that’s what made it even crazier.

Now that I’m independent, I see what the process is. A lot of the people I helped get into positions with major companies are like, “Fuck you Warren, thank you, we cool. I don’t owe you nothing.” And that’s fucked up. I’ve busted my ass, told companies that if you fire so-and-so, you might as well drop me. That’s fucked up. That’s why I’m not mad at dudes like Suge loc’ing up on these industry people.

Despite your affiliations, we’ve never heard you do a lot of banging on wax like some of your peers. Why is that?
I’ve got kids, so I can’t be on record talking about I’m cripping. I don’t want my kids saying I was a gangbanger. I want them saying, “My dad has been around the world and made great records.” I’m grown and sexy now. I still appeal to people, I ain’t old and shabby-faced. I ain’t in my 40s yet, but the ladies still like me. I just can’t do the gangbang thing on my music. I’ve got two daughters and three boys.

We know you’ve been doing a lot for the community lately. Do they still have Warren G Week in Long Beach?
I was just named as the face for all the Boys & Girls Clubs in Long Beach. I got a certificate from the district for the good I’ve done. That was big for me. They still have Warren G Week in the summer, but in the winter I go to the homeless shelters and pass out stuff to the homeless. They’re good people, they just get in bad positions when nobody wants to hire them.

How is Nate Dogg doing these days?
I’m going to see him this week. He’s in therapy. We’re trying to get him back up. He had two strokes; a lot of people don’t survive from that. We’re keeping him in our prayers and trying to get him back right, and that’s all we can do. It hurts because that’s my dawg. I do a dedication to him every time I perform to let my good vibes and prayers get out to the Lord for him to get better. But it’s a part of life we have to deal with. So I have to keep myself up and healthy.

Lastly, since Dr. Dre is your brother, are you privy to any Detox information?
The stuff I’ve heard was dope. When he drops it, he’s gonna change the game as far as the music. I couldn’t tell you how far along he is or if it’s finished. I really don’t know what he’s doing right this minute, but I know he’s gonna put the record out. I do know it’s coming out this year. //

Source: OzoneMag